Marco Larosa and Pedro Ivo Almeida

Sports Journal

Rio de Janeiro - Flamengo's basketball dream of winning a continental tournament has another real chance to come true. The South American Basketball League begins this Monday, with eight clubs divided into two groups of four. The tournament, which brings together the best teams on the continent, is not only a first for Flamengo, but also gives the winner a spot in the Interclub World Basketball Championship to be held at the end of the season. Following its example in the Americas League, JORNAL DOS SPORTS analyzes Mengão's opponents in this basketball challenge. Marcelinho Machado and Baby's team will face Cocodrilos from Venezuela, Obras Sanitarias from Argentina, and Cucuta from Colombia in Group A. Group B features defending champions Regatas Corrientes from Argentina, Quimsa from Argentina, Minas Tênis, and Meta La Salle from Bolivia. CrocodilesFlamengo's opponent in the competition's opening round and also considered the Rubro-Negro's biggest rival in the fight for first place in the group. The Venezuelan team is already familiar to the Gávea team, and the memories aren't very good. In the same competition, in 2005, they eliminated Flamengo. Now, in 2009, led by coach Nestor Salazar, the team's key players are Henry Páez, Jesús Centeno, Luis Bethelmy, Boris Urbina, Kenji Urdaneta, Jhoyfer Díaz, Abraham Ramos, Windy Graterol, Wladimir Saavedra, and Derson Santos, along with American Kevin Freeman. CucutaThe Colombian team plays at home in this stage of the League. The current national champion, the team is coached by Tomas Diaz and boasts strong players, including Edgard Moreno, Alvaro Contreras, Norbey Aragón, Enielsen Guevara, Eleuterio Renteria, Jairo Hernández, Juan Sebastían Márquez, Curtis Williams, and Carlos Rogers. Cucuta is also trying to bring in an American player, Rogers Washington. He is Flamengo's final opponent in the group. Sanitary Works\ They are considered the most unknown team in the group, but that doesn't mean they are considered underdogs. Obras is Rubro-Negro's second opponent in the fight for the South American title and their squad is made up of a mix of Argentines (Gabriel Cocha, Daniel Chaner, Fernando Titarelli, Fernando Martina, Omar Canton, Sergio Ravina and Patricio Rodriguez), Cubans (Lazaro Borelli, Angel Caballero) and Americans (Tyler Field, Corey Hrosnby, Maxey Eron).\