The club began to lose the games that disputed and made a poor season finishing last of his group in the fifth place with 12 points.

After the bad season in the Apertura, in the next tournament still with Socías as coach, Cobresal reached the play-offs quarter-finals, being eliminated by Colo-Colo, who finished be the champion of the Clausura.

After the departure of Jorge Socías, because the directive not renewed his contract, arrived Gustavo Huerta as coach, a former footballer of the club that played at Cobresal during the 1980s.

They won 5–1 in home condition with goals of Juan Silva, Pedro Rivera, the Uruguayan centre back Alejandro Acosta, Damián Araya and Víctor González at El Cobre Stadium.

After the Huerta's departure of Cobresal, who accepted a bid of the Bolivian side Bolívar, arrived the coach Julio Acuña on his replace.

In the 2004 season, after the bad results of Acuña, for the Clausura Tournament, the club re–signed to Huerta and achieved that Cobresal finished in the fourth place of the aggregate table.

[6] On 31 July, Huerta debuted the Clausura Tournament of the year with a 2–0 home win over Huachipato with goals of Yáñez and César Díaz.

After another defeat with Santiago Wanderers and a 1–1 draw with Coquimbo Unido, the club return to the triumphs against Unión San Felipe at El Cobre Stadium, winning with a goal of Yáñez and a twice of Díaz.

The following week, Cobresal achieved an important 3–2 away victory over Deportes La Serena at La Portada with goals of Díaz again, Patricio Lira and Christian Mauvezin for Cobresal, the next match achieving another important result in the tournament, now at El Salvador, drawing 2–2 with Colo-Colo that is playing very well in this moment.

[7][8] Cobresal after one loss with Everton, the club won the Copper derby with a hat-trick of Díaz at El Cobre Stadium, achieving the next week an important 1–1 home draw Universidad de Chile, team that won the game with a goal of Waldo Ponce, but a goal of Luis Díaz in the 92nd minute equalized the game.

This was a great problem for the club, because El Salvador is located in the middle of the Atacama Desert it would be expensive to place grass.

Cobresal as of 4 July 2022 (edit) Sources: ANFP Official Web Site Manager: Gustavo Huerta Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.