Estadio Defensores del Chaco

{{Short description|Multi-purpose stadium in Asunción, Paraguay}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Estadio Defensores del Chaco
| image = Defensores_del_Chaco_6-10-2016_2.jpg
| image_size = 250
| caption = The stadium in 2016
| location = [[Asunción]], [[Paraguay]]
| opened = 1917<ref name="worldstadiums.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldstadiums.com/south_america/countries/paraguay.shtml|title=World Stadiums - Stadiums in Paraguay|website=www.worldstadiums.com|access-date=23 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Anuario Conmebol Sudamericana 2022 |date=3 April 2023 |publisher=CONMEBOL |page=98 |url=https://online.flippingbook.com/view/22986467/ |access-date=12 May 2023}}</ref>
| renovated = 1939<br />1996<br />2007<br />2015
| owner = [[Paraguayan Football Association]]
| surface = Grass
| dimensions = 105 m × 68 m
| seating_capacity = 42,354 (seated)<ref name="worldstadiums.com"/>
| tenants = [[Paraguay national football team]]<br>[[Club Guaraní]]<br>[[Club Olimpia]]<br>[[Cerro Porteño]] (2015&ndash;2017)
}}

'''Estadio Defensores del Chaco''', known as '''Estadio ueno Defensores del Chaco''' for sponsorship reasons, is a [[multi-purpose stadium]] in [[Asunción]], [[Paraguay]]. It is currently used mostly for [[association football|football]] matches.  The stadium once had a 50,000+ capacity, however over the years the stadium has undergone remodeling, dropping the capacity to 42,354.<ref name="worldstadiums.com"/> It underwent renovations during 1939, 1996 and 2007.<ref>[http://apf.cerocinco.net/insta_defensores.php Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107073220/http://apf.cerocinco.net/insta_defensores.php |date=2008-01-07 }}</ref> The stadium was again renovated in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.5dias.com.py/40331-estiman-que-obra-del-defensores-superara-los-us-2-5-millones |title=Estiman que obra del Defensores superará los US$ 2,5 millones - Diario 5dias |access-date=2015-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222235518/http://www.5dias.com.py/40331-estiman-que-obra-del-defensores-superara-los-us-2-5-millones |archive-date=2015-12-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It has more than 100 years as a stadium.<ref name="apf.org.py">{{Cite web|url=https://www.apf.org.py/n/103-anos-de-historia-pura|title = 103 años de historia pura - APF}}</ref> It is one of the places with most history in [[Football in Paraguay|Paraguayan football]].<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1960, the stadium was the venue of the first final of the [[Copa Libertadores]].<ref name="apf.org.py"/> The stadium receives visits from the public from Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:00 with free access.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tip.com.py/29-estadio-defensores-del-chaco|title = TIP :: Estadio Defensores del Chaco}}</ref>

==History==
===1910s===
In February 1916, the construction of the stadium began.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In November 1917, its inauguration came as the name '''Stadium de Sajonia''', with a game between Olimpia Asunción and Libertad, won 1-0 by the latter.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1919, Paraguay's national team played its first game in the stadium and Faustino Casado marked Paraguay's first ever goal in the stadium.<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

===1920s===
After Uruguay won the Olympic gold medal in football in [[Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics|1924]], the Paraguayan Football Association decided to rename the stadium "Uruguay" to honor the South American Nation. Later, the name was reverted to Estadio Puerto Sajonia. In August 1925, Paraguay's national team achieved its first victory in the stadium in a game against [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] in the [[Copa Bossio]].<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

===1930s===
During the Paraguay-Bolivia [[Chaco War]], the stadium was used as a munitions depot and troop meeting arena because of its strategic location.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> When the war finished, the stadium began its transformation process.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> It was renamed with the current name "Defensores del Chaco" (Defenders of the Chaco) in honour of the triumphant soldiers that took part in the [[Chaco War]] between [[Paraguay]] and [[Bolivia]].

