Author: Chandra Moulee Das
The Brazilian U-17 team beat Argentina 3-2 in a thrilling match to secure their 13th title at the South American U-17 Championship, which took place in Quito on Sunday (April 23).
Brazil went into the match against Argentina without the services of Matheus Ferreira and Kauã Elias, who were ruled out through suspension for yellow cards and muscle pain respectively. Riquelme scored Brazil’s first goal in the 11th minute, dribbling past the opposition defense and finishing off the rebound of his own shot. Shortly afterwards, Riquelme and Dudu combined on the left side of the pitch to score Brazil’s second goal in the 29th minute. Argentina managed to reduce the deficit in the 33rd minute with a goal from Giménez following a corner kick. The first half ended with Brazil winning 2-1.
At the start of the second half, Riquelme had the chance to extend Brazil’s lead, but his shot lacked power. Phillipe Gabriel made a crucial save six minutes into the second half to prevent Argentina from equalizing with a long-range shot. However, Echeverri managed to score on the rebound for Argentina five minutes later, leveling the score. In the 60th minute, Da Mata scored Brazil’s third goal with a header from a corner kick, assisted by Dudu. Dudu had another chance to score in the 78th minute.
In injury time, Argentinian Villalba was sent off for punching Bernardo Valim. In the last move of the match, Rayan hit the crossbar. But the 1-1 draw between Ecuador and Venezuela left the Brazilians in first place and brought the cup to the Seleção.
After the victory, Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), thanked the U-17 team for their achievement. Since his election on March 23, 2022, investing in the grassroots has been one of Rodrigues’ main priorities. Under his management, the CBF has already won six titles in men’s and women’s soccer, futsal, beach soccer and esports. With this latest victory, the CBF has won a total of 13 trophies during Rodrigues’ tenure.
Speaking after the historic victory, Ednaldo Rodrigues said: “I’d like to congratulate all the players and members of the coaching staff on winning the title in Ecuador on Sunday night. The delegation showed the strength of Brazilian soccer in a campaign of excellence. Congratulations to everyone on winning undefeated and qualifying for the World Cup.“
The team coached by Phelipe Leal went undefeated throughout the tournament and won the title. The Brazilian U-17 team won seven games and drew two, scoring 24 goals and conceding ten. They finished with 13 points out of a possible 15 in the final stages. Along with Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Venezuela also qualified for the World Cup in November.