Corinthians Loses 1-0 to Red Bull Bragantino in Paulista U-20 Semifinal First Leg

The Red Bull Bragantino defeated Corinthians 1-0 in São Paulo on Sunday, taking a decisive lead in the first leg of their São Paulo State Under-20 Championship semifinal.

The result puts the host, Corinthians, in a precarious position for the return match.

The game, held at the Estádio Alfredo Schürig, saw the visiting team score the only goal of the match in the second half. Meu Timão reported that the Corinthians lineup was chosen by coach William Batista and included Matheus Corrêa in goal, João Vitor, Christian Oliveira, Levy Dias, and Joãozinho in defense, with Pedro Thomas, Caraguá, and Gui Amorim in midfield, and Nícollas, Luiz Fernando, and Nicolas Araújo in attack.

Red Bull Bragantino entered the field with: João Madeira; Marquinhos, Breno, Weimar Palacios and Léo Bahia; Cauê, Yuri Alves and Tuca Moreira; Jhuan Nunes, Gabriel Lopes and Luís Gustavo.

Second-Half Goal Proves Decisive

The first half was largely uneventful, with both teams struggling to create clear scoring chances, according to Meu Timão and Terra. The most significant moment came in the 11th minute when Bragantino’s Tuca Moreira broke through, but his shot was cleared off the line by defender Christian Oliveira, preserving the 0-0 score at halftime.

The dynamic changed after the interval. The Terra outlet described the Corinthians team as “apático” (apathetic) in the second half, adopting an overly defensive posture that allowed Bragantino to control the game. Just four minutes into the half, Tuca Moreira again threatened, hitting the post.

His pressure paid off two minutes later. The sequence began when Cauê took a corner kick from the left side, found Yuri Alves, who then played the ball to Tuca. Tuca Moreira passed by Gui Amorim and unleashed a powerful shot that beat goalkeeper Matheus Corrêa to open the scoring.

Bragantino’s Pressure and Matheus Corrêa’s Saves

In the sixth minute of the second half, Luís Gustavo of Bragantino received the ball with space outside the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot that beat goalkeeper Matheus Corrêa to open the scoring. Red Bull Bragantino’s report confirmed the sequence, noting a corner kick led to the opportunity for Tuca Moreira, who found Luís Gustavo for the decisive strike.

Despite taking the lead, Bragantino did not let up. The visitors continued to press, forcing Matheus Corrêa into several saves. As Terra highlighted, the young Corinthians goalkeeper was instrumental in preventing a larger deficit, making “boas intervenções” (good interventions) to keep the score at 1-0.

Red Bull Bragantino also had chances to extend their lead, as Jhuan Nunes received the ball at the edge of the area, turned, and shot, but Matheus Corrêa made the save.

Return Match Requirements

The result gives Red Bull Bragantino an advantage heading into the second leg. The return match is scheduled for Thursday at 15:00 Brasília time (12:00 UTC) at the Red Bull Bragantino training center in Atibaia, as confirmed by multiple sources.

For Corinthians to advance to the final, they must win the return match. A victory by two or more goals would see them progress in regular time. A win by a single goal would send the tie to a penalty shootout, Meu Timão explained.

Bragantino’s Strong Form

The win continues a strong run for the Red Bull Bragantino youth team, who are referred to as the “Garotos do Massa Bruta.” Their official website details their impressive campaign, noting they finished the first phase as the overall leaders of the competition with 39 points from 14 matches, winning 13 and losing just one. They scored 61 goals and conceded only nine, boasting the best attack in that stage.

This victory over Corinthians adds to their dominant form. They secured their place in the semifinals with two convincing victories over Bandeirante, winning 6-0 away and 4-1 at home, Red Bull Bragantino reported.

Official Match Details

The match was officiated by Danilo Ricardo Salgado, with assistants Henrique Perilinelli Oliveira and Matheus Guilherme Biselli da Cruz. The single goal was scored by Luís Gustavo for Red Bull Bragantino.

More on Corinthians: Corinthians Faces Six Decisive Matches Across Football, Futsal and Basketball