Past that inspires the present
With fond memories of Salvador, Vagner Love hopes to shine again at Barradão
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
SALVADOR - The city of Salvador brings back fond memories for many tourists. A place of rare natural beauty and many attractions, the capital of Bahia is one of the top destinations for those wanting to explore Brazil. But Vagner Love isn't in Bahia for leisure. Flamengo's number 9 hopes to maintain his strong scoring average for the red-and-black team by playing at Barradão Stadium this Saturday against Vitória.
And the Manoel Barradas Stadium net has already been scored by the Artilheiro do Amor. Early in his career, the player faced Vitória in Salvador and had a stellar performance.
"I started in Salvador. After the game against Brasiliense, in Série B, when I came on in the second half, I made my first start for the professional team at Barradão. Unfortunately, we didn't overturn the 7-2 scoreline we lost at home in the Brazilian Coap, but I scored two goals, provided an assist and we won 3-1 against Vitória," he said.
Love hopes to perform better than last Wednesday against La U, when he missed goals he doesn't usually miss. Accustomed to taking the heat, he knows he has a good opportunity to redeem himself with the fans this Saturday.
"The pressure on Flamengo will always be great, regardless of victory or defeat. We know our responsibility and can only regain the fans' trust on the field. Tomorrow it's important to get points; it's going to be a tough game and we have to give it our all," he said.
Vagner Love guarantees that he is calibrating his feet so as not to waste any opportunities that arise.
"We're prone to missing goals. As a forward, that's where the ball arrives, where we need to be decisive, just like Adriano. We'll definitely make more mistakes than those who are behind, but we're working on finishing so we don't miss opportunities," he added.
And the Manoel Barradas Stadium net has already been scored by the Artilheiro do Amor. Early in his career, the player faced Vitória in Salvador and had a stellar performance.
"I started in Salvador. After the game against Brasiliense, in Série B, when I came on in the second half, I made my first start for the professional team at Barradão. Unfortunately, we didn't overturn the 7-2 scoreline we lost at home in the Brazilian Coap, but I scored two goals, provided an assist and we won 3-1 against Vitória," he said.
Love hopes to perform better than last Wednesday against La U, when he missed goals he doesn't usually miss. Accustomed to taking the heat, he knows he has a good opportunity to redeem himself with the fans this Saturday.
"The pressure on Flamengo will always be great, regardless of victory or defeat. We know our responsibility and can only regain the fans' trust on the field. Tomorrow it's important to get points; it's going to be a tough game and we have to give it our all," he said.
Vagner Love guarantees that he is calibrating his feet so as not to waste any opportunities that arise.
"We're prone to missing goals. As a forward, that's where the ball arrives, where we need to be decisive, just like Adriano. We'll definitely make more mistakes than those who are behind, but we're working on finishing so we don't miss opportunities," he added.