Nick Dorrington

Inhabitants of Santiago, Chile, are used to living in magnificent surroundings, flanked as they are by the Andes mountain range to the east, and the Cordillera de la Costa to the west. However, it is on the city’s football pitches that the locals are currently experiencing the most spectacular sights, especially if they are regulars at the 6,000 capacity Estadio Municipal de La Pintana, home to Santiago Morning.

The small club, formed in a grammar school classroom at the turn of the twentieth century, have punched well above their weight in the 2009 Apertura, and currently find themselves in second place as the regular season draws towards its conclusion. Perhaps more interestingly, games involving the club have produced more goals than those involving any other top-flight team in South America this year.

Los Bohemios, so named because of their intelligentsia beginnings, have the best goal-scoring ratio in the league, at 2.67 per game, whilst also boasting the fourth-worst defensive record, at 1.66 per game. Their cumulative goals-per-game total thus stands at 4.33, putting them comfortably ahead of the best such ratios in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, and a smidgen ahead of the likes of Real Potosi of Bolivia, 3 de Febrero of Paraguay and CA Juventud de Las Piedras of Uruguay.

It has been an entertaining and impressive start to the season for nomadic Argentine coach José Basualdo’s side, who affirmed their title ambitions with a 3-1 win away to their more illustrious city neighbours Universidad de Chile recently. The club’s official website described their superiority over the 12-time league winners as “striking” and having ended the only unbeaten record in the league, a genuine belief that Morning could add to their sole league title, attained in 1942, is emerging.

Even the Chilean press are beginning to consider the club as title contenders. “Little by little, slowly and almost silently, Santiago Morning have moved into second place in the Apertura,” noted El Mercurio following the defeat of Universidad. “With goals and the great form of Esteban Paredes, their most important player, they have moved into a position usually reserved for the likes of Universidad, Colo Colo or Cobreloa.” For a side that were plying their trade in the third tier of Chilean football some 13 years ago, and who have bounced between the first and second divisions for the last ten, that is quite an achievement.

A lot of the credit must go to Basualdo, who has created a side capable of launching quick, incisive attacks that leave their opponents little-to-no chance of forming an effective defensive shield. While their own defensive solidity is clearly an issue, the sheer forcefulness of Morning as an attacking collective, combined with a little bit of artistry from Paredes, has made them one of the more feared sides in the league.

Paredes has been a revelation since his return to the club for a third spell in 2008. Given responsibility by Basualdo to be the creative focal point of the team, the attacking midfielder has performed superbly, scoring and providing assists for team-mates on a regular basis. An outstanding record of 16 goals in 11 games in the Apertura has been the driving force behind Morning’s success, and if he continues in a similar vein then international recognition must surely follow.

Basualdo is clearly content with the contribution of his number ten, insisting in a recent interview that “if [Paredes] played for one of the really big teams then he would be considered among the best in his position.” Paredes’ recent performances are also attracting the attention of clubs outside of Chile, with Morning’s director of football, Luis Faúndez, admitting to El Mercurio that a couple of Mexican sides are keeping tabs on the 28-year old.

However, with the transfer window now closed, Morning can feel safe in the knowledge that Paredes will be around for at least the remainder of their Apertura campaign. With Argentine striker Diego Rivarola also in fine form, it seems unlikely that the goals will dry up any time soon, and with that in mind an unlikely challenge for the title seems like it could be on the cards.

Basualdo certainly seems to believe that this could be Morning’s best chance of winning their second-ever league crown, especially with the clubs such as Universidad, Everton and Colo Colo involved in the Copa Libertadores. “It is not easy to be consistent when you are faced with two simultaneous championships,” he noted following his side’s win over Everton. “We were able to concentrate solely on this match, allowing us to add more points in our quest to fight for the title with the big clubs.”