Youth Shield Final Match Report

Division Three promotion chasing Sevilla matched up with Division Five strugglers Flamengo in a distraction from league position pressures for respective managers David Senior and Mark Phelps. Former Valencia boss Senior won the Youth Cup last season with Los Che, and was looking to complete a unique double by winning the Youth Shield this. Fla boss Phelps has built an all-Brazilian squad, which has perhaps under-performed at senior level, but is bearing ripe fruit in the under-21 age group.

Flamengo had easily the best side on paper going into the final, but Sevilla had little right to get to the third round stage, let alone the final, and have been over-achieving all season under the seasoned eye of boss Senior.

Youth Shield Final 1st leg at the Maracana, Saturday 23 December 2017

Phelps made three changes to the side which totally dominated the second leg of the semi-final in the same stadium against Sporting Lisbon, but who could only draw 1-1. Having comfortably won the first leg in Lisbon 2-0, it didn't matter, of course, but the Brazilan club's boss might have been mindful of trying to make their likely domination of the ball count where it matters most. Cerqueira came in for dos Santos at the back, while Jailson assumed solo defensive midfield duties, allowing Rossetto to make way for Ribamar to partner Everton up front.

Sevilla, meanwhile, stuck to the trusty 4-2-3-1 that had served them so well in the competition to date:

As expected, Flamengo dominated much of the ball and created ten shots on goal to Sevilla's one. Antonio Sivera in the Spanish goal produced some brilliant saves to keep his team in the tie, but Sevilla created chances of their own, but lacked the quality to trouble Caique in the home goal, other than a tame effort from Umut Bozok just before half-time.

Flamengo were perhaps unfortunate that their best chance fell to full-back Principe just after the hour, who finished like a full-back chipping the ball weakly into the hands of the Brazilian keeper. Not long after, Jailson, who was the man of the match, received an innocuous-looking pass from Jorge, and decided to try his luck from range with a viciously swerving shot that Sivera could do nothing about. Both sides tired in the heat after that, which left the tie finely balanced for the return leg in Spain.

Final Score 1-0. Man of the match Jailson for Flamengo.

Youth Shield Final 2nd leg at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, Wednesday 27 December 2017

Team news

Sevilla continued unchanged while Flamengo brought back Gabriel dos Santos for Leo Santos.

The pattern of the game was similar to the first leg, with Flamengo again creating more and better chances overall. The Spanish side, however, created more and better chances of their own, and while young Sivera in the home goal produced yet more outstanding saves to keep the Brazilians at bay, his opposite number Caique had a bit of a nightmare!

While Sivera had already made three good saves inside the first twenty minutes, the young Brazilian had shakily tipped an early near post effort from Vittorio Parigini on to the post, before failing to stop Bozok's 18th minute strike, only helping it on its way into the back of the net. 1-0 on the night, and 1-1 on aggregate.

That goal understandably took the wind out of the visitors, before both sides had their next efforts on goal just before half time.

Sevilla contained Flamengo again after the break until just after the hour they broke and won a corner. Remi Oudin's deep in-swinging cross into the box was touched in by Bozok at the back post as Caique - and the Brazilian defence - just stood and watched. 2-0 on the night, and 2-1 to Sevilla on aggregate!

Flamengo rallied, and briefly threatened when Richarlison's free-kick was touched on to the bar, and over, by Ribamar. But Sevilla held on and even had another effort of their own in the final ten minutes.

Final Score 2-0. Man of the match Antonio 'new de Gea' Sivera for Sevilla. Sevilla win the Youth Shield 2-1 on aggregate. 

After the game, Flamengo boss Phelps was flummoxed, but magnanimous:

Meanwhile, Sevilla boss Senior refused to let his players collect the trophy claiming it wasn't sufficiently shiny, cancelled the after match party, and declared - a la Mourinho - that the best team lost:

Very unlucky to lose after dominating the stats so completely, Mark, but Sevilla have had a truly magnificent competition, and Sivera's performance in both legs of the final sealed their win.