Fla faces Franca without feeling of revenge
Rubro-negro is looking for its tenth consecutive victory and is counting on the support of the fans
By press office - in
The 72-71 loss to Franca in the first round marked one of Marcelinho's worst performances. At the time, the forward, who had been sidelined for almost 40 days with a left-hand injury, missed all nine of his three-point attempts in the game, an unprecedented feat in his otherwise victorious career, and scored only nine points. However, the Flamengo forward, who is seeking his tenth consecutive victory – his 11th in 12 games – is not looking for revenge in this Friday's classic against Franca, at 19 pm (broadcast on Sportv), at the HSBC Arena, valid for the ninth round of the second half of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB).
"Of course, there's that feeling that we could have won there, especially since we had the last ball of the game. But we're still in the regular season and it's too early to talk about revenge. We just have to focus on playing our game and winning," said Marcelinho, who acknowledges his weak performance at the Pedrocão gymnasium on January 15th.
"I was returning after a long period of inactivity and I really felt the lack of match rhythm. Sometimes the ball doesn't fall and I score few points, but I end up helping the team in other ways. But that day I really felt strange on the court and I recognize that I couldn't help Flamengo at all. But that doesn't take away from Franca's merits, who played a great game and deserved the victory."
Although there are still five games left in the qualifying phase, the match against the Franca team is seen by everyone at Gávea as a final. This is because, in the event of a Flamengo victory by more than one point, Flamengo, which has one more game to play than Franca, could open up a three-game lead over its São Paulo rival in the playoff standings.
"It's a key game. Since we have one game less, a positive result on Friday could leave us with two more wins than Franca, provided Flamengo wins their game in hand. And since we only lost by one point there, a win by two or more in Rio gives us an even bigger advantage because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Then, yes, we'll be able to focus on fighting with Brasília for first place," explained Marcelinho, who asked for special attention to be paid to point guard Helinho.
After recovering from an intestinal infection that kept him out of the two games in São Paulo, Paulo Chupeta is back in charge of the team. Still unsure if he can count on winger Jefferson, who is still recovering from a grade one strain in his right hamstring and will undergo a test before the match, the Flamengo coach points to Franca as one of the most dangerous opponents in the competition and asks his players for patience during the game.
"They are an experienced team, coached for a long time by Hélio Rubens, and their strength lies in their marking. Therefore, we have to move the ball around a lot and find the best way to execute our attack. Injuries continue to hinder us, but the situation is completely different from the first half of the season, and we are on the rise in the competition. It's what's called a six-point game. If we win, we'll open up a comfortable lead, but if we lose, we'll lose second place," warned Chupeta.
Past stars pledge support against Franca
Flamengo's current form is so good that the HSBC Arena has been attracting a larger crowd with each round. With five rounds remaining in the qualifying phase, the Flamengo fans seem to have heeded the call of the coaching staff and players, becoming the team's sixth player on the court. The excitement is so great that even some past stars have confirmed their presence at Friday's classic against Franca. Members of Fla Masters, including Adílio, Gilmar Popoca, Júlio Cesar Urigeller, and others, will be joining the Flamengo fans in cheering.
"Of course, there's that feeling that we could have won there, especially since we had the last ball of the game. But we're still in the regular season and it's too early to talk about revenge. We just have to focus on playing our game and winning," said Marcelinho, who acknowledges his weak performance at the Pedrocão gymnasium on January 15th.
"I was returning after a long period of inactivity and I really felt the lack of match rhythm. Sometimes the ball doesn't fall and I score few points, but I end up helping the team in other ways. But that day I really felt strange on the court and I recognize that I couldn't help Flamengo at all. But that doesn't take away from Franca's merits, who played a great game and deserved the victory."
Although there are still five games left in the qualifying phase, the match against the Franca team is seen by everyone at Gávea as a final. This is because, in the event of a Flamengo victory by more than one point, Flamengo, which has one more game to play than Franca, could open up a three-game lead over its São Paulo rival in the playoff standings.
"It's a key game. Since we have one game less, a positive result on Friday could leave us with two more wins than Franca, provided Flamengo wins their game in hand. And since we only lost by one point there, a win by two or more in Rio gives us an even bigger advantage because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Then, yes, we'll be able to focus on fighting with Brasília for first place," explained Marcelinho, who asked for special attention to be paid to point guard Helinho.
After recovering from an intestinal infection that kept him out of the two games in São Paulo, Paulo Chupeta is back in charge of the team. Still unsure if he can count on winger Jefferson, who is still recovering from a grade one strain in his right hamstring and will undergo a test before the match, the Flamengo coach points to Franca as one of the most dangerous opponents in the competition and asks his players for patience during the game.
"They are an experienced team, coached for a long time by Hélio Rubens, and their strength lies in their marking. Therefore, we have to move the ball around a lot and find the best way to execute our attack. Injuries continue to hinder us, but the situation is completely different from the first half of the season, and we are on the rise in the competition. It's what's called a six-point game. If we win, we'll open up a comfortable lead, but if we lose, we'll lose second place," warned Chupeta.
Past stars pledge support against Franca
Flamengo's current form is so good that the HSBC Arena has been attracting a larger crowd with each round. With five rounds remaining in the qualifying phase, the Flamengo fans seem to have heeded the call of the coaching staff and players, becoming the team's sixth player on the court. The excitement is so great that even some past stars have confirmed their presence at Friday's classic against Franca. Members of Fla Masters, including Adílio, Gilmar Popoca, Júlio Cesar Urigeller, and others, will be joining the Flamengo fans in cheering.