Corinthians U22 beat Liga Sorocabana, reach Copa São Paulo final | OneFootball

Corinthians have qualified for the Copa São Paulo Basketball final. Even competing in the state tournament with an Under-22 squad, Timão secured their place in the decider after beating Liga Sorocabana 75–59 on the night of last Tuesday (16) at Ginásio Wlamir Marques.

With the result, Corinthians closed out the semifinal series 2–1 and confirmed their spot in the title series of the competition organized by the São Paulo Basketball Federation (FPB). The black-and-white side will now face Tatuí in the grand final, played in a best-of-five format. The dates and times have not yet been set by the body responsible for the tournament.

Photo: Reproduction / Instagram

Corinthians’ run to the final has produced positive numbers. In 19 games played in the Copa São Paulo, Timão have recorded 14 wins and five losses. In the first phase, the team finished as the overall leader of the competition, with 13 points earned out of a possible 14.

In the second stage of the tournament, Corinthians ended their run in Group A in second place, behind Basquete Assis. The teams finished level on points, but their rival had the advantage in point differential, with 135 compared to 53.

In the knockout stage, the black-and-white side’s path featured two hard-fought series wins. In the quarterfinals, Corinthians eliminated Diadema after winning the series 2–1. The same scoreline was repeated in the semifinal against Liga Sorocabana, securing Timão’s place in the fight for the trophy.

The opponent in the final, Tatuí, comes into the series as the reigning Liga Ouro champion, a competition equivalent to the second division of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). That title also secured the team from the São Paulo countryside promotion to the national top flight for the 2026/27 season.

Focus on youth development

Despite being a senior competition, Corinthians chose to use their Under-22 squad in the Copa São Paulo as part of their preparation for the Basketball Development League (LDB), the main national tournament aimed at youth categories.

The first phase of the competition will be played between June 21 and 27. Timão make their debut next Sunday (21) at 1:30 p.m. against Cruzeiro at Ginásio Felipe Karam in Rio Claro, beginning their pursuit of the club’s first-ever LDB title.

In addition to strengthening the younger players, participation in the competitions is also part of the planning for the next season of Corinthians basketball. The sport is going through a process of internal adjustments and will have a budget reduction of approximately 30% starting from the next cycle.

As a result, the use of players trained or developed by the club becomes even more important in assembling the squad that will compete in the 2026 Campeonato Paulista and the 2026/27 Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB).

The professional squad is also undergoing changes. So far, three departures have been confirmed: American forward Davaunta Thomas, fellow American Elyjah Clark, who will join Minas, and center Kauan Raymundo, who is expected to play for Brasília.

Now, Corinthians turn their attention to the Copa São Paulo final, aiming to win the title with a group made up mostly of young players.

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