In the realm of youth soccer, Vélez is a name that consistently shines through. The young talents of Vélez always put up a fight, compete fiercely, and emerge victorious. This time, at the Platense stadium, Marcelo Bravo’s Reserva team secured a hard-fought victory over San Lorenzo with a 3-1 scoreline in extra time, clinching the Torneo Proyección Apertura title. This marks the seventh championship for Fortín in this category and the fourth under Bravo’s leadership since he took charge of the team in 2022.
On the other hand, it was another moment of despair for Ciclón as they once again ended up empty-handed. This defeat marked their second consecutive loss in finals (having been defeated by River in the previous championship). The recent years have been nothing short of chaotic for Vélez’s Reserva team – finishing as runners-up in 2022, champions in 2023, winning the Trofeo de Campeones that same year, followed by another championship win in 2024 but losing out on the Trofeo de Campeones that season. However, they bounced back to claim victory once more in the first half of 2025 against a formidable opponent like San Lorenzo – who is ranked third with 19 titles behind Boca (28) and River (23) as the most crowned teams in Reserva history.
The journey to this final for Vélez began with a strong performance, securing second place in Zone B with 31 points. They went on to defeat Tigre 2-1 in the round of sixteen before overpowering Belgrano 3-0 and sealing a crucial 2-1 away win against Boca in the semifinals. On the flip side, San Lorenzo entered as fifth from their zone with 22 points. They squeezed past Newell’s on penalties (6-5) after a goalless draw before edging out River also via penalties (4-2) following a 1-1 stalemate and then triumphing over Rosario Central by a solitary goal at Arroyo Seco.
The final matchday saw fans from both sides filling their respective sections to cheer on their players without any untoward incidents – making it a joyous occasion at Vicente López. While it was ultimately Vélez who celebrated victory, it didn’t come easy. In an evenly contested first half where Vélez had slightly more dominance, San Lorenzo drew first blood through Agustín Ladstatter’s spectacular strike set up by Matías Hernández from deep within his own half.
As Mateo Clemente stood tall between San Lorenzo’s posts thwarting every attacking move from Vélez forwards early on; it was Máximo Mamani who restored parity by latching onto a deflected ball just outside the box which wrong-footed Clemente post-deflection off a defender. With Maximiliano Porcel injecting pace into Vélez’s attack post-break—sealing his brace during extra time amid cramping players—an already intense encounter escalated further when Nahuel Romero received his marching orders for an off-the-ball challenge reducing Ciclón to ten men.
San Lorenzo pushed forward desperately only to be caught out by Porcel’s smart long-range effort with Clemente stranded off his line sealing victory for Vélez as they emerged triumphant with Porcel stealing headlines with his match-winning performance.
In conclusion, it was yet another memorable chapter written by Vélez Sarsfield’s Reserva squad showcasing resilience and talent while etching their names further into club folklore amidst an enthralling battle against perennial rivals San Lorenzo.
