Estadio Ramón "Tahuichi" Aguilera Costas is a multi-purpose stadium in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.[1] It is used mostly for football matches, on club level by Blooming, Oriente Petrolero, Destroyers, and Royal Pari. The stadium has a capacity of 38,000 people and was opened in 1940. It was also one of the official stadiums for the 1997 Copa America as well as a number of international continental tournaments, such as the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2020) |
El Tahuichi | |
Full name | Estadio Ramon Tahuichi Aguilera Costas |
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Former names | Estadio William Bendeck (1972–1980) Estadio Departamental de Santa Cruz (1940–1972) |
Location | Avenida San Aurelio
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia |
Owner | Santa Cruz Department |
Capacity | 38,000 |
Field size | 105 x 64.7 m |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 28 January 1938 |
Built | 1938–1940 |
Opened | 25 May 1940 |
Renovated | 1995–1996 2014–2020 |
Tenants | |
Oriente Petrolero Blooming Destroyers Royal Pari Universidad Cruceña |
Organized by the Tahuichi Academy, every year during January this stadium hosts one of the greatest youth football tournaments in the world, the "Mundialito Paz y Unidad." Past participants of the U-15 tournament have included Real Madrid, Benfica, Atlas FC, Vasco da Gama, River Plate, Colo-Colo and many youth national teams.
At first it was named Estadio Departamental de Santa Cruz, then in 1972 following the death of auto racing legend Willy Bendeck in a local competition, the decision to name the departamental stadium after Willy Bendeck was finalized.
In 1979 the Tahuichi Aguilera football academy was invited to an international U-15 soccer tournament to be held in Argentina. The team came to be crowned tournament champion, which created a decision to rename the stadium in recognition of the founder of the Tahuichi Academy (Ramón "Tahuichi" Aguilera Costas), to be called Estadio Tahuichi Aguilera whose name it has today.[2]
The stadium is currently under an extensive renovation that began in 2014. The renovations will cost 48 million Bolivians. The first phase of the project includes new bathrooms, a subterranean parking lot, new changing rooms, security cameras, renovated suites, and renovated press cabins. Phase One was completed in 2016. [3][4][5]
Phase Two consists of new lighting, addition of seating, referee locker rooms and doping rooms. [6]
The third phase was completed in late 2019.
The stadium is currently in the 4th phase. When the renovations are over, the capacity will be increased to 40,000.
Brazil | 5–0 | Costa Rica |
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Djalminha 20' González 34' (o.g.) Ronaldo 47', 54' Romário 60' |
Colombia | 1–2 | Mexico |
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Ricard 58' | Hernández 7', 11' |
Brazil | 3–2 | Mexico |
---|---|---|
Aldair 47' Romero 59' (o.g.) Leonardo 77' |
Hernández 13', 31' |
Colombia | 4–1 | Costa Rica |
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Morantes 13', 23' Cabrera 62' (pen.) Aristizábal 78' |
Wright 66' |
Brazil | 2–0 | Colombia |
---|---|---|
Dunga 11' Edmundo 67' |
Mexico | 1–1 | Costa Rica |
---|---|---|
Hernández 14' (pen.) | Medford 60' |