2016 Categoría Primera A season
The 2016 Categoría Primera A season (officially known as the 2016 Liga Águila season for sponsorship reasons) was the 69th season of Colombia's top-flight football league. Atlético Nacional came in as the defending champions having won the title in the 2015 season's Finalización tournament.
| Season | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Apertura: Independiente Medellín (6th title) Finalización: Santa Fe (9th title) |
| Relegated | Boyacá Chicó Fortaleza |
| Copa Libertadores | Atlético Nacional (Copa Libertadores winner) Independiente Medellín Santa Fe Millonarios Junior |
| Copa Sudamericana | Deportes Tolima (cup best team not yet qualified) Deportivo Cali Patriotas Rionegro Águilas |
| Matches played | 428 |
| Goals scored | 1,031 (2.41 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Apertura: Miguel Borja (19 goals) Finalización: Ayron del Valle (12 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Atlético Nacional 7–0 Atlético Bucaramanga (3 April 2016) [1] |
| Biggest away win | Boyacá Chicó 0–4 Deportes Tolima (30 July 2016) Rionegro Águilas 0–4 Santa Fe (17 October 2016) |
| Highest scoring | Alianza Petrolera 3–6 Atlético Bucaramanga (21 March 2016) |
← 2015 2017 → | |
20 teams competed against one another, eighteen returning from last season plus Atlético Bucaramanga and Fortaleza, who were promoted from the 2015 Primera B and will be returning to the top tier after 7 years and 1 year, respectively, replacing Uniautónoma and Cúcuta Deportivo who were relegated at the end of the last season.
Independiente Medellín won its sixth title in the Torneo Apertura after beating Junior in the finals, while in the Torneo Finalización Santa Fe won its ninth title after beating Deportes Tolima in the finals.
Format
The league retained the format used in the most recent season.[2] The Apertura and Finalización tournaments were divided into three stages: a First Stage which was contested on a single round-robin basis, with each team playing the other teams once and playing a regional rival once more for a total of 20 matches. The top eight teams after the twenty rounds advanced to a knockout round, where they were pitted into four ties to be played on a home-and-away basis, with the four winners advancing to the semifinals and the winner of each semifinal advancing to the final of the tournament, which was played on a home-and-away basis as well. The winner of the final in each tournament was declared the tournament champion and will participate in the 2017 Copa Libertadores.
Teams
Stadia and locations
| Team | City | Stadium | 2015 season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alianza Petrolera | Barrancabermeja | Daniel Villa Zapata | 14th |
| Atlético Bucaramanga | Bucaramanga | Alfonso Lópeza | 1st (Primera B) |
| Atlético Huila | Neiva | Guillermo Plazas Alcidb | 11th |
| Atlético Nacional | Medellín | Atanasio Girardot | 1st |
| Boyacá Chicó | Tunja | La Independencia | 18th |
| Cortuluá | Tuluá | Doce de Octubre | 15th |
| Deportes Tolima | Ibagué | Manuel Murillo Toro | 5th |
| Deportivo Cali | Cali | Deportivo Calic | 4th |
| Deportivo Pasto | Pasto | Departamental Libertad | 16th |
| Envigado | Envigado | Polideportivo Sur | 8th |
| Fortaleza | Bogotá | Metropolitano de Techo | 3rd (Primera B) |
| Independiente Medellín | Medellín | Atanasio Girardot | 2nd |
| Jaguares | Montería | Jaraguay | 19th |
| Junior | Barranquilla | Metropolitano | 3rd |
| La Equidad | Bogotá | Metropolitano de Techo | 13th |
| Millonarios | Bogotá | Nemesio Camachod | 6th |
| Once Caldas | Manizales | Palogrande | 9th |
| Patriotas | Tunja | La Independencia | 10th |
| Rionegro Águilase | Rionegro | Alberto Grisales | 12th |
| Santa Fe | Bogotá | Nemesio Camachod | 7th |
a: Temporarily plays its home games at Estadio Álvaro Gómez Hurtado in Floridablanca due to remodeling works at Estadio Alfonso López.
b: Temporarily played its home games at Estadio Manuel Murillo Toro in Ibagué due to the temporary closure of Estadio Guillermo Plazas Alcid.[3]
c: Plays Sunday evening home games at Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali.
d: Temporarily played its home games at Estadio Metropolitano de Techo due to remodeling works at Estadio El Campín.
e: Formerly known as Águilas Doradas.
