Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito
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| Full name | Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Albos Los Azucenas Los Universitarios El Equipo Albo |
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| Founded | January 19, 1930 | ||
| Ground | Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria Quito, Ecuador (Capacity: 55,000) |
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| Owner |  Rodrigo Paz |
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| Chairman | Carlos Arroyo |
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| Manager |  Jorge Fossati |
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| League | Serie A | ||
| 2008 | 2nd | ||
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 Current season |
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Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito, commonly referred to as LDU Quito, Liga de Quito, or colloquially as (la) Liga, is a professional football club based in Quito, Ecuador. They play in the Serie A, the top-flight professional football league in Ecuador. Their home stadium is the Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria, best known as La Casa Blanca.
LDU Quito is the current South American club champion having won the 2008 Copa Libertadores. The title is the first one to be won by a team from Ecuador, and the first international title won by a team from Ecuador. The team is historically one of the most successful teams in the country. They have won a total of 20 titles domestically (nine national championships, two Serie B titles, a record six professional Inter-Andean titles, and three amateur Pichincha titles).
Among their classic rivals are Aucas, Deportivo Quito, El Nacional, and Barcelona.
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[edit] History
[edit] Foundation
LDU Quito has its roots as a semi-pro sports team based out of Universidad Central del Ecuador in 1918, with Dr. César Jácome Moscoso as the main leader (Liga Deportiva Universitaria is Spanish for University Sporting League). Under the leadership of Dr. Bolívar León, LDU Quito officially was founded on January 12, 1930. In those days Liga had different sports teams such as soccer, basketball, athletics, boxing, baseball, swimming, ping-pong, and chess. The team has a starting budget of around 500 sucres. That first team had as players (students from Universidad Central del Ecuador) had to pay for their own uniforms, medicines, and various expenses. Dr. León, had to design the first uniform, a white shirt with a red U having a background two triangles, one blue and another red, pretty similar to the University's coat of arms. Amongst the first players were: Carlos Andrade Marín, Oswaldo Mosquera, Alfonso Cevallos, Alfonso Troya and "El mono" Icaza.
[edit] Early years
In 1932, LDU Quito won their first championship in football when a amateur championship was organized in Pichincha province (there was no amateur national league at the time). This tournament was played by five teams: Liga, Gladiador, Gimnástico, Atlético, and Cleveland. Liga won all their games, and in the final game against Gladiador, played in the Municipal Stadium of "El Ejido", won by a score of 4-0. In that team, the players were: Jorge Zapater, Eduardo Flores, Alfonso Cevallos, César González, Jorge Vallarino, Jorge Naranjo, Bolívar "Ñato" León, Alejandro Dávalos, Humberto Yáñez, Humberto Freire, and Ernesto Guevara, with Bolívar León as coach. LDU Quito would also win another amateur title in 1952 and 1953 before the league turn professional the following year.
In 1954, the football association in Pichincha (AFNA) turned professional and organized their own professional tournament for their member clubs (teams from Quito and Ambato). The inaugural Campeonato Professional Interandino (English: Inter-Andean Professional Championship) was held in 1954. The club hit the ground running, winning their first professional title in the inaugural tournament under the management of Lucho Vásquez. LDU Quito would go three years without a title, finishing as the runner-up in 1955 and 1956, before winning again in 1958 under Argentine Roberto Ortega. The 60's proved equally fruitful for the club in the Interandean championship, winning four titles (1960, 1961, 1966, 1967) and finishing as the runner-up three times (1962, 1963, 1964). Internationals started to form major roles in the squad during that era, such as Paulista José Gomes Nogueira in 1960, Chilean Román Soto in 1961, and Paraguayan José María Ocampo in 1966. The Interandino championship ended in 1967, ceded its top-league status to the newly formed national tournament. During the professional Interandino era, LDU Quito accumulated 6 titles, the most of any team. In 1960, Liga took part in the second professional national football tournament, where they would become a permanent fixture in.
