Red Hot Chile Title Decider: Colo Colo meet ‘La U’ in el Superclasico

Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile, giants of the Chilean game, go head-to-head this weekend with everything at stake. Just Football‘s man in Chile, Santiago Irribarra, tells the tale:

This Sunday, November 7th, is the day of el Superclásico. Not the (in)famous Boca Juniors – River Plate Superclásico, but the less glamorous encounter between Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile, the two most popular teams in Chile.

It will be the 206th official match between these clubs, who jointly hold 42 of the 86 domestic league titles played, and with only five fixtures left this clash will go a long way in deciding the winner.

The teams

Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo, nicknamed the Eternal Champion, the Chieftain and the Popular One, is Chile’s most famous and successful team. Founded in 1925 and resplendent in all-white kits, they have won 29 league titles and are still the only Chilean club to ever lift the prestigious Copa Libertadores.

Often the backbone of the national team (“Colo-Colo is Chile”, say their fans), they have fielded countless star players, including Carlos Caszely, Iván Zamorano, Matías Fernández and Humberto Suazo. Their barra brava, La Garra Blanca (The White Claw), is the largest in the country and ever-present.

Playing them, Club de Fútbol Profesional de la Universidad de Chile, whose nicknames unclude the Owl, the Blue One, the Lion and the Romantic Voyager. Dressed all in blue, the team was founded in 1927 as the football branch of the country’s most important university.

Competing professionally since 1938, they enjoyed their best period in the 1960’s, known as Ballet Azul, during which they conquered 6 of their 13 total league titles  before a 25 year dry spell that saw them drop to the Second Division. Since the mid-1990’s they have risen once again and taken their place as the one of the best teams in Chile. Bitter enemies of Colo-Colo, their biggest desire and greatest frustration is the Copa Libertadores: 16 attempts have seen them go no further than the semi-final stage three times. Notable players of U. de Chile include Leonel Sánchez and Marcelo Salas, and their enthusiastic barra brava is called Los De Abajo (The Ones Down Under).

The first recorded clash between these teams is in 1938, but it was in 1959 that the rivalry truly began, with La U securing the league title in a 2-1 win. Notable matches since then include a hectic 5-4 win for Colo-Colo in 1977; the dramatic 2-1 win by U. de Chile to secure qualification for the Libertadores in 1981 in front of 74.000 supporters; the 2001 match that an all-reserve U team managed to win 3-2 despite going down 2-1 and the final of the 2006 Apertura won by Colo-Colo, decided on penalties, that included an incredible save by the whites’ keeper Claudio Bravo.

The stage

El Estadio Nacional. The National Stadium. Opened in 1938, it is the home stadium of the national team, Universidad de Chile and, occasionally, other clubs. More than just that, though, it is a great source of national pride. Everyone remembers the first time they saw The Colossus of Ñuñoa, host of a World Cup final, 4 Copa América finals, 8 Copa Libertadores finals and most of the great matches that have graced Chile. Though recently renovated and much beautified, the stadium hides a dark past: in 1973 it was used as a concentration camp by Augusto Pinochet’s authoritarian regime.

Capacity has been reduced to 49.000 by renovations, and a maximum of 45.000 will be allowed by police to prevent violence and overcrowding. A complete sell-out is expected.

The plot

With 29 of 34 matches played, Colo-Colo go into el Superclásico in first place with 64 points, while Universidad de Chile lag third with 57 points, behind Universidad Católica.

Colo-Colo manager Diego Cagna will be looking to get over the bitter taste of a 0-0 draw with Huachipato. A general lack of attacking power compounded by an injury to young playmaker Cristóbal Jorquera complicates things, while anchor man Rodrigo El Kalule Meléndez will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation. Unpopular, out of shape captain Arturo Sanhueza will probably have to step up as defensive midfielder on the day.

Universidad de Chile have a much more difficult task. Obliged to win if they want to continue challenging for the title, La U are a shadow of the team that reached the Copa Libertadores semfinals just a few months ago due to the departure of goal machine Juan Manuel Olivera and star midfielder Walter Montillo. Manager Gerardo Pelusso has already stated that he will resign if they don’t win this Sunday. Whether it’s just another of his mind tricks or an honest statement is yet to be seen.

The main actors

In a championship that is now lacking in standout players there are few on either side that could be considered match winners, and here is an attempt to pinpoint them:

Diego Rivarola is one of La U’s most loved players, and at 34 years of age he still gets on the scoresheet regularly. Nicknamed Goku, the Argentine played for U. de Chile from 2000-2005, endearing himself with the fans. After four years of wandering, he has returned this season and become the club’s highest-scoring foreigner in history with 72 goals. A fast striker with a lethal finish, he always produces his best form against Colo-Colo.

Mauricio Victorino is undoubtedly the best defender currently playing in Chile. Nicknamed The Spartan, he is a rock in both the Uruguayan national team and U. de Chile’s back line, and several reports during the World Cup linked him with Atlético Madrid. Though not as in-form as before the World Cup, Victorino will play a vital part in protecting Miguel Pinto’s goal.

Esteban Paredes was bought by Colo-Colo in 2009 as a replacement for club favorite Lucas Barrios, now at Borussia Dortmund. At 30 years old, he has played in several teams, including brief spells in Mexico and Cyprus, but it was only in the 2009 Apertura while playing for Santiago Morning that his goal-scoring abilities came into full focus. Snapped up by Colo-Colo, he quickly produced a hat-trick and a number of quality performances that won his team the title and earned Paredes a place in Chile’s World Cup squad. Considering his strike partner Ezequiel Miralles is just coming back from injury, it will probably be down to him to score.

Rodrigo Millar is Colo-Colo’s most consistent player, a midfielder of great vision and capable of scoring as well. At El Colo since 2007, his maturity and dedication have won him recognition in the form of the 2009 Chilean Player of the Year award and a regular spot on the national team that even allowed him to score against Spain at the World Cup. If someone is to be relied upon to perform, it might as well be him.

Every Superclásico remains in the memories of those who watch and provides endless talking points. But with the title at stake this this weekend, this could well be one for the ages.

(photo via Grita y Anita on Flickr)

Chile, Colo Colo, Football in Latin America, Primera Division de Chile, Universidad de Chile