Sunday, the Uruguayan Primera Division finally started play. The league is currently changing the Uruguayan football season from the European format to a calendar year format.
After 11 seasons in the European format, in 2017 the league will be play from January to December.
The change has had several delays, first because cameras and increased security measures at stadiums were required, and then by storms that occurred Saturday, August 27.
The Uruguayan Primera Division will end on December 4. The 16 teams will play a round robin, totaling 15 games.
The champion and the teams ranked second, third and fourth qualify for the Copa Sudamericana 2017, but will not send any teams to the Copa Libertadores.
There is an exception. If Cerro, Nacional and Penarol finish between first and fourth, just one of them will go to to the Copa Sudameric, because the three are already enrolled in the 2017 Copa Libertadores.
The 16 participating teams are Penarol, the current champion, Nacional, which ranked second and Cerro which was third in the 2015/16 season. Also participating: Plaza Colonia, River Plate, Fenix, Danubio, Defensor Sporting, Sud America, Juventud, Racing, Wanderers, Liverpool, Rambla Juniors, Boston River and Villa Española.
Villa Española, Boston River, and Rambla Juniors are newly promoted.
Uruguayan Primera Division Teams And Players
Peñarol
“Los Aurinegros” bought 11 players this offseason, including Junior Arias and Gaston Rodriguez, the two top scorers of the last Uruguayan Championship. They scored 38 goals between them. The renowned Jorge "Polilla" Da Silva is the manager.
Nacional
The rivals of Peñarol. Defender Jorge Fucile is the only Uruguayan National Team player who plays on a Uruguayan team.
Cerro
This team signed Argentine midfielder Angel "Bebu" Luna this offseason. Fernando Puente, son of manager Jose Puente, is one of Cerro’s best young players.
Plaza Colonia
The Clausura tournament’s champion. Their captain is goalkeeper Kevin Dawson. Young midfielder Matias Caseras, who is only 24, will be a key player for Plaza Colonia's success.
Fenix
Fenix played in the Copa Sudamericana 2016. Fenix’s most recognized player is Fabián Estoyanoff, who played 31 games with the Uruguayan national team. Recently he began a career as a songwriter.
Wanderers
Wanderers defeated Zamora in Venezuela in the first leg of the second phase of the Copa Sudamericana. Wanderers goalkeeper Leandro Burián was the most valuable player in that game.
Sud America
This team signed four very important players: Emilio MacEachen from Penarol, Gonzalo Godoy from Nacional, Renzo Lopez from Racing and Venezuelan goalkeeper Alain Baroja, who played in the 2015 Copa America.
Danubio
Danubio is a very young team. Danubio bet on speed, agility, and technical players. Juan Manuel Olivera and Gonzalo Barreto will likely be its forwards.
River Plate
Its coach is Juan Ramon Carrasco, who, as a player, shone with the Argentinian River Plate. Newcomers Richard Porta and Mathías Saavedra can help this team after Rover Plate sold six players to foreign clubs.
Defensor Sporting
This club expects striker Gonzalo Bueno to score many goals after playing in Russia and Argentina.
Juventud
This team ranked number 13 in the 2015/16 season. Fabián Carini is its star. The goalkeeper played 74 games with the Uruguayan national team.
Liverpool
Guillermo De Amores as goalie and Carlos Bueno in the attack will be part of its starting XI day in and day out. The coach is Mario Saralegui, who, as a player, won six titles in Uruguay, two Copa Libertadores, one Intercontinental Cup and one Copa America.
Racing
It is managed by Julio Comesaña, hired last June. He was born in Uruguay but is a nationalized Colombian. They want Anyelo Rodriguez, a former Penarol player, to help in midfield.
Rampla Juniors
They signed two playersm Kevin Gissi and Mateo Bustos, and coach Germán Corengia, all Argentines, for this return to the first division.
Boston River
Its name is a mixture of Sastrería (Tailor Shop) Boston, a very famous Barrio Bolivar team, and River Plate because its first president was an Argentine River Plate fan. Its best-known player is Diego Scotti who appeared 31 times for the Uruguay National Team and played in China, Spain, Chile and Argentina.
Villa Española
They will rely on the experience of Anderson Silva, a Brazilian midfielder who is 33 years old.
This will be the 113th edition of the Uruguay Primera Division since 1900. In 1932 this league turned professional. Nacional and Penarol have the most titles, in fact since 2000 only Danube (twice) and Defensor Sporting prevented Nacional or Penarol from winning. This tournament will last less than four months so there's no room for mistakes.
