Colombian Pro Futbol League???

MaFe says on Apr 7, 2008, 06:26:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Colombia
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Mustang

Fútbol Profesional Colombiano • 2008 clubs

Clubs
América | Boyacá Chicó F.C. | Bucaramanga | Cúcuta | Deportivo Cali | Deportivo Pasto | Envigado F.C. | La Equidad | Huila | Junior | Medellín | Millonarios | Nacional | Once Caldas | Pereira | Quindío | Santa Fe | Tolima

I just put the above info..because I don't know everything..and there is so much to your question...I am also short on time...and I know more people will answer you with details!

Useful sites:
http://www.colombia.com/Futbol/
http://www.colfutbol.org/
http://www.futbolred.com/
http://www.dimayor.com.co/
http://www.eltiempo.com/deportes/futbol/fubolcolombiano/noticias/

"No comment" is a splendid expression. I am using it again and again." -Winston Churchill

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 07:11:

How many Professional Leagues are in Colombia and if there is more than one which one is the top league?

FIRST DIVISION WITH 18 TEAMS. SECOND WITH 18 AS WELL.

When does the season start and end?

TWO TOURNAMENTS PER YEAR. ONE ENDING IN MID JUNE OR JULY NOT SURE AND OTHER IN DECEMBER. TWO CHAMPIONS PER YEAR.

How many teams are there?

18 IN FIRST DIVISION

How many games are played in a season?

IT VARIES. IF YOU KNOW SPANISH TRY WWW.DIMAYOR.COM

Which team has the most support country wide? (i.e. Dallas Cowboys are called "America's Team)

ASKING WHAT TEAM HAS THE MOST SUPPORT WILL CREAT CONTROVERSY. IN MY OPINION I BELIEVE NACIONAL HAS THE BIGGEST FAN BASE IN THE COUNTRY.

What kind of playoff system is there?

TWO PLAYOFF GROUPS GROUPS OUT OF THE TOP 8 FROM THE EVERYONE AGAINST EVERYONE SEMESTER TOURNAMENT. THEN IN THE TWO GROUPS THEY PLAY HOME AND AWAY SERIES AND TOP TWO TEAMS PLAY FOR FINAL HOME AND AWAY TWO GAME SERIES.

What is the name of the championship game and/or trophy?

THERE IS NO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NAME. THE TOURNAMENT IS SPONSORED BY MUSTANG SO ITS " COPA MUSTANG"

What are the classic rivalries? (i.e. Yankess v. Redsox)

THERE ARE MANY RIVALRIES DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK AND WHAT REGION YOUR FROM. PRIOR TO THE 1970'S MILLONARIOS FROM BOGOTA WAS A POWERHOUSE WINNING EVERYTHING. THEN CAME AMERICA DE CALI AND FOR A GOOD TIME THEY DOMINATED. THEN YOU HAD NACIONAL AND LATELY THE RESURGENCE OF MANY SMALL TEAMS WHO HAVE WON.

BUT THE MAIN RIVALRIES IN MY OPINION ARE OF COURSE WHEN TWO TEAMS FROM THE SAME CITY PLAY EACH OTHER (NACIONAL VS. MEDELLIN, AMERICA VS. CALI, SANTAFE VS. MILLONARIOS) AND WHENEVER THOSE 6 TEAMS CROSS PLAY EACH OTHER.

Any other info about the league that would make watching the games more interesting to an outsider who loves sports and Colombia?

IF YOU LIKE SOCCER YOU MIGHT LIKE IT..........REMEMBER SOCCER IS MORE THEN A SPORT FOR US COLOMBIANS....ITS A WAY OF LIFE.......ITS A RELIGION........ITS JUST WHO WE ARE. ITS A STRANGE CONCEPT SINCE SPORTS IN AMERICA IS A BIT DIFFERENT.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

MaFe says on Apr 7, 2008, 07:21:

MitchAlvarez says on Monday April 7th, 2008 7:11:
"..........REMEMBER SOCCER IS MORE THEN A SPORT FOR US COLOMBIANS....ITS A WAY OF LIFE.......ITS A RELIGION........ITS JUST WHO WE ARE. ITS A STRANGE CONCEPT SINCE SPORTS IN AMERICA IS A BIT DIFFERENT."

