After the first training sessions in Venezuela, for the semifinals of the Basketball League of the Americas, the red-black coach, José Neto, outlined the profile of each of the Mais Querido's opponents in the search for one of the spots in the Final Four.

 

"I believe that Flamengo has a team capable of playing on equal terms against any team in this competition, aiming to qualify for the next stage," said a confident José Neto.

 
See below what the coach said about each of the three opponents.

 

- If we already expected the Liga das Américas to be evenly matched in the first stage, I believe the difficulty in this semifinal round will be even greater, as the teams that made it here arrived after a good 'test'. In the first match of this stage, we'll face a Brazilian opponent that has grown significantly as a team, Brasília, which boasts incredible offensive power. Flamengo vs. Brasília is undoubtedly a basketball classic. Players on both teams are very experienced, making this matchup even more competitive. We know this and are preparing to control the game, minimize this offensive power, and thus seek our first victory in the stage.
 

"Next, we'll play Correcaminos from Panama. They were the last team we faced in this competition, and we know how we have to play to win. It's an extremely physical game, and we have to be prepared to overcome it. I believe we have the ability to do so, and we can put in a good performance."

 

- Closing this stage is Guaros de Lara, the local team that invested heavily in this competition. It has the core of the Venezuelan national team, champion of the Americas Pre-Olympics and already qualified for Rio 2016. It has a structure without compromise. It hosted the first stage again because it wants to be in the Final Four to fight for the LDA title. In addition to the players, it also has the entire coaching staff of the national team and some quality foreigners.

 

FlaBasquete finished the first stage undefeated, with victories over Gimnasia Indalo, Aguilas de Tunja, and Correcaminos, and is seeking its second Liga de las Américas title. All semifinal matches will be broadcast live on SporTV.
 

The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo adult basketball team relies on direct funding from its sponsors – SKY and Estácio – in addition to investments from Tim via the State Sports Incentive Law/State Secretariat for Sports, Leisure and Youth (ICMS).