Paraguay Lower Leagues: Relegation and Promotion

The Paraguayan lower leagues have now come to an end and will restart in around six months time, the tier system is quite confusing with various means of reaching the second tier (Intermedia), but the below list is effectively in descending order.

The ups and downs of 2012 are here, with thanks to Mundo Intermedia Paraguay for their excellent website that has been my main source of information. The name in brackets is the city the club is from.

INTERMEDIA

Promoted to Primera: General Díaz (Luque); Deportivo Capiatá (Capiatá)

Relegated to Third Tier: 29 de Septiembre (Luque) ; Sportivo Iteño (Itá), Atletico Colegiales (Asunción)

PRIMERA B METROPOLITANA

Promoted to Intermedia: 12 de Octubre (Itaguá)

Playoff for Intermedia place: Martin Ledesma (Capiatá)*

Relegated to Primera División C: 1º de Marzo

PRIMERA DIVISION B

Promoted to Intermedia: Liga Caacupeña de Deportes (Caacupé)

Playoff for Intermedia place: Liga Concepcionera (Concepción)

INTERLIGAS

The Interligas tournament comprised of teams from the Paraguayan countryside and organised by the UFI will conclude in early 2013 with the winner earning status as an APF club and a place in the 2013 Intermedia. This is how Sportivo Carapeguá came into existence having been previously an UFI select side known as Liga Carapegueña de Fútbol.

PRIMERA DIVISION C

Promoted to B Metropolitana: Atlantida (Asunción)

Relegated from APF tournaments: Nikkei Belmare (Itaguá)

*Martin Ledesma won the playoff against Concepcionera 5-4 on penalties with aggregate scores tied after two legs

By Ralph Hannah

Intermedia 2012: The big kick off

Unfortunately time dictates I won’t be able to do a weekly update from Paraguay’s second tier the “Intermedia” but if you speak Spanish I highly recommend MIP which is dedicated to the division. However as we are in the opening weekend it seems fitting to report briefly on what is going on.

Last year’s nearly men Deportivos Santiní and Capiatá were joined by relegated 3 de Febrero and General Caballero, the new boys were the winners of Paraguay’s regional tournament Interligas. That pits the best players from the leagues in the various ‘departments’ of Paraguay and last year’s winners were Paranaense from the Eastern limit of the country. The 2010 Interligas winners were Carapeguá who now find themselves with the big boys in Primera.

Paranaense promoted from Interligas - Photo: D10.com.py

The opening game was between the biggest club in the north of the country Pedro Juan Caballero’s 2 de Mayo and the largest of Asunción’s satellite cities Sportivo San Lorenzo. The away side picked up a notable 4-1 win in the Rio Parapití to get their campagin off to a wonderful start with all four strikes from Juan Andres Noguera ‘The black diamond’.

The other televised match was Gral. Caballero against Fernando de la Mora, again the visiting side was victorious this time 2-1 and despite being reduced to ten men early on. The goals for the winning side coming from Julio López and Derlis Yaharí.

In Ciudad del Este the favourites to come back up, 3 de Febrero lost to the side from Asunción’s historic suburb Sportivo Trinidense with a last minute winner from Cornelio Vargas. Unfortunately Trinidense reported via Twitter that annoyed fans of “3″ had attacked the supporter’s bus injuring two adults and one child. They have reported this to the police.

Week 1 Results

Gral.Caballero 1 – 2 Fernando de la Mora, Paranaense FC 4 – 3 29 de Setiembre, Sport Colombia 1 – 1 Sportivo Iteño, Deportivo Capiatá 0 – 4 General Díaz, Deportivo Santaní 2 – 1 Colegiales, Resistencia 3 – 0 River Plate, 2 de Mayo 1 – 4 San Lorenzo, 3 de Febrero 0 – 1 Trinidense

By Ralph Hannah