Cuiabá held to a draw in Copa Verde opener with Under-20 side, extending winless run to six games; Kenzo Hamazaki shines

It was a night of comebacks and challenges at the Arena Pantanal. On their Copa Verde debut, Cuiabá Esporte Clube let victory slip away in the final minutes, settling for a 1-1 draw against Tocantinópolis. This bitter result adds to a run that's starting to worry the Cuiabá faithful: six games without a win.

To be fair, the manager sent out a side that looked quite different from the usual lineup. With one eye on a gruelling fixture schedule and another on developing youth talent, the Dourado took the field with a blend of experience and youngsters from the Cuiabá Esporte Clube Under-20 squad. And honestly, the young lads didn't drop their heads. On the contrary, they showed that fresh blood isn't afraid of the big stage.

The first half was scrappy, as you'd expect from an opening match. Cuiabá tried to set the pace but kept running into the visitors' resolute defending. The goal that seemed hard to come by eventually arrived from one of the young players who really caught my eye. When the ball fell at the edge of the box, attacking midfielder Kenzo Hamazaki, just 18 years old, didn't hesitate. He rifled it into the bottom right corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. Even with a smaller crowd, the Arena Pantanal erupted as if it were a championship decider. In that moment, with the young players celebrating around Kenzo, you could see the essence of what Cuiabá is trying to build.

But taking the lead turned into a bittersweet experience. The team dropped back a bit in the second half, and Tocantinópolis, with nothing to lose, threw everything forward. With ten minutes to go, after a scramble in the box that no one could clear properly, the ball fell nicely for them to equalise. 1-1 on the scoreboard, and a feeling that two points had slipped away.

Youth side showed promise, but lacked the street-smarts of a big team

I'll be honest with you: watching the game, you can split the analysis into two parts. On one hand, there was the courage. Players like Kenzo Hamazaki showed real personality. He didn't hide, asked for the ball in tough moments, and played the passes needed to give the team a breather. He's the kind of gem that the Cuiabá fans love to see shine.

On the other hand, they lacked that experience, that 'big team nous' to manage the result. Holding onto a lead for 45 minutes requires knowing when to slow the game down, take a tactical foul, or keep the ball by the corner flag. These are things a more seasoned side would have, but this young squad is still learning on the job.

• Balanced possession: Cuiabá had a slight 52% share of the ball, but lacked penetration in the final third.
• Standout performer: Kenzo Hamazaki was the engine of the team, involved in most of their attacking moves.
• Negative streak: This marks Cuiabá's sixth consecutive game without a win, a statistic that should be a wake-up call for upcoming competitions.

Now, it's about taking the lessons from this draw and switching focus. The Copa Verde is still in its early stages, and qualification isn't a major concern just yet. But the pressure to get a win, to restore confidence in the squad and the fans, is only growing. There's no room for slip-ups in their next match. Cuiabá need to show that whether it's through the experience of their veterans or the hunger of the Under-20 lads, the jersey is a force that works for them, not against them.

And a message for the fans: these kids deserve your support. Kenzo and the other youngsters from the academy showed they've got star quality. Now it's about maturing quickly, because in Brazilian football, time is something nobody has to spare.