In the wake of the LaMia Flight 2933 disaster which took the lives of 22 members of the Chapecoense football squad, the club has begun the painful process of building towards their new season with the aim of promoting players from their youth teams. While many seasoned professionals and other Brazilian clubs have offered their support with regards to personnel, Chapecoesne president Plinio David de nes Filho has maintained that the club will stay true to its roots and values.
The club have already promoted 10 players from their youth ranks to begin the season with the senior side.
While the senior team doesn’t return to competitive action until January 26, the Chapecoense U-20 squad has been competing in the Copa Sao Paulo, the most prestigious tournament for U-20 squads in the country. The tournament has historically been graced by the likes of Oscar, Gabriel Jesus and Neymar, and this year’s edition featured 120 teams from throughout Brazil.
Chapecoense’s youth squad performed admirably in the group stage, finishing second and advancing to the second round, triggering scenes of celebration amongst the squad.
However, the second round saw them land tournament favorites Sao Paulo, three-time winners of the competition. The Sao Paulo U-20 team had dominated their own group and were heavy favorites going into the match against the Chapecoense youths.
But with the scores level at 0-0 and penalties required to separate the sides, Chapecoense made history in dramatic fashion.
The Chapecoense U-20s move on to the third round; they'll play Capivariano on Thursday, January 12.
E a base vem como?
O drible do Bruno (Sub-20) está passando pela sua timeline.#VamosChape #dibre pic.twitter.com/gqbJzeId43— Chapecoense (@ChapecoenseReal) January 11, 2017
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