February 7, 2021
The Uruguayan Primera Division used to operate under the Apertura and Clausura system. However, the impact of the Covid pandemic has created the need for several changes to the structure, with the 2020 season consisting of an Apertura season whereby the 16 teams in the top division played each other once, with the top two playing a single play-off match to determine the overall winner, an Intermediate season whereby two groups of 8 played each other once with the two group winners playing each other to determine the winners, and the Clausura where each team plays each other once in a 15 game season with the winners being declared the champions without the need for any play-off.
The Apertura season finished with Rentistas and Nacional both with 28 points after their 15 games, with Rentistas winning the play-off in extra-time with a 1-0 win.
Nacional gained some compensation by winning their group in the Intermediate season, and then beating Montevideo Wanderers on a penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 draw.
The overall championship is determined by a play-off between the winners of the Apertura and the Clausura tournaments, and the eight places in the COPA Libertadores and COPA Sudamerica will be determined by an aggregate table of the three tournaments. If the side topping the aggregate table is not either the winner of the Apertura or Clausura tournament, they will be entitled to a play-off against the winner of the Apertura vs Clausura play-off for the overall Championship. Simples !
Relegation is determined by an average points system over the past two seasons, with the three worst performing sides relegated to the Segunda Division. All matches since the August resumption following the Covid suspension have been played without any spectators.
The 2020 Clausura tournament has reached Round 5 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. As the 2021 COPA Libertadores and COPA Sudamerica competitions are scheduled to commence towards the end of February, the qualifiers from Uruguay are to be determined by the aggregate tables at the various cut-off dates for the participants to be confirmed.
Formed in 1932, Danubio are one of the oldest teams in Uruguay, being formed by two ex-patriot Bulgarians and named after the River Danube. They play in the 18,000 capacity Jardines del Hipodromo Maria Mincheff de Lazaroff Stadium, named after the mother of the two founding members. They have won 4 national championships, the last in 2013/14 and former players include Diego Forlan, Edinson Cavani, Alvaro Recoba and Rueben Sosa. They are one of twelve sides in the Primera Division who play in the capital Montevideo.
However, they have not had a good season so far, going into today’s game with one win and three losses in their 4 Clausura games to-date, and in 15th place in both the aggregate and average relegation tables. However, they did win their most recent outing at River Plate 4-0 and the team was unchanged for today.
There are no current internationals in their squad although they have Colombian centre-back Carlos Romana, Argentine midfielder Matias Fritzler ( ex Kasimpasa in Turkey ) and Argentine striker Martin Comachi as foreign players. Keeper Salvador Ichazo has played for Torino and Bari, left-back Leandro Sosa has played for Xanthi in Greece, striker Leandro Rodriguez has been with Everton and Brentford, 38 year old centre-back Mauricio Victorino has 24 caps and has played in Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Argentina, and 36 year old centre-back Sergio Rodriguez has played in Israel and Argentina.
Montevideo City Torque are a controversial side in Uruguay, being owned since 2017 by the City Football Group, which also owns Manchester City as well as stakes in clubs in the United States, Australia, India, Japan, Spain, China, Belgium and France. They have been in the Uruguay Premier Division since 2018.
Torque finished third in the Apertura, third in their intermediate group, and sat third in the Clausura table at the start of Round 5 with two wins and two draws. They were also second in the aggregate table, and so were in no danger of relegation. Last time out they drew 0-0 at home to Defensor Sporting and after that result, five changes were made for today’s game.
They don’t have any current internationals either, although their squad includes Venezuelan forward Junior Paredes, Chilean midfielder Marcelo Allende, Argentinian striker Gustavo del Prete ( who has 9 goals all season so far ), midfielder Diego Arismendi ( ex-Brighton, Barnsley & Huddersfield – 4 caps ), 39 year old striker Sergio Blanco ( who has played in Mexico, China and Peru – 4 caps ) and 34 year old midfielder Leandro Ezquerra ( who has played in Chile and Venezuela – 1 cap ).
However, none of these started today, and only del Prete, Allende and Ezquerra made the bench. Captain Alvaro Brun was still unavailable after being diagnosed with Covid during the week.
Today’s match was played at 10am local time ( 1pm UK time ). A sunny day was forecast with a 23 degree temperature at kick-off, expected to rise to 27 degrees later in the day.
Surprisingly given their differences in the league tables, Bet365 were expecting a close encounter, with both sides at 8/5 to win, whilst the draw was at 2/1.
Danubio played in a nice kit of a white shirt with a black diagonal, and black shorts. Torque were in all sky blue. Unusually, their sponsor’s name was on the sleeves of the shirt rather than on the chest, and they did not have the player’s name on the back of the shirt. Neither team had numbers on their shorts, which made identification of who was who much harder ! The referee and his assistants wore tasteful pinky/orange tops.
