Copinha returns to the hope of boys after a season of anxiety and insecurity

Fear, anxiety and frustration. Young aspiring professional football players have been living with mixed feelings since November 2020, when the São Paulo Football Federation announced the cancellation of the 2021 edition of Copinha, due to the advance of Covid-19 in the country.

The most traditional youth tournament in Brazil, since 1969 the Copa São Paulo is the main hope of thousands of boys to get a professional contract. The non-fulfillment in 2021 sounded for many like the end of the dream.

“It was a moment of much speculation, nothing was certain. There was no way to plan for the future because the problem we were experiencing was growing and generating some anguish”, says midfielder Kelvi Chiesa Gomes, 19, from Juventude.

When the 2022 edition of the Copa São Paulo starts, on January 2, exactly 708 days will have passed since the dispute of the final in which Internacional beat Grêmio on penalties (3-1), after a draw in normal time ( 1 to 1), on January 25, 2020, at Pacaembu.

Since then, athletes have been able to resume their careers, interrupted for almost four months during the height of the pandemic, but the anxiety to return to the tournament persists. “It was a very difficult period, every athlete wants to play, wants to train, unfortunately we couldn’t do it at that time,” says striker Pedro Bahia, 19, from Goiás. returning to normal.”

In 2022, 128 clubs will compete in the championship, divided into 32 groups. There will be more than 3,800 players, most of whom know that the competition is worth much more than the cup. For them, it is the visibility of the tournament that attracts them the most.

“I’m from 2002, so this past year will be my last. As there was no Copinha, we’re sorry. It takes place at a time when there is no professional tournament, so it has a lot of visibility, a lot of people want to see it, it’s a lot important in our trajectory. A good competition makes us look favorably on the professional”, highlights midfielder Wendell, 20, from Botafogo.

Copinha, which is an under-20 tournament, will feature in this edition players born in 2001, who will turn 21 in 2022. This was a way for the Paulista Federation to minimize the impact caused by the pandemic and by the postponement of the last event.

At the time of the announcement of the cancellation of the 2021 edition, Brazil had not yet started vaccination against Covid-19, which would start in January of this year, and registered a moving average in seven days of 31,640 in that week of November 26th new cases of the new coronavirus and a moving average death toll of 479 victims.

Wendell also recalls that, during the period in which all sporting activities were suspended in Rio, including soccer training, Botafogo started sending video activities so that players could keep in shape.

“That was good for us not to stay put. It’s not the same thing, but it was preparation that helped when things returned. We had all the support from the club, it was important,” says the steering wheel.

This type of support to athletes was also offered in some clubs in the northeast, such as Fortaleza. Goalkeeper Hugo, 20, for example, remembers that Rogério Ceni was still in charge of the club at the beginning of the pandemic and had a special concern to talk to the base players about the difficult moment.

“We had many conversations with him, but also with the entire coaching staff of the professional, they reassured us about all this”, says the player, who says he is a fan of the former goalkeeper and values ​​the experience of working with him.

“It was amazing. I grew up watching him play. Working with him I learned a lot. He taught many things, not just goalkeeper things, but also how to use his feet, which he charges a lot,” says Hugo, who would like to see Fortaleza Cup champion. “Our goal is to make the biggest campaign in the club’s history.”

To date, no club from the northeast won the tournament. Bahia, in 2011, had the best performance in the region, with a vice-championship, when it was surpassed by Flamengo.

The state with the most titles is São Paulo, with 30 trophies, 10 of which belong to Corinthians, the greatest champion of the youth competition. For specialists, however, the tournament should not be seen only for the fight for the trophy, but mainly for the opportunity to give experience to young players.

“The São Paulo Cup has to be the end of the under-20 cycle. At Copinha, clubs will have one more opportunity to evaluate players who are bursting with age. Not every club has the opportunity to place these players in the state teams. By this is the importance of Copinha”, explains Júnior Chávare, who is a former coordinator of the Atlético-MG base.

