The last match in Joinville, Santa Catarina, doesn't leave any good memories. The incident last October, when Flamengo faced hostile weather during the Ciser 50 friendly tournament, still lingers. But the club's basketball team is prepared for this Sunday's match, says André Guimarães, the team's supervisor. "I don't think there will be any problems off the court. The concern is with the game, which is always very competitive and full of rivalry. But security is good, and the team is very mature about this," says Guimarães, who said he chose a remote hotel to preserve the players' peace of mind.

Winger Marcelinho Machado, who was at the center of last October's incident, predicts that the atmosphere won't be very calm. "We're prepared. We've faced tough opponents in difficult environments," he told Flamengo's official website.

But the number 4 believes the biggest challenge is the home team. "They're a strong team. They've kept their core and always make games difficult for us," says Marcelinho, who suffered a slight hand injury: "I fell on it. I'm treating it. I'm in a lot of pain. But with one game a week, it's manageable."

The standout from the last NBB says he's excited to face a stronger team. "There's a lot ahead of us. We hope to have a string of victories so we can achieve our goal in this phase, which is to finish first in the standings."

According to Coloneze, the competition in the paint will be intense. "Joinville has two strong centers who rebound well and defend well. It's going to be a very tough game."

The team trained this afternoon at HSBC Arena and travels to Joinville this Saturday at 6:30 a.m., with a layover at Congonhas Airport (SP). The match against Joinville will be this Sunday, the 15th, at 10 a.m., at the Ivan Rodrigues Gymnasium, with broadcast scheduled on SporTV.

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