The 1972 Torneo Descentralizado, the top category of Peruvian football, was played by 16 teams. The season was divided into 3 stages. The first stage was contested in two groups: Metropolitan (teams from Lima and Callao) and Regional (teams from the rest of the country); each group winner qualified for the Championship Group. The second stage was the Descentralised (league tournament); the top 4 qualified for the Championship Group and the bottom 2 were relegated. Championship Group was contested by 6 teams in Lima; neither team carried their previous records. The national champion was Sporting Cristal.
Teams Team changes Promoted from1971 Segunda División Promoted from1972 Copa Perú Relegated from1971 Primera División Deportivo SIMA Atlético Grau León de Huánuco ADO Octavio Espinosa Porvenir Miraflores
Stadia locations
Team City Stadium Capacity Field Alianza Lima La Victoria, Lima Nacional 45,750 Grass Atlético Grau Piura Miguel Grau (Piura)25,000 Grass Atlético Torino Talara Campeonísimo8,000 Grass Carlos A. Mannucci Trujillo Mansiche 24,000 Grass Defensor Arica Breña, Lima Nacional 45,750 Grass Defensor Lima Breña, Lima Nacional 45,750 Grass Deportivo Municipal Cercado de Lima Nacional 45,750 Grass Deportivo SIMA Callao Miguel Grau 15,000 Grass José Gálvez Chimbote Manuel Rivera Sánchez 25,000 Artificial Juan Aurich Chiclayo Elías Aguirre 24,500 Grass León de Huánuco Huánuco Heraclio Tapia 15,000 Grass Melgar Arequipa Mariano Melgar 20,000 Grass Sport Boys Callao Miguel Grau 15,000 Grass Sporting Cristal Rímac, Lima Nacional 45,750 Grass Unión Tumán Tumán Eugenio Zapata Mingoya 8,000 Grass Universitario Breña, Lima Nacional 45,750 Grass
Torneo Preliminar Grupo Metropolitano
Grupo Regional
First place play-off
Torneo Descentralizado Standings
Results
Liguilla Final Standings
Top scorers Player Nationality Goals ClubFrancisco Gonzales20Defensor LimaVinha de Souza20Sporting CristalWalter Sossa18Sport BoysManuel Mellán16Deportivo MunicipalJuan Rivero Arias15Alianza LimaOswaldo Ramírez15UniversitarioFernando Bastida15MelgarTeófilo Cubillas14Alianza LimaHugo Sotil14Deportivo MunicipalEnrique Casaretto13Defensor LimaAndrés Zegarra12Juan AurichPercy Rojas11UniversitarioVíctor Zegarra11Alianza LimaJosé del Castillo11Sporting CristalMiguel Tojo11Defensor LimaHéctor Bailetti10UniversitarioOmar Pietrone10Deportivo Municipal
Awards AwardWinnerBest Team Sporting CristalGolden Boot Teófilo Cubillas (Alianza Lima)Manager of the year Marcos Calderón (Sporting Cristal)Goalkeeper of the year Carlos Salinas (Alianza Lima)Foreign player of the year Vinha de Souza (Sporting Cristal)Young player of the year Juan Carlos Oblitas (Universitario)Veteran player of the year Víctor Zegarra (Alianza Lima)Breakout player Francisco Gonzales (Defensor Lima)Disappointing player Miguel Ángel Converti Jr. (Defensor Lima)
See also 1972 Peruvian Segunda División 1972 Copa Perú 1972 Hexagonal de Ascenso
External links Peru 1972 season at RSSSF