1 October 1912 - The Ascension Of Cerro Porteño

On 1 October 1912, a group of friends in Ascunsión founded Cerro Porteño. With 31 league titles, they have become one of Paraguay's most successful clubs.

That first meeting was held at the home of Susana Nuñez, mother of one of the players. They chose the name "Cerro Porteño" after the nearby location of a famous battle where, in 1811, Paraguayan soldiers held off an invasion by Argentinian forces. As their colors, they chose red and blue, uniting the colors associated with the country's rival political parties. That choice led to Cerro Porteño becoming known as "the club of the people." 

They won their first national title in 1913, quickly followed by additional ones in 1915, 1918, and 1919. The 1920s passed without silverware, but Cerro Porteño have claimed at least one league title in every decade since. Their most dominant period came in the 1970s, when they won five (1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1977). The club's current total of 31 is second only to Olimpia (40).

Their most recent trophy came in 2015, when they won the Apertura by five points over Guaraní.

5 June 1991 - Colo-Colo Win The Copa

On 5 June 1991, Colo-Colo won the Copa Libertadores, beating defending champions Olimpia 3-0.

Colo-Colo had reached the final only once before, finishing as runners-up to Independiente in 1973, while Olimpia were making their fifth appearance, having won it in 1979 and 1990. The teams met in Asunción for the first leg on 29 May and played to a scoreless draw, then reunited at Santiago's Estadio Monumental for the second leg.

There, a crowd of over 66,000 people watched as the hosts went up 2-0 after only 17 minutes with both goals coming from striker Luis Pérez. For the first, he held the ball up in traffic just outside the Olimpia box, then played a quick one-two with midfielder Rubén Espinoza, giving him just enough space to get a clear shot past goalkeeper Jorge Battaglia. For the second, forward Marcelo Barticciotto raced down the right sideline and sent a cross in for Pérez, who chested it down, beat a defender, and fired off a quick left-footed shot into the net.

Barticciotto also provided the assist for Colo-Colo's final goal, again sprinting down the right side, then sending a square ball across the face of the goal that somehow reached forward Leonel Herrera at the far post for an easy tap-in.

Although three other Chilean teams have reached the tournament final, Colo-Colo remain the only team from the country to win the competition. Olimpia, meanwhile, won it for third time in 2002.

2 March 1980 - A Win Of Olympic Proportions

On 2 March 1980, Paraguayan side Olimpia won the Intercontinental Cup over Malmö with an aggregate score of 3-1 over two legs.

The Swedes weren't originally supposed to be there, as the competition was designed to pit the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup holders. But when Nottingham Forest, winners of the 1979 European Cup, declined to participate, Malmö were called in as runners-up.

In the first leg, played in Sweden on 18 November, Olimpia escaped with narrow win, beating the hosts 0-1 with a goal from forward Evaristo Isasi in the 41st minute. Then, in Asunción for the second leg, defender Alicio Solalinde (pictured) scored in the 39th minute to extend their aggregate lead to 2-0. Malmö midfielder Ingemar Erlandsson pulled one back shortly after the break, but it was the only time they got the ball past goalkeeper Hugo Almeida. Olimpia added another of their own for good measure to set the final margin at 3-1.

It was the last two-legged version of the Intercontinental Cup as the competition switched to a single-match format later that year. Olimpia returned in 1990 and again in 2002, but lost to AC Milan and Real Madrid, respectively.

31 July 2002 - They May Have Been Distracted By The Goalkeeper's Shirt

On 31 July 2002, Olimpia overturned a first-leg deficit against São Caetano to win their third Copa Libertadores on penalty kicks.

São Caetano, only two seasons removed from the Brazilian second division, had shocked Olimpia by winning 0-1 in the first leg, played in Ascunción the week before, with the lone goal coming from midfielder Ailton Delfino in the 61st minute. Hosting the second leg in São Paulo, they compounded the shock by again going up 1-0 with another goal from Delfino in the 31st minute.