See the São Paulo Cup 2022 groups and venues

Group 1 (Votuporanga)

• Votuporanguense-SP
• Bahia
• Monte Azul-SP
• Atlético Mato Grosso

Group 2 (Tanabi)

• tanabi
• Villa Nova-GO
• Guarani
• Aquidauense-MS

Group 3 (Balm)

• Mirassol-SP
• Sport
• Taguatinga-DF
• trust yourself

Group 4 (Lins)

• Linense-SP
• Atlético-MG
• Andira-AC
• Alliance-AL Sports

Group 5 (Frank)

• Francana-SP
• Youth
• black Bridge
• Trust-PB

Group 6 (Matão)

• Matonese-SP
• Fluminense
• Fast Clube-AM
• Jacuipense-BA

Group 7 (Cloves)

• Commercial-SP
• Criciuma
• Nova Iguaçu-RJ
• Chapadinha-MA

Group 8 (Araraquara)

• Railway-SP
• Santos
• Rondônia-RO
• worker-PR

Group 9 (Iacanga)

• Union Iacanga-SP
• Santa Cruz-PE
• Novorizontino-SP
• ABC-MS union

Group 10 (Jaú)

• XV of Jaú
• Guild
• Castanhal-PA
• Mixto-MT

​Group 11 (São Carlos)

• São-Carlense-SP
• America-MG
• São Carlos-SP
• Falcon-SE

Group 12 (Macaws)

• São João-SP Union
• Athletico-PR
• Velo Clube-SP
• Taquarussú-TO

Group 13 (Guaratinguetá)

• Manthiqueira-SP
• Vitória-BA
• XV of Piracicaba-SP
• São José-RS

Group 14 (Taubate)

• Taubate-SP
• Botafogo
• Petrolina-PE
• Aparecidense-GO

Group 15 (São José dos Campos)

• São José-SP
• Corinthians
• River-PI
• Resende-RJ

Group 16 (Suzano)

• Suzano-SP Union
• strength
• Ituano
• Concordia-SC

Group 17 (Porto Feliz)

• Sports Brazil-SP
• Goiás
• Botafogo-SP
• Iape-MA

Group 18 (Jundiaí)

• Paulista
• Ceará
• São Bernardo FC-SP
• Bragantino-PA

Group 19 (Jaguariúna)

• jaguariuna
• ABC-RN
• Red Bull Bragantino
• Fluminense-PI

Group 20 (Itapir)

• Itapirense-SP
• cruise
• retro-PE
• Palmas-TO

Group 21 (São Caetano do Sul)

• Sao Caetano
• São Paulo
• Perilima-PB Sports
• CSE-AL

Group 22 (São Bernardo do Campo)

• EC Saint Bernard
• Londoner
• São Bento-SP
• Aster Brazil-ES

Group 23 (Osasco)

• Osasco Audax-SP
• Joinville
• Saint Andre
• Camaçari-BA

Group 24 (Santana de Parnaíba)

• Ska Brasil-SP
• Basque
• Rio Claro-SP
• Lizard-SE

Group 25 (Mogi das Cruzes)

• Mogi-SP Union
• International
• Portuguese
• São Raimundo-RR

Group 26 (Guarulhos)

• Flamengo-SP
• Hawaii
• Guarulhos-SP
• Santana-AP

Group 27 (Mauá)

• Mauá Football
• Atlético-GO
• Mauaense-SP
• Round Round-RJ

Group 28 (Diadem)

• Santa Water-SP
• palm trees
• Real Ariquemes-RO
• Assu-RN

Group 29 (Barueri)

• West-SP
• Flamengo
• Floresta-CE
• Forte-ES

Group 30 (São Paulo – Ibrachina)

• Ibrachina
• Nautical
• Inter from Limeira-SP
• Serranense-MG

Group 31 (São Paulo – Javari)

• Juventus-SP
• CRB-AL
• Portuguese Santista-SP
• Canaan-BA

Group 32 (São Paulo – National)

• National-SP
• Coritiba
• Capivarian-SP
• Real Brasília-DF