# 2001 Categoría Primera A season

The 2001 Categoría Primera A season, named Copa Mustang 2001 for sponsoring purposes, was the 54th season of Colombia's top-flight football league. América de Cali were the defending champions and won their eleventh title and second in a row by beating Independiente Medellín in the finals.

## Format

The season was split into four stages: the first two stages were the Apertura and Finalización tournaments, in which the 16 teams were first divided into two groups of eight teams, playing seven games, and then all teams in the league played each other once for a total of 22 matches. The winners of each tournament earned a berth into the 2002 Copa Libertadores. The third stage was the semifinal round, which was played by the best eight teams of the aggregate table of both tournaments, who were divided into two groups of four according to their position in the aggregate table: odd-ranked teams made up Group A, while even-ranked ones made up Group B. The winners of each group played the double-legged finals to decide the champions of the season, who also qualified for the Copa Libertadores.

## Teams

| Team | Home city | Stadium | Capacity |
| América de Cali | Cali | Pascual Guerrero | 45,625 |
| Atlético Bucaramanga | Bucaramanga | Alfonso López | 28,000 |
| Atlético Huila | Neiva | Guillermo Plazas Alcid | 22,000 |
| Atlético Nacional | Medellín | Atanasio Girardot | 52,000 |
| Cortuluá | Tuluá | Doce de Octubre | 16,000 |
| Deportes Tolima | Ibagué | Manuel Murillo Toro | 28,100 |
| Deportivo Cali | Cali | Pascual Guerrero | 45,625 |
| Deportivo Pasto | Pasto | Departamental Libertad | 12,000 |
| Deportivo Pereira | Pereira | Estadio Hernán Ramírez Villegas | 30,313 |
| Envigado | Envigado | Polideportivo Sur | 11,000 |
| Independiente Medellín | Medellín | Atanasio Girardot | 52,000 |
| Junior | Barranquilla | Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez | 60,000 |
| Millonarios | Bogotá | Nemesio Camacho El Campín | 48,300 |
| Once Caldas | Manizales | Palogrande | 36,553 |
| Real Cartagena | Cartagena | Pedro de Heredia | 16,000 |
| Santa Fe | Bogotá | Nemesio Camacho El Campín | 48,300 |

## Torneo Apertura

The Torneo Apertura (also known as Copa Mustang I) began on 11 February and ended on 1 July.

### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Cortuluá | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 19 | +11 | 42 | Qualification for the Copa Libertadores |
| 2 | Deportivo Cali | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 31 | 21 | +10 | 38 | |
| 3 | Once Caldas | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 35 | 27 | +8 | 38 | |
| 4 | Deportes Tolima | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 34 | 28 | +6 | 36 | |
| 5 | Independiente Medellín | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 40 | 25 | +15 | 34 | |
| 6 | Santa Fe | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 34 | |
| 7 | América de Cali | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 33 | |
| 8 | Junior | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 31 | |
| 9 | Millonarios | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 29 | 23 | +6 | 28 | |
| 10 | Envigado | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 26 | 30 | −4 | 28 | |
| 11 | Deportivo Pereira | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 26 | 34 | −8 | 27 | |
| 12 | Atlético Nacional | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 28 | −10 | 26 | |
| 13 | Real Cartagena | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 28 | −5 | 25 | |
| 14 | Atlético Huila | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 40 | −12 | 22 | |
| 15 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 22 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 18 | −8 | 22 | |
| 16 | Deportivo Pasto | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 34 | −11 | 21 | |

## Torneo Finalización

The Torneo Finalización (also known as Copa Mustang II) began on 5 August and ended on 11 November.

### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Once Caldas | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 36 | 16 | +20 | 43 | Qualification for the Copa Libertadores |
| 2 | Millonarios | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 37 | 31 | +6 | 37 | |
| 3 | Atlético Nacional | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 30 | 18 | +12 | 37 | |
| 4 | Deportivo Cali | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 25 | +9 | 36 | |
| 5 | América de Cali | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 31 | 23 | +8 | 35 | |
| 6 | Deportivo Pasto | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 21 | 27 | −6 | 35 | |
| 7 | Envigado | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 33 | |
| 8 | Deportes Tolima | 22 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 28 | 24 | +4 | 32 | |
| 9 | Santa Fe | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 29 | |
| 10 | Independiente Medellín | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 23 | +1 | 29 | |
| 11 | Deportivo Pereira | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 31 | −12 | 26 | |
| 12 | Junior | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 25 | |
| 13 | Cortuluá | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 28 | −5 | 23 | |
| 14 | Real Cartagena | 22 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 31 | −11 | 21 | |
| 15 | Atlético Huila | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 36 | −16 | 20 | |
| 16 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 26 | −9 | 18 | |

