Estadio Defensores del Chaco

Estadio Defensores del Chaco is a multi-purpose stadium in Asunción, Paraguay. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium once had a 50,000+ capacity, however over the years the stadium has undergone remodeling, dropping the capacity to 42,354.[1] The stadium was again renovated in 2015.[2]

Estadio Defensores del Chaco
LocationAsunción, Paraguay
OwnerParaguayan Football Association
Capacity42,354 (seated)[1]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1917[1]
Renovated2000, 2015
Tenants
Paraguay national football team
Club Cerro Porteño
Nacional Asunción
Guaraní
Olimpia Asunción

Overview

The stadium was opened in 1917 and its first name was "Estadio de Puerto Sajonia" because it was located in the Sajonia neighbourhood in Asunción. After Uruguay won the Olympic gold medal in football in 1924, the Paraguayan Football Association decided to rename the stadium "Uruguay" to honor the South American Nation. Later, the name was reverted to Estadio Puerto Sajonia.

During the Chaco War, the stadium was used as a munitions depot and troop meeting arena. After the war, it was renamed with the current name "Defensores del Chaco" (Defenders of the Chaco) in honour of the triumphant soldiers that took part in the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia. It underwent renovations during 1939, 1996 and 2007.[3]

The stadium is not owned by a team (it is a national stadium) and it is used primarily to host the home games of the Paraguay national football team and for international football club tournament games such as the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. It also held important matches during the 1999 Copa América, including the final in which Brazil defeated Uruguay.

Tenants

The Paraguay national football team plays their home fixtures at the stadium during FIFA World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies.

Local clubs such as Club Cerro Porteño, Club Libertad, Club Nacional, Club Guaraní and Club Olimpia often play their home games at the stadium for Primera División Paraguaya, Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana fixtures.

Accidents and incidents
  • 1 February 2009; two anti-riot police officers were killed and five injured when they were struck by a cement block that was part of the stadium. The cement block fell from a height of seven meters. The football match taking place during the collapse was delayed 40 minutes.[4]

Other events
CountryArtistDateTour
Roxette23 April 1992Join the Joyride! Tour
Luis Miguel3 December 1996Tour America 1996
RBD25 April 2008Empezar desde Cero Tour 2008

Il Divo20 December 2011
Paul McCartney17 April 2012On the Run
  • Exterior of the stadium.
  • Fans of Club Olimpia Asunción.
  • Fans of Club Olimpia Asunción.
  • The stadium during a match between Olimpia Asunción and 3 de Febrero in 2011

See also

References
  1. "World Stadiums - Stadiums in Paraguay". www.worldstadiums.com. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-10-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol Archived 2008-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Two police killed in Paraguay stadium collapse - CNN.com". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 23 September 2018.

Preceded by
Estadio Hernando Siles
La Paz		 Copa América
Final Venue
1999		 Succeeded by
Estadio El Campín
Bogotá


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