¡NACIONAL CAMPEÓN DEL APERTURA!

Nacional won the Apertura, with a goal from Recoba in the 34’ minute of the 2^nd half; one of the strangest comebacks of all time, which had the feeling of a long-shot horse pulling off an upset. Peñarol who scored 5 yesterday was depending on two adverse results (Danubio & Nacional losses) to win it all but it wasn’t to be, Danubio also won (defeating Bella Vista 4-1) just in case Nacional would have lost today.

Recoba’s goal today to win the Apertura, completes the fairy tale ending of Recoba’s comeback to Uruguay’s Primera, a former NT member who had become a love/hate figure in Uruguay’s football ––

–– his stay in Danubio last season bordered on pathetic, his role as super-sub in Nacional under rookie-coach Marcelo Gallardo was brilliant by comparison. Who knew Gallardo could reverse the early draws in the campaign & the one loss to Apertura worst, Bella Vista. But then came the Clásico, a brilliant penalty from Recoba gave Nacional a confidence that it was possible to win the Apertura. While Nacional threatened to take it all, Peñarol’s self-destruction really started in Week 10, when Peñarol was unable to defeat Cerro, that was followed by losses to Liverpool, Wanderers & then Nacional. Fabian Carini who had a brilliant start to the campaign had 8 clean sheets for the Apertura, but his 13 goals allowed contributed to Peñarol’s woes and ultimately the loss of the Apertura.

The most surprising team for the Apertura were Cerro Largo, who won most of their away games –– While Cerro Largo surprised, Defensor Sporting disappointed, finishing sixth. Nacional finished on top of the board with 32 points, followed by on and off Danubio (31 points), Peñarol (30 points), River Plate (28 points) and Cerro Largo (27 points).

APERTURA Top 25 Scorers

Marcelo Zalayeta (Peñarol) • 8 goals

Emiliano Alfaro  (Liverpool) • 7 goals (3 penalties)

Pablo Olivera (River Plate) • 6 goals

Aníbal Hernández (Racing) • 6 goals

Joao Pedro (Peñarol) • 6 goals (2 penalties)

Richard Núñez (Rampla Juniors) • 6 goals (3 penalties)

Nicolas Royon (Liverpool) • 5 goals

Juan M. Ortiz (Fénix) • 5 goals

Gonzalo Mastrianni (Cerro) • 5 goals

Gaston Machado (El Tanque Sisley) • 5 goals

Álvaro Recoba (Nacional) • 5 goals (1 penalty)

Ignacio Risso (Defensor Sporting) • 5 goals

Antonio Pacheco (Wanderers) • 5 goals (2 penalties)

A. “Cacique” Medina (Nacional) • 5 goals (1 penalty)

Braian Aleman (Defensor Sporting) • 5 goals (2 penalties)

Tabaré Viudez (Nacional) • 4 goals

Richard Mercado (Wanderers) • 4 goals

Marcelo Méndez (Wanderers) • 4 goals

Gonzalo Bueno (Nacional) • 4 goals

Sebastian Sosa Sanchez (Cerro Largo) • 4 goals

Santiago Silva (Peñarol) • 4 goals

Matias Britos (Defensor Sporting) • 4 goals

Marcos Neves (Cerro Largo) • 4 goals

Antonio Boghossian (Nacional) • 4 goals (1 penalty)

Sebastian Rosano (Peñarol) • 3 goals

Most Red Cards & Yellow Card Accumulations: Federico Velázquez, (El Tanque Sisley), 8 yellows & 3 red cards: 11 in total.

Best Goalkeeper: Mauro Goicoechea (Danubio), 8 clean sheets — 7 goals allowed.

Best Foreigner: Peñarol’s Joao Pedro (Brazil), 6 goals scored — 2 penalties

NACIONAL 1-0 LIVERPOOL

Liverpool: Matias Castro, Marcelo Mansilla, Juan D. Alvez, Pablo Pereira, Antonio Fernandez, Renzo Daniel Pozzi, Jonathan Barboza, Carlos Macchi, Hernan Figueredo, Elias Figueroa, Emiliano Alfaro • DT: Julio Cesar Antunez Nacional: Rodrigo Muñoz, Christian Nuñez, Alexis Rolin, “Vampiro” Torres, Diego Placente, Facundo Piriz, Maximiliano Calzada, Matias Vecino, Renato César, “Cacique” Medina, Tabaré Viudez • DT: Marcelo Gallardo Goles: Álvaro “El Chino” Recoba 34’ (2^nd half) 

RACING 3-2 CERRO

Cerro: Matias Rolero, Danilo Asconeguy, Guillermo De Los Santos, Eduardo Daniel Mieres, Washington Camacho, Andrés Ravecca, Sebastian Suarez Lopez, OJ Morales, Mauricio Alonso, Omar Perez, Gonzalo Mastrianni • DT: Ricardo Ortiz Racing: Jorge Contreras, Gonzalo Aguilar, Pablo Lacoste, Federico Da Luz, Manuel Fernandez, Anibal Hernandez, Marcelo Sosa, Ernesto Dudok, Cristian Ortiz, Diego Zabala, Federico Gomez • DT: Osvaldo Streccia. Goles: Federico Gomez 29’ (Racing), Alonso 35’ (Cerro), Anibal Hernandez 15’ (Racing — 2^nd Half), Dani Tejera 31’ (Racing — 2^nd Half) & Luis Machado 36’ (Cerro)

