Neto: "Very tough second phase in the League of the Americas"
Flamengo travels to Mexico to fight for a place in the decisive stage of the continental competition
By Communication - Official Club Website - in
If you search for a Flamengo professional basketball player in Brazil during the first days of Carnival, you won't find any. From February 28th to March 02nd, the Flamengo squad will be in the Mexican city of Veracruz for the second phase of the Liga das Américas. According to José Neto, coach of the "Mais Querido," his team is expected to face tough matches in Mexico.
"We know that the Liga de las Américas (Liga of the Americas) becomes more competitive with each passing year. Those who qualified for the second phase didn't achieve this success by chance. It was a merit. In the first phase, the groups were already very competitive. We expect a very tough second phase. All eight teams have what it takes to reach the Final Four (the decisive stage of the competition) and fight for the title. Every game is important, and every moment of a game is also important. These are matches that don't allow for mistakes, as we'll be facing teams that are difficult to beat," he said.
The second phase of the Liga de las Américas is the semifinal stage of the competition. Four clubs will play in Mexico and another four in Uruguay, all vying for a spot in the Final Four. In Mexico, Flamengo's opponents will be Uberlândia, Halcones Xalapa, and Cocodrilos de Caracas.
Before the first round, in an interview with the Club's Official Website, José Neto revealed that he had difficulty studying his initial opponents (Leones de Quilpue, Capitanes de Arecibo, and Mavort), as these teams are usually assembled shortly before the start of the competition. Today, the coach no longer faces this problem.
"In this second phase, the situation is different. The teams have already played and qualified in the first phase. They've already shown their faces. We now have information and more material to study our opponents," he explained.
"We know that the Liga de las Américas (Liga of the Americas) becomes more competitive with each passing year. Those who qualified for the second phase didn't achieve this success by chance. It was a merit. In the first phase, the groups were already very competitive. We expect a very tough second phase. All eight teams have what it takes to reach the Final Four (the decisive stage of the competition) and fight for the title. Every game is important, and every moment of a game is also important. These are matches that don't allow for mistakes, as we'll be facing teams that are difficult to beat," he said.
The second phase of the Liga de las Américas is the semifinal stage of the competition. Four clubs will play in Mexico and another four in Uruguay, all vying for a spot in the Final Four. In Mexico, Flamengo's opponents will be Uberlândia, Halcones Xalapa, and Cocodrilos de Caracas.
Before the first round, in an interview with the Club's Official Website, José Neto revealed that he had difficulty studying his initial opponents (Leones de Quilpue, Capitanes de Arecibo, and Mavort), as these teams are usually assembled shortly before the start of the competition. Today, the coach no longer faces this problem.
"In this second phase, the situation is different. The teams have already played and qualified in the first phase. They've already shown their faces. We now have information and more material to study our opponents," he explained.