The 1998-I Pre-Libertadores tournament was the first edition of the Pre-Libertadores tournament, the annual qualifying tournament between clubs from Venezuela and Mexico, that defined two clubs qualified to the Copa Libertadores. It was held from 4 to 26 February 2022.[1]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4-26 February |
| Teams | 4 (from 2 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Guadalajara |
| Runners-up | América |
| Third place |  Caracas |
| Fourth place | Atlético Zulia |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 8 |
| Goals scored | 24 (3 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Gustavo Nápoles (4 goals) |
← — | |
The tournament was contested by two clubs from Venezuela, Caracas and Atlético Zulia, and two clubs from Mexico, América and Guadalajara. The best two clubs qualified to the 1998 Copa Libertadores where they joined Brazilian clubs Grêmio and Vasco da Gama in the group 2.
Participating clubs
editOriginally, the two Mexican clubs were to be determined in a preliminary round organized by the FMF between América, Guadalajara, Cruz Azul and Atlante. However, Cruz Azul and Atlante declined to participate, leaving America and Guadalajara to advance directly to the Pre-Libertadores.[2]
The two Venezuelan clubs were the champions and runners-up of the 1996–97 Venezuelan Primera División season.
| Federation | Club | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| FMF |
América (MEX-1)1 |
Designated by the FMF |
| Guadalajara (MEX-2)1 |
Designated by the FMF | |
| FVF |
Caracas (VEN-1) |
1996-97 Venezuelan champions |
| Atlético Zulia (VEN-2) |
1996-97 Venezuelan runners-up |
- Note
- The order of Mexican clubs was defined in a play-off played on January 14, 1998 which was won by América 2–0 over Guadalajara.[3]
Results
editStandings
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 10 | 1998 Copa Libertadores Group 2 |
| 2 | América
|
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 | |
| 3 | Caracas
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 5 | |
| 4 | Atlético Zulia
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 0 |
Matches
editThe match schedule had to be reduced because the start date of the 1998 Copa Libertadores was near (25 February), so matches between teams from the same country were omitted.[1] Each team played a total of 4 matches.
| Atlético Zulia | 2–3 | Guadalajara |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Caracas | 1–1 | Guadalajara |
|---|---|---|
González  59' |
Report | Sánchez 61' |
| Atlético Zulia | 0–2 | América |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Guadalajara | 4–1 | Atlético Zulia |
|---|---|---|
| Report | J. García 4' |
| América | 2–0 | Atlético Zulia |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Guadalajara | 4–1 | Caracas |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bidoglio 18' |
| América | 1–1 | Caracas |
|---|---|---|
| Valenzuela 27' |
Report | Ramos 86' |
Goalscorers
editThere were 24 goals scored in 8 matches, for an average of 3 goals per match.
4 goals
Gustavo Nápoles (Guadalajara)
3 goals
- Paulo Chávez (Guadalajara)
2 goals
Juan Enrique García (Atlético Zulia)- Ricardo Peláez (America)
- Ramón Ramírez (Guadalajara)
1 goal
- Jesús Arellano (Guadalajara)
Héctor Bidoglio (Caracas)- Leonardo González (Caracas)
- Isaac Ramos (Atlético Zulia)
- José Manuel Rey (Caracas)
- Camilo Romero (Guadalajara)
- Joel Sánchez (Guadalajara)
- Isaac Terrazas (America)
- Rodrigo Valenzuela (America)
- Luis Vera (Atlético Zulia)
1 own goal
- Carlos García (from Atlético Zulia against America)
References
edit- ^ a b Minniti, Javier. "Recuento histórico de la Liguilla entre Venezuela y México" [Liguilla history between Venezuela and Mexico] (in Spanish). University of the Andes. Archived from the original on 10 December 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ Fares Parra, Omar (9 August 2010). "La historia de una marcha vibrante" [The history of a vibrant march] (in Spanish). El Informador.
- ^ "Tardes Mágicas: Clásico ¿Sudamericano?" [Magic Afternoons: Classic South American?] (in Spanish). Nidoazulcrema.com. 17 September 2020.