Corinthians U20 defender hails Cruzeiro win, dedicates goal to dad | OneFootball

On the afternoon of this Saturday (20), Corinthians traveled to CT Toca da Raposa 1, in Belo Horizonte, to face Cruzeiro in a match valid for the 17th round of the classification stage of the 2026 Brazilian Under-20 Championship, and beat their opponent 2-1. The goals for the Filhos do Terrão were scored by midfielder Luiz Gustavo Bahia and center-back Yago Melo. The three points lifted Corinthians to sixth place with 28 points — eight wins, four draws, and five losses — with 29 goals scored and 22 conceded.

In an interview with Corinthians on social media, through the Filhos do Terrão page, defender Yago Melo analyzed the victory over the team from Minas Gerais, praised the quality of the opponent, and dedicated his goal to his father, Alex Veloso. In his response, he also highlighted that his love for Timão came from his family, especially because of his father’s influence.

Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

“It was a very difficult match against Cruzeiro. A very good team, but today we managed to get an important result. I’m happy about the goal, which was my first in this very important shirt. I’ve been a Corinthians fan since I was little, and I dedicate this goal to my father, who is crazy about Corinthians,” he said.

The defender’s goal came in the 33rd minute of the first half, when Luizinho took a corner from the left, the ball bounced around inside the box and, after a scramble, the center-back finished it into the back of goalkeeper Vitor’s net for Cruzeiro. This was the first time in 11 matches so far that the defender has scored wearing the shirt of the club from Parque São Jorge.

Yago Melo was signed by Corinthians after the end of the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, on a free transfer, after building a solid path through Flamengo’s Under-15 and Under-17 teams. At the Rio club, he played for eight seasons and won the Under-17 Copa Rio in 2023 and 2024. His arrival at Timão came at a time of restructuring for the Under-20 side, which had posted few significant results over the last two years.

It is worth noting that William Batista’s squad is enjoying a good run this season, with five straight wins in the Brazilian Championship and the Paulista. Corinthians remains focused on the Brasileiro Under-20. That is because next Thursday (25), at 3 p.m. (Brasília time), they will face Flamengo at Alfredo Schürig Stadium, Fazendinha, in a match valid for the 18th round and the penultimate one of the classification stage of the national competition. A win could secure the team’s qualification for the quarterfinals depending on other results.

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