The pitch was surrounded on all sides by high fencing, perhaps indicating the volatile nature of Uruguayan crowds ( when allowed to attend ! ), with open terraces behind both goals. Opposite the main stand was an uncovered stand of white seats, with DFC spelt across its three sections.
Torque started the quickest and nearly took the lead in the third minute when Matias Coccaro got to the by-line and crossed to the far post for the arriving Jose Alvarez to volley left footed across the face of the goal, but just wide.
The first yellow card of the match took just 5 minutes to arrive, Pizzichillo unnecessarily scything down Mederos.
Torque dominated the early possession, and neatly played the ball around. Two corners came to nothing before Alvarez had another chance in the 13th minute, but his fierce shot after cutting back in from the left was well saved by Ichazo at his near post at the expense of a corner.
Torque’s pressure was finally rewarded in the 17th minute, with again Alvarez involved but this time as the creator. Rak’s incisive pass through the left channel enabled Alvarez to get to the by-line and his pull back found midfielder Matias Santos in acres of free space to side foot home from around 10 yard.
Danubio had not laid a proverbial glove on the visitors in the opening 30 minutes, but finally won a corner in the 32nd minute. This though was easily headed clear by the Torque defence.
Torque responded immediately, with the mustachioed Coccaro sending a low shot across goal after cutting back in from the left, but Ichazo managed to get his fingertips to it to deflect for a corner. The resulting corner was headed straight at the keeper by Santos, and Ichazo was called into a action a minute later, somehow being able to deflect Catarozzi’s bouncing long range shot over the bar.
A moment of controversy occurred in the 39th minute when Danubio’s Labandeira ran after a long ball out of defence and appeared to be pulled back by Pena before the Torque keeper cleared the ball for a throw-in. Rather than a free-kick and a red card, the referee awarded a throw-in. Spurred by this Danubio had their first shot in anger a minute later, but Mendez’s shot-cum-cross was gathered by Fiermarin at the second attempt.
Torque went into the half-time interval deservedly leading 1-0, and could have extended their lead 2 minutes into the second half, but after twisting and turning to make space, Otormin shot straight at Ichazo.
Danubio then had a 10 minute spell when they had most of the play but one weak header was all they could show for their efforts.
Torque should have double the lead in the 57th minute but after a low cross from the left by Alvarez rebounded to Coccaro, a brave defensive block prevented the striker from scoring. A defensive mix-up presented another good chance to the visitors a couple of minutes later but this time it was Pizzichillo who shot narrowly wide.
The game then became stop-start, with a number of fouls and mis-placed passes, and Torque looking like they were sitting back and inviting Danubio to try and break them down. However, the home side lacked the guile or imagination to create any danger although for a while it felt like it only needed a lucky bounce, a mistake or one piece of inspired play to make Torque pay for all their missed opportunities.
Sebastian Guerrero entered the fray for Torque with 15 minutes to play, and made an immediate impact. Another cross from the left by Alvarez found Coccaro beyond the far post. His first-time effort smashed against the cross bar, but the rebound fell back to him and his second attempt was brilliantly saved by Ichazo. Unfortunately for the Danubio guardian, the ball went to Guerrero who made no mistake from 6 yards. 0-2.
A minute later Coccaro was put clear and brought down when trying to go round the keeper. After a lengthy delay to treat the injured Ichazo, Coccaro stepped up to put the penalty down the centre of the goal whilst the keeper dived to his right.
With the result decided, the rest of the game drifted aimlessly, and Danubio made the odd decision to bring on two substitutes in the final minute. They were hardly likely to have a chance to make any impact !
Indeed, it was Torque who had the last say in the match, with Rak’s defensive splitting ball enabling Coccaro to go clear and shoot left footed shot just inside the far post for 0-4 in the 92nd minute.
There was still time for Coccaro to almost grab a hat-trick, but after spotting Ichazo well off his line, the long-range chip sailed inches over the crossbar with Ichazo beaten.
A fully deserved victory for Torque which took them to the top of the Clausura table, and second in the aggregate annual table. 26 year old left sided attacking midfielder Jose Alvarez looked the most influential player on the park.
Danubio were poor and had Ichazo not had such a good game the margin of defeat would have been greater. They fell to bottom place in the Clausura table, and remained in 15th in the aggregate table. They are in real danger of relegation.
Hopefully, some people were able to take advantage of the generous odds offered by the bookmakers !
Danubio : Ichazo – Ponte ( Victorino ), Carrera, Monzon, Gonzalez ( Deorta ) – Labandeira ( M.Rodriguez ), Fritzler, Mendez ( L. Rodriguez ), Mederos – Paiva, Comachi ( Sosa )
Montevideo City Torque : Fiermarin – Pena, Rak, J. Pereira, Pizzichillo - Neira ( D.Pereira ), Otormin ( Guerrero ), Santos ( Teuten ), Catarozzi ( Ezquerra ), Alvarez ( Guzman ) – Coccaro
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsDm__Ybtd4&t=96s
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