Thiago Barros

Sports Journal

Rio de Janeiro - Overcoming was the word that marked Flamengo's campaign to win the State Futsal Championship last year. And if the Red-Blacks want to repeat the feat in the Metropolitano, she will once again have to be the team's guide. After much uncertainty about the project's continuity, Mengo is confirmed for the 2009 season and, despite all the difficulties, expects to achieve good results.\ In an interview with SPORTS JOURNALCoach Cid Escarlate opened up about the crisis the club is going through, expressed confidence in his team, but asked for patience and support from the fans so that, together, the team and the fans can have many happy moments this season. The first of these could come as early as Saturday, when Flamengo travels to Grajaú to face the home team in the Carioca opener. CrisisUnfortunately, Flamengo and the entire world are going through a time of crisis. Everyone knows this. Given our current circumstances, we'll do our best to get results. We'll train three times a week at the Bradesco court in Tijuca. The board is working to catch up on last year's arrears, and we'll strive to do a good job. GroupWe have a small squad, with only 13 players, but we retained eight players who were champions last year. Of course, a good number of high-quality players ended up leaving the club, but those who remained already leave a significant legacy from that campaign. Furthermore, the young players who arrived are also highly qualified and can perform well in the future. PatienceWe can't expect the same performance we had in 2008. That was the culmination of two years of work. Now, we're practically starting all over again, with the group that had been inactive for a long time. With patience and hard work, I believe we'll evolve over time. I hope the fans understand this and continue to support us as they did last year. They're essential. FavoritismWe're not favorites. I believe professional teams always have an advantage. Vasco invested well, Petrópolis and Cabo Frio always make things difficult, but we can't leave out Vassouras. Their team has an excellent structure, a strong squad, a close-knit group, and a great coach. And, of course, Flamengo always comes in to win, but we're an outsider in this fight.