Fluminense’s pursuit of a third Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17 title ended in the quarterfinals on October 13, 2025, when the club managed a 2 to 2 draw against Cruzeiro at the Estádio Marcelo Vieira in Xerém, falling short on aggregate after a 2 to 0 defeat in the first leg in Belo Horizonte, fluminense.com.br reported.
Quarterfinal Exit at Xerém
The defending champions entered the second leg needing to overturn a two-goal deficit from Minas Gerais. Danylo Amaral and Ryan scored for the Moleques de Xerém, but the 2 to 2 stalemate on home turf sealed their elimination from the national tournament. The visitors regained the lead in stoppage time of the first half.
Missed Chances and Second-Half Pressure
Fluminense dominated large stretches of the second period, testing the Cruzeiro goalkeeper repeatedly through Andrey, Riquelmy, and Ryan. The miners even had a good chance at the beginning of the second half, but Mateus Peixoto grew over the forward. At the 18-minute mark, the Tricolor squandered a penalty kick when Richard Wendel lofted a ball into the area. Subsequent attempts by Riquelmy, Max, and Jean Carlos met staunch defensive resistance, while a blistering shot from Ryan was cleared off the goal line by a Cruzeiro defender. Andrey returned to give work to the archer, who saw Samuell Esperancin be stopped on the rebound. Deep into stoppage time, at the 50-minute mark, Ryan converted a penalty to level the score on the day, but time expired before the hosts could find a third goal.
Shift to Copa Rio Action
Coached by Felipe Canavan, the squad returned to regional fixtures quickly, facing Sampaio Corrêa on October 16 at Laranjeiras for the fourth round of the Copa Rio. Fluminense entered that state fixture leading the tournament standings with nine points and a 100% record, sharing the top spot with Botafogo, which held an advantage on goal difference at nine to eight. The Tricolor also boasted the state tournament’s tightest defense at that stage, conceding only two goals—both coming in a 3 to 2 opening victory over Nova Iguaçu.
Contrasting Elimination Contexts
Before this campaign, the greatest Brazilian Under-17 champion also faced elimination in the quarterfinals when losing on penalties 4 to 3 to the vice-leader Athletico-PR on Tuesday, September 30, at CAT do Caju in Curitiba, Paraná, after a 3 to 3 draw in regular time in the single-leg match. Although superior, the Tricolor fell behind but tied the score still in the first half with William Lopes, a center forward starting for the first time since returning from injury after scoring in a 2 to 1 victory over Internacional at Xerém on September 23 for the 19th and final round. Luiz Miguel, called upon after the break, sought the turnaround with two goals in ten minutes. In the end, missing its starting defense, the Flu suffered the equalizer despite good interventions from a backline featuring improvised defensive midfielder Ruan and the return of youngest player Fábio José, while Paulinho, Arthur Ryan, and Miguel Henrique converted their penalty kicks as the adversary extended an eight-match unbeaten run.
Next Confirmed Checkpoint
Fluminense’s under-17 team resumed its schedule in the Copa Rio state tournament against Sampaio Corrêa at Estádio das Laranjeiras.
