Anxiety vs. Confidence: How Flamengo Reached the World Cup Final
Gustavo and Varejão talk about the overwhelming victory that earned them a place in the final
By Flamengo Communication - inA great victory, a strong qualification, and a historic match. Flamengo defeated the Austin Spurs 90-58 in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup semifinals, securing a spot in the final and now facing the chance to win their second basketball world championship. On Sunday, the team will face AEK of Greece at 18 PM. The Greek team defeated San Lorenzo in the first match of the night and earned their ticket to the final. The third-place playoff will be at 15 PM, also at Arena Carioca 1.
After the game, Gustavo De Conti and Anderson Varejão spoke to reporters at a press conference. Both were relieved and more confident about the decision. They highlighted the team's strength and the anxiety that dominated Flamengo early in the game, allowing Austin Spurs to take the lead. But with calm and precision, the Pride of the Nation regained control, turned the game around in the first quarter, and never lost control of the match. Check out some excerpts from the press conference below.
About the game
Gustavo: We managed to make the game easier. We had a lot of tactical information about them. The Spurs were missing players, and we knew their strengths weren't technical. The players did a brilliant job, and we managed to concede under 60 points in an international match against the Americans. Total credit to the players.
Anderson VarejaoWhat Gustavo said is true. We did a very good job defensively. We knew their game wouldn't be their best, but the most important thing was the team's focus. Early on, they showed they came to win, but our response was very good. We held their momentum, played hard, and the balls started falling. That's how we managed to open up the lead and hold it until the end.
Bad start
Gustavo: No matter how experienced we are and how well we prepare for the start, we always feel butterflies in our stomach, a sense of anxiety before such an important game. And I think that's what happened. We were a bit anxious, and in the first four or five attacks, we were out of position. And there, when I called the first timeout, I tried to calm things down. The players had the opportunity to talk too, calm down, and play as planned.
AEK
Gustavo: It won't be an easy task. They have great depth. It's a completely different team than the one we faced. A different tactical structure. We'll study their players extensively. Their Americans play very differently than we saw today. It's more of a European style, without forcing, passing, more leisurely. We've already studied all the teams extensively, and from now on, we'll pass everything on to the players. Tomorrow there's training, and we'll go over everything so we can go all out on Sunday.
Cast
Gustavo: We have a game structure that we can't change from one game to the next. We started the season with a certain style of play and have been adapting. Today, Balbi was a standout in scoring, and he's been like that in recent games. I remember a game where Anderson scored 24 points, Marquinhos scored 30... Flamengo has a structure that doesn't rely on just one player. If we don't have a good player on a good night, another will have to step up. That's our strength. And we're a team without vanity. If Anderson's night is his, the ball goes to him. If Marquinhos', it goes to him. Everyone does their part to win titles.
2014 World Cup and the presence of the Nation
Varejão: I think, more than anyone, the fans know how special this day was for everyone and for the nation. What they felt here. I don't need to ask them to come. They'll pack the Arena, I'm sure. Anything can happen in this game. It's a game. We're going to go after them, we know our potential, we respect their team, we know they're renowned guys, they've won titles, but so do we. We know our potential. The most important thing is to stay calm. It's going to be a tense game, we'll have anxiety. But we'll count on the nation. It has everything to be a great game, and we want to win the title again. We have to let it happen. Let's see how the guys play and prepare as best we can.
Nervousness
Varejão: "Do you get nervous before the game?" Well, the butterflies will always be there. The day they're gone, I'll stop. It loses its charm. But the best answer to that is that we're prepared. And when you're prepared, it doesn't matter what happens. You might feel nervous and anxious, but then experience kicks in. You start to prepare for things and calm down this way. I prepare a lot, I dedicate myself, I know my potential and the team's. And we believe in each other. It's going to be a war on Sunday, and we're prepared for war.
Gustavo: That's it. Anderson said it all. The main thing is confidence. And with training, we'll gain more confidence. We'll overcome the anxiety.