Flamengo faces Avaí this Wednesday (July 21.07st) surrounded by expectations. The red-blacks are coming off victories against Botafogo and Atlético-GO and are seeking their third consecutive victory in their return to the 2010 Brazilian Championship after the World Cup in South Africa.

With his feet on the ground but confident, coach Rogério Lourenço believes that now is the time to build on the good form and try to add as many points as possible.

"There are no easy games, but this is an important one to have more peace of mind. The team is starting to gain a body, a face, coming off two wins and now is the time to shine. This isn't the fans' dream team, but it's a dedicated team that will make us very proud. It deserves to be supported," he said.

The coach, however, believes that it is not yet time to think about fighting for the title, a place in the Libertadores, the South American or fighting against relegation.

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"It's too early to think about what we'll be fighting for at the end of the competition. Flamengo will always want to be champion, but now we have young players and we can't expect them to solve everything overnight. They have a career ahead of them. That's why this mixed group is important. We have players from last year who are experienced and who will help us in our goal of reaching the top spots," said Rogério, who says he's still searching for the ideal balance for the team.

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"We want an organized team. We have to try to play in a way that seeks balance. The ideal is to maintain the same style of play," he concluded.

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