A home game and the return of key players. With these two factors combined, Flamengo hosts Comary this Thursday at 20 p.m. at the Hélio Maurício Gymnasium in Gávea, seeking its third victory in the 2009 State Futsal Championship. Coach Cid Escarlate will have important reinforcements for the challenge against the Teresópolis team.

Breno, Dudu, and Arthur, who were part of last year's squad, returned to the club at the beginning of the second half of the year, but because they were abroad, the transfer was subject to more bureaucracy, which has now been finalized. The trio, along with center Sixel, who is now with Vassouras, left Gávea for the cold weather of Kazakhstan at the beginning of this season.

Flamengo was experiencing tense moments. Futsal wasn't guaranteed for the year, even after winning the title last season. The players received a tempting financial offer to play for FC Aktobe, where they performed very well. "There, we Brazilians have to play a faster game, because the players there are very strong, so we have to excel that way. I think we brought that here, a more dynamic game," explained Dudu.

Although he considers his experience in Asia valuable, the captain of Flamengo's 2008 state title win asserts: he can't wait to wear the red-and-black jersey again in an official match. Since August, he's been training hard at Gávea.

Winger Arthur was one of the standout players in the 2008 title-winning campaign and, back in Gávea after spending the first half of the year with FC Aktobe in Kazakhstan, will play his first official match back with the Red-Blacks on Thursday night. Excited, the player can't wait to don the Sacred Mantle again and, who knows, score a goal.

"I'm really eager to play, after all, it's been almost six months since I last played an official match. I think I might feel a little out of rhythm at first, but over time, and if the team does well collectively, I can perform better and things will get easier," said the player.

Seeking its second consecutive title, Flamengo has had an inconsistent campaign. The team has two wins, one draw, and one loss. Two games reflect this trend: the 4-3 away win over Vassouras was a significant positive, contrasting with the 4-2 loss to Vasco. It was a moment in which the team united even more.

"I also see the setbacks as a way for the team to transition after a period of inactivity and little training at the time. After the game, we talked, and the team decided to change its approach a bit, and I believe we'll see in the next few games whether this will actually work," Arthur added.