1998 in Paraguayan football

none The following article presents a summary of the 1998 football (soccer) season in Paraguay. First division results Torneo Apertura The Apertura tournament was played in a single all-play-all system. At the end, the top eight teams qualified to a playoff stage to determine the Apertura champion. PositionTeamPlayedWinsDrawsLossesScoredConcededPoints1Cerro Porteño 118122410252Sportivo Luqueño 116321716213Olimpia 11623157204Presidente Hayes 114431110165Guaraní 11434111315612 de Octubre 114251415147Sol de América 113441215138Cerro Corá113351518129Atl. Colegiales1133510141210San Lorenzo1133512171211Nacional1124518201012Libertad1124581210 Apertura playoff stage The top eight teams qualified to this stage and were given bonus points based on their final standing in the table. Two groups of four teams were made, with the top two of each group advancing to a playoff stage. Group stage Group A PositionTeamPlayedWinsDrawsLossesScoredConcededBonus PointsPoints1Olimpia320172[2]82Sol de América 320165[0]63Guaraní 311156[1]54Sportivo Luqueño301238[2.5]3.5 Group B PositionTeamPlayedWinsDrawsLossesScoredConcededBonus PointsPoints1Cerro Porteño 3300102[3]12212 de Octubre311146[0.5]4.53Cerro Corá311134[0]44Presidente Hayes300327[1.5]1.5 Semifinals Olimpia 4 - 2 12 de Octubre 3-1 1-1 Sol de América 1 - 1(7 - 6 P.K.) Cerro Porteño 1-0 0-1 |} Apertura final Olimpia 3 - 1 Sol de América 2-0 1-1 |} Olimpia wins the Apertura tournament final by aggregate score of 3-1. Torneo Clausura The Clausura tournament was played in a single all-play-all system. At the end, the top eight teams qualified to a playoff stage to determine the Clausura champion. PositionTeamPlayedWinsDrawsLossesScoredConcededPoints1Cerro Porteño 11821289262Guaraní 116322015213Cerro Corá 115331816184Atl. Colegiales 11515141516512 de Octubre 114341820156Sol de América 112721210137 * Nacional 112721723138Olimpia113351312129San Lorenzo1125413161110Sportivo Luqueño112548131111Libertad111641218912Presidente Hayes1115512188 * Nacional finished in the top eight but their average points over three years forced the team to be relegated so they did not take part of the playoff stage. San Lorenzo took their place instead. Clausura playoff stage The top eight teams qualified to this stage and were given bonus points based on their final standing in the table. Two groups of four teams were made, with the top two of each group advancing to a playoff stage. San Lorenzo replaced Nacional in the playoff stage due to Nacional being relegated to the second division. Group stage Group A PositionTeamPlayedWinsDrawsLossesScoredConcededBonus PointsPoints1Cerro Porteño 330073[3]122Atlético Colegiales 311143[1.5]5.53San Lorenzo 310267[0]34Sol de América 301237[1.5]0.5 Group B PositionTeamPlayedWinsDrawsLossesScoredConcededBonus PointsPoints1Olimpia321074[0]72Cerro Corá 312065[2]73Guaraní 311144[2.5]6.5412 de Octubre300326[1]1 Semifinals Cerro Corá 1 - 3 Cerro Porteño 1-0 0-3 Olimpia 6 - 1 Atlético Colegiales 5-0 1-1 |} Clausura final Cerro Porteño 4 - 4 (4 - 3 P.K.) Olimpia 1-4 3-0 |} Cerro P. wins the Clausura tournament final on penalty shootout 4-3. National championship game The national championship game was played between the Apertura and Clausura tournaments winners. Cerro Porteño 3 - 5 Olimpia 2-2 1-3 |} Olimpia declared as national champions by aggregate score of 5-3. Relegation / Promotion Nacional and Libertad automatically relegated to the second division after finishing last and second-to-last in the average points table based over a three-year period. Resistencia promoted to the first division by winning the second division tournament. Qualification to international competitions Olimpia qualified to the 1999 Copa Libertadores by winning the Torneo Apertura. Cerro Porteño qualified to the 1999 Copa Libertadores by winning the Torneo Clausura. Lower divisions results LevelTournamentChampion2ndIntermediaResistencia3rd (G.A. teams)Primera de AscensoOriental3rd (interior teams)UFI Champions CupSportivo Obrero (San Juan Misiones)4th (G.A. teams)Segunda de AscensoSport Colonial Paraguayan teams in international competitions Copa Libertadores 1998: Cerro Porteño: Semi-finals Olimpia: Round of 16 Copa MERCOSUR 1998: Olimpia: Semi-finals Cerro Porteño: Group stage Copa CONMEBOL 1998: Cerro Corá: First round Paraguay national team The following table lists all the games played by the Paraguay national football team in official competitions during 1998. DateVenueOpponentsScoreCompParaguay scorersReport 1998-02-08 Estadio Defensores del Chaco Asunción, Paraguay POL 4 - 0 F Benítez 25Arce 27Ayala 55Ferreira 67 450 1998-03-14 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, United States USA 2 - 2 F Caniza 15Arce 27 (pk) 451 1998-03-18 Estadio Olímpico Universitario Mexico City, Mexico MEX 1 - 1 F Benítez 62 452 1998-03-28 Yale Bowl New Haven, United States COL 1 - 1 F Benítez 43 453 1998-04-22 Stadio Ennio Tardini Parma, Italy ITA 3 - 1 F Sarabia 57 454 1998-05-17 Olympic Stadium Tokyo, Japan JPN 1947 1 - 1 Kirin Cup Ayala 7 455 1998-05-21 Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium Kobe, Japan CZE 1 - 0 Kirin Cup 456 1998-06-01 Philips Stadion Eindhoven, Netherlands NED 5 - 1 F Campos 2 457 1998-06-03 Steaua Stadium Bucharest, Romania ROM 3 - 2 F Cardozo 27 Acuña 62 458 1998-06-06 King Baudouin Stadium Brussels, Belgium BEL 1 - 0 F 459 1998-06-12 Stade de la Mosson Montpellier, France BUL 0 - 0 World Cup - Report 1998-06-19 Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Saint-Étienne, France ESP 0 - 0 World Cup - Report 1998-06-24 Stade de Toulouse Toulouse, France NGA 1 - 3 World Cup Ayala 1Benítez 58Cardozo 86 Report 1998-06-28 Stade Félix Bollaert Lens, France FRA 0 - 0 ( 1 - 0 A.E.T.) World Cup - Report References Paraguay 1998 by Eli Schmerler, Andy Bolander and Juan Pablo Andrés at RSSSF Diario ABC Color Category:Seasons in Paraguayan football