| 1979 Copa América final | |
| Event: | 1979 Copa América |
| Team1: | Paraguay |
| Team2: | Chile |
| Details: | 2–2 on points; a play-off on neutral ground was required to determine the winner. After the play-off finished tied, Paraguay won 3–1 on aggregate goals. |
| Firstleg: | First leg |
| Team1score1: | 3 |
| Team2score1: | 0 |
| Date1: | 28 November 1979 |
| Stadium1: | Defensores del Chaco |
| City1: | Asunción |
| Referee1: | Luis Gregorio da Rosa (Uruguay) |
| Attendance1: | 36,700 |
| Secondleg: | Second leg |
| Team1score2: | 0 |
| Team2score2: | 1 |
| Date2: | 5 December 1979 |
| Stadium2: | Estadio Nacional |
| Referee2: | Barreto (Uruguay) |
| Attendance2: | 51,200 |
| Secondlegreplay: | Play-off |
| Team1score3: | 0 |
| Team2score3: | 0 |
| Date3: | 11 December 1979 |
| Details3: | After extra time |
| Stadium3: | José Amalfitani |
| Referee3: | Arnaldo Coelho (Brazil) |
| Attendance3: | 30,000 |
| Previous: | 1975 |
| Next: | 1983 |
The 1979 Copa América final were the final series to determine the champion of the 1979 Copa América, the 31st edition of the continental competition.
The final was played as a two-legged tie, with the team earning more points being the champion. After Paraguay and Chile won one game each finished tied on points, a play-off at a neutral venue was required.
The first leg was held on November 28 at Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, where Paraguay won 3–0. The second leg was held at Estadio Nacional in Santiago on December 5, where Chile won 1–0.
As both teams were tied 2–2 on points, a play-off match was held on December 11 in Vélez Sarsfield's venue, José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires.[1]
After the play-off match finished in a 0–0 tie after extra time had expired, Paraguay were declared champions on aggregate (3–1), therefore winning its second Copa América title.[2]
Paraguay won the competition in the same year that a club from the country, Olimpia, won its first Copa Libertadores. A number of Olimpia players formed the basis of the national team that won the Copa América title, including Alicio Solalinde, Hugo Talavera, Roberto Paredes, Evaristo Isasi and Carlos Kiese.[3]
| width=150px | Team | width=150px | Previous final app. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922, 1949, 1953 | |||
| (None) |
See main article: 1979 Copa América.
| Paraguay | Round | Chile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2–1 | Match 1 | 1–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2–0 | Match 2 | 0–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0–0 | Match 3 | 7–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2–2 | Match 4 | 2–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Final standings |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opponent | Result | Knockout stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2–1 | Semi-finals | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2–2 | Semi-finals | 0–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández | ||
| RB | 2 | |||
| CB | 3 | |||
| CB | 4 | |||
| LB | 5 | Juan Torales | ||
| CM | 6 | |||
| CM | 7 | Carlos Kiese | ||
| CM | 8 | Julio César Romero | ||
| RW | 9 | Evaristo Isasi | ||
| CF | 10 | |||
| LW | 11 | Eugenio Morel | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | ||||
| DF | ||||
| Manager: | ||||
| Ranulfo Miranda | ||||
| GK | 1 | Mario Osbén | ||
| RB | Mario Galindo | |||
| CB | René Valenzuela | |||
| CB | Alberto Quintano | |||
| LB | Enzo Escobar | |||
| RM | Carlos Rivas | |||
| CM | Mario Soto | |||
| CM | ||||
| LM | Manuel Rojas | |||
| CF | Carlos Caszely | |||
| CF | Oscar Fabbiani | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | ||||
| Manager: | ||||
| Luis Santibáñez | ||||
| GK | 1 | Mario Osbén | |||
| RB | 10 | Mario Galindo | |||
| CB | 8 | René Valenzuela | |||
| CB | 16 | Elías Figueroa | |||
| LB | 11 | Enzo Escobar | |||
| RM | 17 | Carlos Rivas | |||
| CM | 24 | ||||
| CM | 14 | ||||
| LM | 22 | ||||
| CF | 21 | Carlos Caszely | |||
| CF | 23 | Leonardo Véliz | |||
| Substitutions: | |||||
| FW | 19 | ||||
| MF | 20 | ||||
| Manager: | |||||
| Luis Santibáñez | |||||
| GK | 12 | Roberto Fernández | ||
| RB | 4 | Alicio Solalinde | ||
| CB | 16 | Roberto Paredes | ||
| CB | 21 | Flaminio Sosa | ||
| LB | 7 | Juan Torales | ||
| CM | 8 | Julio César Romero | ||
| CM | 11 | |||
| CM | 14 | |||
| RW | 19 | Evaristo Isasi | ||
| CF | 9 | Milcíades Morel | ||
| LW | 17 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 10 | |||
| MF | ||||
| Manager: | ||||
| Ranulfo Miranda | ||||
| GK | 12 | Roberto Fernández | ||
| RB | 6 | Juan Espínola | ||
| CB | 21 | Roberto Paredes | ||
| CB | 4 | Flaminio Sosa | ||
| LB | 7 | Juan Torales | ||
| CM | 10 | Aldo Florentín | ||
| CM | 11 | Carlos Kiese | ||
| CM | 8 | Julio César Romero | ||
| RW | 22 | |||
| CF | 14 | Milcíades Morel | ||
| LW | 17 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | ||||
| DF | ||||
| Manager: | ||||
| Ranulfo Miranda | ||||
| GK | 1 | Mario Osbén | ||
| RB | 10 | Mario Galindo | ||
| CB | 13 | René Valenzuela | ||
| CB | 16 | Elías Figueroa | ||
| LB | 11 | Enzo Escobar | ||
| CM | 17 | Carlos Rivas | ||
| CM | 13 | |||
| CM | 24 | Manuel Rojas | ||
| RW | 23 | Leonardo Véliz | ||
| CF | 21 | Carlos Caszely | ||
| LW | 22 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 15 | |||
| MF | 19 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Luis Santibáñez | ||||