Brazilian gem Endrick was decisive on Sunday in Palmeiras' victory in the Sao Paulo state championship final, scoring a penalty in the 2-0 victory over Santos. The green jersey club from the Brazilian megalopolis won its third title in a row, despite losing 1-0 in the first leg. Santos, the former club of “King” Pelé, still had the merit of reaching the final after being relegated to the second division of the national championship last season.
Endrick, 17, won a penalty converted by Raphael Veiga in the 33rd minute of play and also took part in Palmeiras' second goal, scored by Argentinian Anibal Moreno in the 67th minute. The new sensation of Brazilian football, who will join Real Madrid in July, when he comes of age, scored his first two goals with the Seleçao last month, against England (1-0) and Spain (3-3) .
Endrick vs Santos
cup final performance
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Brazilian clubs compete in regional competitions during the first months of the year, before the start of the national championship in mid-April. At the Maracana stadium, Flamengo, Brazil's most popular team, won their 38th title of champion of the state of Rio de Janeiro (southeast) by easily defeating the little thumb Nova Iguaçu.
The presence in the final of this modest suburban club was already an authentic achievement, after having eliminated Dimitri Payet's Vasco in the semi-final. The red and black of “Fla” won the return match 1-0 on Sunday, thanks to a splendid recovery in the top corner from Bruno Henrique, after a first 3-0 victory in the first leg. Tite, former Brazil coach, lifted his first trophy since his arrival at Flamengo last October, for his return to the bench after the Seleçao's defeat in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
In the state of Minas Gerais (southeast), Atlético Mineiro was crowned for the fifth time in a row by beating its great rival Cruzeiro 3-1, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg.
A cruel scenario for the Cruzeiro blues, who played the return match on Sunday in front of their home crowd, at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte. They opened the scoring shortly after the break, but subsequently conceded three goals, including a penalty from former FC Porto striker Hulk.
In Porto Alegre, Gremio won its seventh consecutive title of champion of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (south) on Saturday by beating Juventude 3-1, with a goal from the Spanish-Brazilian Diego Costa, former striker of the 'Atlético Madrid and Chelsea.