[edit] Early national successes
LDU Quito participated in their first national championship in 1960 after winning the Interandino that same year. The would qualify to every national championship via the Interandino thereafter until 1967, finishing no higher than 3rd (1964). In 1968, they became part of the newly formerly national league called the Serie A. In 1969, Liga won their first national championship under the leadership of Brazilian José Gomes Nogueira. Among the players in the championship squad was Francisco "El Tano" Bertocchi, Jorge Tapia, Armando "Tito" Larrea, Carlos Ríos, Santiago Alé, Enrique Portilla, Ramiro Tobar. This allowed the club to participate in their first Copa Libertadores in 1970. The club reached the Second Phase of the tournament. Liga's own Francisco Bertocchi was tied as the top goalscorers of that tournament
Liga's glory from those two seasons was short lived. In 1972, the club was relegated to the Serie B after a playoff match against Universidad Católica, despite finishing 7th of 8 teams in the season. (At the time, only 4 Pichincha teams could play in the Serie A. LDU Quito, as the lowest Pichincha team in the Serie A, had to play Universidad Católica, the best Pichincha team in the Serie B.) In 1973, the club was relegated to a lower division (Segunda Categoria) early in the season, but were quickly promoted by the end back to the Serie B for the next season. Liga won the first stage of the 1974 Serie B season, earning a promotion to the Serie A. The success continued in the Serie A that same season, winning their 2nd national championship after defeating El Nacional in the final tie. Championship #3 came the following season in 1975, Liga's first back-to-back national titles. Copa Libertadores participations came from those successes in 1975 and 1976, where the team reached the semifinals in both season. Important players in this success were Polo Carrera, Oscar Zubia, Jorge Tapia, Gustavo Tapia, Walter Maesso, Juan Carlos Gómez, Ramiro Tobar, Juan José Pérez, Roberto Sussman; their coach was Colombian Leonel Montoya. Liga would finish the decade as a runner-up once more in 1977, allowing another Copa Libertadores particpation in 1978.
The 80's were a dismal decade for the club. The best the club performance in that period was finishing as a runner-up in 1981, allowing for another Copa Libertadores participation in 1982. The club did have two Serie A top-scorer in Paulo Cesar (1981) and Janio Pinto (1998).
[edit] The team since 1990
LDU Quito has had a lot of achievements in the last 18 years, winning six of its nine national titles in this period. The team has been important for the growth and development of the Ecuadorian football internationally as well, being an important contributor to the Ecuadorian national team that qualified and participated at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. In the 2006 edition, they were the team that contributed with the most players in a squad from a South American club with a total of seven players (Patricio Urrutia, Edison Méndez, Agustín Delgado, Cristian Mora, Paúl Ambrosi, Giovanny Espinoza, and Néicer Reasco).
Another important contribution of the team in the last years have been the contribution to the U-17 national team that obtained the first official title in Ecuadorian history: the 2007 Pan American Games. They contributed with at least four U-17 players in that squad: Deison Mendez, Pablo Ochoa, Carlos Delgado, and Israel Chango.
The team reached the semi-finals at the 2004 Copa Sudamericana, which matched their best achievement in international competition when they reached the semi-finals of the 1975 & 1976 Copa Libertadores. They surpassed that success on July 2, 2008, when they became the first Ecuadorian team ever to win the Copa Libertadores, after defeating Fluminense 3-1 in a penalty shootout after tying 5-5 on aggregate. Their success has flown through to the National Team, as six of their players were called up to the squad that faced Argentina and Colombia for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. As a result of their Copa Libertadores title, they participated in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, advancing automatically to the semi-final. They are the first non-Argentine/Brazilian team from CONMEBOL to participate.
On December 17, 2008 LDU defeated C.F. Pachuca in its 2008 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final match 2-0 to advance to the finals against 2007-08 UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United, to be played on December 21 in Yokohama, Japan. LDU lost the match against Manchester United 1-0 after a goal by Wayne Rooney.
[edit] Colours and badge
The traditional uniform of LDU Quito throughout their history has been an all-white kit with the team's shield over the left breast. It is used when playing at home or away. The team's national alternate kit is a gold shirt with gray detailing and gray shorts and socks. Their previous national alternate kit was gray with orange detailing. The alternate national kit, previous or current, is rarely used. the team uses a special black kit when competing in the Copa Libertadores. For the 2008 season, a special gold kit was used for the 2008 Copa Sudamericana, and another special black kit was used for the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. Umbro is the team's kit provider, with Swiss company Holcim as the team's top sponsor for the next three years. Powerade and Chevrolet are the team's other sponsors.
The badge of the club has changed slightly over the years. The original badge was a large red "U". In the 1990s, the team adopted a badge with a white "U" in an inverted red-and-blue triangle. Following the Copa Libertadores win, the club added a yellow star on top of the badge. The badge can be displayed with tiny blue stars on the top of the triangle -one for every national championship- but it is not part of the official badge.
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[edit] Stadium
Since 1997, LDU Quito has played their home games at Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria, in the northern part of the city. It is the largest stadium in Quito in terms of capacity, and the second largest in Ecuador after Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha in Guayaquil. Its popular nickname, La Casa Blanca (English: The White House), is named so because the stadium is painted white, the team's principal color. Prior to that, they played their home games at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, where the Ecuadorian national team and other clubs in Quito play their home games. This modern stadium is considered to be one of the best in South America. Recently a giant screen was installed in the Stadium.
[edit] Supporters
LDU Quito has the largest fan base in Quito and one of the largest in Ecuador. The most diehard fan group of the team is La Muerte Blanca (English: The White Death). During home-games, they are situated in the southern general section of the "La Casa Blanca" fervently cheering for the team. Typical of diehard fans of the sport, they cheer with large banners, flares, and drums, all while constantly bouncing in support of LDU Quito.