I knew someone would have the time to answer all that...muy bien Mitchsito!!
Que rico escuchar the way you describe soccer for us!! VERY WELL PUT paisita!

"No comment" is a splendid expression. I am using it again and again." -Winston Churchill

beisbollover says on Apr 7, 2008, 09:31:

Thanks Mitch for your clear answers and thanks MaFe for the links.

I have been wearing a Nacional shirt for a couple of years without ever knowing something about them or the league. Now at least I have more understanding. (I bought it because the logos were the coolest).

The next layer to this question would be who roots for who? Since there are two teams in Bogotá, Medellin and Cali how are the fans divided? Rich/Poor? Old/Young? North/South? East/West? Blue collar/White collar?

And for a stupid question....do Colombian futbol fans jump on band wagons like some Americans do with a team the starts to win after years of losing?

Simon says on Apr 7, 2008, 09:55:

Buena esa Mitch!!

"You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do."---Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Mononoke28 says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:03:

My husband is into the America, we can't even watch Nacional games because he'll shut it down. I personally don't care really.

Diana

romy says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:33:

beisbollover, America is Colombia's biggest team. Team Postobon (nacional) is only big in Medellin, but America fills stadiums countrywide.

Monorke, that's perfectly normal he bleeds red just like a normal person should.
Nacional are a bunch of 'panaderos'.

For me that's the biggest rivalry (America vs. a.nal), because sometimes I'll even cheer for deportivo cali from time to time; but narcopan is just despicable.

Who cheers for who? The split seems to be more rich/poor divide
Rich: dep.cali, millonarios, a.nal
Poor: America,SantaFe, DIM

There's less bandwagon jumping I find because who you cheer for is more imbedded in you while growing up. You will however see generational effects according to the teams that are winning championships. For instance in caqueta or choco where they have no team, you'll have the really old guys cheer for millonarios and the younger people cheer for america.

Mitch did a good job on answering the questions on the league. Just to add there is a Copa Colombia (Copa Postobon) that is te equivalet of an FA cup or copa del rey. So you have both teams from 1st and 2nd divisions.

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:46:

lol rightttttttttttt team postobon is only big in medellin? jaja

beisbollover i told you!!! you would hear others comment on stuff........in this case he is clearly an america fan blinded in his own world. America colombia's biggest team? jaja i hope he was just joking.

rich people deportivo cali? what??? jajaj again he is just bsing cus hes an america fan. ask him which team is actually owned by people and not some entity... cali.

by the way there is a continental cup called copa libertadores where teams from all of south america compete.........please ask him how many of america has won.

thanks 4 the humor romy

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:50:

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:52:

now here are the nacional fans in bogota.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:54:

and this is nacional fans celebrating in cali.

just fyi........cali or america fans cant celebrate in medellin.

one cus very few come second they might not make it home alive.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

Simon says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:54:

I didn't know 'Twisted Sister' were Nacional fans, lol!

"You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do."---Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:55:

more nacional celebrations in cali

lol

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:57:

ok enough.........i mean its really a joke what he said.

but ill show you just one more video with nacional fans in different cities.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 11:01:

actually let me end it with nacional fans in new york city............. if you ever in town let me know ill bring you to my spot. here are videos my friends and it took.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

romy says on Apr 7, 2008, 11:12:

Man are you one of the guys that makes spam mail? or do you just spam forums?

"they might not make it home alive"
so you admit panaderos are a bunch of worthless drug/monopoly financed thugs?

Like the rest of the country is saying, 'deja de joder con esa puta copa, no te hagas mas la loca' everyone knows Pablo bought it for you guys.

