1998 Copa Merconorte

Copa Merconorte 1998
Tournament details
Dates15 September – 9 December 1998
Teams12 (from 5 associations)
Final positions
ChampionsColombia Atlético Nacional (1st title)
Runners-upColombia Deportivo Cali
Tournament statistics
Matches played75
Goals scored218 (2.91 per match)
Top scorer(s)Colombia Héctor Hurtado
Colombia Neider Morantes
Venezuela Rafael Castellín
Ecuador Héctor Ferri
Argentina Carlos Alberto Juárez
(4 goals each)
1999 →

The 1998 Copa Merconorte was the 1st edition of association football tournament Copa Merconorte held in 1998. Atlético Nacional of Colombia beat Deportivo Cali also of Colombia in the final.

Originally, this tournament was to start on 1 September 1998 (the group stage lasting until 25 November), with 16 teams divided into 4 groups of 4. Those 16 teams included 3 Mexican teams, América, Cruz Azul and Guadalajara.

However, the Mexican Football Federation insisted on including Toluca and Necaxa, the two finalists of the 1998 Summer season, instead of América and Guadalajara, who had been chosen for their popular support. No agreement could be reached, and on 20 August the Mexican teams withdrew. The organization then decided to remove the two teams from the USA (D.C. United and Los Angeles Galaxy) as well, include a fourth Colombian team (América de Cali) and play with 3 groups of 4.[1]

Participants

Country Team
 Bolivia
(1 berth) 		The Strongest
 Colombia
(4 berths) 		América de Cali
Atlético Nacional
Deportivo Cali
Millonarios
 Ecuador
(3 berths) 		Barcelona
El Nacional
Emelec
 Peru
(3 berths) 		Alianza Lima
Sporting Cristal
Universitario
 Venezuela
(1 berth) 		Caracas

Group stage

According to the original draw in march of 1998, these are the groups of competition:

Group A: Sporting Cristal, Emelec, Deportivo Cali and Guadalajara

Group B: América, Universitario, El Nacional and Atlético Nacional

Group C: Alianza Lima, Barcelona, Millonarios and D.C. United

Group D: The Strongest, Caracas, Cruz Azul and Los Angeles Galaxy

Each team played the other teams in the group twice during the group stage. The three group winners and the best runner-up advanced to the second round.

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Colombia MIL Ecuador EME Colombia AME Peru CRI
1 Colombia Millonarios 6 3 1 2 7 8 −1 10 Advance to Semifinals — 2–1 2–2 1–0
2 Ecuador Emelec 6 2 3 1 9 6 +3 9 3–0 — 1–0 1–1
3 Colombia América de Cali 6 1 4 1 9 9 0 7 2–1 2–2 — 1–1
4 Peru Sporting Cristal 6 0 4 2 5 7 −2 4 0–1 1–1 2–2 —
Source: [citation needed]

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Colombia ATL Peru ALI Bolivia STR Ecuador BAR
1 Colombia Atlético Nacional 6 3 2 1 14 7 +7 11 Advance to Semifinals — 3–1 2–3 4–0
2 Peru Alianza Lima 6 2 2 2 8 6 +2 8 1–1 — 4–0 2–0
3 Bolivia The Strongest 6 2 2 2 5 9 −4 8 0–2 0–0 — 1–0
4 Ecuador Barcelona 6 1 2 3 5 10 −5 5 2–2 2–0 1–1 —
Source: [citation needed]

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Colombia CAL Ecuador NAC Venezuela CAR Peru UNI
1 Colombia Deportivo Cali 6 3 2 1 7 3 +4 11 Advance to Semifinals — 2–0 1–1 2–1
2 Ecuador El Nacional 6 3 1 2 6 6 0 10 1–0 — 2–1 1–1
3 Venezuela Caracas 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 7 0–2 1–0 — 0–2
4 Peru Universitario 6 1 2 3 6 8 −2 5 0–0 1–2 1–3 —
Source: [citation needed]

Ranking of second placed teams

Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 C Ecuador El Nacional 6 3 1 2 6 6 0 10 Advance to Semifinals
2 A Ecuador Emelec 6 2 3 1 9 6 +3 9
3 B Peru Alianza Lima 6 2 2 2 8 6 +2 8
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points in all group matches; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) lots drawn by CONMEBOL.

Semifinals

First leg

El Nacional Ecuador1–2Colombia Deportivo Cali
Chalá 61' Gaviria 31'
Bonilla 47'
Millonarios Colombia0–2Colombia Atlético Nacional
Zambrano 62'
Morantes 77'

Second leg

Deportivo Cali Colombia1–2Ecuador El Nacional
Escobar 69' Valencia 59'
Ferri 83'
Penalties
Zapata soccer ball with check mark
Bedoya soccer ball with check mark
Córdoba soccer ball with check mark
Dudamel soccer ball with check mark
Patiño soccer ball with red X
Mosquera soccer ball with check mark		 5–4 soccer ball with check mark Alvarado
soccer ball with check mark Ordóñez
soccer ball with check mark Ferri
soccer ball with red X Burbano
soccer ball with check mark Arroyo
soccer ball with red X Carcelén
Atlético Nacional Colombia1–2Colombia Millonarios
Grisales 64' Toro 71'
Ramírez 81'

Finals

First leg

Atlético Nacional Colombia3–1Colombia Deportivo Cali
Vásquez 29', 73'
Perea 61'		 Zapata 49'

Second leg

Deportivo Cali Colombia0–1Colombia Atlético Nacional
Moranes 90'

Champion

Copa Merconorte
1998 Winners
Colombia
Atlético Nacional
First Title

References

  1. ^ Andrés, Juan Pablo; Ballesteros, Frank (17 November 2000). "Copa Merconorte 1998". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2017.