First-time champions! Vasco stun Palmeiras, Andrey brace seals U20 title | OneFootball

Vasco wrote the most glorious chapter in its youth academy history on Friday night (4). With a heroic performance full of grit and surgical precision, the Cruzmaltino beat mighty Palmeiras 2-0 at Nubank Park, overturning the 1-0 defeat suffered in the first leg in Rio de Janeiro and lifting the Brazilian U-20 Championship trophy. The unprecedented title for the São Januário gallery ended the dominance of the São Paulo-based opponent, which came in as the reigning two-time champion of the category and was playing its seventh consecutive final in the national tournament.

The star of the night in São Paulo was center forward Andrey Fernandes, who scored both goals in Cruzmaltino’s crowning moment, alongside a magical and inspired night from goalkeeper Philippe Gabriel between the posts. The trophy has an even more special flavor for Vasco fans, as the club was the only one among Rio de Janeiro’s four biggest football teams that had not yet won the national U-20 title.

+ Andrey Fernandes shines in Vasco’s youth academy and emerges as a candidate to be the new Rayan

Andrey Fernandes was the man of the match – Photo: Dikran Sahagian / Vasco da Gama

Crucial tackle, opportunism, and the deficit erased

The decisive clash began at a blistering pace just five minutes in, when Palmeiras forward Heittor broke dangerously down the left flank and only failed to open the scoring because Vasco center-back Wanyson made a sensational tackle inside the box. The Meninos da Colina responded immediately and lethally in the very next minute: in a quick attacking move built down the right, Juninho’s mishit shot turned into a perfect assist for Andrey Fernandes, who hit it first time, saw the ball strike Kauan Lima’s right post, and ripple the net to level the aggregate score.

After going behind in the sixth minute, the home side tried to pile on the pressure and pushed Vasco back into its own half from the 20th minute of the first half onward. Verdão created at least five real chances, especially through dangerous efforts from Heittor and Fabiano, until set-piece taker Erick Belé curled a free kick toward the top corner and saw goalkeeper Philippe Gabriel fly to make a miraculous save and send it out for a corner.

Palmeiras and Vasco played a great Brasileirão U-20 final – Photo: Fabio Menotti / Palmeiras

Second-half pressure and Andrey Fernandes’ final blow

After the break, the São Paulo side came out all guns blazing and went through moments of pure attacking blitz. Heittor smashed a thunderous shot off the Vasco post and, from the rebound, Belé headed from point-blank range only for another miracle from Philippe Gabriel, who was cementing himself as the great wall of the final while the opposing top scorer kept squandering chances in the box.

The punishment for the hosts came with football’s oldest saying in the 13th minute of the second half. On another deadly move down the right, the ball was crossed to the far post and Bruno Lopes, with almost no angle near the byline, cleverly headed it back into the middle, finding Andrey Fernandes free virtually on the goal line to power home a header and make it 2-0 for Vasco.

The final stretch was dramatic, with Cruzmaltino withstanding the aerial pressure and witnessing more miracles from Philippe Gabriel in stoppage time, in the 51st and 52nd minutes, to the utter despair of the São Paulo fans and complete celebration for Vasco’s youth side at the final whistle.

The moment Andrey Fernandes scores Vasco’s second, the title-winning goal – Photo: Dikran Sahagian / Vasco da Gama

Andrey Fernandes celebrates the goal that made him a Brazilian champion – Photo: Dikran Sahagian / Vasco da Gama

PALMEIRAS 0-2 VASCO

Brasileirão U-20 – Final (second leg)Date: 9/4/2026Venue: Nubank Park, São Paulo (SP)Attendance: 29,327 (free admission)Goals: Andrey, 6’/1st half (0-1); Andrey, 13’/2nd half (0-2)PALMEIRAS: Kauan Lima; Luis Sabóia (João Gabriel, 15’/2nd half), Pimenta, Benedetti and André Lucas (Kidani, 30’/2nd half); João Paulo (Niakson, 30’/2nd half), Vinícius and Erik Belé; Felipe Teresa (Victor Gabriel, 19’/1st half), Heittor and Fabiano. Head coach: Allan BarcellosVASCO: Philippe Gabriel; Lucas Melim (Bernardo, 35’/2nd half), Wanyson, Bruno André and Avellar (Luís Felipe, 21’/2nd half); Juninho (Alison, 8’/2nd half), Gustavo Guimarães and Samuel (Leo Félix, 21’/2nd half) Zucarello, Bruno Lopes (Diego, 35’/2nd half) and Andrey  (Breno Sales, 35’/2nd half). Head coach: Matheus CuroposReferee: Joao Paulo Cunha Ribeiro (GO)Assistant referees: Igor Alves de Moraes and Lucas Cunha Passaglia (GO)VAR: Leonardo Rotondo Pinto (MG)Yellow cards: Vinicius, Fabiano. Kidani (PAL); Juninho, Bruno Lopes. Andrey (VAS)

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.