While the opening defeat to Defensor de Andrade discouraged many of the Flamengo fans, the results of the second round of the 2009 South American Basketball League qualifying phase kept Flamengo's hopes of reaching the Final Four and remaining firmly in the fight for a second continental championship. Coach Paulo Chupeta's team's victory over Malvin and Quimsa's triumph over Defensor maintained the Brazilians' chances, albeit remote, of finishing first in the group and qualifying.

If Defensor loses to Malvín in the first game of the final round, this Thursday night, the match between Flamengo and Quimsa will become a group decider. The winner will take first place and, consequently, the spot. It's worth noting that the match will be a repeat of last year's final, which ended in a red-and-black victory, with Marcelinho Machado scoring 41 points.

Flamengo no longer has a chance of qualifying as the best group runner-up, as there's no scenario in which the team would reach the 122-point balance of Pitágoras/CVC/Minas Tênis Clube, from Group B, and finish second. Defensor has a chance of doing so, but would need a 114-point margin victory over Malvín.

If Defensor wins the first game of the night, Flamengo will need to beat the home team by at least 22 points to surpass the Uruguayans in point average. Quimsa, on the other hand, only depends on itself: if it wins the rematch against Flamengo, it advances to the next stage. The decisive round of Group C takes place this Thursday night, starting at 20 pm, with Defensor and Malvin. Flamengo and Quimsa play the second leg, which is expected to start at 22 pm.