The first knockout round of the S25 Youth Cup, played on Saturday, June 21st, delivered on its promise of drama, with extra-time epics, huge upsets, and an unprecedented number of teams being eliminated from all competitions. When the dust settled, the field was significantly thinner, and the paths to both the Youth Cup and Youth Shield glory have become clearer. Here’s the full story of a wild weekend of knockout football.
The Extra-Time Epics: Dortmund & São Paulo Triumph in Thrillers
Two of the round’s most anticipated clashes went the distance, requiring fictional extra time to find a winner. In a heavyweight battle, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund played out a fantastic 2-2 draw in normal time. The back-and-forth affair continued into the extra period, where Dortmund ultimately found the edge, emerging with a stunning 4-3 victory to knock out the Red Devils.
It was just as tense between CSKA Moskva and São Paulo FC. After a hard-fought 1-1 stalemate, the Brazilian side showed their quality in extra time, securing a 3-2 win to advance to the next round and send CSKA to the Youth Shield.
Shock Results: Flamengo and Man City Crash Out!
The knockout stage immediately produced some colossal upsets. The biggest shock saw #12 seed and perfect-record holders CR Flamengo defeated 2-1 by #35 seed Stoke City. The result sends one of the tournament favourites to the Youth Shield and marks a massive achievement for Stoke.
In another major upset, Manchester City were knocked out by Brazilian side SC Internacional, who produced a fantastic performance to win 2-0. The result sees another of the top-seeded English teams fall at the first hurdle.
Disqualifications & Walkovers Thin the Herd
An unprecedented five teams were eliminated from all competitions this round. In a frustrating development, two of the round’s most intriguing ties, Juventus vs. SL Benfica and FC Schalke 04 vs. Crystal Palace, were not played as the managers failed to organise the fixtures. As a result, all four teams have been removed from the competition entirely.
Furthermore, while Levante UD were initially defeated 5-2 by Dynamo Moskva, the result was overturned. Dynamo were found to have fielded their senior team and were subsequently disqualified. The official result is a 3-0 forfeit win for Levante, and Dynamo Moskva have also been removed from all competitions.
The Survivors: Who’s Through to the Youth Cup’s Last 14?
After a chaotic first round, just 14 teams remain in the hunt for the S25 Youth Cup. These teams will advance to the second knockout round. There will be two byes as a result of the failure of other managers to play their games.
- FC Barcelona
- Bayern München
- Chelsea
- Cruzeiro
- Everton
- Hertha BSC
- Leicester City
- Levante UD
- RCD Espanyol
- SC Internacional
- Stoke City
- São Paulo FC
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Borussia Dortmund
The New-Look Youth Shield
The Youth Shield has been bolstered by 13 teams dropping down from the main competition. They will join the 14 teams already waiting to form the new Youth Shield knockout bracket. There will be five byes as a result of other managers failing to organise their games or to set their teams.
The 13 teams dropping into the Youth Shield are:
- AC Milan
- Arsenal
- Atlético Madrid
- Bayer Leverkusen
- CSKA Moskva
- Feyenoord
- HAMBURGER SV
- Independiente
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- RSC Anderlecht
- Sampdoria
- CR Flamengo
The draw for the second round of the Youth Cup (two legs) and the 1st Round of the Youth Shield (one leg only) are on the the Challonge website as usual. Please arrange your fixtures asap as games are on Saturday.
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