II Division. Primera B
Table:———————— Home Away No. Team G W D L W D L W D L Gf Ga P
Standing from left: Otarola, Escalada, O. Gutiérrez, Rubén Díaz, Montilla, Panizzo. Front: Belvedere, Cavallo, Mamberto, Valentín Sánchez, José S. Romero, Fraile.
1. All Boys 32 21 6 5 13 2 1 8 4 4 53 33 48 [Promoted to First Division] —————————
2. Almirante Brown 32 19 7 6 10 3 3 9 4 3 52 29 45
3. Nueva Chicago 32 15 12 5 10 3 3 5 9 2 51 29 42
4. Temperley 32 15 10 7 9 6 1 6 4 6 50 38 40
5. Deportivo Morón 32 14 9 9 6 2 8 8 7 1 44 34 37
6. San Telmo 32 11 11 10 7 5 4 4 6 6 32 36 33
Back row from left: José M. Gatti, J. M. Collodel, José Caffaro, Ricardo Troncone, Rímolo, Ramiro Pérez.
Bottom: J.C López, Sergio Cierra, Ramos, Osvaldo Morelli, Ernesto Ulrich.
7. Platense 32 10 12 10 2 8 6 8 4 4 45 44 32
8. Almagro 32 9 12 11 5 7 4 4 5 7 43 46 30
9. Los Andes 32 11 7 14 5 5 6 6 2 8 45 41 29
10. Talleres (RE) 32 9 11 12 8 6 2 1 5 10 41 44 29
11. Comunicaciones 32 8 12 12 7 5 4 1 7 8 40 39 28
Second row from left: Oscar Gatto, Emilio Martínez, J. Alvarez, Osvaldo Pérez, Héctor Abritta, Luis Manna.
First row: Hugo Reynoso, Norberto Espada, Clemente Espinosa, Ricardo Julio Villa, Juan G. Carrizo.
12. Quilmes 32 10 8 14 9 2 5 1 6 9 48 60 28
13. Arsenal 32 9 9 14 6 7 3 3 2 11 36 42 27
14. Tigre 32 7 13 12 4 7 5 3 6 7 38 46 27
15. Estudiantes (Bs.As.) 32 7 11 14 5 4 7 2 7 7 29 50 25
Standing from left: Jorge Sigman, Omar Masciotra, Lanata, Anaud, Hugo Mazzini, O. Martínez.
Bottom: Cacciatore, Guillin, Eduardo Menconi, R. Domínguez, Obdulio López.
16. Excursionistas 32 9 6 17 4 3 9 5 3 8 41 59 24 [Relegated]
17. Deportivo Español 32 6 8 18 2 7 7 4 1 11 30 48 20 [Relegated]
All Boys won the Primera B and was promoted to Metropolitano Primera A. Great achievement.
The club from the capital, ADO Den Haag, were… well, just a small club. Aad Mansveld occasionally played for the national team. Ton Thie was relatively respected player in Holland. The two Swedish players – Augustsson and Berg – were fairly obscure. Dick Advocaat? The famous coach and player have nothing in common – same person, but the player nobody ever heard of. ADO Den Haag were far away from Ajax and total football. True, they put a fight at the Cup final, but lost nevertheless. As finalists, they played in the Cup Winners Cup in 1972-73 edition of the tournament – and expired early, without notice. Total football was exceptional and Holland was not going to become superpower on club level.
1. San Lorenzo de Almagro 13 10 3 0 29 6 23 Finalist
2. River Plate 13 10 2 1 50 23 22 Semifinalist
3. Vélez Sarsfield 13 8 2 3 31 19 18
From left: Tébez, Zuvialde, Eusebio Ibáñez, Neumann, Monárdez, Gusmán, Vergara, Gramari, Barroso, Maryllack, Reggi.
7. Independiente (A) 13 4 5 4 24 20 13
8. San Lorenzo (Mar del Plata) 13 5 2 6 24 28 12
Standing from left: Villalón, Héctor Corvalán, Jerez, Blasco, Torga. 
12. Bartolomé Mitre 13 1 2 10 11 36 4
13. Independiente (T) 13 0 3 10 10 46 3
1. Boca Juniors 13 10 2 1 31 15 22 Semifinalist
2. Colón 13 8 2 3 21 16 18
3. Argentinos Juniors 13 7 3 3 26 16 17
Back row from left: 
5. Racing Club 13 6 1 6 20 18 13
Back row from left: De Sá, Syeyyguil, Reinaldi, Laciar, Guerini, Tocalli. 
