This Wednesday, Internacional will make its debut in the U20 category of the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, when it faces Santa Cruz-SE.
This is the biggest junior competition in Brazilian football, as it attracts the attention of Brazilians and the world, as several clubs end up scouting young talents.
Internacional and Santa Cruz are part of Group 12, which is based in the city of Jaú, and also has the home team, XV de Jaú, as well as Velo Clube.
Internacional
Internacional played its last match in the U20 category in August and lost in the most painful way possible.
Facing their biggest rival, Grêmio, the team ended up falling in the round of 32 of the Copa do Brasil.
After a one-on-one draw in normal time, the teams went to the penalty spot and Grêmio came out on top.
Inter arrives again for the Copinha as one of the big favorites to fight for the title.
Inter has 5 Copinha titles, and is led by 2 coaches, João Miguel and Fábio Sanhudo, who will manage 30 athletes in this Copa São Paulo season.
One of the team’s highlights is defender João Dalla Corte, who last season was promoted to the main group by Argentine coach Eduardo Coudet, and is only 17 years old.
In fact, many clubs have players below the category’s age, and Inter has other younger highlights.
Like Gabriel Carvalho, 16, who scored 10 goals in the 2023 season, and center forward Ricardo Matias, 17, who scored 18 goals last year.
At least in theory, Inter enters with absolute favoritism in this group, and for this first clash, they will perhaps face the most fragile opponent in this group.
The team did not finish the 2023 season well and in July fell prematurely from the Brazilian Championship in the U20 category, when they lost to Santos away from home by 3-0, and in the quarter-finals they said goodbye to their dream of the title.
Santa Cruz-SE
Their first opponent in 2024 will be Santa Cruz-SE, who come from the city of Riachuelo and will be participating in the Copa São Paulo for the first time.
In their debut they will face one of the biggest teams in the competition, and at least in theory, they have little chance of being able to fight for a place in the next phase.
Many teams that make their debut in the competition have a much inferior structure to their competitors and generally suffer from physical exhaustion in the first clashes, which is absolutely normal.
And with this disparity in physical preparation, the big team ends up standing out, in the second stage they even achieve a high goal margin.
Conclusion:
I understand that Internacional, although they did not finish the 2023 season well, are the clear favorites for this first game and therefore, their handicap line will be my betting option.