Teams have already gained access and are now looking for the title
With a guaranteed return to the elite of São Paulo football, São Bento and Portuguesa start today, at 7 pm (Brasilia time), in Sorocaba, at the Walter Ribeiro Municipal Stadium, decision of the A2 Series against São Bento this Thursday. The match will be played at 19:00 (Brasília time).
Both teams have already gained access to the elite in 2023, but are looking for the title to crown their trajectory in the tournament. Owner of the best campaign, Lusa decides the last game at home, at Estádio do Canindé.
Relegated in Paulistão 2021, São Bento qualified in the first phase of the Paulista A2 in sixth place, with five wins, seven draws and three defeats in 15 games. By placing, the team faced XV de Piracicaba, ranked third, for the quarterfinals and won both games: 1 to 0 in the first leg and 5 to 1 in the return.
For the semis, the team from Sorocaba faced Oeste and, after two draws (2-2 at home and 1-1 in Barueri), the second with goalkeeper Zé Carlos being the hero of the classification by defending three kicks, which made the team wins the contest 3-2.
Portuguesa, on the other hand, qualified with ease, in the lead of the competition. They won nine, drew five and lost just one of the 15 matches, achieving a 71.1% success rate. With the advantage of always deciding at home, the club from the capital did not experience any difficulties on the way to the final. They beat Primavera 1-0 in both quarterfinals and passed Rio Claro in the semifinals (1-0 in the first leg and 1-1 in the return), guaranteeing access after seven years away from the elite.
Lusa seeks the third championship of the Paulista A2, as it was champion in 2007 and 2013. For this, it has the maximum strength of the squad, without embezzlement or departures, and a Canindé that promises a large audience on Saturday, the day of the second game of the decision.