Second row from left: 
Back row from left: González, Cortez, Quatropani, Signorelli, Lizzi, Palacio. First row: Del Valle, Paz, Spadaro, Rodríguez, Vega.
Standing from left: Camargo, Fornari, Legrotaglie, Patire, Aceituno, Grudzien. Front: Algocino, Guayama, Castellanos, Pereyra, Ibáñez
Back row from left: Rogel, Peracca, Rubén Sánchez, Nicolau, Marzolini. 
1. San Lorenzo de Almagro 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 Champion
2. River Plate 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
After winning Metropolitano, San Lorenzo won the Nacional – excellent double!
Some established stars, like Grosso and Zoco; some younger strong talent, like Amancio and Santillana. Strong team, but no more than that. Mostly for Spanish consumption and perhaps the team at the lowest point by Real standards. The 1970s were dark years for the club.
Any recognizable name? Perhaps Irureta… perhaps Adelardo… perhaps Ufarte… chances are only Atletico fan can faintly recognize some players. Club legends, surely… and nothing more.
Standing from left: Irusta, Glaría, Cocco, Rosl, Rezza, Olguín.
Standing from left: Kaliszuk, Della Savia, Mario Alberto Jorge, Pato Fillol, Daniel Onega, Cardenas
Back row from left: Juan Siciliano, Roque Avallay, Omar Larrosa, Roberto Cabral, Carlos Babington, Miguel A. Leyes.
4. River Plate 34 15 10 9 64 52 40
5. Vélez Sarsfield 34 14 11 9 59 50 39
6. Rosario Central 34 14 10 10 51 39 38
7. Newell’s Old Boys 34 13 12 9 49 49 38
8. Chacarita Juniors 34 13 11 10 46 41 37
9. Boca Juniors 34 12 12 10 56 44 36
10. Colón 34 14 8 12 51 52 36
11. Independiente (A) 34 12 11 11 47 48 35
Standing from left: Pena, Urchevik, Spilinga, Marenda, Juan Carlos Sosa, Tardivo.
Back row from left: Pagnanini, Horacio Rodríguez, Del Curto, Pernía, De Marta, Togneri.
14. Atlanta 34 12 7 15 43 54 31 Qualification
15. Gimnasia y Esgrima LP 34 8 10 16 40 55 26 Qualification
16. Ferro Carril Oeste (BA) 34 6 12 16 39 55 24 Qualification
Standing from left: Norberto D´Ángelo, Vicente A. Zic, Ernesto Suárez, Jorge U. Traverso, Ricardo Ferlich.
Second row from left: Oscar E. Haak, Eduardo Pipastrelli, Jorge Amado, Daniel Tagliani, Hugo Pini, Juan C. Guzmán.
San Lorenzo – champion of Metropolitano.
Since Juventus did represent a change, it was not noticed that the club was actually ahead of the other Italian clubs – and on its road to domineer late 1970s and the 1980s. The team consisted of stars, of course, but somewhat secondary stars by Italian measures, where Mazzola and Rivera were the highest mark. Juve players were younger too – the team itself came to ripeness a few years later, but there was already good foundation for the future. Naturally, Capelo is the most famous name from 2009 standpoint – the famous coach. He was not the most impressive feature of the 1972 team, though: to my mind the most interesting part was the attack. The (West) German star Helmut Haller, the already impressive Anastasi, and the young Roberto Bettega. For Italian team, too many attackers. All of them centre forwards, but easily adapting their skills to the wings too. Heavy competition between three generations. Add the World champion with Brazil (1958) Jose Altafini and there was formidable attack line, well balanced in age and experience, and competing for titular place in the fielded squad. No other Italian club had so strong attacking choices. No other club had selection providing for gradual painless replacement of aging stars – Haller was to step down in a year, but Bettega really matured by 1978. Anastasi was rapidly becoming the leader of the attack and Altafini – dangerous reserve, coming in the second half to torture opposite defense. Juventus had variety, flexibility, and choice. They had money too – new players were added effortlessly, making the team stronger and stronger. More or less, Juventus made easy transition from one generation to the next – something Milan and Inter were unable to do. This was new, but it was realized few years later. Juventus were still heavily defensive team, but with younger players, they were able to adopt some elements of total football. 1972 was only the beginning.
The team was aging – Trapattoni (yes, the same one), the Argentine with French citizenship Nestor Combin, Cudicini, Rosato were at their end. Not to mention Rivera. Hardly worthy replacement in sight to any of them. The red flag was really flashing in the heart of defense – Schnellinger was not invited to the West German national team after 1970. He was key player for Milan, but useless for the European Champions – and the difference between Beckenbauer’s manner of playing and Schnellinger’s was as big as between day in night in 1972. Milan’s Cup was more or less a last gasp of old 60’s football.
