Marcelinho: 'We have to turn the arena into a cauldron'
Flamengo wants to maintain its winning streak against Joinville
By From the Basketball press office - in
If in soccer, coaches celebrate when they get a bonus week or two without games just for training, in basketball, the story is a little different. Having not led Flamengo in an official match for exactly 19 days—the last time was on February 7th, in a victory over Saldanha da Gama in Vitória—coach Paulo Chupeta returns to manage the red-and-black team against Joinville this Friday at 20:30 pm at the HSBC Arena, in the third round of the second round of the Novo Basquete Brasil season, concerned about his players' playing rhythm.
"The team was on a huge rise in the competition, so this break wasn't good for us. The championship stopped for everyone, but this period without games certainly disrupted our rhythm. The team has improved technically and physically, and I hope they can show the same strength against a tough opponent like Joinville," explained Paulo Chupeta.
While this break disrupted Flamengo's strong run, which had seen them win six of their last seven games, it was also a cause for celebration from the club's medical staff. Out for five and three weeks, respectively, center Coloneze, recovered from a left knee injury, and forward Dedé, nearly 100 percent after a wrist and right hand problem, have been released and will be available for coach Paulo Chupeta. Another confirmed injury is forward/center Guilherme Teichmann, who has recovered from a strained hamstring that forced him out of last weekend's All-Star Game slam dunk contest.
"In this case, the break favored us, because after a long time I will have almost everyone available. The returns of Coloneze and Dedé will be very important to give me more options during the game," said Chupeta, who hopes to neutralize the individuality of the Santa Catarina attack, especially the three-point shots of Manteiguinha and Jefferson.
Back on the court after more than 30 days, Coloneze recognizes that he still needs to regain his confidence but guarantees that he can't wait to be able to help the team on the court again.
"I really miss playing. I've been out for a long time and I can't stand cheering from the sidelines anymore. It's really bad not being able to do anything to help my teammates. I still feel the discomfort that comes with this type of injury and a bit of a lack of confidence, but I'm no longer in pain and I'm ready to play," the center assured.
Despite the returns of Dedé and Coloneze and the confirmation of Guilherme Teichmann's starting lineup, coach Paulo Chupeta could lose center Alírio. After feeling pain in his left knee at the end of Tuesday's practice, the player was examined and is doubtful for Friday's game.
"He had a knee injection, and some blood came out, but the swelling has already subsided a bit with treatment. We're going to do a test on him before the game to see if he'll be fit to face Joinville."
Marcelinho calls on red-and-black fans - More than just avenging the 72-69 defeat in the first round, a victory over Joinville this Friday at home will not only keep Flamengo in second place in the competition, but will also leave the Rubro-Negro two wins ahead of its Santa Catarina rival, a direct opponent in the fight for a playoff spot, in the standings. Having not played in Rio since the victory over Paulistano on February 2, winger and captain Marcelinho is hoping against hope with the massive presence of Flamengo fans.
"We play better with our fans in attendance. It's not easy to face Flamengo in a packed stadium. The Flamengo fans are our sixth player. We're at a crucial stage in the championship, and we'll face strong teams that are competing with us for position in the standings. Joinville is a high-quality team; we know each other well, and it would be wonderful to have packed stands with our fans playing along and making noise. We have to turn the arena into a Flamengo cauldron because they're a direct rival, and we really need a win. Every time we face Joinville, it's a tight game; they're two great teams, and any mistake can cost us dearly," said the NBB's top scorer with 371 points (an average of 24,8 per game).
FLAMENGO – Fred, Marcelinho, Duda, Jefferson and Wagner.
"The team was on a huge rise in the competition, so this break wasn't good for us. The championship stopped for everyone, but this period without games certainly disrupted our rhythm. The team has improved technically and physically, and I hope they can show the same strength against a tough opponent like Joinville," explained Paulo Chupeta.
While this break disrupted Flamengo's strong run, which had seen them win six of their last seven games, it was also a cause for celebration from the club's medical staff. Out for five and three weeks, respectively, center Coloneze, recovered from a left knee injury, and forward Dedé, nearly 100 percent after a wrist and right hand problem, have been released and will be available for coach Paulo Chupeta. Another confirmed injury is forward/center Guilherme Teichmann, who has recovered from a strained hamstring that forced him out of last weekend's All-Star Game slam dunk contest.
"In this case, the break favored us, because after a long time I will have almost everyone available. The returns of Coloneze and Dedé will be very important to give me more options during the game," said Chupeta, who hopes to neutralize the individuality of the Santa Catarina attack, especially the three-point shots of Manteiguinha and Jefferson.
Back on the court after more than 30 days, Coloneze recognizes that he still needs to regain his confidence but guarantees that he can't wait to be able to help the team on the court again.
"I really miss playing. I've been out for a long time and I can't stand cheering from the sidelines anymore. It's really bad not being able to do anything to help my teammates. I still feel the discomfort that comes with this type of injury and a bit of a lack of confidence, but I'm no longer in pain and I'm ready to play," the center assured.
Despite the returns of Dedé and Coloneze and the confirmation of Guilherme Teichmann's starting lineup, coach Paulo Chupeta could lose center Alírio. After feeling pain in his left knee at the end of Tuesday's practice, the player was examined and is doubtful for Friday's game.
"He had a knee injection, and some blood came out, but the swelling has already subsided a bit with treatment. We're going to do a test on him before the game to see if he'll be fit to face Joinville."
Marcelinho calls on red-and-black fans - More than just avenging the 72-69 defeat in the first round, a victory over Joinville this Friday at home will not only keep Flamengo in second place in the competition, but will also leave the Rubro-Negro two wins ahead of its Santa Catarina rival, a direct opponent in the fight for a playoff spot, in the standings. Having not played in Rio since the victory over Paulistano on February 2, winger and captain Marcelinho is hoping against hope with the massive presence of Flamengo fans.
"We play better with our fans in attendance. It's not easy to face Flamengo in a packed stadium. The Flamengo fans are our sixth player. We're at a crucial stage in the championship, and we'll face strong teams that are competing with us for position in the standings. Joinville is a high-quality team; we know each other well, and it would be wonderful to have packed stands with our fans playing along and making noise. We have to turn the arena into a Flamengo cauldron because they're a direct rival, and we really need a win. Every time we face Joinville, it's a tight game; they're two great teams, and any mistake can cost us dearly," said the NBB's top scorer with 371 points (an average of 24,8 per game).
FLAMENGO – Fred, Marcelinho, Duda, Jefferson and Wagner.