# 2012 O'Higgins F.C. season

The 2012 O'Higgins F.C. season is O'Higgins F.C.'s 49th season in the Primera División and their sixth consecutive season in Primera División. The club plays in three tournaments: The Primera División de Chile, Copa Sudamericana and the Copa Chile.

## The odissey of Eduardo Berizzo

For the 2012 season, the year started of abrupt form with Fernando De la Fuente's departure after a strong discussion with Eduardo Berizzo and also with the goalkeeper's coach Roberto Bonano, being confirmed then that the player will be loaned to Deportes La Serena, losing of this form to one of the best defensive midfielders of the Chilean football for face the Torneo de Apertura. However, the club's board surprised to Rancagua with the signings of the Argentine talented attacking midfielder Ramón Fernández, former footballer of Unión La Calera, who was tempted by country's powerhouse clubs: Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile, after a very well year, the Paraguayan footballer Rodrigo Rojas, who played for teams like River Plate, and finally to Julio Barroso, defender champion of the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup with Argentina that played for Boca Juniors.
On 27 January 2012, the club achieved his first triumph in the Torneo de Apertura against Antofagasta at the Estadio Parque El Teniente with a goal of Ramón Fernández in the 42nd minute, losing at the capital 1–0 with Colo-Colo, the next match. On 25 February, the team achieved his most important victory against Universidad de Chile at Rancagua, with goals of Enzo Gutiérrez, Guillermo Suárez and Fernández, in where Luis Marín saved a penalty to Marcelo Díaz, earning of this form the first place, that lost when Universidad Católica in March defeated 2–1 to the team at El Teniente, then achieving with Julio Barroso and Rodrigo Rojas as the key players, the team achieved four consecutive wins, that finished when Huachipato defeated 2–1 to the club with goals of the striker Manuel Villalobos and the left back José Contreras, but despite the defeat at the city of Talcahuano, the team led by Eduardo Berizzo, after of beat 5–0 to Palestino at Rancagua, on 28 April, more than of one hundred fans traveled for view the qualification of his team to the Copa Sudamericana, after of a 1–0 away victory over Santiago Wanderers with a goal of the midfielder Enzo Gutiérrez at Valparaíso.
On 23 June 2012, after a successful regular phase in the second place under Universidad de Chile at the top of the table, in the playoffs faced to Unión La Calera in the quarterfinals. The first match at La Calera, the team won 1–0 with a free kick goal of Ramón Fernández, who played the last season in that club, not celebrating the goal, in Rancagua for the second match, the club again won, now for a 3–2 victory, thanks to Enzo Gutiérrez, who scored a peace of goal after an incredible bicycle kick that defeated to the keeper Lucas Giovini. The next key, the club faced to Unión Española in the semifinals at Santiago, in where with a goal of the playmaker Emiliano Vecchio the club was defeated at the Estadio Santa Laura, finally winning 2–1 at the second match with goals of Luis Pedro Figueroa and Rodrigo Rojas, whilst for the club of Independencia, scored the striker Sebastián Jaime. The next game, now for the finals against the club Universidad de Chile, O'Higgins beat for the same scored of the last match to the team of the University, with goals of Rojas and the Argentine full back Alejandro López, whilst for the blues scored Guillermo Marino. O'Higgins was the Primera División champion of the Torneo de Apertura, until the 92nd minute of game in the Estadio Nacional, because with annotations of Charles Aránguiz and the same Marino, the club equalized the key, winning 2–0 in the penalties thanks to the blues' keeper Jhonny Herrera, who saved three penalties to Rodrigo Rojas, Yerson Opazo and Enzo Gutiérrez. However, the match was not exempt of polemics, because the referee Enrique Osses conceded a non–existent penalty to Marino, that was scored by Aránguiz, and unfairly red-carded to the centre back Julio Barroso, after an aggression of the right back José Rojas of Universidad de Chile.

## Key Events

* 19 December 2011: Eduardo Berizzo joins as the coach of the club.
* 11 January 2012: Sebastián Pinto joins Bursaspor.
* 28 April 2012: The club qualified to the Copa Sudamericana.
* 2 July 2012: The club is the runner-up of the Primera División de Chile.

## Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of 28 July 2012.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Roberto González | Chile |
| 25 | GK | Eduardo Miranda | Chile |
| 31 | GK | Luis Marín (captain) | Chile |
| 2 | DF | René Bugueño | Chile |
| 3 | DF | Nélson Saavedra | Chile |
| 4 | DF | Benjamín Vidal | Chile |
| 5 | DF | Julio Barroso | Argentina |
| 8 | DF | Yerson Opazo | Chile |
| 13 | DF | Nelson Rebolledo (on loan from Universidad de Chile) | Chile |
| 17 | DF | Luis Casanova | Chile |
| 24 | DF | Eduardo Alejandro López | Argentina |
| 10 | MF | Ramón Fernández | Argentina |
| 11 | MF | Luis Pedro Figueroa | Chile |
| 15 | MF | César Fuentes | Chile |
| 16 | MF | Claudio Meneses | Chile |
| 18 | MF | José Luis Silva (on loan from Universidad de Chile) | Chile |
| 20 | MF | Rodrigo Rojas | Paraguay |
| 21 | MF | Boris Sagredo | Chile |
| 26 | MF | Diego González | Chile |
| 27 | MF | Nicolás Vargas | Chile |
| 28 | MF | Sebastián Céspedes | Chile |
| 7 | FW | Marco Pérez | Colombia |
| 9 | FW | Richard Blanco | Venezuela |
| 14 | FW | Carlos Ross (on loan from Audax Italiano) | Chile |
| 19 | FW | Carlos Escobar | Chile |
| 22 | FW | Henry Calderón | Chile |
| 33 | FW | Juan Pablo Carrasco | Chile |

## Transfers
### Apertura 2012

Actualized as February 17, 2012

#### In

| # | Pos | Player | From | Type |
| | MAN | Eduardo Berizzo | Free Agent | Free |
| | FW | Juan Ignacio Molinelli | UAI Urquiza | Trial |
| 26 | MF | Diego González Reyes | Deportes Puerto Montt | Loan Return |
| 4 | DF | Benjamín Vidal | Deportes Puerto Montt | Loan Return |
| | GK | Rodrigo Flores | Unión La Calera | Loan Return |
| 14 | MF | Ramón Fernández | Unión La Calera | Transfer |
| 5 | DF | Julio Barroso | Ñublense | Loan |
| 11 | MF | Luis Pedro Figueroa | S.C. Olhanense | Transfer |
| 19 | FW | Carlos Escobar | Coquimbo Unido | Transfer |
| 3 | DF | Nélson Saavedra | Unión San Felipe | Transfer |
| 13 | MF | Nelson Rebolledo | Universidad de Chile | Loan |
| 20 | MF | Rodrigo Rojas | Beerschot AC | Transfer |
| 16 | MF | Claudio Meneses | Deportes La Serena | Transfer |
| 22 | FW | Richard Blanco | Deportivo Petare | Transfer |

#### Out

| # | Pos | Player | To | Type |
| 2 | MF | Juan Luis González | Deportes Antofagasta | Transfer |
| | MAN | José Cantillana | Free Agent | Contract Terminated |
| 3 | DF | Cristián Oviedo | Audax Italiano | Transfer |
| 4 | DF | Nicolás Larrondo | Rangers de Talca | Transfer |
| 6 | DF | Mauricio Arias | Audax Italiano | Loan from Universidad de Chile |
| 8 | MF | Miguel Ángel González | Colo-Colo | Loan from Unión San Felipe |
| 11 | FW | Juan Gonzalo Lorca | Santiago Wanderers | Loan from US Boulogne |
| 28 | MF | Federico Sardella | Deportes Puerto Montt | Transfer |
| 15 | MF | Esteban Carvajal | Unión San Felipe | Loan Return |
| 14 | FW | Juan Pablo Carrasco | Deportes Puerto Montt | Loan |
| 19 | FW | Sebastián Pinto | Bursaspor | Transfer |
| 27 | MF | Ezequiel Lazo | Defensores de Belgrano | Loan Return |
| 22 | MF | Fernando de la Fuente | Deportes La Serena | Loan |
| 32 | FW | Milton Alegre | Deportes Concepción | Loan |
| | GK | Rodrigo Flores | Unión Temuco | Loan |
| | MF | Braulio Baeza | Unión Temuco | Loan |
| | MF | Leonardo Saavedra | Deportes Antofagasta | Loan |

