2008 Copa Simón Bolívar (Bolivia) Explained

Competition:Copa Simón Bolívar
Season:2008
Winners:Nacional Potosi (1st Title)
Promoted:Nacional Potosi
Primero de Mayo (Relegation/promotion playoff)
Matches:40
Prevseason:2007
Nextseason:2009

The tournament started in 1960, initially only champions from La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro and Santa Cruz participated, in later years teams from other associations started joining the cup, and the tournament eventually also had runner-up's participating.

Until 1976, due to the lack of a nationwide league, the cup determined the national champion and representative teams for the Copa Libertadores. With the creation of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano, the Bolivian FA stopped organizing the tournament.

Finally in 1989 the tournament was resurrected, with the same format of having both champions and runner-up from each association, but this time each regional league was the 2nd tier on the football pyramid so the champion was supposed to be awarded a place in the professional league. Previously the last placed team in the 1st division was replaced by the regional champion of its department. However that practice was kept until 1993 when finally the champion was awarded a spot in the top league.

The competition format changes frequently, in 2008, the team were divided into 3 groups of 6 teams each, to save costs, geographically close teams were teamed up and played on a home-away round-robin basis, with group 1 consisting of teams from La Paz, Oruro and Cochabamba; group 2 with teams from Potosí, Chuquisaca and Tarija, and group 3 with teams from Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando. The top 2 placed teams advanced to the next round, now playing play-offs on home-away basis, the 3 winners and the best loser advanced to the semifinals and then the final.

First phase

Group A

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Fancesa211063252313+10
Club Independiente Petrolero17105231811+17
Deportivo Crystal13103341312+1
Fraternida Tigres9102351415-1
Universitario510127917-8
31 de Octubre5101271122-11

Group B

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Club Atlético Ciclón2210622255+15
Club Destroyers18105332210+12
Enrique Happ1310315880
Club San Lorenzo1110326712-4
Oruro Royal810227815-7
Universitario de Potosi510138516-11

Group C

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Nacional Potosi24106131810+8
Primero de Mayo2010532139+4
Universidad de Pando161044298+1
Real Charcas1510353711-4
Universidad De Beni1010233513-8
Vaca Diez810153715-8

Quarter finals

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Semi-final

In this round Club Primero De Mayo qualified as the best loser

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1st Leg

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2nd Leg

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Final

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