Saying, dep. cali is not a team of the rich is plain ignorant. Estrato 6 in Cali is mostly green. Who do you think is building them their stadium? and they're going to be the ONLY team in Colombia to have their own stadium. And who do you think brings in players for them? it's not the club per se, it's the richer socios that go out and buy their own players. btw, that's the biggest reason why they can't put it together, too many interests.

Team's owned by an entity? I can only think of team postobon.

beisbollover says on Apr 7, 2008, 11:35:

Oh man, I created a monster with this thread....

plus I am more confused about futbol in Colombia than before!

thanks!

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 17:26:

romy deja la ignorancia papa. una cosa es querer lo suyo otro es ser idiota y hablar mal de los demas.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

romy says on Apr 7, 2008, 17:32:

provide me a list of the 'ignorant' things I've said along with evidence that proves them to be otherwise. Then maybe I can educate myself and you can go beyond baseless claims you have made of me. Or you could post some more videos...

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 7, 2008, 18:59:

deja de ser tan sensible omeeeeee....
pero trankila my niño que mejor lo dejo solito pa que no se me azare.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

manINred says on Apr 7, 2008, 21:49:

hahah romy you sound like a Chelsea supporter... completely in denial.

Nacional is the only team I have ever seen represented in Toronto. No one knows the Colombian league in most places in the world, but even here you see some Nacional shirts, I've never seen a deportivo cali or america or DIM or whatever shirt.

Nacional just did the double, they aren't looking so hot this temporada but they are still the best team in Colombia!!!!!!

Rikito says on Apr 8, 2008, 05:07:

First...there is no begining and no end to the football season in Colombia or anywhere else. It simply nver ends. And if there are more than two days between a televised football game they show re-runs.

Second, The Dallas Cowboys were a "Americas" many many years ago. They lost that image long ago unless you are 80 years old.

It is not life that matters, but the journey.

webmanco says on Apr 8, 2008, 05:36:

Nacional and America could be the ones with more fans in Colombia, but things might be changing in the future, with the new underdog teams coming up like La Equidad.

Nationwide the best game to watch is Millonarios Vs Nacional (I am not much into watching sports but is what sport newsmen said)

The best game to watch in each city. Most main cities or regions got at least two team, clasics games are when the two local teams play in their cities,

Cali Clásico azucarero
Deportio Cali vs. América de Cali

Medellín
Atlético Nacional vs. Independiente Medellín

Bogotá
Deportivo Millonarios vs. Deportivo SantaFe
We got a third team La Equidad

No to forget the Clásico Cafetero
Deportivo Pereira vs. Once Caldas

Clásico del Oriente
Atletico Bucaramanga vs. Cucuta Deportivo

Other teams: Atlético Huila, Boyaca Chico, Deportes Quindío, Deportes Tolima, Deportivo Pasto y Envigado FC

That was then, this is now



One needs to be moderate even in our pasions. Nowdays it is not big deal to be fan of any team with the damage done by the same hardcore fans. Not to let alone the cartel de Medellín, and the recent fight betwee fans of the same team America de Cali.

I had seen many national fans in Bogotá and to be sincere even before the game some of them were already drunk and intimidating other people.

Does Hernan Botero ring a bell?

http://www2.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=176124&id_seccion=...

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

Rikito says on Apr 8, 2008, 07:18:

I too enjoy watching football (soccer). There is a certain artistic value that makes the game enjoyable. What I find difficult to understand is that given all of the fervor about the game in Colombia, the number of people that actually go to see a match is small. When I watch the sports news on RCN (sorry, I mean when I watch the football news...since there is no other sports reporting other than football) you can hardly see anyone in the stadium. I would estimate that only about 30%-40% of the stadiums have any fans attending the game. To me that shows a lack of support or like American professional sports it is to expensive to attend a game. Oh, and I love the part of the game where there is a corner kick and there are about 10 cops protecting the kicker from debris being tossed from the stands...really cool.

