Júlia Faria eyes Women's Copinha, settling in at Corinthians U20 | OneFootball

Last Wednesday (23), Corinthians learned the path ahead in the first stage of the 2026 Women’s Copinha. After the draw held by the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) in São Paulo’s West Zone, 18-year-old midfielder Júlia Faria looked ahead to the Brabinhas’ participation in the competition and spoke about the squad’s preparation. In her first season with the Under-20s, the player also detailed the transition process between age groups and the continuation of the work led by coach Ju Passero.

As the top seed in Group B, Timão will face Ação-MT, Atlético Mineiro, and Red Bull Bragantino in the first stage. The fourth edition of the Women’s Copinha is scheduled to take place between November 24 and December 12, with the final set for Canindé.

Photo: Reproduction / Instagram

In an interview with Meu Timão after the groups were defined, Júlia showed confidence in the work Corinthians has been doing since the start of the season and set the goal of achieving the best possible campaign in the competition.

“I have very high expectations for our group. I think we’ve been preparing very well since the beginning of the year, and our goal is to go there, give our best, and have our best Copinha campaign,” she said.

The transition to the Under-20s was already being built last season

The 2026 edition will have a different meaning for Júlia. At 18, the midfielder is playing her first season as part of Corinthians’ Under-20 squad after coming through the Under-17 level.

However, the change did not begin only this year. According to the player, the athletes who were in their final period with the Under-17s were already in contact with the transition process during last season. That early experience helped the group understand the differences between the age groups and made the adaptation more natural.

“Actually, no. Last year we already had contact with the transition from the Under-17s to the Under-20s. So it became easier for us, since it was our last year in the category, to make that transition and better understand the dynamics. The style of play from the Under-20s compared to the Under-17s changes a little, but for us the adaptation was very smooth,” she explained.

In addition to the work previously carried out with the players, the continuity of Ju Passero also contributed to the process. The coach also left the Under-17s and took over the Under-20s at the start of 2026, after Bia Vaz left the club to lead Brazil’s Women’s Under-15 National Team.

With a working philosophy the players were already familiar with remaining in place, Júlia highlighted the relationship built between the squad and the coaching staff, as well as the maintenance of characteristics from the model previously used.

“We understand each other very well as a group, and the coaching staff also understands us very well. Our interaction is always excellent. Since they are following more or less the Under-17 playing model, it was very easy for us to adapt,” she said.

Missing out on the World Cup becomes motivation

Júlia’s development process also involved the expectation of representing Brazil at the World Cup for her age group. The midfielder was not included in the squad for the competition, but said she used the preparation she went through during that period as part of her growth.

For the player, staying close to teammates who have already had experiences with the national team also helps her understand that environment and increases her motivation to seek future opportunities.

“We always try to keep our expectations up, because it’s our dream to be there. Knowing that I prepared myself and did my best was fundamental for me. Of course I always want to be there. I was also in touch with the girls who have already gone, and they always tell us what the environment is like and how everything works there. That’s really cool and motivating,” she said.

Bragantino appears in the path even before the Copinha

Before fully turning their attention to the Women’s Copinha, Corinthians still have important commitments in the São Paulo Women’s Under-20 Championship. In the quarterfinals of the state competition, the Brabinhas will face none other than Red Bull Bragantino, one of the teams drawn into the black-and-white side’s group in the national tournament.

With the matchup being repeated, Corinthians and Bragantino will arrive at the Copinha already knowing each other better. For Júlia, that recent history against the opponent can help in the preparation, although the midfielder acknowledged the difficulty of the matches.

“We’ve been preparing a lot ever since we found out about the quarterfinal matchup. We always try to give our best and understand the opponent well. It’s good that we already know the Red Bull team quite well, because they are a very tough opponent and always make things difficult. So we’re going into these matches as prepared as possible,” she concluded.

The São Paulo Football Federation still has to announce the details of the matches between Corinthians and Red Bull Bragantino in the Women’s Paulista Under-20 quarterfinals, including dates, times, and venues.

After the state competition, the Brabinhas will have the Women’s Copinha as one of the final challenges of the season. In the national competition, in addition to meeting Bragantino again, Corinthians will face Atlético Mineiro and Ação-MT in a bid to advance from Group B and build their best run in the tournament.

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