But, this time, the Paraguayan side fought back. In the 59th minute, midfielder Gastón Córdoba drove a shot across the face of the goal and into the far corner. Then, ten minutes later, forward Richard Báez evened things up with a looping header. The teams remained level for the remainder of the match to force a decision by shootout.

Penalties were familiar to both teams in the tournament, as São Caetano needed them to get past Católica in the Round of 16 and Peñarol in the quarterfinals, while Olimpia used them to advance over Grêmio in the semifinals.

In the final, São Caetano started the shooutout and, after two kicks each, the teams were even at 2-2. But then both midfielder Marlon da Silva and defender Serginho sent their kicks for São Caetano over the bar. With Olimpia then leading 2-3, forward Mauro Caballero blasted his shot right down the middle, beating goalkeeper Silvio Luiz for the win.

19 June 1960 - They Started Strong And Finished Well

On 19 June 1960, Peñarol won the inaugural Copa Libertadores tournament with a late goal from midfielder Luis Cubilla. It was the first of their five titles, making them the third most successful club in the tournament.

Known originally as the Copa de Campeones de América, the competition was open to the champions of all CONMEBOL nations, though only seven clubs chose to participate. Peñarol, the Uruguayan champions, opened the tournament with a 7-1 crushing of Bolivian champions Jorge Wilstermann, then beat Argentina's San Lorenzo in the two-legged semifinal. Olimpia of Paraguay, meanwhile, received a first-round bye, starting their campaign by beating Colombia's Millonarios in the other semifinal.

The Final was played in two legs, with the winner decided by points (two for a win, one for a draw). In the first leg, played on 12 June at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Peñarol eked out a narrow 1-0 victory with a 79th-minute goal from the tournament's top scorer, Alberto Spencer.

The teams met for the second leg at the Estadio Manuel Ferreira in Asunción, where Olimpia forward Hipólito Recalde gave the home team a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute. Had that score held to the final whistle, the teams would have been forced to play a third time in a replay. But Cubilla avoided that by finding an equalizer in the 83rd minute. The draw gave Peñarol three points to Olimpia's nil, making the Uruguayan side the competition's first champions.

Peñarol successfully defended their title in 1961 and went on to win again in 1966, 1982, and 1987. The five titles represent the third-best haul by any club, behind only Independiente (7) and Boca Juniors (6). Olimpia eventually won it in 1979, then again in 1990 and 2002.

2 March 1980 - A Win Of Olympic Proportions

On 2 March 1980, Paraguayan side Olimpia won the Intercontinental Cup over Malmö with an aggregate score of 3-1 over two legs.

The Swedes weren't originally supposed to be there, as the competition was designed to pit the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup holders. But when Nottingham Forest, winners of the 1979 European Cup, declined to participate, Malmö were called in as runners-up.

In the first leg, played in Sweden on 18 November, Olimpia escaped with narrow win, beating the hosts 0-1 with a goal from forward Evaristo Isasi in the 41st minute. Then, in Asunción for the second leg, defender Alicio Solalinde (pictured) scored in the 39th minute to extend their aggregate lead to 2-0. Malmö midfielder Ingemar Erlandsson pulled one back shortly after the break, but it was the only time they got the ball past goalkeeper Hugo Almeida. Olimpia added another of their own for good measure to set the final margin at 3-1.

It was the last two-legged version of the Intercontinental Cup as the competition switched to a single-match format later that year. Olimpia returned in 1990 and again in 2002, but lost to AC Milan and Real Madrid, respectively.

25 July 1902 - Personally, I Would Have Picked "Esparta"

On 25 July 1902, a group of ten Paraguayans and one Dutchman created Club Olimpia in Asunción. It is Paraguay's oldest and most successful team, with 39 league titles and three Copa Libertadores trophies.

The original members were Paraguayans Sila Godoy, Fernando S. Pascual, José E. Torres, Gustavo M. Crovatto, Héctor Cabañas, Juan Rodi, Antonio Pedraza, Luis Marecos, Juan Mara and Genaro Gutiérrez Yegros, and Dutchman William Paats, who brought the very first football to Paraguay. He chose the club's name in honor of the Greek city of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympics. Other name candidates included "Paraguay" and "Esparta."

Olimpia won their first league title in 1912 and have won at least one title in every decade since. They enjoyed their most successful period from 1978 to 1983, when they won six consecutive league titles and their first Copa Libertadores (1979). They have also had two undefeated seasons in 1959 (as part of five consecutive titles) and 1993. 

They won their last league title in 2011 and won their third Copa Libertadores in 2003, along with that year's Recopa Sudamericana.

1 October 1912 - The Ascension Of Cerro Porteño

On 1 October 1912, a group of friends in Ascunsión founded Cerro Porteño. With 29 league titles, they have become one of Paraguay's most successful clubs.

That first meeting was held at the home of Susana Nuñez, mother of one of the players. They chose the name "Cerro Porteño" after the nearby location of a famous battle where, in 1811, Paraguayan soldiers held off an invasion by Argentinian forces. As their colors, they chose red and blue, uniting the colors associated with the country's rival political parties. That choice led to Cerro Porteño becoming known as "the club of the people."

They won their first national title in 1913, quickly followed by additional ones in 1915, 1918, and 1919. The 1920s passed without silverware, but Cerro Porteño have claimed at least one league title in every decade since. Their most dominant period came in the 1970s, when they won five (1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1977). The club's current total of 29 is second only to Olimpia (39).

Their most recent trophy came in 2012, when they beat rivals Olimpia to the Apertura title by two points.

5 June 1991 - Colo-Colo Win The Copa-Copa

On 5 June 1991, Colo-Colo won the Copa Libertadores, beating defending champions Olimpia 3-0.

Colo-Colo had reached the final only once before, finishing as runners-up to Independiente in 1973, while Olimpia were making their fifth appearance, having won it in 1979 and 1990. The teams met in Asunción for the first leg on 29 May and played to a scoreless draw, then reunited at Santiago's Estadio Monumental for the second leg.

There, a crowd of over 66,000 people watched as the hosts went up 2-0 after only 17 minutes with both goals coming from striker Luis Pérez. For the first, he held the ball up in traffic just outside the Olimpia box, then played a quick one-two with midfielder Rubén Espinoza, giving him just enough space to get a clear shot past goalkeeper Jorge Battaglia. For the second, forward Marcelo Barticciotto raced down the right sideline and sent a cross in for Pérez, who chested it down, beat a defender, and fired off a quick left-footed shot into the net.

Barticciotto also provided the assist for Colo-Colo's final goal, again sprinting down the right side, then sending a square ball across the face of the goal that somehow reached forward Leonel Herrera at the far post for an easy tap-in.

Although three other Chilean teams have reached the tournament final, Colo-Colo remain the only team from the country to win the competition. Olimpia, meanwhile, returned to the final in 2002 and won it to claim their third title overall.

2 March 1980 - A Win Of Olympic Proportions

On 2 March 1980, Paraguayan side Olimpia won the Intercontinental Cup over Malmö with an aggregate score of 3-1 over two legs.

The Swedes weren't originally supposed to be there, as the competition was designed to pit the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup holders. But when Nottingham Forest, winners of the 1979 European Cup, declined to participate, Malmö were called in as runners-up.

In the first leg, played in Sweden on 18 November, Olimpia escaped with narrow win, beating the hosts 0-1 with a goal from forward Evaristo Isasi in the 41st minute. Then, in Asunción for the second leg, defender Alicio Solalinde (pictured) scored in the 39th minute to extend their aggregate lead to 2-0. Malmö midfielder Ingemar Erlandsson pulled one back shortly after the break, but it was the only time they got the ball past goalkeeper Hugo Almeida. Olimpia added another of their own for good measure to set the final margin at 3-1.

It was the last two-legged version of the Intercontinental Cup as the competition switched to a single-match format later that year. Olimpia returned in 1990 and again in 2002, but lost to AC Milan and Real Madrid, respectively.

31 July 2002 - They May Have Been Distracted By The Goalkeeper's Shirt

On 31 July 2002, Olimpia overturned a first-leg deficit against São Caetano to win their third Copa Libertadores on penalty kicks.

São Caetano, only two seasons removed from the Brazilian second division, had shocked Olimpia by winning 0-1 in the first leg, played in Ascunción the week before, with the lone goal coming from midfielder Ailton Delfino in the 61st minute. Hosting the second leg in São Paulo, they compounded the shock by again going up 1-0 with another goal from Delfino in the 31st minute.

But, this time, the Paraguayan side fought back. In the 59th minute, midfielder Gastón Córdoba drove a shot across the face of the goal and into the far corner. Then, ten minutes later, forward Richard Báez evened things up with a looping header. The teams remained level for the remainder of the match to force a decision by shootout.

Penalties were familiar to both teams in the tournament, as São Caetano needed them to get past Católica in the Round of 16 and Peñarol in the quarterfinals, while Olimpia used them to advance over Grêmio in the semifinals.

In the final, São Caetano started the shooutout and, after two kicks each, the teams were even at 2-2. But then both midfielder Marlon da Silva and defender Serginho sent their kicks for São Caetano over the bar. With Olimpia then leading 2-3, forward Mauro Caballero blasted his shot right down the middle, beating goalkeeper Silvio Luiz for the win.

19 June 1960 - They Started Strong And Finished Well

On 19 June 1960, Peñarol won the inaugural Copa Libertadores tournament with a late goal from midfielder Luis Cubilla. It was the first of their five titles, making them the third most successful club in the tournament.

Known originally as the Copa de Campeones de América, the competition was open to the champions of all CONMEBOL nations, though only seven clubs chose to participate. Peñarol, the Uruguayan champions, opened the tournament with a 7-1 crushing of Bolivian champions Jorge Wilstermann, then beat Argentina's San Lorenzo in the two-legged semifinal. Olimpia of Paraguay, meanwhile, received a first-round bye, starting their campaign by beating Colombia's Millonarios in the other semifinal.

The Final was played in two legs, with the winner decided by points (two for a win, one for a draw). In the first leg, played on 12 June at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Peñarol eked out a narrow 1-0 victory with a 79th-minute goal from the tournament's top scorer, Alberto Spencer.

The teams met for the second leg at the Estadio Manuel Ferreira in Asunción, where Olimpia forward Hipólito Recalde gave the home team a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute. Had that score held to the final whistle, the teams would have been forced to play a third time in a replay. But Cubilla avoided that by finding an equalizer in the 83rd minute. The draw gave Peñarol three points to Olimpia's nil, making the Uruguayan side the competition's first champions.

Peñarol successfully defended their title in 1961 and went on to win again in 1966, 1982, and 1987. The five titles represent the third-best haul by any club, behind only Independiente (7) and Boca Juniors (6). Olimpia eventually won it in 1979, then again in 1990 and 2002.

25 July 1902 - Personally, I Would Have Picked "Esparta"

On 25 July 1902, a group of ten Paraguayans and one Dutchman created Club Olimpia in Asunción. It is Paraguay's oldest and most successful team, with 38 league titles and three Copa Libertadores trophies.

The original members were Paraguayans Sila Godoy, Fernando S. Pascual, José E. Torres, Gustavo M. Crovatto, Héctor Cabañas, Juan Rodi, Antonio Pedraza, Luis Marecos, Juan Mara and Genaro Gutiérrez Yegros, and Dutchman William Paats, who brought the very first football to Paraguay. He chose the club's name in honor of the Greek city of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympics. Other name candidates included "Paraguay" and "Esparta."

Olimpia won their first league title in 1912 and have won at least one title in every decade since. They enjoyed their most successful period from 1978 to 1983, when they won six consecutive league titles and their first Copa Libertadores (1979). They have also had two undefeated seasons in 1959 (as part of five consecutive titles) and 1993. They won their last league title in 2000, but have since won their third Copa Libertadores in 2003 and the Recopa Sudamericana in 2003.