| Ok, you know all about the passion for soccer in Brazil | | | | Metropolitano next year. It would be until 1985 that |
| from Ronaldinho's promo ads, but what about | | | | Argentina soccer would hold this structure, after which |
| Argentina soccer? Why is it that a country that | | | | the Nacional became the main championship. |
| suffers and lives for soccer equally as the Brazilians | | | | In Argentina, football holds two "seasons" as of 1991, |
| don't get their fair share of spotlight time? | | | | named the Clausura and Apertura (the closing and the |
| Admittedly, one of the reasons is its smaller trophy | | | | opening), and played as two distinct single-round |
| room in comparison to Brazil's (2 titles in 4 finals for | | | | championships. Each year, relegation is calculated |
| Argentina, 5 titles in 7 finals for Brazil) but still...In order to | | | | based on a three-year average and the 2 teams with |
| do it justice, I decided to accustom you to football in | | | | the lowest average are relegated, with 2 teams with |
| Argentina. | | | | the highest three-year average from the lower division |
| Argentina soccer was organized in amateur or | | | | are promoted. |
| semi-professional local championships at the dawn of | | | | I have to admit, this system they adopted for football in |
| the 20th century and despite the fact that Argentina's | | | | Argentina was a bit weird at first and needed some |
| national soccer team played its first match in 1901, don't | | | | getting used to. But I can also see the advantages of |
| think it was the same type of national team you would | | | | such a system. |
| have today. Most of the players, spotted in the | | | | There are 5 teams that have dominated Argentina |
| semi-professional championships formed up that 1930 | | | | soccer ever since the Metropolitano championship |
| World Cup finalist team, after which most of them | | | | was created: River Plate, Independiente, Boca Juniors, |
| returned to mediocrity. | | | | San Lorenzo and Racing Club are fighting for the title |
| In 1931, the first professional country-wide championship | | | | of Champions each year, for the past 50 years or so. |
| was instituted, although not all teams were affiliated to | | | | Unfortunately, it's a case of "rich get richer" and smaller |
| the national association. For example, only teams from | | | | teams have less and less of a chance to be crowned |
| Buenos Aires, Avellaneda and La Plata formed the | | | | as Argentina soccer champions, with these 5 |
| championship structure in the first years, with teams | | | | (especially the first 3) dominating and monopolizing the |
| from Santa Fe or Rosario joining later on. | | | | competitions. |
| This early championship called the Metropolitano did not | | | | It's these 5 clubs that launched many of the greatest |
| allow other provincial teams to join and due to | | | | Argentina soccer players on the world stage, although |
| increasing demand, the Argentina soccer association | | | | most of them transferred to powerful European clubs |
| finally created a fully nation-wide competition in 1967, | | | | after only a few years at their home clubs. A few |
| called the Nacional. | | | | noteworthy examples include Alfredo Di Stefano |
| For several years, the Nacional and Metropolitano | | | | (River Plate), Diego Maradona (Boca Juniors), Juan |
| championships were played separately. The Nacional | | | | Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors), Daniel Passarela |
| was a 1-group championship, of which the six best | | | | (River Plate), Esteban Cambiasso (Independiente) or |
| teams would be eligible to take part in the | | | | Guillermo Franco (San Lorenzo). |