Football at the 1951 Pan American Games

The first edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 25 February to 8 March 1951. Five teams did compete, after Brazil withdrew on 16 February 1951.^[1][2]

Football – Men's tournament at the 1951 Pan American Games
Venue	Racing Club Stadium
Dates	27 February – 7 March
Medalists
Argentina    Costa Rica    Chile
1955»

Paraguay participated with the club side Club Sport Colombia, strengthened with some guest players from other clubs. Costa Rica and Venezuela entered their full national teams (as they only had amateur football domestically).^[3]

Participants

Six teams entered the tournament, but Brazil withdrew before the draw.

Paraguay were represented by club side Sport Colombia, while Costa Rica and Venezuela entered their full national teams.

•  Argentina
•  Brazil (withdrew)
•  Costa Rica
•  Chile
•  Paraguay (Sport Colombia)
•  Venezuela

Competition

Final table

The Argentina squad, champions

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Argentina	4	4	0	0	16	2	+14	8
Costa Rica	4	2	1	1	9	12	−3	5
Chile	4	1	2	1	8	6	+2	4
Venezuela	4	1	0	3	5	14	−9	2
Paraguay	4	0	1	3	5	9	−4	1

Match results

27 February

Argentina	5–0	Venezuela
Pellejero 13', 22' Intini 48' Baiocco	Report

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Alfredo Rossi (ARG)

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27 February

Costa Rica	2–2	Chile
Zeledón 5' Armijo 62'		Esquivel 15' Apiolaza 75'

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Wally Muller (AUT)

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1 March

Argentina	7–1	Costa Rica
Intini 10', 17' Cupo 35', 39', 85' Pellejero 41' Baiocco 81'		Zeledón 27'

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Ernest Wilbraham (ENG)

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1 March

Paraguay	2–3	Venezuela
Vaccaro 16' Insfrán 81'		Díaz 50' Monterola 69' (pen.) Olivares 74'

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Luis Ventre

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3 March

Paraguay	0–1	Costa Rica
		Herrera

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: José Yacovino (ARG)

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3 March

Argentina	2–1	Chile
Martínez 64' Cupo 67' (pen.)		Apiolaza

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Wally Muller

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5 March

Venezuela	1–3	Costa Rica
Díaz 38'		Armijo 55' Murillo 67' Zeledón

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Alfredo Rossi (ARG)

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5 March

Chile	1–1	Paraguay
Villablanca		Cabrera

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Ernest Wilbraham (ENG)

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7 March

Chile	4–1	Venezuela
Saavedra 17', 23', 46' Araya 66'		Rodríguez 79'

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Robert Aldrige (ENG)

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7 March

Argentina	2–0	Paraguay
Cupo 43' Martínez 67'

Racing Club Stadium, Avellaneda

Referee: Ernest Wilbraham (ENG)

Team details

Argentina Paraguay GK Arturo Rodenak DF Juan Carlos Gini DF Enrique Olivero MF Manuel Miranda MF Roberto Comaschi MF Roberto Infantino FW José María Pellejero FW Norberto Cupo FW José Giarrizo FW Alfredo Martínez FW Juan Intini Manager: Guillermo Stábile GK Rubén Noceda DF Agustín Miranda DF Cándido Duarte MF Francisco León MF Alfonso Colman MF Eladio Cabrera FW Silvio Parodi FW R. Carballo FW Antonio Duarte FW Antonio Insfran FW J. Alcaraz Manager:  ?

1951 Pan American Games winners
Argentina First title

Medalists

Event	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Men's football[4]	Argentina [5] Ángel Ambrosini (DF) Miguel Ángel Baiocco (FW) Roberto Comaschi (MF) Ángel Cuccero (FW) Norberto Cupo (FW) Rogelio Domínguez (GK) José Giarrizo (FW) Carlos Glini (DF) Roberto Infantino (MF) Juan Intini (FW) Carmelo Longo (FW) Alfredo Martínez (FW) Juan Carlos Mendiburu (FW) Manuel Miranda (FW) Carlos Mousegne (DF) Enrique Olivero (DF) José Pellejero (DF) Arturo Rodenak (GK) René Segini (FW) Perfecto Seijo (DF) Alejandro Simion (DF) Osvaldo Vallone (MF) Guillermo Stábile (Head coach)	Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Rodolfo Sanabria Mario Cordero Alex Sánchez Nelson Morera José Luis Quesada Léon Alvarado Elías Valenciano Constantino Tulio Quiros Héctor Julio González Evelio Alpizar Sigifrido Alvarado Álvaro Murillo Rodolfo Herrera Miguel Ángel Zeledón José Manuel Retana Rafael Ángel García Alberto Armijo Walker Rodríguez Rafael Campos Jorge Quesada Raúl Jiménez (M – Ricardo Saprissa / Luís Cartín)	Chile[6] Mario Pizarro Alberto Cerda Óscar Mogollones Domingo Massaro Salvador Arenas Jorge García David Buzada Hugo Núñez Alberto Rojas Javier Briones Roberto Apiolaza Pedro Araya Rubén Esquivel Isaac Carrasco Gerardo Valenzuela Orlando Labbé Arnoldo Weber Ernesto Saavedra Jorge Villablanca Sergio González (M – Luis Tirado)

Goalscorers

Norberto Cupo, top scorer with 5 goals

There were 40 goals scored in 10 matches, for an average of 4 goals per match.

5 goals

• Norberto Cupo

3 goals

• José Pellejero
• Juan Intini
• Miguel Angel Baiocco
• Ernesto Saavedra
• Miguel Angel Zeledón^[7]

2 goals

• Alfredo Martínez
• Alberto Armijo
• Roberto Apiolaza
• César Díaz

1 goal

• Pedro Arraya
• Jorge Esquivel
• Jorge Villablanca
• Rodolfo Herrera
• Álvaro Murillo
• Eladio Cabrera
• Antonio Insfrán
• Adolfo Vaccaro
• Gastón Monterola
• Hely Olivares
• Enrique Rodríguez

Source: RSSSF

Team of the Tournament

Source:^[8]

Ideal XI by La Nación

Goalkeeper	Defenders	Midfielders	Forwards
Rubén Pizarro	Rafael Márquez Salvador Arenas	David Buzada Manuel Miranda Roberto Infantino	Miguel Baiocco Norberto Cupo Alfredo Martínez Miguel Zeledón Juan Intini

Bibliography

• Olderr, Steven (2009). The Pan American Games: A Statistical History, 1951-1999, bilingual edition. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786443367. ISBN 9780786443369.