Estadio El Teniente

Estadio El Teniente-Codelco
Templo de las Ilusiones (Temple of Illusions)
El Mundialista de Rancagua (The World Cup Stadium of Rancagua)
The stadium in October 2014.
Map
Full nameEstadio El Teniente-Codelco[1]
Former namesEstadio Braden Copper Co. (1947–1971)
Estadio Parque El Teniente (1971–2014)
LocationRancagua, Chile
Coordinates34°10′40″S 70°44′15″W / 34.17778°S 70.73750°W / -34.17778; -70.73750
Public transit Trans O'Higgins
OwnerCodelco
OperatorCodelco El Teniente
Executive suites750 seats
Capacity14,087[2]
Field size105 x 68 m
SurfaceGrass (natural)
ScoreboardDigital (LED)
Construction
Broke ground1 June 1945
Built1945–1947 (2 years)
Opened1947
Renovated1995, 2013–14
Expanded1962
Reopened6 March 2014
Demolished2013
Construction cost$9,900,000
ArchitectGerardo Marambio
Claudio Aceituno
Pablo Allende
Pedro Pinochet
Project managerIND–Chilestadios
General contractorCerinco
Tenants
O'Higgins (1955–present)
Audax Italiano (2021–22)
Universidad de Chile (2021)
Website
www.ohigginsfc.cl

Estadio El Teniente, also known as Estadio El Teniente-Codelco for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Rancagua, Chile. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium can fit 14,087 people and was built in 1945 with the name Braden Copper Company Stadium (Estadio Braden Copper Co.). The stadium is home to football club O'Higgins, which is based in Rancagua.[3]

The stadium hosted seven matches of 1962 FIFA World Cup, where played matches of the group stage and quarter-finals. In 2013, the stadium was renovated for hosting the 2015 Copa América, to be played in Chile. Two matches of the group stage were played in this stadium. El Teniente will be host of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. [4][5]

History

Construction

The stadium in El Gráfico magazine in 1962.

The stadium, since its construction, was owned by the U.S. copper mining company Braden Copper Company, which operated the mineral-extraction complex "El Teniente".

The designation of the Braden Copper Stadium to host matches in the 1962 FIFA World Cup was due to an emergency. Indeed, the 1960 Valdivia earthquake severely damaged or destroyed facilities in some of the originally-designated host cities of the FIFA World Cup in 1962 including Talca, Concepción, Talcahuano and Valdivia, which caused the original schedule to be discarded and forced its almost complete modification. Further, Antofagasta and Valparaíso were deterred from fulfilling their offers to host because they could not feasibly construct self-funded stadiums, a condition that had been imposed by the Federation due to its own lack of resources. However, given the bleak outlook for the organization, the U.S. mining interests allowed the use of their stadium in Rancagua.

The old stadium in a match against Cobreloa.

Nationalization of copper

The Government of Chile acquired in 1967 51% of the shares of Braden Copper Co., as part of the general nationalization of copper, which concluded in 1971. Therefore, the ownership and management of the "Estadio Braden Copper" passed to the state-owned corporation Codelco Chile, which led to the name change to the current one.

New stadium

On May 21, 2008, the then-president Michelle Bachelet announced the "Red de Estadios para el Bicentenario", a programme in which w new stadiums were built and upgrades planned for others, among which was the Estadio El Teniente. However, remodeling El Teniente was not executed during the term of Bachelet, although this was projected, due to the 2010 Chilean earthquake.[6]

The new stadium on construction.