Alagoinhas Atlético C (BA)
Alecrim FC (Natal-RN)
América FC (Natal-RN)
América FC (Recife-PE)
Botafogo FC (João Pessoa-PB)
Calouros do Ar FC (Fortaleza-CE)
Campinense Clube (Campina Grande-PB)
Central SC (Caruaru-PE)
CSA (Maceió-AL)
Ferroviário EC (São Luís-MA)
EC Flamengo (Teresina-PI)
Fluminense FC (Feira de Santana-BA)
Second row from left: Louro, Sérgio Redes, Dimas Filgueiras, Renato, Lulinha, Pedro Basílio. 
Guarany SC (Sobral-CE)
AO Itabaiana (SE)
Maguari EC (Fortaleza-CE)
Moto Club (São Luís-MA)
Sampaio Corrêa FC (São Luís-MA)
UP São Domingos (Maceió-AL)
SE Tiradentes (Teresina-PI)
Sampaio Corrêa-MA (4-2-4): Jurandir; Célio Rodrigues, Neguinho, Nivaldo, Valdecy Lima; Gojoba, Edmílson Leite (Airton); Lima, Djalma, Pelezinho, Jaldemir (Prado). Coach: Marçal Tolentino Serra.
Campinense-PB (4-2-4): Olinto; Miro, Ivan Lopes, Deca, Zé Preto; Vavá, Dão; Dinga, Erasmo (Edgar), Pedrinho, Volmir. Coach: Zé Preto
Sampaio Correa – champion.
PALMEIRAS: Leão, Eurico, Luís Pereira, Alfredo e Zeca, Dudu (Zé Carlos) e Ademir da Guia, Edu (Ronaldo), Leivinha, Madurga e Nei. Téc.: Oswaldo Brandão
BOTAFOGO: Cao, Valtencir, Brito, Osmar e Marinho Chagas, Carlos Roberto e Nei Conceição, Zequinha, Jairzinho, Fischer e Ademir Vicente (Ferreti). Téc.: Sebastião Leônidas
1.Palmeiras 30 16 10 4 46-19 42
2.Botafogo 30 10 13 7 38-31 33
3.Internacional 29 13 14 2 42-25 40
Standing from left: Mirandinha, Caíto, Dirceu Alves, Baldocchi, Sidnei, Tião, Luis Carlos Galter, Rivellino, Zé Maria, Beto, Lance, Armando, Célio,técnico Duque; Crouching: Adãozinho, Golê (ex-São José), Miranda, Paulo Borges, Vaguinho, Nelson Lopes, Aladim, Pedrinho, Paulo Sérgio, Guaraci, Joãozinho, Marco Antonio
5.Coritiba 28 13 9 6 36-23 35
Standing from left: Lauro, Darci, Hélio, Vanderlei, Piazza, Fontana.
8.Santos 28 12 9 7 34-22 33
9.São Paulo 28 13 6 9 49-32 32
10.Grêmio 28 11 9 8 24-18 31
11.Atlético-MG 28 11 8 9 35-29 30
12.Flamengo 28 10 10 8 24-25 30
13.Ceará 28 8 14 6 28-27 30
14.Fluminense 28 9 11 8 23-22 29
15.América-GB 28 9 10 9 22-26 28
16.Santa Cruz 28 8 9 11 34-43 25
17.Remo 25 5 15 5 21-20 25
Standing from left: Burcitte. Oldair. Onça. Mario Braga. Baiano, Paulo Henrique.
19.Náutico 25 7 8 10 30-34 22
20.Vitória 25 6 10 9 13-26 22
21.Nacional 25 4 10 11 23-31 18
22.América-MG 25 3 12 10 18-28 18
Second row from left: Aguilera, Calegari, Lorico, Fogueira, Carlos Alberto Torres, Deodoro, Marinho Peres, diretor José Pereira Mendes Neto.
24.ABC 25 4 7 14 18-33 15
25.CRB 25 1 11 13 18-45 13
26.Sergipe 25 2 5 18 14-41 9
Palmeiras – champion of Brazil!
Rams on top! One Brian Clough coached them – a name to remember.
Interesting, but hardly winning squad at first glance. Yet, the coach and some players will conquer Europe by the end of the 1970s. With different club, freshly relegated to Second Division in 1972. And one more point – Colin Todd. Perhaps the best central English central defenseman in the 1970s, but rarely included in the national team.