Argentina. Campeonato Metropolitano [Metropolitan Championship]
Table:
No. Team G W D L Gf Ga P
Standing from left: Irusta, Glaría, Cocco, Rosl, Rezza, Olguín.
Crouching: Héctor Scotta, Fischer, García Ameijenda, Sanfilippo, Chazarreta.
1. San Lorenzo de Almagro 34 18 13 3 59 33 49 Champion
Standing from left: Kaliszuk, Della Savia, Mario Alberto Jorge, Pato Fillol, Daniel Onega, Cardenas
Bottom: Sangenis, Quique Wolff, Nelsón Chabay, Jorge Paolino, Carlos Squeo.
2. Racing Club 34 14 15 5 56 44 43
Back row from left: Juan Siciliano, Roque Avallay, Omar Larrosa, Roberto Cabral, Carlos Babington, Miguel A. Leyes.
Front: Miguel Brindisi, Francisco Lavorato, Daniel Buglione, Carlos Leone, Ricardo De Rienzo.
3. Huracán (BA) 34 14 12 8 66 49 40
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.
Front: “Torito” Zuviría, Cordero, Ciccarello, Pekerman, Moreno.
12. Argentinos Juniors 34 10 14 10 52 37 34
Back row from left: Pagnanini, Horacio Rodríguez, Del Curto, Pernía, De Marta, Togneri.
Bottom: Leone, Aguilar, Giachello, Bedogni, Verde.
13. Estudiantes LP 34 14 5 15 40 52 33 Qualification
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.
Front: Juan C. Fiore, José L. Lódico, Néstor A. Barú, Víctor Donato, Ramón Peralta, Horacio Gavuzzo.
17. Lanús 34 3 6 25 35 71 12 Qualification
Second row from left: Oscar E. Haak, Eduardo Pipastrelli, Jorge Amado, Daniel Tagliani, Hugo Pini, Juan C. Guzmán.
Bottom: Silvio Sotelo, Daniel Cantero, Jorge Domínguez, Juan A. Taverna, Alberto J. Benítez.
18. Banfield 34 7 7 20 25 53 0 Qualification
Banfield, 21 points deducted.
On Mar 17, Banfield was suspended 4 months from Mar 16.
So, they would have 36 points deducted at the end of the championship.
However, as Banfield only won 21 points, 15 points were forgiven.
Torneo Reclasificatorio [Qualification Tournament]
Table:
1. Ferro Carril Oeste (BA) 5 3 2 0 16 10 8
2. Banfield 5 2 3 0 15 9 7 Relegated
3. Atlanta 5 2 1 2 14 12 5
4. Gimnasia y Esgrima LP 5 1 2 2 9 12 4
5. Estudiantes LP 5 1 2 2 4 11 4
6. Lanús 5 0 2 3 4 8 2 Relegated
Note: Points from Metropolitan Championsip and Qualification Tournament
were added to define the relegations:
Metropolitan Qualification Total
1. Estudiantes LP 33 4 37
2. Atlanta 31 5 36
3. Ferro Carril Oeste (BA) 24 8 32
4. Gimnasia y Esgrima LP 26 4 30
5. Lanús 12 2 14 Relegated
6. Banfield 0 7 7 Relegated
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.
1.Wanderers 18 11 5 2 25-12 27 Promoted
4.Progreso 18 6 8 4 21-18 20
Standing from left: Oscar Washington Tabarez, Walter Hugo Silva, Harry Fleitas, Juan Nichele, Alfredo Corbo, Ruiz Diaz, Eloy Garcia (DT);
6.Colón 18 5 5 8 17-30 15
Back row from left: Labarrere-Lachat- Couat- Bochi Grill-Monaco-Zwenger- Lachat
10.Cerrito 18 2 8 8 12-23 12
Under their Yugoslavian coach Ivica Horvat the Blues were to be the third great German club. Well, no luck.
Standing from left: 
3. Defensor 22 9 8 5 25-14 26 
4. Huracán Buceo 22 6 11 5 23-17 23 
5. Cerro 22 10 3 9 28-31 23 
Back row from left: 
9. Rentistas 22 5 10 7 14-23 20 
10. Danubio 22 4 10 8 26-31 18 
12. Central Español 22 0 9 13 24-52 9 
