Cruzeiro and São Paulo Draw In FC Series Opening

The FC Series 2025 10th Anniversary kicked off last night (15th) at Inter&Co Stadium, home of Orlando City, with a draw between Brazilian giants Cruzeiro Esporte Clube and São Paulo FC. Matheus Pereira (CEC) and Luciano (SPFC) scored the game's two goals, both in the first half.

In addition to the large number of fans who attended in Orlando, several former players, such as two-time World Cup champion with the Brazilian national team, Cafu, and Brazilian champion Borges, as well as several influencers, including Brazilian megastar Carlinhos Maia, were present to watch the match.

Cruzeiro took the field with what could be considered its starting lineup, including new stars Gabriel Barbosa (formerly of Flamengo) and Dudu (formerly of Palmeiras), who made their debuts in the celestial blue jersey.

São Paulo, on the other hand, fielded a mix of starters and reserves, leaving its newest star, Oscar Emboaba, on the bench during the first half, which was a disappointment for São Paulo fans who wanted to see Oscar play alongside Lucas Moura, as they previously played together in the club's youth academy.

Goals of The Match

The match's first goal was scored 32 seconds into the game, following a mistake in São Paulo's defensive buildup. Matheus Pereira took advantage and fired a shot from outside the box, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Rafael, who didn't even move.

After that, São Paulo controlled the pace of the match, although without posing much threat to goalkeeper Cássio's net, while the opponent looked for counterattacks to try to gain momentum.
São Paulo responded in the 45th minute when Ferreirinha found the number 10, Luciano, in an offside position inside the box. With the help of goalkeeper Cássio, who made a mistake in the play, Luciano managed to equalize the match.

Fernando Diniz, Cruzeiro's coach, and Luis Zubeldía, São Paulo's coach, substituted all 11 players at halftime. This allowed players like Yannick Bolasie to make his debut for the Cabuloso and Pablo Maia from SPFC to return to the field after being sidelined for seven months due to injury.

Post Game: São Paulo FC 1 x EC Cruzeiro 1

In the end, the big news of the night was about Man of the Match, Matheus Pereira, who said he was unsure about his future at Cruzeiro. He confirmed that he has received offers and will wait for the next few days to make a decision. Coach Diniz stated that he did not want to lose the player, while his teammate Marlon jokingly told the media that if anyone tried to take Matheus away, they would tie him up at the training center.

On the São Paulo side, Coach Zubeldía will need to decide in the coming days which players will stay in the United States to face Flamengo and return to Brazil to compete in the São Paulo State Championship. Midfielder Lucas Moura even said he would prefer to return to Brazil to play in the state championship rather than on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale.

Except for Atlético Mineiro, which arrived in the United States yesterday, the other teams will have a day off this Thursday (16), with only a commitment in the morning at Universal Studios.

Cruzeiro will return to the field on Saturday at 3 PM Eastern Time against their biggest rival, Atlético Mineiro, at Inter & Co Stadium. São Paulo will then face Flamengo at Chase Stadium in Miami on Sunday at 3 PM.