Neymar hit the woodwork twice as Santos was held to a scoreless draw at Corinthians in the Sao Paulo state championship Sunday.
Elsewhere, Gremio took a 3-2 lead against Internacional in the first leg of the Rio Grande do Sul state final, while Atletico Mineiro took a 2-1 advantage over Cruzeiro in the Minas Gerais state final.
The return matches are next weekend.
Neymar, the latest Brazilian sensation, clipped the right post in the 23rd minute against Corinthians with an angled shot from close range.
The 19-year-old striker looked Santos' best hope of breaking the deadlock and went close again in the 75th when his shot bounced off the crossbar and went over.
In the Rio Grande do Sul final, Junior Vicosa, Leandro and Lins got the goals in Gremio's win at Internacional.
Meanwhile, former Inter Milan midfielder Mancini was on the scoresheet for Atletico Mineiro in the Minas Gerais final against Cruzeiro.
Brazil does not follow the European football calendar and the Brazilian league won't start until the third week of May. In the first few months of the year teams play regional tournaments in each of the country's 26 states, in addition to the Brazilian Cup.