On September 2, 2012, President Sebastian Piñera announced in Rancagua the final draft of the plans for remodelling the stadium, which will have a capacity of 15 000 spectators.[7] Construction began on February 19, 2013, and delivery is planned for early 2014.[8]

The Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP) announced in December 2012 that El Teniente had been selected to host the 2015 Copa América, along with Santiago, Antofagasta, La Serena, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Concepción and Temuco. Host venue contested with the city of Talca, however Rancagua was chosen due to its closer proximity to the Chilean capital.[9]

Inaugural match

In the inaugural match, O'Higgins played against Lanús for the week 6 of the 2014 Copa Libertadores. The final result was 0–0, marking the elimination of the club from the competition, as they needed a victory to advance to the next round.[10]

8 April 2014 2014 Copa Libertadores
Week 6
O'Higgins 0–0 Lanús Rancagua, Chile
22:00 Calandria soccer ball with red X 86' Report Stadium: El Teniente
Attendance: 10,651
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)

Areas

The stadium has 5 sectors since her renovation, the Palco has 375 seats, and the totality of the other four sectors are 13,464.

  • Gradería Angostura currently known as Galería 16[11] (North Side)
  • Gradería Andes (East Side)
  • Gradería Rengo (South Side)
  • Marquesina (West Side)
  • Palco (VIP suite)
Map of the sectors of the stadium

The information on entrances, including exits, is available in three languages inside the stadium.

Name of the sub-stands

Inside the stadium, in each area of the stands there are places to name each of the sub-stands that are there depending on their location, having a relationship with places in Chile located in the direction that they point or with copper mining facilities belonging to Codelco.

Legend:   Sub-stands   Exits
  • Gradería Angostura Los 16
GABY N1 VENTANAS N2 ANDINA N3 CHUQUICAMATA N4 MINISTRO HALES N5 RADOMIRO TOMIC N6 EL SALVADOR
  • Gradería Andes
CHAPA VERDE A1 COLÓN A2 CALETONES A3 COYA A4 SEWELL A5 CIPRESES A6 SAUZAL A7 BARAHONA
  • Gradería Marquesina
CARÉN P1 ALHUÉ P2 QUILLAY P3 LOICA P4 SAN ANTONIO P5 RAPEL P6 VALPARAÍSO P7 LONCHA
  • Gradería Rengo
OROCOIPO S1 LOS LIRIOS S2 COINCO S3 RÍO LOCO S4 CACHAPOAL S5 COLINAS VERDES S6 COLIHUES

1962 World Cup

Commemorative plaque at the outside of the stadium.

The Estadio El Teniente hosted seven games during the 1962 FIFA World Cup, every game of Group 4 and a quarterfinal.

Teams which played in this stadium for the 1962 FIFA World Cup:

Matches

Group 4

Argentina 1–0 Bulgaria
Facundo 4' Report
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 7,134
Referee: Juan Gardeazábal Garay (Spain)

Hungary 2–1 England
Tichy 17'
Albert 61'
Report Flowers 60' (pen.)
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 7,938

England 3–1 Argentina
Flowers 17' (pen.)
Charlton 42'
Greaves 67'
Report Sanfilippo 81'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 9,794

Hungary 6–1 Bulgaria
Albert 1', 6', 53'
Tichy 8', 70'
Solymosi 12'
Report Sokolov 64'[12]
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 7,442
Referee: Juan Gardeazábal Garay (Spain)

Hungary 0–0 Argentina
Report
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 7,945
Referee: Arturo Yamasaki Maldonado (Peru)

England 0–0 Bulgaria
Report
Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 5,700
Referee: Antoine Blavier (Belgium)

Quarter-finals

Czechoslovakia 1–0 Hungary
Scherer 13' Report
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 11,690

Chile national football team matches

Men's

The Estadio El Teniente has hosted six games of the Chile national football team, including friendlies in FIFA Week and pre-2015 Copa América.

Chile 4–1 New Zealand
Suazo 36'
Christie 39' (o.g.)
Roco 61'
Rubio 67'
Report Smeltz 14'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Jorge Osorio (Chile)

Chile 2–0 Guatemala
Sánchez 1', 35' Report
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Antonio Arias (Paraguay)

Chile 3–2 United States
R. Gutiérrez 10'
Mark González 66', 75'
Report Shea 6'
Altidore 31'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 12,420
Referee: Patricio Loustau (Argentina)

Chile 1–0 El Salvador
Valdivia 14' Report
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 12,500

Chile 2–3 Costa Rica
Vegas 70'
Sánchez 90'
Report Waston 36', 59'
Matarrita 31'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 9,758

Chile 2–1 Bolivia
Jiménez 12'
Meneses 20'
Report Moreno Martins 18'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 0 (COVID-19)
Referee: Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay)

Women's

The Estadio El Teniente has hosted three games of the Chile women's national football team, all of them being international friendlies.