===1950s===
With the money obtained from winning the [[1953 South American Championship|1953 Copa América]], a stand made out of cement and the orientation of the pitch changed from north to south.<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

===1960s===
In 1960, the stadium was the venue of the first final of the [[Copa Libertadores]], played between Olimpia Asunción and [[Peñarol]].<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1967, the stadium inaugurated its illumination system in a friendly encounter between Paraguay and Argentina.<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

===1970s===
In 1971, the stadium hosted the first national youth team title when Paraguay won the Torneo Juventud de América, replaced by the current [[South American Youth Championship]].<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1972, culminated is the ampliation of the northern sector and the offices of the [[Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol]] are moved to the stadium.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1973, the east stand begins being constructed.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1974, the stadium is renamed '''Defenders of the Chaco'''.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1979, Paraguay wins the Copa América and Olimpia wins the Copa Libertadores in the stadium.<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

===1980s===
In 1983, the stadium sees the game of mayor assistance with a crowd of 49, 095 attending the Superclásico between Cerro Porteño and Olimpia Asunción.<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

===1990s===
In 1992, Paraguay's under-23 olympic team claimed the title of Pre-Olympic Tournament at the stadium.<ref name="apf.org.py"/> In 1999, the stadium was one of the main venues for the [[1999 Copa América]].<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

===Actuality===
The stadium is not owned by a team (it is a [[List of national stadiums|national stadium]]) and it is used primarily to host the home games of the [[Paraguay national football team]] and for international football club tournament games such as the [[Copa Libertadores]] and the [[Copa Sudamericana]].

The new millennium brought modernization like construction of the VIP stalls, the ampliation of the boxes, stands and the installation of the luminic LED lights, to be at the level of the best sports stadiums in the continent.<ref name="apf.org.py"/>

==Tenants==
The [[Paraguay national football team]] plays their home fixtures at the stadium during FIFA World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies.

Local clubs such as [[Club Libertad]], [[Club Guaraní]] and [[Club Olimpia]] often play their home games at the stadium for [[Primera División Paraguaya]], [[Copa Libertadores]] and [[Copa Sudamericana]] fixtures.

==Accidents and incidents==
*1 February 2009; two anti-riot police officers were killed and five injured when they were struck by a [[cement]] block that was part of the stadium.  The cement block fell from a height of seven meters.  The football match taking place during the collapse was delayed 40 minutes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/02/02/paraguay.stadium/index.html|title=Two police killed in Paraguay stadium collapse - CNN.com|website=www.cnn.com|access-date=23 September 2018}}</ref>

==Other events==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country ||Artist|| Date ||Tour
|-
|{{flagicon|Sweden}}||[[Roxette]]||23 April 1992||[[Join the Joyride! Tour]]
|-
|{{flagicon|Mexico}}||[[Luis Miguel]]||3 December 1996||[[Tour America 1996]]
|-
|{{flagicon|Mexico}}||[[RBD]]||25 April 2008||[[Empezar desde Cero Tour 2008]]
|-
|{{flagicon|France}} {{flagicon|Spain}}<br />{{flagicon|United States}} {{flagicon|Switzerland}}||[[Il Divo]]||20 December 2011||
|-
|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}}||[[Paul McCartney]]||17 April 2012||[[On the Run (Paul McCartney)|On the Run]]
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
File:Estadio defensores.JPG|Exterior of the stadium.
File:Hinchada Olimpia 27-3-2011.jpg|Fans of Club Olimpia Asunción.
File:Hinchada de Olimpia 27-3-2011.jpg|Fans of Club Olimpia Asunción.
File:Defensores del Chaco.JPG|The stadium during a match between [[Club Olimpia|Olimpia Asunción]] and [[Club Atlético 3 de Febrero|3 de Febrero]] in 2011
</gallery>
{{wide image|Panorámica Defensores del Chaco.jpg|800px|}}

==See also==
*[[List of association football stadiums by capacity]]
*[[Paraguay national football team]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Estadio Defensores del Chaco}}

*[http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/south_america/paraguay/asuncion_chaco.shtml Worldstadiums.com Stadium Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618230503/http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/south_america/paraguay/asuncion_chaco.shtml |date=2018-06-18 }}
*[http://www.apf.org.py Paraguayan Football Association Website]
*[http://www.stadiumguide.com/defensoresdelchaco/ Stadium pictures]

{{coord|25|17|31.46|S|57|39|26.57|W|type:landmark|display=title}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| title  = [[Copa América]]<br>Final Venue
| before = [[Estadio Hernando Siles]] <br>[[La Paz]]
| after  = [[Estadio El Campín]] <br/>[[Bogotá]]
| years  = [[Copa América 1999|1999]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Asunción}}
{{Copa América 1999 stadiums}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Defensores del Chaco}}
[[Category:Football venues in Asunción]]
[[Category:National stadiums]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Asunción]]
[[Category:Copa América stadiums]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in Paraguay]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1917]]