Torneo Apertura
First Stage
The First Stage began on 29 January and consisted of twenty rounds including a series of regional rivalries in the tenth round. It ended on 29 May with the top eight teams at the end of this stage advancing to the knockout stage.
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independiente Medellín | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 33 | 17 | +16 | 40 | Advanced to the knockout phase |
| 2 | Atlético Nacional | 20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 42 | 20 | +22 | 39 | |
| 3 | Millonarios | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 30 | 17 | +13 | 37 | |
| 4 | Santa Fe | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 28 | 18 | +10 | 37 | |
| 5 | Junior | 20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 37 | |
| 6 | Rionegro Águilas | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 30 | 23 | +7 | 34 | |
| 7 | Deportivo Cali | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 32 | |
| 8 | Cortuluá | 20 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 29 | 23 | +6 | 31 | |
| 9 | Patriotas | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 29 | |
| 10 | Once Caldas | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 26 | |
| 11 | Deportivo Pasto | 20 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 24 | |
| 12 | Deportes Tolima | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 25 | 32 | −7 | 24 | |
| 13 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 20 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 21 | 27 | −6 | 23 | |
| 14 | Jaguares | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 29 | −13 | 23 | |
| 15 | Envigado | 20 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 19 | |
| 16 | Atlético Huila | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 26 | −8 | 19 | |
| 17 | La Equidad | 20 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 30 | −10 | 19 | |
| 18 | Boyacá Chicó | 20 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 28 | −11 | 17 | |
| 19 | Alianza Petrolera | 20 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 38 | −14 | 17 | |
| 20 | Fortaleza | 20 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 34 | −18 | 15 |
Results
Knockout phase bracket
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ind. Medellín | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Deportivo Cali | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ind. Medellín (p) | 2 | 1 | 3 (8) | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Cortuluá | 1 | 2 | 3 (7) | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Santa Fe | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Cortuluá | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ind. Medellín | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Junior | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Atlético Nacional (p) | 1 | 1 | 2 (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Rionegro Águilas | 1 | 1 | 2 (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Atlético Nacional | 1 | 0 | 1 (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Junior (p) | 1 | 0 | 1 (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Millonarios | 0 | 4 | 4 (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Junior (p) | 2 | 2 | 4 (4) | ||||||||||||||||
Quarterfinals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Cali | 2–3 | Independiente Medellín | 2–1 | 0–2 |
| Rionegro Águilas | 2–2 (4–5 p) | Atlético Nacional | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Junior | 4–4 (4–2 p) | Millonarios | 2–0 | 2–4 |
| Cortuluá | 3–2 | Santa Fe | 2–1 | 1–1 |
Semifinals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortuluá | 3–3 (7–8 p) | Independiente Medellín | 1–2 | 2–1 |
| Junior | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Atlético Nacional | 1–1 | 0–0 |
Finals
| Junior | 1 – 1 | Independiente Medellín |
|---|---|---|
Aguirre  |
Report | Cabezas |
| Independiente Medellín | 2 – 0 | Junior |
|---|---|---|
| Marrugo |
Report |
| Liga Águila 2016 Apertura Champion |
|---|
| Independiente Medellín 6th title |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Cortuluá | 19 |
| 2 | |
Junior | 13 |
| 3 | |
Rionegro Águilas | 12 |
|
Alianza Petrolera | 12 | |
| 5 | |
Independiente Medellín | 10 |
Source: DIMAYOR
Torneo Finalización
First Stage
The First Stage began on 1 July and featured the same format used in the Torneo Apertura, with reversed fixtures. It ended on 20 November with the top eight teams at the end of this stage advancing to the knockout stage.
