Unión La Calera


Unión La Calera is a Chilean football club based in La Calera and competes the Primera División de Chile.
It was founded as Club de Deportes La Calera on 26 January 1954, after the merger of three teams from the city: Condor, Calera Comercio and Tifón. The following year, Deportes La Calera joined Club de Deportes Melón to form Unión La Calera.
After spending six seasons in second level, the club obtained its first promotion to Primera División de Chile in 1961, category where they remained until 1974. In 1985, they returned to top-tier, but they were relegated the incoming season. From there, they wandered through second level and third level, until returning to the top category in 2011, and in 2018, after a brief stint in the promotion division. In its palmares, Unión La Calera counts with three second division titles and two Tercera División de Chile honors.
The color that identifies the club is red and disputes their home games at the Estadio Municipal Nicolás Chahuán Nazar. Nevertheless, due to its reconstruction, around 2017 and 2018 they moved to Estadio Municipal Lucio Fariña Fernández in neighboring Quillota. Their main local rivals are San Luis de Quillota.
The club is well known for be the team when Sergio Jadue began his sports manager career before coming to power in the ANFP in 2011. He assumed Unión La Calera Corporation's presidency in 2007. In June 2009 he was appointed Club's President of the Board. During his management, Unión La Calera was promoted, after 26 years, to top-tier in 2010. After his departure, the team had a brief success in 2011's first part, reaching the Torneo Apertura's semi-final. In that tournament, highlighted players like Ramón Ignacio Fernández, Braian Rodríguez or Gonzalo Barriga.

History

1954–1970: Beginnings

The club was founded on 15 April 1955. It was following the merger between five local clubs: Tifón, Minas Navío, Cóndor, Cemento Melón and Calera Comercio. Nevertheless, the club's foundation its recorded on 26 January 1954.

