By winning 7-1 and eliminating Atlético Mineiro, the 2014 champion, last Wednesday (08.04) in Gávea, the U-17 team secured qualification for the third phase of the U-17 Brazil Cup. The team led by coach Gilmar Popoca will face Corinthians on April 15 and 22. The first game will be at the São Paulo team's home and the decisive game will be at home for Rubro-Negro.

Gilmar Popoca, the coach of the red-and-black team and also an Olympic medalist in Los Angeles-92, spoke about the team's preparation and the opponent. "We had a very frank conversation with the team, and on Monday, before we leave for São Paulo, we'll have another one. We haven't won anything yet. The victory over Atlético Mineiro was important, but since it's a knockout stage, it doesn't give us any advantage. We're entering a new phase of the competition; it's a different story. We're playing well away from home and we have to maintain that. Expectations are high, but we've been very cautious. The players are focused, focused, and determined. It will be a great game; after all, it's a great opponent," he stated.