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético Nacional | 20 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 32 | 19 | +13 | 37 | Advanced to the knockout phase |
| 2 | Deportivo Cali | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 34 | |
| 3 | Deportes Tolima | 20 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 33 | |
| 4 | Santa Fe | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 15 | +7 | 33 | |
| 5 | Independiente Medellín | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 26 | +5 | 33 | |
| 6 | Millonarios | 20 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 33 | |
| 7 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 19 | +7 | 32 | |
| 8 | Patriotas | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 32 | |
| 9 | Envigado | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 20 | +3 | 32 | |
| 10 | Alianza Petrolera | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 30 | |
| 11 | Junior | 20 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 27 | −2 | 28 | |
| 12 | Rionegro Águilas | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 23 | 28 | −5 | 26 | |
| 13 | Once Caldas | 20 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 24 | +1 | 25 | |
| 14 | La Equidad | 20 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 24 | 27 | −3 | 23 | |
| 15 | Jaguares | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 20 | −4 | 23 | |
| 16 | Atlético Huila | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 27 | −9 | 23 | |
| 17 | Fortaleza | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 28 | −8 | 20 | |
| 18 | Deportivo Pasto | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 28 | −9 | 20 | |
| 19 | Cortuluá | 20 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 34 | −12 | 14 | |
| 20 | Boyacá Chicó | 20 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 18 | 33 | −15 | 14 |
Results
Knockout phase bracket
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Atlético Nacional | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Millonarios | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Atlético Nacional | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Santa Fe | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Santa Fe | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Independiente Medellín | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Santa Fe | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Deportes Tolima | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Deportes Tolima (p) | 2 | 0 | 2 (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Patriotas | 1 | 1 | 2 (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Deportes Tolima (p) | 0 | 2 | 2 (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 1 | 1 | 2 (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Deportivo Cali | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Quarterfinals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millonarios | 2–4 | Atlético Nacional | 2–1 | 0–3 |
| Atlético Bucaramanga | 3–2 | Deportivo Cali | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Patriotas | 2–2 (0–3 p) | Deportes Tolima | 1–2 | 1–0 |
| Independiente Medellín | 1–4 | Santa Fe | 1–2 | 0–2 |
Semifinals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe | 5–1 | Atlético Nacional | 1–1 | 4–0 |
| Atlético Bucaramanga | 2–2 (2–4 p) | Deportes Tolima | 1–0 | 1–2 |
Finals
| Deportes Tolima | 0–0 | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Santa Fe | 1–0 | Deportes Tolima |
|---|---|---|
| Urrego |
Report |
| Liga Águila 2016 Finalización Champion |
|---|
| Santa Fe 9th title |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Millonarios | 12 |
| 2 | |
Patriotas | 11 |
| 3 | |
Atlético Bucaramanga | 10 |
| 4 | |
Rionegro Águilas | 9 |
|
Deportes Tolima | 9 |
Source: DIMAYOR
Relegation
A separate table is kept to determine the teams that get relegated to the Categoría Primera B for the next season. The table includes an average of all first stage games played for the current season and the previous two seasons. For purposes of elaborating the table, the promoted teams are given the same point and goal tallies as the team in the 18th position at the start of the season.
| Pos |
Team | 2014 Pts |
2015 Pts |
2016 Pts |
Total Pts |
Total Pld |
Avg |
Relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético Nacional | 63 | 79 | 76 | 218 | 116 | 1.879 | |
| 2 | Independiente Medellín | 51 | 70 | 73 | 194 | 116 | 1.672 | |
| 3 | Santa Fe | 61 | 62 | 70 | 193 | 116 | 1.664 | |
| 4 | Junior | 55 | 69 | 65 | 189 | 116 | 1.629 | |
| 5 | Millonarios | 53 | 62 | 70 | 185 | 116 | 1.595 | |
| 6 | Deportivo Cali | 47 | 67 | 66 | 180 | 116 | 1.552 | |
| 7 | Rionegro Águilas | 57 | 54 | 60 | 171 | 116 | 1.474 | |
| 8 | Deportes Tolima | 45 | 68 | 57 | 170 | 116 | 1.466 | |
| 9 | Once Caldas | 57 | 57 | 51 | 165 | 116 | 1.422 | |
| 10 | Patriotas | 45 | 58 | 61 | 164 | 116 | 1.414 | |
| 11 | Envigado | 48 | 61 | 51 | 160 | 116 | 1.379 | |
| 12 | Alianza Petrolera | 54 | 53 | 47 | 154 | 116 | 1.328 | |
| 13 | Atlético Huila | 46 | 57 | 42 | 145 | 116 | 1.25 | |
| 14 | La Equidad | 41 | 54 | 42 | 137 | 116 | 1.181 | |
| 15 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 45 | 31 | 55 | 131 | 116 | 1.129 | |
| 16 | Cortuluá | 35 | 45 | 45 | 125 | 116 | 1.078 | |
| 17 | Jaguares | 45 | 31 | 46 | 122 | 116 | 1.052 | |
| 18 | Deportivo Pasto | 38 | 39 | 44 | 121 | 116 | 1.043 | |
| 19 | Boyacá Chicó (R) | 47 | 34 | 31 | 112 | 116 | 0.966 | Relegation to Categoría Primera B |
| 20 | Fortaleza (R) | 45 | 31 | 35 | 111 | 116 | 0.957 |
Source: DIMAYOR
Rules for classification: 1st average; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored; 4th away goals scored.[4]
Aggregate table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Fe (C) | 48 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 62 | 38 | +24 | 85 | 2017 Copa Libertadores Group Stage[lower-alpha 1] |
| 2 | Atlético Nacional | 48 | 22 | 18 | 8 | 82 | 49 | +33 | 84 | |
| 3 | Independiente Medellín (C) | 48 | 23 | 14 | 11 | 74 | 53 | +21 | 83 | |
| 4 | Millonarios | 44 | 23 | 7 | 14 | 64 | 48 | +16 | 76 | 2017 Copa Libertadores Second Stage |
| 5 | Junior | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 59 | 55 | +4 | 71 | |
| 6 | Deportivo Cali | 44 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 64 | 51 | +13 | 70 | 2017 Copa Sudamericana First Stage[lower-alpha 2] |
| 7 | Patriotas | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 64 | |
| 8 | Deportes Tolima | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 54 | 53 | +1 | 64 | |
| 9 | Rionegro Águilas | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 62 | |
| 10 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 44 | 14 | 20 | 10 | 52 | 50 | +2 | 62 | |
| 11 | Cortuluá | 44 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 57 | 62 | −5 | 52 | |
| 12 | Once Caldas | 40 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 51 | 46 | +5 | 51 | |
| 13 | Envigado | 40 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 51 | |
| 14 | Alianza Petrolera | 40 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 46 | 55 | −9 | 47 | |
| 15 | Jaguares | 40 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 32 | 49 | −17 | 46 | |
| 16 | Deportivo Pasto | 40 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 38 | 51 | −13 | 44 | |
| 17 | La Equidad | 40 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 44 | 57 | −13 | 42 | |
| 18 | Atlético Huila | 40 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 36 | 53 | −17 | 42 | |
| 19 | Fortaleza | 40 | 9 | 8 | 23 | 36 | 62 | −26 | 35 | |
| 20 | Boyacá Chicó | 40 | 7 | 10 | 23 | 35 | 61 | −26 | 31 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Away goals for, 5) Away goals against, 6) Drawing of lots[4]
(C) Champion.
Notes:
- Independiente Medellín are qualified for the 2017 Copa Libertadores as Apertura champions, and Santa Fe are qualified for the 2017 Copa Libertadores as Finalización champions.
Atlético Nacional are qualified for the 2017 Copa Libertadores as Copa Libertadores winners. - Deportes Tolima are qualified for the 2017 Copa Sudamericana as the Copa Colombia best team not qualified for Copa Libertadores.
References
- https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/04/03/colombia/primera-a/atletico-nacional/atletico-bucaramanga/2192020/?ICID=PL_MS_14
- "Así se jugarán la Liga, Copa y Torneo Águila en el 2016" [This is how the Liga, Copa, and Torneo Águila will be played in 2016]. Caracol Radio. Retrieved January 2, 2016. (in Spanish)
- "Cambio de estadio por motivos de fuerza mayor" [Stadium change for reasons of force majeure]. DIMAYOR. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016. (in Spanish)
- "Reglamentación Liga Águila 2016" (PDF). DIMAYOR. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2016. (in Spanish)
External links
- DIMAYOR's official website (in Spanish)