2011–2016: Primera División de Chile

The successful 2011 season

2011 Torneo Apertura
Unión La Calera began the 2011 season hiring eight players: Jonathan Domínguez, Rodrigo Flores, Ángel Carreño, Jorge Ampuero, Ramón Ignacio Fernández, Braian Rodríguez, Claudio Muñoz and Luis Jiménez Barrera.
Regular Phase
They debuted in the 2011 Torneo Apertura on 30 January with a 1–1 draw with Santiago Morning. In this match the scores were from Paraguayan striker Ever Cantero for Santiago Morning and an own-goal from Edgardo Abdala. The next week on 6 February, the Uruguayan Braian Rodríguez scored Calera's first goal in top-tier in a 1–0 home win over Unión San Felipe. Besides, it was the club's first goal scored by a team's player after its 24 year-absence in Primera from 1987 season. On 12 February, for the third week, they surprised everyone after beating 2–1 to Universidad Católica as local in Estadio Municipal Nicolás Chahuán Nazar. The goals for Calera were scored by the defender Claudio Muñoz in the 39th minute and Diego Cuéllar in the 75th minute, who netted the tie-breaker goal after Hans Martínez's equalizing goal in 66th minute. Thereby, Unión La Calera broke the small unbeaten Universidad Católica had in the first two games. Nevertheless, on 19 February, now Calera's short unbeaten was broken by Cobresal which defeat 3–1 the team in El Salvador with a hat-trick of Joel Soto. The goal for Calera was of Alejandro Risso. The following week the team was recovered from the 3–1 defeat with Cobresal, beating 2–0 to Deportes La Serena at Nicolás Chahuán Nazar, but after this victory, an important triumph was against Cobreloa in Calama with a goal of Ramón Fernández in the 17th minute. This victory meant the team's climb to the league table's first place, being there with thirteen points next to Universidad Católica. The next matchday, Católica and Calera remained as table's leaders after both teams won to Universidad de Concepción and Palestino.
On 11 March, Unión La Calera had to play with giants Colo-Colo at Estadio Monumental in the capital city Santiago. However, the team was defeated in a 2–0 loss with goals of the Argentinian Lucas Wilchez and Chilean international José Pedro Fuenzalida. The next matchday, on 20 March, Unión La Calera defeated 3–1 as local to Audax Italiano, thereby confirming its second place behind Universidad Católica. The team began losing with a goal of Bryan Carrasco in the 20th minute, but the score of Braian Rodríguez through a penalty, gave encouragement so that later Octavio Pozo and Jorge Ampuero contribute with goals.
Since the 10th week after a 3–1 loss to Unión Española, the team went into a losing streak until the end of the regular phase which finished in the seventeenth week. Since there, Unión La Calera draw then with Palestino, lost with Universidad de Chile by a 2–0 score, again 2–0 with O'Higgins the next week and in the 15th matchday lost 1–0 to Deportes Iquique with a score of defender Juan González Calderón. Only a 2–0 win over Ñublense with a twice of Braian Rodríguez in the 16th matchday, and a 1–1 away draw with Santiago Wanderers in regular phase's final matchday, secured the team's classification to the playoffs. The team finished in the sixth position with 25 points over Unión San Felipe with 24 points and Colo-Colo with 23 points.
League table
Playoffs
Background and Results
The favorite to win the championship was Universidad Católica which finished in the regular phase's first place. Nevertheless, Católica lost to Universidad de Chile in the final's second leg, where Universidad de Chile won 4–1, reversing the first leg's 0–2. For its part, Unión La Calera already without the surprise sensation which generated in the tournament's early part, defeated to Unión Española in the quarterfinals for then repeat a 2–1 triumph over Católica in the semifinals first leg. Unfortunately, in the next leg, the team was eliminated after losing 1–0 in Santiago.
Quarterfinals: Calera vs. Unión Española
;First Leg
On 26 May, Unión La Calera and Unión Española played the quarterfinal's first leg at Estadio Municipal Nicolás Chahuán Nazar and the team recovered from its 3–1 loss in the regular phase. The game's only one goal was scored by Ángel Carreño in the 68th minute. The match had 2.459 spectators.
Astorga this time played with a 3–4–1–2 lineup: Lucas Giovini in the goal; in the rear, Jorge Ampuero as left sweeper, Mario Berríos as centre-back, Nicolás Suárez as right sweeper; in the midfield, Ángel Carreño and Claudio Muñoz as central midfielders, Francisco Bahamondes and Gonzalo Barriga as left midfielder and right midfielders respectively and finally with Ramón Fernández as playmaker; meantime the forward was composite by Braian Rodríguez and Jonathan Domínguez. On the other hand, José Luis Sierra played with a 4–2–1–3 lineup: Eduardo Lobos in the goal; in the rear, Rafael Olarra and Leandro Delgado as centre backs, Fernando Cordero as left back and Esteban González as right back; in the midfield, Braulio Leal and Gonzalo Villagra as central midfielders and Martín Ligüera as playmaker; the forwards were Raúl Estévez, Sebastián Jaime and Mario Aravena.
;Second Leg
On 29 May, the teams played the quarterfinal's second leg at Estadio Santa Laura. The game ended in a 0–0 draw which allowed to Unión La Calera the qualification to the semifinal. The match had 4.842 spectators.
For its part, Unión with Sierra also repeated the 4–2–1–3 lineup, being the only one change Leonardo Monje instead Mario Aravena. Between the key events, Leal missed a penalty in the 24th minute and Jaime was sent-off in the 71st minute.
Semifinals: Católica vs. Calera
;First Leg
Unión La Calera played the semifinal's first leg with Universidad Católica on 2 June. Astorga played with the same lineup that occupied against Unión Española in the quarterfinal's second leg, whilst Católica, coached by Juan Antonio Pizzi, played with a 4–2–2–2 lineup: Christopher Toselli in the goal; David Henríquez and Alfonso Parot as central backs; Rodrigo Valenzuela and Juan Eluchans as full backs; Gonzalo Sepúlveda and Tomás Costa as central midfielders; Fernando Meneses and Milovan Mirosevic as right and left midfielders; and finally Pablo Calandria and Francisco Pizarro as forwards.
Bahamondes opened the score in the 26th minute and a minute later Gonzalo Barriga scored the partial 2–0. Eight minutes later, Milovan Mirosevic scored through a header the discount, beating thereby to Giovini. The rest of the game was dominated by Unión La Calera, and Universidad Católica suffered the sent-off of Mirosevic and Rodrigo Valenzuela.
Finished the game, with this victory Unión La Calera had the first opportunity to qualify to the final. They just had to draw in Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo or win by one goal there, in Chile's capital city Santiago.
;Second Leg
For this match, Pizzi changed Católica's lineup to face Calera, this time he remained Toselli in the goal, but played with a 3–2–3–2 lineup : the defenders were Enzo Roco as left sweeper, Hans Martínez as centre back and Alfonso Parot as right sweeper; as central midfielders were Jorge Ormeño and Francisco Silva; the attacking midfielders were Fernando Meneses, Marcelo Cañete and Felipe Gutiérrez; whilst the forwards were Roberto Gutiérrez and Lucas Pratto. Astorga for its part, remained the same lineup, again with the same players.
The game's only one goal was scored by Enzo Andía in the beginnings of the second half. This goal, frustrated Calera's chances to qualify to the final. In that way, thereby was how Calera concluded its first great campaign in Chilean top-level.

Uniform

Traditionally Unión La Calera's home kit is composed by a red shirt, white pants and white socks. Its away kit meanwhile is entirely white. During the 2007 Primera B season, Calera's home kit was symbolized by a white and red horizontal striped shirt; its pants and socks were white. This kit is similar to the one used by the team when it got its promotion to Primera División in 1984.
For the 2010 second-tier season, the titular uniform is a red shirt with vertical white bars, red pants and red socks.
Once promoted to 2018 Primera División de Chile, during that tournament, the team changed its kit colors to entirely red like the kit which occupied during the 2014–15 season.

Sponsorship

Players

Current squad

2019 Winter Transfers

In

Out

Managers


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South American cups history

Titles