Academy round-up: scorer bags two, Seleção hero, Cotia scout sacked | OneFootball

São Paulo’s youth academy weekend got off to a busy start, with big wins, a call-up for a young standout to the Brazilian national team, and yet another departure from Cotia.

Still on Friday (31), Tricolor beat Botafogo-SP 2-0 at Estádio Prefeito José Liberatti, in Osasco (SP), in the Paulista U-20 Championship, with goals from Robert and Matheus Menezes. With the result, the team reached 18 points and remains unbeaten in the state competition.

The Made In Cotia side controlled the first half and opened the scoring in the 37th minute through Robert, who struck a beautiful shot from outside the box after a loose ball following a corner kick. In the second half, the second goal came in the seventh minute, again after a corner from Davi Pena, who placed the ball onto Matheus Menezes’ head to extend the lead.

Tricolor’s next match in the Paulista U-20 Championship will be on Friday (7), against Aguaí, at 3 p.m. (Brasília time), at Estádio Leonardo Guaranha, in Aguaí (SP).

Robert with the national team!

The scorer of the goal that opened the way for Tricolor’s U-20 victory, midfielder Robert was called up to represent Brazil’s U-17 national team in another preparation stage for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be played in November in Qatar.

Between August 13 and 23, Brazil U-17 will go through another training period at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis (RJ), where they will also play two friendlies against Venezuela: the first on August 20 at 11 a.m., and the second on the 23rd at 10 a.m.

Robert has been one of the standout players in Tricolor’s youth ranks. The midfielder has been playing for both the U-17 and U-20 teams. “Thank you God for another opportunity to represent my country, it will always be an honor,” the São Paulo player celebrated on his social media.

Routs by the qualified teams

This Saturday (1st), São Paulo’s U-15 and U-17 teams thrashed Clube Vital at Estádio Serra da Colina, in Ibiúna, in the Paulista Championship. The younger side won 5-1, with goals from Lucas Antunes (2), Yahgo, Lucas Jorge and Gilbert. The older side won 7-0, with goals from Gabriel (2), top scorer Nicolas Francisco (2), Erick, Mikael and Raphael França.

Already qualified for the next round, the U-15 team reached 31 points, maintaining both the lead and its unbeaten run in Group 10. The Made In Cotia side pressed from the start and quickly built a lead with two goals from Lucas Antunes. The first, in fact, was a beautiful volley. In the second half, Yahgo scored after a perfectly placed cross. Lucas Jorge and Gilbert completed the 5-1 rout.

The older side also had an excellent first half, and Tricolor found the net five times before the break. Gabriel opened the scoring with a beautiful shot from outside the box. Then Erick and Mikael scored through individual plays.

Raphael França took advantage of a cross to score the fourth, and Nicolas Francisco, Cotia’s great hope, made it five after receiving the ball free inside the box and finishing past the goalkeeper. In the second half, Gabriel and Nicolas scored again. With the rout, Tricolor U-17 reached 26 points and has also already secured an early place in the next phase of the Paulista Championship.

Cotia scout on the way out

Michael Douglas with the Copa São Paulo de Juniores 2025 lineup sheet (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram)

Last week, another Cotia staff member also said goodbye to the club. São Paulo has been carrying out a major overhaul in its youth academy for some time now. Now, Michael Douglas, who worked in the club’s scouting department, was dismissed by Tricolor.

“Today I end my cycle at São Paulo Futebol Clube. They were years of work and dedication, closely following the development of so many players. I thank every friend I made on this journey and every athlete I had the privilege to welcome and follow. I will take all of this with me into the next challenges. Thank you, São Paulo Futebol Clube!” Michael posted on his social media.

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