Without fear of Cruzmaltino reinforcements
Flamengo praises rival's signings, but sees both teams on equal footing for the derby
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Carlos Alberto's renewal and the signings of Felipe, Zé Roberto, and Éder Luis for Vasco's attacking system should undoubtedly be respected. But not feared. That's how Flamengo's players feel about next Sunday's (August 01.08st) match against their rivals at the Maracanã stadium in the 2010 Brazilian Championship.
When asked about the possibility of making some kind of special marking on a certain player, midfielder Willians believes that there will be no such guidance, but emphasizes that the team has to be attentive to the attack of the São Januário team.
"I think Vasco will go with reinforcements for the game. They all have a lot of quality, and we have to defend them tightly. We need to be especially careful not to suffer from potential individual plays. We're not used to man-marking, and regardless of whether we do this, we need to be careful," he said.
Accustomed to classics against Vasco since his youth years, goalkeeper Marcelo Lomba knows the atmosphere that surrounds a match against Cruzmaltino. He's expecting a full house and promises to do his best to ensure Flamengo leaves the field with a victory.
"I've been playing decisive matches against Vasco since I was 15. I've played in many finals and I'm used to it. This is my second professional derby, and I'm expecting a great match with a packed Maracanã stadium. Flamengo is coming off a draw and a loss, and everyone knows the fans are expecting a win. We're going to get this result," said the goalkeeper, who is banking on the team's chemistry to overcome the rival's reinforcements.
"Vasco will debut some great players, but we have a better understanding. Furthermore, we also have great players here. Precisely for this reason, I don't think there's a favorite in this game. Whoever has the most grit and determination will come away with the three points," he concluded.
When asked about the possibility of making some kind of special marking on a certain player, midfielder Willians believes that there will be no such guidance, but emphasizes that the team has to be attentive to the attack of the São Januário team.
"I think Vasco will go with reinforcements for the game. They all have a lot of quality, and we have to defend them tightly. We need to be especially careful not to suffer from potential individual plays. We're not used to man-marking, and regardless of whether we do this, we need to be careful," he said.
Accustomed to classics against Vasco since his youth years, goalkeeper Marcelo Lomba knows the atmosphere that surrounds a match against Cruzmaltino. He's expecting a full house and promises to do his best to ensure Flamengo leaves the field with a victory.
"I've been playing decisive matches against Vasco since I was 15. I've played in many finals and I'm used to it. This is my second professional derby, and I'm expecting a great match with a packed Maracanã stadium. Flamengo is coming off a draw and a loss, and everyone knows the fans are expecting a win. We're going to get this result," said the goalkeeper, who is banking on the team's chemistry to overcome the rival's reinforcements.
"Vasco will debut some great players, but we have a better understanding. Furthermore, we also have great players here. Precisely for this reason, I don't think there's a favorite in this game. Whoever has the most grit and determination will come away with the three points," he concluded.
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