DANUBIO 4-1 BELLA VISTA

Danubio: Mauro Goicoechea, Andrés Fernández, Gáston Bueno, Damián Malrrechaufe, Camilo Mayada, Sebastián Piriz, Pablo Damian Castro, Tais Bidegain, Cristián Yeladian, Diego Rafael Perrone & Alvaro Alejandro Melo • DT: Daniel Sanchez Bella Vista: Nicolás Gentilio, Ricardo Azqueta, Carlos Gutiérrez, Haibrany Ruiz Diaz, Marcelo Martuciello, Gastón Otreras, Jesús Belase Pereira, Ignacio Nicolini, Bosco Frontan Vega, José Pablo Varela & Andres Rodriguez. • DT: Diego Martin Alonso. Goles: Danubio: Perrone 29’ & 2’ by way of penalty (2^nd half) — Bella Vista: A.Rodriguez 27’ (2^nd half), Danubio: Leonardo Melazzi 28’ (2^nd half) & Perrone 37’ (2^nd half) • Frutilla: Gastón Otreras (Bella Vista)

PEÑAROL 5-0 CERRITO

Cerrito: Gonzalo Salgueiro; Cristiano Gomes, Rodrigo Canosa, Nelson Techera, Salvador Sasson; Mauricio Bruzzone, Gastón Minutillo, Francisco Molina; Nicolás Núñez; Héctor Foletti & Fabricio Ronchetti • DT: Jorge Barrios Peñarol: Fabián Carini; Emiliano Albín, Alejandro González, Carlos Valdez, Darío Rodríguez; Edison Torres, Nicolás Freitas, Sebastián Cristóforo; Pedro; Santiago Silva & Marcelo Zalayeta • DT: Gregorio Pérez Goles: 43′ Marcelo Zalayeta (PEÑ), 58′ y 62′ Santiago Silva (PEÑ), 71′ Emilio Mac Eachen (PEÑ), 85′ Joäo Pedro (PEÑ).

RENTISTAS 1-1 WANDERERS

Rentistas: Guillermo Reyes, Selmar Pintos, Diego Bonilla, Ruben Planchón, Bruno Lentinelli, Gonzalo Maulella, Jonathan Iglesias, Valentín Villazán, Ramón Giambiaggi, Wanderson Silvera y Gastón Giménez. • DT: Edgardo Arias. Wanderers: Martín Rodríguez, Jonathan Sandoval, Sergio Rodríguez, Matías Quagliotti, Maximiliano Olivera, Juan Ramón Curbelo, Guzmán Pereira, Antonio Pacheco, Maximiliano Rodríguez, Javier Cabrera & Richard Mercado • DT: Daniel Carreño. Goles: Rentistas: 72′ Ruben Planchón (penalty), Wanderers: 85′  Richard Mercado. Frutilla: 80’ Quagliotti (Wanderers)

CERRO LARGO 3-0 EL TANQUE SISLEY

Cerro Largo: Martín Campaña, Abel Nazario, Marcos Otegui, Gonzalo Viera, Daniel Leites, Mauricio Ruiz, Nicolás Schenone, Rodrigo de Olivera, Adolfo Lima, Rino Lucas  & Sebastián Sosa • DT: Danielo Núñez. El Tanque Sisley: Nicola Pérez, Julio Ferrón, Diego Taramasco, Martín Galain, Gonzalo Ramírez, Gastón Martínez, Andrés Aparicio, Sergio Cabral, Gastón Machado, Gonzalo Pizzichillo  & Miguel Murillo.  • DT: Raúl Moller. Goles: CL: 27′ & 53′ Sebastián Sosa, CL: 50′ Rino Lucas (penalty)

RAMPLA JUNIORS 1-0 FÉNIX

Fénix: Danilo Lerda, Martín Cardozo, Maximiliano Perg, Ignacio Pallas, Cristian Machin, Claudio Rivero, Gonzalo Papa, Fernando Sellanes, Luciano Cardenalli, Román Cuello & Juan Manuel Ortiz • DT: Rosario Martínez. Rampla Juniors: Lucero Alvarez, César Vargas, Javier Benia, Lucas Staud, Hugo Souza, Oscar Russo, Marcel Novick, Rodrigo Rojo, Nicolás Guevara, Ismael Espiga & Moreno Asprilla • DT: Fernando Araujo. Gol: RJ: Richard Núñez (penalty) 49’ • Frutilla: Trujillo (F) 90′

RIVER PLATE 2-0 DEFENSOR

Defensor: Jonhatan Irrazábal, Ramón Arias, Walter Ibáñez, Néstor Moiraghi, Diego “Zurdo” Rodríguez, Federico Pintos, Diego Ferreira, Diego “Toro” Rodríguez, Brian Alemán, Ignacio Risso & Diego Roland • DT: Pablo Repeto. 


River Plate: Fernando Laforia, Baltasar Silva, Cristian González, Pablo Gaglianone, Mauricio Prieto, Nicolás Pereira, Gonzalo Porras, Jhon Varela, Janderson Pereira, Pablo Olivera & Sebastián Taborda • DT: Guillermo Almada. Goles: 29′ Gonzalo Porras, 34′ Pablo Gaglianone (penalty)• Frutillas: 53′ Pablo Gaglianone (RP), 56′ Walter Ibáñez (DS), 90′ Diego Ferreira(RP).