# 1996–97 in Venezuelan football

This article presents a summary of the 1996-97 football season in Venezuela.

## Torneo Apertura ("Opening" Tournament)

| Pos | Team | Points | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff |
| 1 | Minervén Fútbol Club | 43 | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 33 | 15 | +18 |
| 2 | Atlético Zulia | 43 | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 20 | +11 |
| 3 | Unión Atlético Táchira | 41 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 35 | 19 | +16 |
| 4 | Caracas F.C. | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 28 | 20 | +8 |
| 5 | Mineros de Guayana | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 31 | 24 | +7 |
| 6 | Estudiantes de Mérida F.C. | 31 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 23 | –2 |
| 7 | Trujillanos F.C. | 30 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 25 | 20 | +5 |
| 8 | Deportivo Chacao | 28 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 28 | 32 | –4 |
| 9 | Llaneros de Guanare | 22 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 32 | –10 |
| 10 | Atlético El Vigía | 21 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 26 | –9 |
| 11 | Valencia FC | 18 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 29 | –14 |
| 12 | Nacional Táchira | 12 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 15 | 40 | –25 |

## Torneo Clausura ("Closing" Tournament)

| Pos | Team | Points | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff |
| 1 | Caracas F.C. | 36 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 18 | +18 |
| 2 | Unión Atlético Táchira | 35 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 18 | +14 |
| 3 | Estudiantes de Mérida F.C. | 29 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 14 | +7 |
| 4 | Trujillanos F.C. | 25 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 17 | +2 |
| 5 | Mineros de Guayana | 25 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 29 | +1 |
| 6 | Atlético Zulia | 24 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 28 | 28 | 0 |
| 7 | Minervén Fútbol Club | 23 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 19 | +1 |
| 8 | Deportivo Chacao | 23 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 28 | –8 |
| 9 | Llaneros de Guanare | 21 | 18 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 23 | 25 | –2 |
| 10 | Atlético El Vigía | 18 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 7 | 40 | –33 |

## Venezuela national team

| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Comp | Venezuela scorers | Fixture |
| 1996-09-01 | Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa Quito, Ecuador | Ecuador | 1 - 0 | WCQ98 | | 132 |
| 1996-09-18 | Estadio Cuscatlán San Salvador, El Salvador | El Salvador | 0 - 1 | F | Castellín 69' | 133 |
| 1996-10-03 | Estadio Agustín Tovar Barinas, Venezuela | Costa Rica | 2 - 0 | F | García 51' Morán 60' | 134 |
| 1996-10-09 | Estadio Pueblo Nuevo San Cristóbal, Venezuela | Argentina | 2 - 5 | WCQ98 | Savarese 7' Dudamel 87' | 135 |
| 1996-11-10 | Estadio Nacional Lima, Peru | Peru | 4 - 1 | WCQ98 | Díaz 78' | 136 |
| 1996-10-09 | Estadio Pueblo Nuevo San Cristóbal, Venezuela | Colombia | 0 - 2 | WCQ98 | | 137 |
| 1997-01-12 | Estadio Guillermo Soto Rosa Mérida, Venezuela | Paraguay | 0 - 2 | WCQ98 | | 138 |
| 1997-02-12 | Independence Park Kingston, Jamaica | Jamaica | 0 - 0 | F | | 139 |
| 1997-02-19 | Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero Heredia, Costa Rica | Costa Rica | 5 - 2 | F | Díaz 29' Palencia 59' | 140 |
| 1997-04-02 | Estadio Centenario Montevideo, Uruguay | Uruguay | 3 - 1 | WCQ98 | Castellín 75' | 141 |
| 1997-04-29 | Estadio Monumental Santiago, Chile | Chile | 6 - 0 | WCQ98 | | 142 |
| 1997-06-08 | Estadio Luis Loreto Lira Valera, Venezuela | Bolivia | 1 - 1 | WCQ98 | Savarese 70' | 143 |
| 1997-06-12 | Estadio Hernando Siles La Paz, Bolivia | Bolivia | 1 - 0 | CA97 | - | 144 |
| 1997-06-15 | Estadio Olímpico Patria Sucre, Bolivia | Uruguay | 2 - 0 | CA97 | - | 145 |
| 1997-06-18 | Estadio Olímpico Patria Sucre, Bolivia | Peru | 2 - 0 | CA97 | - | 146 |
| 1997-07-06 | Estadio José Pachencho Romero Maracaibo, Venezuela | Ecuador | 1 - 1 | WCQ98 | Miranda 75' | 147 |
| 1997-07-20 | Estadio Monumental Buenos Aires, Argentina | Argentina | 2 - 0 | WCQ98 | | 148 |