Chile 4–0Costa Rica 
López 10'
Benavides 53' (o.g.)
Lara 70'
Aedo 82'
Report
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 3,473
Referee: María Carvajal (Chile)

Chile 3–1Uruguay 
Aedo 54' (pen.)
Lara 73'
Kadzban 90+2'
Report Carballo 44'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 7,677
Referee: Montserrat Maturana (Chile)

Chile 1–3Venezuela 
Lara 13' Report Altuve 33', 61', 81'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Charly Deretti (Brazil)

2015 Copa América

The fixture schedule was announced on 11 November 2014, and two games were played in the Estadio El Teniente for the 2015 Copa América, playing here 4 of 12 countries of the tournament. Both matches were part of the group stage.

Teams which played in this stadium for the 2015 Copa América:

Group stage

Group C
Colombia 0–1 Venezuela
Report Rondón 60'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 12,387

Group A
Mexico 1–2 Ecuador
Jiménez 63' (pen.) Report Bolaños 25'
Valencia 57'
El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 11,051

Attendances

Season Division Average attendance Highest attendance Lowest attendance
2022 Campeonato Nacional 4,617 6,753 v Colo-Colo 2,761 v Palestino
2023[13] Campeonato Nacional 5,827 9,105 v Universidad de Chile 3,792 v Audax Italiano
2024 Campeonato Nacional 5,676 9,078 v Universidad de Chile 3,580 v Cobresal

Transport connections

Public transport stop in the shape of a football goal, built for the 2015 Copa América, near to the stadium.

Bus

Terminal O'Higgins is the principal bus stop of the city, and the stadium is 1.05 miles (1.7 km) away following the Rancagua avenues.

The Tur Bus terminal at Rancagua is 1.55 miles (2.35 km) away of the stadium.

Bus lines (micros) with a stop close to El Teniente are:

Trans O'Higgins lines:

Num. Name Routes
100 Expreso Rancagua/Circunvalación 101, 102 and 103
200 Isabel Riquelme 201, 202, 203
300 Cachapoal 301, 302, 303,304
400 Manzanal 403

Tramway

The stadium is 1.18 miles (1.9 km) away from the Estación Rancagua (Metrotrén).

Airport

The city only has the Aeródromo de la Independencia, but receives only the private jets and Chilean Army flights. The nearest international airport is the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, in Santiago.

Images

References

  1. ^ "A llenar el estadio el Teniente de aliento y banderas celestes… | O'Higgins FC". Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  2. ^ "Copa América 2015". conmebol.com. 28 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Stadiums in Chile". Worldstadiums.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  4. ^ Rancagua entre las subsedes: FIFA anuncia fecha oficial para el Mundial Sub-20 2025 - El Tipógrafo, 3 de octubre de 2024
  5. ^ Rancagua fue oficializada como sede del Mundial de Fútbol Sub 20 - Diario VI Región. 30 de julio de 2024
  6. ^ "Estadio El Teniente: Por fin se cumplirá el sueño de Rancagua". El Rancahuaso.cl, Noticias de Rancagua y O'Higgins. Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  7. ^ "Gobierno de Chile". Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Comenzó el proceso de remodelación del estadio El Teniente". eltipografo.cl.
  9. ^ "Rancagua será sede de Copa América". elrancaguino.cl. Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  10. ^ ""Chau" Libertadores 2014…". Capo de Provincia.
  11. ^ O'Higgins cambiará nombre a galería del estadio El Teniente en homenaje a hinchas fallecidos en 2013 - EnCancha.cl
  12. ^ RSSSF credits this goal to Georgi Asparuhov.
  13. ^ "O'Higgins fue el sexto equipo en el ránking de asistencia en la temporada". Soyceleste.cl.