Tuesday night (27/10) will mark the beginning of the fight for the second South American basketball championship. Flamengo, current champion of the South American Club League and member of Group C, will make its debut against Defensor Sporting, from Uruguay, at 20:30 pm, at the Ciudad de Santiago del Estero Gymnasium. On Wednesday (at 20:30 pm) the Rubro-Negro's opponent will be Club Malvin, from Uruguay, and, on Thursday (23 pm), Quimsa, from Argentina.
For Marcelinho Machado, Flamengo's captain, despite the absences of Jefferson and Fred (injured), Flamengo will go in search of first place, which has become even more crucial due to the tournament's classification system - The first-placed team guarantees immediate qualification for the 'Final Four' and only the best second-placed team from the three groups qualifies.
"It's a very balanced group, perhaps the most balanced in the competition, and despite the absences, we're going for that spot in the Final Four. We're the defending champions and we're entering the League to fight for our second title. We have three strong opponents ahead of us, a group that will be decided by the details, and we can't afford to make mistakes, as the first-place team will qualify, and it will be very difficult for the second-place team to advance to the next stage based on other results. We'll take it one game at a time, first against Defensor, and aim for a good result to start the competition well."
For Marcelinho Machado, Flamengo's captain, despite the absences of Jefferson and Fred (injured), Flamengo will go in search of first place, which has become even more crucial due to the tournament's classification system - The first-placed team guarantees immediate qualification for the 'Final Four' and only the best second-placed team from the three groups qualifies.
"It's a very balanced group, perhaps the most balanced in the competition, and despite the absences, we're going for that spot in the Final Four. We're the defending champions and we're entering the League to fight for our second title. We have three strong opponents ahead of us, a group that will be decided by the details, and we can't afford to make mistakes, as the first-place team will qualify, and it will be very difficult for the second-place team to advance to the next stage based on other results. We'll take it one game at a time, first against Defensor, and aim for a good result to start the competition well."