Palmeiras U20 defeated Vasco da Gama U20 1-0 in the final of the Brazilian Championship U20 on Thursday evening. Erick Bele scored the decisive goal in the 43rd minute, and the visitors held on despite mounting pressure from the hosts. The match finished with Palmeiras claiming the title on their way through this season's competition.
Bele's strike came close to half-time, and it was the only chance that truly mattered for much of the game. Vasco pushed forward after the break, but Palmeiras refused to go away. By then the hosts had already made changes, bringing on Gustavo Guimaraes in the 46th minute as they searched for an equaliser.
The visitors made their most substitutions in the 71st minute, bringing on Lukas Zuccarello, Alison and L. Felipe in one sweep. It looked like a signal that they were happy to manage the result rather than extend it. Vasco responded by adding Felipe Teresa and later Andrey Fernandes and Fabiano, but the game had settled into a rhythm of desperation from one side and defence from the other.
Palmeiras arrived at this final unbeaten, sitting top of the table with 44 points from 19 matches. They'd won their last five games, including a 2-0 victory over Referencia U20 on the 21st of August. Vasco, meanwhile, had been inconsistent — a 1-2 loss to Nova-Iguacu U20 followed by a 1-0 win against Portugues RJ U20, and they finished second with 36 points.
Five yellow cards were shown during the contest, none of which changed the outcome. Thiago Pimenta, Juninho, M. Kone, Kauan Lima and Luis Pacheco all received bookings, mostly in the second half when tension had risen. The discipline issues didn't translate into chances, and Palmeiras kept knocking on the door without needing to open it further.
The result confirms Palmeiras as champions of Brazil's youth football this season. Vasco da Gama U20 will have to settle for second place, and the gap between them — eight points — reflects what the final told us. Palmeiras didn't need to score more than once.