I do not know that exact dollar amount, but I am sure there are folks in here than can give better figuers than me, but if you take a family of 4 to an Amercian baseball game here is what it will cost you. Caution...my estimates may be low:

4 Tickets = $100-$150
1 Parking = $15-$25
4 Soft Drinks = $10-$15
1 pint of 'Dr. Jack' to put in the soft drinks =$7-$10
4 Really bad tastless 3.2 beer = $20-30
2 bags of peanuts (my fav) = $5-$10
2 Disgusting cotton candy = $5-$10
2 glasses of Wine for the little lady = $10-$20
4 hotdogs (with mustard, ketchup, mayo, onions, pepers, celery salt, vlasic pickels, tomatoes..what else?) = $75-$100
4 bags of chips = $20-$30
1 complete bottle of Pepto Bismol = $5-$10
Total amount for a fun filled evening $272-$375

Like I said, my figures might be low.

It is not life that matters, but the journey.

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 8, 2008, 07:26:

rikito, althought tickets might seem cheap to you they arent to most colombians. Colombia like it or not is a poor country. Most people cant afford to go to a game very sunday.

Another thing there are too many games. Now we have another cop (Copa Colombia) going on at the same time as the second division plays and copa libertadores on weekdays as well.

Lastly, unlike in prior years most games are being televised.


Just a few reasons why this happens.

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

MitchAlvarez says on Apr 8, 2008, 08:39:

I got a nice little video that can help us solve this bs.

ENJOY!!!

Tengale miedo a una huelga de mujeres o a una escacez de aguardiente. :)

Rikito says on Apr 8, 2008, 09:43:

Mitch...I agree with you compltely. Anbd what do you get for your ticket? A bunch of children who cry everytime someone touches them.

It is not life that matters, but the journey.

Mononoke28 says on Apr 8, 2008, 12:14:

For the people I know in Colombia, going to a game is a big deal. Going to a few games in a row is bigger deal than that. It's just too expensive for them.

Diana

romy says on Apr 8, 2008, 14:53:

Ok, I'll be permisive if people want to have a good discussion...
I would say prices are a big factor, however the cheaper sections are very accesible to large sections of the fanbase. 10k to 20k to watch a game is much less than what a lot of people are willing to spend on entertainment/leisure. I know plenty of people that are passionate for the game and could easilty afford to go but choose not to.
a large factor in low attendance is that attendance is result oriented (people are very demanding of their teams), if the team is performing poorly people won't go to the games, for instance America won't sell-out a game in the regular season and will often have

romy says on Apr 8, 2008, 17:09:

webmanco, the change won't come so quick. An America/Nacional vs. Equidad in Bogota has been and will be for the foreseeable future mostly attended by the visitor team's fans. Besides, how does someone become a Equidad fan? you like 'insurance' so you cheer for a team owned by an insurance company. There's already two teams in Bogota with tradition and this is not too easy to displace. That's why Chico had to move to Tunja.

Also, one of the best games (I consider the best after an America vs. dep. Cali) is America vs. Millonarios in Bogota. It's said that there are more america fans in Bogota than there are Santa fe fans. The result is that you get a packed house that is half blue and half red. I was fortunate to go once and the atmosphere is incredible.

webmanco says on Apr 8, 2008, 17:16:

La Equidad could gain more fans from good results abroad and as visitors, and not surprisingly the new fans could be ex nacional, or ex america fans.

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

romy says on Apr 8, 2008, 17:21:

maybe people you know, nobody I know has switched allegiances in teams, it seems like in colombia it's something that is deeply engraved.
In Cali we do have 'sandias' though. Green on the outside and red on the inside. People that act like they cheer for dep. Cali because it's the upper class thing to do (or recent failures by America); but deep inside they are america fans.

webmanco says on Apr 8, 2008, 17:22:

deep inside many are Millonarios fans

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am