Flamengo has qualified for the Final Four of the Liga das Américas for the first time in the club's history. Center Shilton will be one of the players available to coach José Neto to step onto the court and help the club win an unprecedented title, should the team beat Aguada (URU) in the semifinals. The match against the Uruguayans, on March 21st, will be the red-and-black team's first game at Maracanãzinho against 

Sacred Mantle.

"I've only been there for training with the Brazilian national team; I haven't had the honor of playing in the Manto yet. Playing there, for us, is truly different. It has a mystique; every Flamengo fan dreams of returning there for a big final, and for us, on the court, it's even better. There's the whole atmosphere of the fans, of loving Maracanãzinho, a historic place. For us, it's been different; we're more motivated for this Final Four," he said.

Shilton believes that the unity of the red-and-black group was the great difference that took the team to the decisive matches of the League of the Americas.

"I see that Flamengo has become a great team. It's not always the same player who stands out, in terms of scoring or effectiveness in the game. There are games where the bench ends up scoring more points than the starters. And that doesn't change the focus of who comes in and who starts playing. I think this unity and cohesion we have has made all the difference so far," said the center.