Jefferson returns and Chupeta wants victories in São Paulo
Rubro-negro will face Bauru and Assis, dreaming of securing first place in the first phase
By press office - in
With four rounds remaining in the Novo Basquete Brasil qualifying phase, Flamengo needs to win both of its matches this weekend in the interior of São Paulo to reach the playoffs in first place, relying solely on its own strength. Leading the competition with 40 points and boasting a streak of 15 wins in 16 matches, the last 11 of which have been consecutive, coach Paulo Chupeta's team faces Bauru this Friday at 20 pm at the Associação Luso Brasileira de Bauru, and Assis on Sunday at 11 am at the Jairo Ferreira dos Santos gymnasium.
In the last two games of the preliminary phase, the red-black team will face two direct opponents in the fight for the advantage of playing the finals at home: third-place Minas, in Rio, on April 2, and second-place Brasília, on Easter Sunday, in the Federal District.
"These are very tough away games against two similar teams, who play at a fast pace and rely on individuality. We know that with Brasília and Franca's losses in the last two rounds, the matches against Bauru and Assis have become crucial for us to achieve our goal of finishing first in the qualifying round. We have to set our pace and put pressure on them from the start of the game, as we did against Palmeiras. Since they're playing at home, we have to put the pressure on them," assured coach Paulo Chupeta.
Unable to count on at least two players for all 24 rounds of the competition so far, the Flamengo coach is gradually having his key players available. Overall, 11 of Flamengo's 12 players suffered injuries and had to miss at least one match. The only exception was center Wagner, who, despite also suffering a slight sprain in his left ankle, was available for Chupeta in every NBB game.
"Based on my five years of experience working at Flamengo, this injury scenario is absolutely natural during a basketball season. With the exception of Coloneze, who suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury, and Dedé and Marcelo, who have hand injuries that require a much slower recovery, the other players had common problems and were out for only a few games. Not to mention Yan, who had knee surgery at the beginning of the year and has been out for the longest time. Wagner had a minor issue at the beginning of the year, but he was certainly the player who played the most games this season," explained physiotherapist Ricardo Machado.
Having graduated from Bennett College in July 2005, Ricardo admits that he's never worked so hard in five seasons. However, he makes a point of praising the core and quality of the red-and-black squad, which has remained virtually unchanged over the past three seasons. Perhaps that's why the team is the current five-time Rio de Janeiro champion, two-time Brazilian champion, and champion of the South American League.
"I'm really working twice as hard this season. Firstly, because of the high injury rates throughout the year, but mainly because I'm working without an intern for the first time since I was hired by Flamengo. Today, I handle everything without passing anything on to third parties. But this only proves the strength of our team. We have a well-rounded squad, and even with repeated injuries, we've never lost our quality on the court. That's why we've always been among the top players in the championship," said the Flamengo physiotherapist.
Coach Paulo Chupeta is grateful for Ricardo's work, as he will have winger Jefferson back for the games against Bauru and Assis. Sidelined for two weeks with a grade-one right thigh strain, Jefferson missed four matches and is eager to help his teammates.
"I couldn't stand not playing any longer. Fortunately, I'm recovered, and I'm really looking forward to getting back on the court against Bauru. Although I'm fully recovered from my injury, I'm still a little out of rhythm. But we have a very tough opponent, who thrives when they play at home, and that's why I want to help Chupeta for as long as I need. The playoffs are coming, and it's time for double dedication, because we know we only have four games left to achieve our goal of finishing first," said the player.
Celebration
Another recent returnee was center Coloneze. After a hiatus, the player will make his mark on Flamengo's history this Friday against Bauru. He will complete 200 appearances for the club.
"It's no small feat. It's a milestone worth celebrating. I'm very happy to reach 200 games and I hope I can turn that joy into a good performance," Coloneze concluded.
In the last two games of the preliminary phase, the red-black team will face two direct opponents in the fight for the advantage of playing the finals at home: third-place Minas, in Rio, on April 2, and second-place Brasília, on Easter Sunday, in the Federal District.
"These are very tough away games against two similar teams, who play at a fast pace and rely on individuality. We know that with Brasília and Franca's losses in the last two rounds, the matches against Bauru and Assis have become crucial for us to achieve our goal of finishing first in the qualifying round. We have to set our pace and put pressure on them from the start of the game, as we did against Palmeiras. Since they're playing at home, we have to put the pressure on them," assured coach Paulo Chupeta.
Unable to count on at least two players for all 24 rounds of the competition so far, the Flamengo coach is gradually having his key players available. Overall, 11 of Flamengo's 12 players suffered injuries and had to miss at least one match. The only exception was center Wagner, who, despite also suffering a slight sprain in his left ankle, was available for Chupeta in every NBB game.
"Based on my five years of experience working at Flamengo, this injury scenario is absolutely natural during a basketball season. With the exception of Coloneze, who suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury, and Dedé and Marcelo, who have hand injuries that require a much slower recovery, the other players had common problems and were out for only a few games. Not to mention Yan, who had knee surgery at the beginning of the year and has been out for the longest time. Wagner had a minor issue at the beginning of the year, but he was certainly the player who played the most games this season," explained physiotherapist Ricardo Machado.
Having graduated from Bennett College in July 2005, Ricardo admits that he's never worked so hard in five seasons. However, he makes a point of praising the core and quality of the red-and-black squad, which has remained virtually unchanged over the past three seasons. Perhaps that's why the team is the current five-time Rio de Janeiro champion, two-time Brazilian champion, and champion of the South American League.
"I'm really working twice as hard this season. Firstly, because of the high injury rates throughout the year, but mainly because I'm working without an intern for the first time since I was hired by Flamengo. Today, I handle everything without passing anything on to third parties. But this only proves the strength of our team. We have a well-rounded squad, and even with repeated injuries, we've never lost our quality on the court. That's why we've always been among the top players in the championship," said the Flamengo physiotherapist.
Coach Paulo Chupeta is grateful for Ricardo's work, as he will have winger Jefferson back for the games against Bauru and Assis. Sidelined for two weeks with a grade-one right thigh strain, Jefferson missed four matches and is eager to help his teammates.
"I couldn't stand not playing any longer. Fortunately, I'm recovered, and I'm really looking forward to getting back on the court against Bauru. Although I'm fully recovered from my injury, I'm still a little out of rhythm. But we have a very tough opponent, who thrives when they play at home, and that's why I want to help Chupeta for as long as I need. The playoffs are coming, and it's time for double dedication, because we know we only have four games left to achieve our goal of finishing first," said the player.
Celebration
Another recent returnee was center Coloneze. After a hiatus, the player will make his mark on Flamengo's history this Friday against Bauru. He will complete 200 appearances for the club.
"It's no small feat. It's a milestone worth celebrating. I'm very happy to reach 200 games and I hope I can turn that joy into a good performance," Coloneze concluded.