2002 in Paraguayan football
The following article presents a summary of the 2002 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.
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Scored | Conceded | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sportivo Luqueño | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| 2 | 12 de Octubre | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 19 |
| 3 | Libertad | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 13 | 18 |
| 4 | Cerro Porteño | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 15 |
| 5 | Sport Colombia | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 13 | 14 |
| 6 | Sol de América | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| 7 | Olimpia | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 11 |
| 8 | Guaraní | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 9 |
| 9 | San Lorenzo | 9 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 4 |
| 10 | Deportivo Recoleta | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 3 |
Apertura playoff stage
The top eight teams qualified to this stage.
Quarterfinals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guaraní | 4-1 | Sportivo Luqueño | 2-1 | 2-0 |
| Olimpia | 4-2 | 12 de Octubre | 3-1 | 1-1 |
| Sol de América | 4-8 | Libertad | 3-3 | 1-5 |
| Sport Colombia | 1-3 | Cerro Porteño | 0-2 | 1-1 |
Semifinals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Porteño | 0-0 (5 - 3 pen) |
Olimpia | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Guaraní | 2-5 | Libertad | 1-1 | 1-4 |
Apertura final
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Porteño | 1-3 | Libertad | 0-3 | 1-0 |
Libertad wins the Apertura tournament final by an aggregate score of 3-1 on May 11, 2002.
Torneo Clausura
The Clausura tournament was played in a two-round all-play-all system, with the champion being the team with the most points at the end of the two rounds.
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Scored | Conceded | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 de Octubre | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 30 | 24 | 32 |
| 2 | Libertad | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 33 | 22 | 31 |
| 3 | Olimpia | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 33 | 25 | 30 |
| 4 | Sportivo Luqueño | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 17 | 27 |
| 5 | Guaraní | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 26 | 26 |
| 6 | Sport Colombia | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 27 | 26 |
| 7 | Cerro Porteño | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 19 | 21 |
| 8 | Recoleta | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 21 |
| 9 | Sol de América | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 23 | 17 |
| 10 | San Lorenzo | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 29 | 17 |
Championship game playoff
The national championship game was played between the Apertura and Clausura tournaments winners.
Libertad declared as national champions by aggregate score of 6-2.
Relegation / Promotion
- Recoleta automatically relegated to the second division after finishing last in the average points table based over a three-year period.
San Lorenzo finished second-to-last in the aggregate points table, so had to participate in the promotion play-off game against second division runners-up Club Presidente Hayes. San Lorenzo won the playoff game by an aggregate score of 4-3, so it remains in the first division.
- Tacuary promoted to the first division by winning the second division tournament.
Qualification to international competitions
- Libertad qualified to the 2003 Copa Libertadores by winning the Torneo Apertura.
- 12 de Octubre qualified to the 2003 Copa Libertadores by winning the Torneo Clausura.
- Olimpia qualified to the 2003 Copa Libertadores as holders of the 2002 edition.
- A four team playoff (based on best positions in the aggregate points table) was played to determine the 4th participant in the 2003 Copa Libertadores.
Pre-Libertadores playoff
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Scored | Conceded | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerro Porteño | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 7 |
| 2 | Guaraní | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | Sport Colombia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 4 | Sportivo Luqueño | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
- Cerro Porteño qualifies to the 2003 Copa Libertadores by winning the Pre-Libertadores tournament.
Lower divisions results
| Level | Tournament | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Intermedia | Tacuary |
| 3rd (G.A. teams) | Primera de Ascenso | Sportivo Trinidense |
| 3rd (interior teams) | UFI Champions Cup | Cerro Porteño PF (Presidente Franco) |
| 4th (G.A. teams) | Segunda de Ascenso | General Caballero (San Felipe) |
Paraguayan teams in international competitions
- Intercontinental Cup
- Olimpia: runners-up
- Copa Libertadores 2002:
- Olimpia: Champions
- Cerro Porteño: group-stage
- 12 de Octubre: group-stage
- Copa Sudamericana 2002:
- Libertad: preliminary second round
- Cerro Porteño: preliminary first round
Paraguay national team
The following table lists all the games played by the Paraguay national football team in official competitions during 2002.
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Comp | Paraguay scorers | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2, 2002 | Asiad Main Stadium Busan |
 South Africa |
2 - 2 | World Cup | Santa Cruz  39'Arce 55' |
Report |
| June 7, 2002 | Jeonju World Cup Stadium Jeonju |
 Spain |
3 - 1 | World Cup | Puyol 10' (o.g.) |
Report |
| June 12, 2002 | Jeju World Cup Stadium Seogwipo |
 Slovenia |
1 - 3 | World Cup | Cuevas 65', 84' Campos 73' |
Report |
| June 15, 2002 | Jeju World Cup Stadium Seogwipo |
 Germany |
0 - 1 | World Cup | - | Report |
| September 19, 2002 | Takhti Stadium Tabriz |
 Iran |
1 - 1 (4–3 pen) | 2002 LG Cup | Bareiro 35' |
Report |
References
- Paraguay 2002 by Eli Schmerler, Andy Bolander and Juan Pablo Andrés at RSSSF
- Diario ABC Color