Taking on Gaúcho giants Internacional in their home city of Porto Alegre, Cruzeiro were faced with a difficult task to emerge victorious in the unofficial national championship. However, A Raposa emerged from an entertaining encounter with a hard-fought 2-1 victory to their name.
Both teams had been impressive in reaching the final and will hope to compete for honours at next month’s prestigious Copa São Paulo youth tournament—the biggest of Brazil’s youth competitions.
Cruzeiro opened the scoring through a piece of wonderful individual skill from No. 10 Alisson to curl the ball into the far corner, having burst into the area. The playmaker is one of a few players lined up for first-team action in 2012.
Star of the 2012 Copa SP, Valdívia, made an impact as a second-half substitute to equalise with a header for Internacional, before highly-rated striker Pedro Paulo popped up to turn home Mayke’s cross to hand Cruzeiro the title with just six minutes to go.
Cruzeiro: Charles; Mayke, Alex, Wallace, Antônio Carlos; Eurico, Bruno, Lynneeker (Juninho), Alisson; Pedro Paulo (Hugo), Vinícius Araújo (Rodrigo Dias). Coach: Paulo Ricardo
Internacional: Jacsson; Vilela, Paulo Victor, André, Ebert (Gava); Índio (Tarik), Jair, Fernando Baiano, João Paulo (Valdívia); Jefferson (Rafael Pernão), Giovani (Thiago). Coach: André Jardine