## Aggregate table

An aggregate table known as Reclasificación including the games of both tournaments (Apertura and Finalización) was used to determine the eight teams that would advance to the next stage of the tournament. The top eight teams in this table at the end of the Torneo Finalización advanced to the semifinals.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Once Caldas | 44 | 23 | 12 | 9 | 71 | 43 | +28 | 81 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 2 | Deportivo Cali | 44 | 21 | 11 | 12 | 65 | 46 | +19 | 74 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 3 | América de Cali | 44 | 20 | 8 | 16 | 68 | 62 | +6 | 68 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 4 | Deportes Tolima | 44 | 19 | 11 | 14 | 62 | 52 | +10 | 68 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 5 | Millonarios | 44 | 19 | 8 | 17 | 66 | 54 | +12 | 65 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 6 | Cortuluá | 44 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 53 | 47 | +6 | 65 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 7 | Santa Fe | 44 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 63 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 8 | Independiente Medellín | 44 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 64 | 48 | +16 | 63 | Advance to the semifinals |
| 9 | Atlético Nacional | 44 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 48 | 46 | +2 | 63 | |
| 10 | Envigado | 44 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 63 | 66 | −3 | 61 | |
| 11 | Junior | 44 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 49 | 52 | −3 | 56 | |
| 12 | Deportivo Pasto | 44 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 44 | 61 | −17 | 56 | |
| 13 | Deportivo Pereira | 44 | 15 | 8 | 21 | 45 | 65 | −20 | 53 | |
| 14 | Real Cartagena | 44 | 11 | 13 | 20 | 43 | 59 | −16 | 46 | |
| 15 | Atlético Huila | 44 | 11 | 9 | 24 | 48 | 76 | −28 | 42 | |
| 16 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 44 | 8 | 16 | 20 | 27 | 44 | −17 | 40 | |

## Semifinals

The third stage of the tournament consisted of two groups of four teams, with Group A including teams in odd-numbered positions and Group B including teams in even-numbered positions. The winners of each group qualified for the Finals.

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AME | ONC | SFE | MIL |
| 1 | América de Cali | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 10 | Advance to Finals | — | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Once Caldas | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 | | 2–2 | — | 0–2 | 1–0 |
| 3 | Santa Fe | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 8 | | 1–1 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 |
| 4 | Millonarios | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 2 | | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | — |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DIM | COR | CAL | TOL |
| 1 | Independiente Medellín | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 11 | Advance to Finals | — | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| 2 | Cortuluá | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| 3 | Deportivo Cali | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 8 | | 2–2 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 |
| 4 | Deportes Tolima | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 4 | | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — |

## Finals

| Date | City | Home | Score | Away |
| December 16 | Medellín | Independiente Medellín | 0–1 | América de Cali |
| December 19 | Cali | América de Cali | 2–0 | Independiente Medellín |
| América de Cali won 3–0 on aggregate score. |||||
* 2001 Categoría Primera A champions
* América de Cali 11th title

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Name | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Carlos Castro | Millonarios | 29 |
| 1 | Jorge Horacio Serna | Independiente Medellín | 29 |
| 3 | Julián Vásquez | América de Cali | 24 |
| 4 | Sergio Galván Rey | Once Caldas | 23 |
| 5 | Iván Velásquez | Atlético Nacional | 20 |

## Relegation
### Relegation table

| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | Avg | Relegation |
| 1 | América de Cali | 88 | 154 | 1.75 |
| 2 | Once Caldas | 88 | 141 | 1.602 |
| 3 | Deportes Tolima | 88 | 138 | 1.568 |
| 4 | Santa Fe | 88 | 137 | 1.557 |
| 5 | Deportivo Cali | 88 | 135 | 1.534 |
| 6 | Millonarios | 88 | 134 | 1.523 |
| 7 | Junior | 88 | 126 | 1.432 |
| 8 | Atlético Nacional | 88 | 123 | 1.398 |
| 9 | Envigado | 88 | 119 | 1.352 |
| 10 | Independiente Medellín | 88 | 116 | 1.318 |
| 11 | Cortuluá | 88 | 116 | 1.318 |
| 12 | Deportivo Pasto | 88 | 106 | 1.205 |
| 13 | Deportivo Pereira | 88 | 101 | 1.148 |
| 14 | Real Cartagena | 88 | 97 | 1.102 |
| 15 | Atlético Huila | 88 | 95 | 1.08 |
| 16 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 88 | 88 | 1 | Relegated to the Categoría Primera B |
Rules for classification: 1st average; 2nd wins; 3rd goal difference; 4th number of goals scored; 5th away goals scored.

### Promotion triangular

With the General Assembly of DIMAYOR having approved an expansion of the tournament from 16 to 18 teams starting from the 2002 season, a special promotion tournament was played at the end of the 2001 season. The two DIMAYOR affiliates that were taking part in Categoría Primera B at the time and failed to earn promotion (Cúcuta Deportivo and Unión Magdalena) were invited to compete, as well as Atlético Bucaramanga as the team that was relegated from Primera A at the end of the season. The top two teams of the triangular tournament were promoted. All matches were played at Estadio Pedro de Heredia in Cartagena.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Unión Magdalena | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | Promotion to Categoría Primera A |
| 2 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 1 | Promotion to Categoría Primera A |
| 3 | Cúcuta Deportivo | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 1 | |
* 1 2 Penalty shoot-out: Atlético Bucaramanga 5–3 Cúcuta Deportivo