Cerro
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Wikipedia - C.A. Cerro
Club Atlético Cerro, usually known simply as Cerro, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo that currently plays in the Uruguayan Primera División. Founded in 1922, the club plays its home games at Estadio Luis Tróccoli.
Uruguay's second most important derby is played between Cerro and Rampla Juniors, called "Clásico de la Villa". It is only behind the Uruguayan Clásico between Peñarol and Nacional.
History
The club was founded on 1 December 1922. The Uruguayan Segunda División was founded in 1942, and Cerro was one of its founders. It spent five years there, and was promoted to the Primera División in 1947, where it stayed for 50 consecutive years until 1997, when the club was deducted points due to an incident with Nacional fans.
Cerro came close to winning the league title in 1960. It finished runner-up to Peñarol, and lost in a heated final to them 3–1. Cerro was considered as Uruguay's third biggest club in the 1960s, because they finished third in the league four consecutive years between 1965 and 1968.
In 1963, Cerro had an international tour through Europe. Their first match was played on 23 May in Romania, a 2–0 loss against Progresul București. Their next match was a 2–0 win against Ştiinţa Timişoara. On 9 June Cerro beat Chornomorets Odesa 2–0; Chernomorets had beat Inter Milan and Flamengo, so this was seen as a very unexpected result. On 14 July Cerro began their tour in South Africa with a match against a local Durban side, winning 2–1. Three days later they beat Cape Town FC 4–0, and on 20 July they drew the South African national team 2–2. Their tour ended with a 3–0 win against the Rhodesia national team.
By defeating Defensor Sporting in a league play-off in December 1994, Cerro qualified for the 1995 Copa Libertadores, their first time participating in the competition. The Estadio Luis Tróccoli was renovated to meet the regulations, including the construction of four lighting poles. Cerro had one victory in the campaign, defeating Argentine club Independiente 1–0 at home, and finished last in the group stage.
Cerro was relegated after finishing second to last in the 2005–06 Uruguayan Primera División, but won the 2006–07 second division and made an immediate return.
After winning the 2009 Liguilla Pre-Libertadores, Cerro qualified for their second Copa Libertadores in their history: the 2010 Copa Libertadores. At home they played in the Estadio Centenario and the Estadio Atilio Paiva Olivera. The club finished third in their group, with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses.
Cerro participated in the 2017 Copa Libertadores, where they were eliminated in the second qualifying stage by Chilean club Unión Española.
The following year, the club participated in the 2018 Copa Sudamericana, its first ever Copa Sudamericana appearance. Cerro began the tournament by beating Peruvian club Sport Rosario 0–2 on aggregate in the first stage. It was eliminated in the second stage by Brazilian club Bahia 3–1 on aggregate (2–0 and 1–1).
Cerro participated in the Copa Sudamericana again for the 2019 edition, being eliminated by Montevideo Wanderers in the second stage.
Cerro has a passionate fan base and is known for their attacking style of play. The team has a strong rivalry with other Montevideo-based clubs such as Nacional and Peñarol, and matches between these teams are always highly anticipated.
Over the years, Cerro has had success in domestic competitions, winning several Uruguayan league titles and Copa Uruguay championships. The team has also competed in international tournaments such as the Copa Libertadores and has a strong reputation in South American football.
Cerro is known for producing talented players who have gone on to have successful careers both domestically and internationally. The team continues to be a competitive force in Uruguayan football and is always a tough opponent for any team they face.