[edit] Rivalries
LDU Quito has formed a number of rivalries over the years, principally from teams in Quito. The clubs' longest standing rival has been Aucas since both are the oldest football clubs in the Quito. The matches, known as the El Superclásico de Quito (English: The Quito Super Derby), have been an important match in their season. The rivalry can be traced to a fierce promotion battle between the two clubs. The first Superclásico de Quito was played on February 11, 1945 and ended in a 1-1 tie. Another match was scheduled to determine who was promoted. The second match, played on February 18, 1945, also ended in a draw (2-2). In that game, Liga was ahead 2-0. Aucas scored, and when the 90 minutes were over, the time keeper ended the game. However, the referee didn't notice and let the game continue for two more minutes, and Aucas equalized. The spectators rioted and didn't let the game proceed into extra time unless the referee was changed. Finally the game restarted, but the score remained the same. El Superclásico de Quito has been an important match between the two clubs since then, but has not been played since 2006 due to Aucas' relegation to the Serie B.
LDU Quito has also developed similar, yet smaller, rivalries with other teams in the city, specifically against Deportivo Quito and El Nacional, and formerly against Politécnico, who has since disappeared. In recent years, the club has formed a cross-country rivalry against Barcelona since both are seen as the dominant teams in their regions. The two clubs are the only Ecuadorian teams to reach the finals of the Copa Libertadores. The rivalry is exacerbated by the fact that Barcelona has been unable to beat Liga in their current stadium.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Copa Libertadores 2008 winners squad
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[edit] Notable players
Listed according to debut.
- Adolfo Bolaños
Juan José Pérez- Polo Carrera (1960-1968, 1975-1978, 1982-1984)
- Oscar Zubia (1972-1978)
- Pietro Marsetti (1987-1997)
- Nixon Carcelén (1996-2001, 2003-2004)
Álex Escobar (1997-2000, 2002-2005)- Ulises de la Cruz (1997-1999, 2000)
- Giovanny Espinoza (1997-2007)
- Eduardo Hurtado (1997-2000)
- Carlos Tenorio (2001-2003)
- Luis Bolaños (2002-2004, 2007-2008)
- Elkin Murillo (2003-2006)
- Patricio Urrutia (2003-Present)
- Álex Aguinaga (2004-2005)
- Ariel Graziani (2005-2006)
- Edison Méndez (2005-2006)
Roberto Palacios (2005-2006)- Joffre Guerrón (2006-2008)
Enrique Vera (2006-2008)- Agustín Delgado (2006-2009)
- Damián Manso (2007-2009)
- José Francisco Cevallos (2008-Present)
[edit] Top scorers
LDU Quito has had five players become the season top-scorer in the Serie A, five players become the top-scorer in the Campeaonato Profesional Interandino, and three players as the top-scorer in the Copa Libertadores. The team's all-time top scorer is José Vicente Charro Moreno, with 68 goals.
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Serie A
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Interandino
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Copa Libertadores
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[edit] Noted managers
- Oscar Zubia (1997-1998)
Paulo Massa (1998-1999)
Manuel Pellegrini (1999-2000)- Julio Asad (2001-2002)
- Jorge Fossati (2003-2004, 2009-present)
- Juan Carlos Oblitas (2004-2006)
- Edgardo Bauza (2006-2008)
[edit] Achievements
[edit] National
- Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A
- Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie B
- Winner (2): 1974 E1, 2001
- Runner-up (1): 1978 E2
- Campeonato Professional Interandino
- Champion (6): 1954, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1966, 1967
- Runner-up (5): 1955, 1956, 1963, 1964, 1965
- Campeonato Amateur del Fútbol de Pichincha
- Champion (3): 1932, 1952, 1953
[edit] International
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Runner-up (1): 2008
- Copa Libertadores
- Champion (1): 2008
[edit] Statistics
| Competition | Participations | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | % | Champion | Runner-up | Other info |
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| Serie A | 48 | 1603 | 675 | 431 | 497 | 2461 | 1930 | 531 | - | - | 9 | 3 | 4th all-time |
| Copa Libertadores | 14 | 121 | 46 | 29 | 46 | 171 | 167 | +4 | 167 | 46.01% | 1 | 0 | Reigning champion |
| Copa Sudamericana | 5 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 34 | 36 | -2 | 27 | 40.91% | 0 | 0 | Best: Semifinals (2004) |
| Copa CONMEBOL | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 58.33% | 0 | 0 | Best: Quarterfinals (1998) |
| Club World Cup | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 50.00% | 0 | 1 | Best: Finals (2008) |
| Note: Up to date as of May 10, 2009 (except the Serie A). | |||||||||||||
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website (Spanish)
- CyberAlbos (Spanish)
- Muerte Blanca (Spanish)
- http://liguistas.com/ (Spanish)
- http://www.ldu.com.ec (Spanish)
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Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito
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