The 2009 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol de la Serie A was the 51st season of the Serie A, Ecuador's premier football league. The season began on January 31 and ended on December 7. Deportivo Quito successfully defended their title for their fourth overall.
Owing to a change in sponsorship from Pilsener to Credife , the tournament will be called the Copa Credife Serie A for the next three years until 2011.
Format For 2009, a new format was introduced and approved by Ecuadorian Football Federation. The new tournament was divided into four stages, as opposed to the usual three. All matches were scheduled to be played on Sundays, but some were moved at the clubs' requests.
The First Stage was a double round-robin tournament in which the twelve teams played against each other teams twice: once at home and once away. At the end of the stage, the top-four teams with the most points qualified to the Third Stage; the top three earned bonus points (3, 2, & 1 respectively). The top-two teams also qualified to the 2009 Copa Sudamericana.
In the Second Stage, the teams were divided into two groups of six. Groups were formed by draw, but did not have no more than one team from each provincial organization (the exception being Pichincha). The teams played within their groups in a double round-robin tournament and in a local derby (). The derbies were played on the third and seventh match day of the stage.
Group 1 Pichincha team 1 Pichincha team 2 Guayas team 1 Manabí team 1 Tungurahua team 1 Azuay team or Chimborazo team Group 2 Pichincha team 3 Pichincha team 4 Guayas team 2 Manabí team 2 Tungurahua team 2 Azuay team or Chimborazo team
Clásicos Pichincha team 1 vs. Pichincha team 3 Pichincha team 2 vs. Pichincha team 4 Guayas team 1 vs. Guayas team 2 Manabí team 1 vs. Manabí team 2 Tungurahua team 1 vs. Tungurahua team 2 Azuay team vs. Chimborazo team At the end of this stage, the two-top teams from each group qualified to the Third Stage; the top team in each group earned one bonus point for the Third Stage. The two teams with the fewest points in the First and Second Stage aggregate table were relegated to the Serie B for the next season.
In the Third Stage, the eight qualified teams were placed into two groups of four depending on their position on the aggregate table. Group 1: 1st, 4th, 5th, 8th Group 2: 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th The top two teams from each group will advance to the Fourth Stage.
The Fourth Stage will consist of two head-to-head match-ups: one by the top-finisher of each group in the Third Stage, and the other by the runners-up. The match between the top finishers in the Third Stage will determine the national champion; the other will determine who finished third and fourth. The national champion, runner-up, and third-place finisher will each have a berth in the 2010 Copa Libertadores. The Ecuador 1 berth will go to the national champion, Ecuador 2 will go to the runner-up, and Ecuador 3 to the third-place finisher.
Teams Twelve teams competed in the 2009 Serie A season, ten of whom remained from the 2008 season. Deportivo Azogues and Universidad Católica were relegated last season to the Serie B after accumulating the fewest points in the First and Second Stage aggregate table. They were replaced by Manta and LDU Portoviejo, the 2008 Serie B winner and runner-up, respectively. This was Manta's second spell and second season in the Serie A, having previously played in the 2003 season. LDU Portoviejo were playing in their 22nd season in the league. Their last appearance was in 2001.
Team Home city Home ground ManagerBarcelona Guayaquil Monumental Banco Pichincha Juan Manuel LlopDeportivo Cuenca Cuenca Alejandro Serrano Aguilar Paúl VélezDeportivo Quito Quito Olímpico Atahualpa Rubén Darío InsúaEl Nacional Quito Olímpico Atahualpa Julio AsadEmelec Guayaquil George Capwell Gabriel PerroneESPOLI Quito La Cocha (in Latacunga) Homero ValenciaLDU Portoviejo Portoviejo Reales Tamarindos Oswaldo MorelliLDU Quito Quito Casa Blanca Jorge FossatiMacará Ambato Bellavista Víctor MarchesiniManta Manta Jocay Fabián BustosOlmedo Riobamba Olímpico de Riobamba Héctor GonzálezTécnico Universitario Ambato Bellavista Jorge Célico
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner ofdeparture Date ofvacancy Replaced by Date ofappointment Positionin table Pre-season changes Barcelona Reinaldo Merlo Sacked December 9, 2008 Benito Floro December 18, 2008 N/A Deportivo Cuenca Paúl Vélez Replaced December 14, 2008 Guillermo Duró November 18, 2008http://www.elcomercio.com/solo_texto_search.asp?id_noticia=152669&anio=2008&mes=11&dia=18 N/A Deportivo Quito Carlos Sevilla Sacked December 15, 2008 Rubén Insúa December 18, 2008 N/A LDU Quito Edgardo Bauza Resigned December 22, 2008 Jorge Fossati January 9, 2009 N/A El Nacional Jorge Célico Sacked January 28, 2009 Juan Carlos Burbano (interim) January 29, 2009 N/A First Stage changes Técnico Universitario Giovanni Mera Sacked March 13, 2009 Jorge Célico March 30, 2009 12th Macará Mario Jacquet Sacked April 7, 2009 Víctor Marchesini April 7, 2009 6th Olmedo Dragan Miranovic Resigned May 18, 2009 Héctor González (care-taker) May 19, 2009 9th Barcelona Benito Floro Sacked June 1, 2009 Flavio Perlaza (interim) June 1, 2009 10th Manta Carlos Pico Resigned July 6, 2009 Fabián Bustos July 9, 2009 11th El Nacional Juan Carlos Burbano Resigned July 12, 2009futbolecuador.com – Lo mejor del fútbol ecuatoriano Julio Asad July 16, 2009 6th Barcelona Flavio Perlaza Replaced June 18, 2009 Juan Manuel Llop June 18, 2009 11thSecond Stage changes ESPOLI Paulo Massa Resigned ? Roberto Abruzzese September 8, 2009 5th in B Deportivo Cuenca Guillermo Duró Resigned September 16, 2009 Paúl Vélez September 17, 2009 3rd in AThird Stage changes ESPOLI Roberto Abruzzese Mutual October 7, 2009 Homero Valencia October 7, 2009 N/A
First stage The first stage ran from January 31 to July 12. The top-two teams qualified to the 2009 Copa Sudamericana. The top-four teams qualified to the Third Stage.
Standings
Results
Second stage The Second Stage began on July 19 and ended on October 3. The top-two teams from each group qualified to the Third Stage.
Group 1 Standings
Results
Group 2 Standings
Results
Inter-group clásicos {| class="wikitable" |- !width=250| Home team !width=50| Results !width=250| Away team |- !colspan=3| El Clásico del Astillero
!colspan=3| El Clásico Capitalino
!colspan=3| El Clásico de las Fuerzas del Orden
!colspan=3| El Clásico Manabita
!colspan=3| El Clásico Ambateño
!colspan=3| El Clásico del Austro
Source:1. The match was played at Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha in Guayaquil.Colours: Blue=home team win; Yellow=draw; Red=away team win.
Aggregate table
Third stage The Third Stage began on October 16 and is scheduled to end on November 22. The winners of each group will advance to the Fourth Stage to contest the national title. Both teams will have earned a berth to the 2010 Copa Libertadores and enter in the Second Stage of the competition (their exact berths will be determined in the Fourth Stage). The group runners-up will also advance to the Fourth Stage to contest the third-place match.
Group 1 Standings
Results
Group 2 Standings
Results
Fourth stage The Fourth Stage will consists of two playoffs. The legs of the playoffs will be played on November 29 and December 7.
Third-place playoff The third-place playoff will be contested between the runners-up of each Third Stage group for a berth in the 2010 Copa Libertadores First Stage.
Championship playoff The championship playoff will be contested between the winners of each Third Stage group for the national title. Both teams will have already earned a berth in the 2010 Copa Libertadores Second Stage, but their exact berth will be determined here.
Top goalscorers Pos Player Nationality Club Goals 1 Claudio Bieler LDU Quito 22 2 Gabriel Fernández Macará 16 Omar Guerra Técnico Universitario 16 4 Édison Preciado Deportivo Cuenca 13 5 Iván Borghello Deportivo Quito 11 Fábio Renato ESPOLI 11 7 Michael Arroyo Deportivo Quito 10 Cristian Suárez Olmedo 10 9 Luis Miguel Garcés Macará 9 David Quiroz Emelec 9 Rodrigo Teixeira Deportivo Cuenca 9
Awards The awards were selected by the Asociación Ecuatoriana de Radiodifusión. Best player: Marcelo Elizaga (Emelec) Best goalkeeper: Marcelo Elizaga (Emelec) Best defender: Marcelo Fleitas (Emelec) Best midfielder: Giancarlo Ramos (Deportivo Cuenca) Best striker: Claudio Bieler (LDU Quito) Best young player: Joao Rojas (Emelec) Best manager: Paúl Vélez (Deportivo Cuenca) Best Ecuadorian playing abroad: Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) Best referee: Carlos Vera
Statistics Statistics were compiled by Quito-based newspaper El Comercio.
Scoring Total goals: 527 Average: 2.27 per game (lowest historic average) Total goalscorers: 160 Top-scorer: Claudio Bieler (22 for LDU Quito) First goal: Gabriel Méndez (Olmedo) against José Francisco Cevallos (LDU Quito) Last goal: Joao Rojas (Emelec) against José Francisco Cevallos (LDU Quito) Total own goals: 2 Goalkeeping Total goalkeepers: 32 Field players turned goalkeeper: 2 (Patricio Urrutia, LDU Quito; Claudio Rojas, Tecnico Universitario) Most scored upon: Wilmar Zumba (Macara; 38 goals) Least scored upon: Carlos Santos (Manta; 0 in three games) Best average: Alexander Domínguez (11 goals in 24 matches) Most penalties stopped: Cristian Mora (El Nacional; 3 stopped)
Players and Manager Total players: 393 Team with the most used: LDU Quito (39 players) Team with the least used: Olmedo, Deportivo Cuenca, LDU Portoviejo, Macara (30 each) Most capped player(s): Luis Checa (Deportivo Quito) and Édison Preciado (Deportivo Cuenca) (41 games each) Total managers: 24 Most changes: 3 (El Nacional, ESPOLI, Macara, Tecnico Universitario) Attendance Total: 1,129,811 Average: 4,870 per match Highest attendance: Deportivo Quito v. Macara (33,250) Lowest attendance: Manta v. ESPOLI (54) Highest attendance by date: match day 13 (47,109) Lowest attendance by date: match day 30 (8,925)
See also 2009 in Ecuadorian football 2009 Copa Libertadores 2009 Copa Sudamericana 2009 Recopa Sudamericana
References
External links Official website