## Club
### Technical staff

| Position | Staff |
| Head coach | Eduardo Berizzo |
| Assistant coach | Roberto Bonano |
| Goalkeeper coach | Carlos Kisluk |
| Trainer | Ernesto Marcucci |
| Trainer | Pablo Fernández |
| Physiotherapist | Marcelo Sepúlveda |
| Paramedic | Luis Salazar |
| Physician | Eduardo Urrutia |
| Stagehand | Raúl Venegas |
| Stagehand | Andrés Rojas |
| Field Assistant | Pablo Pinto |
| Coordinator | Juan Camilla |
Source:

### Kit

Diadora were announced as O'Higgins' kit supplier as of the start of the season. The new kit was presented on 21 January 2012, during the Noche Celeste match against Alianza Lima.
Supplier: Diadora Sponsor(s): Agrosuper, Codelco, Entel, Essbio (back), Clínica Integral (sleeves), Sodimac (shorts), Clos de Pirque (socks)
Last updated: 20 January 2012. Source: O'Higgins F.C.

### Other information

| Chairman | Ricardo Abumohor |
| Ground (capacity and dimensions) | Estadio El Teniente (14,450 / 105x68 metres) |
Updated to match played 20 January 2012 Source: O'Higgins F.C.

## Season results
### Apertura 2012
#### Classification

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Universidad de Chile | 17 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 44 | 14 | +30 | 40 | Playoffs |
| 2 | O'Higgins | 17 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 31 | 15 | +16 | 35 | Playoffs & 2012 Copa Sudamericana First Stage |
| 3 | Deportes Iquique | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 30 | 14 | +16 | 35 | Playoffs & 2012 Copa Sudamericana First Stage |
| 4 | Universidad Católica | 17 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 17 | +14 | 30 | Playoffs |
| 5 | Unión Española | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 38 | 28 | +10 | 27 | Playoffs |
* ↑ O'Higgins and Deportes Iquique qualified for the 2012 Copa Sudamericana as the top two teams not playing in the 2012 Copa Libertadores Second Stage.

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 3 March 2012. Source: ANFP - Primera División

### Clausura 2012
#### Classification

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 12 | Cobreloa | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 23 | 24 | −1 | 20 |
| 13 | Deportes Antofagasta | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 26 | 29 | −3 | 20 |
| 14 | O'Higgins | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 27 | −5 | 20 |
| 15 | Santiago Wanderers | 17 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 27 | 28 | −1 | 19 |
| 16 | Universidad de Concepción | 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 28 | −11 | 15 |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 14 November 2012. Source: ANFP - Primera División

### Competitive
#### Apertura 2012
##### Play-offs

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Universidad de Chile | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Cobreloa | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Cobreloa | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Universidad de Chile | 0 | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Colo-Colo | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | | |
| 3 | Iquique | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | Colo-Colo | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | | |
| 6 | Colo-Colo | 3 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Colo-Colo | 3 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | 1 | Universidad de Chile (p) | 1 | 2 | 3 (2) |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | O'Higgins | 2 | 1 | 3 (0) |
| 4 | Universidad Católica | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | O'Higgins | 2 | 1 | 3 (0) |
| 5 | Unión Española | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Unión Española | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Unión Española | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | O'Higgins | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| 2 | O'Higgins | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | O'Higgins | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| 7 | Unión La Calera | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |

##### Quarterfinals

O'Higgins won 4–2 on aggregate.

##### Semifinals

2–2 on aggregate. O'Higgins won due to its position at the regular season (O'Higgins: 2nd, Unión Española: 5th)

##### Final

3–3 on aggregate. Universidad de Chile won 2–0 on penalties.

#### Copa Sudamericana

O'Higgins play against Cerro Porteño of Paraguay. In the first match the team draw 3-3, but with a negative point for the away goals rule. In the second match, played in Paraguay, the club lose 4–0, Cerro Porteño won on points 4–1, and O'Higgins is eliminated of the tournament.

##### Match G8

Cerro Porteño won on points 4–1.

#### Copa Chile
##### Group 3

| Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | OHIG | RANG | DCOL | SANU |
| O'Higgins | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 13 | | 0–1 | 1–1 | 7–0 |
| Rangers | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 | 1–3 | | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Deportes Colchagua | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 9 | 0–2 | 2–0 | | 2–0 |
| San Antonio Unido | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 17 | −14 | 1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | |