Unafraid of the pressure, Vander is excited about his debut.
Young midfielder is one of coach Luxemburgo's bets for the friendly against Londrina.
By Direct from Londrina (PR) - From the official website team - in
The man responsible for linking Flamengo's midfield to its attack in the team's first preseason friendly is only 20 years old. He's young, just arrived at the club, and eager to show his football skills. Signed from Bahia, Vander is a gamble by coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo for 2011 and intends to take advantage of the opportunity given by the coach to start in the match against Londrina to prove that the investment in his potential was worthwhile.
In the first team practice of the year, on Saturday (January 08.01th), he impressed journalists with his speed and skill. The first goal for the starting team came from his feet, scored by Deivid. Satisfied with the opportunity, he explains that he believes in the saying "first impressions last" and therefore hopes to start his career at Flamengo on the right foot.
"I wasn't expecting this. I'm working hard. The first opportunity came quickly and I'm going to work hard to take advantage of it. It's a game where I intend to show as much of my football as possible to help Flamengo and also to show that I have what it takes to help," he emphasized.
But what about the pressure of playing for a big team like Flamengo, does it weigh on Vander? Not for him. According to him, the support from the group and the good relationships he's seen within the squad during these days already help him feel a bit more relaxed. Happy, he hopes to repay this warm welcome on the field.
"The people here are really great, they welcomed me well, everyone treats each other very well and that's good. The group is very united and I'm very happy to be at Flamengo and hopefully I can help the team on the field," he concluded.
Flamengo and Londrina face off this Sunday (January 09.01th) at 16 PM at Estádio do Café. The match will be broadcast live on TV Esporte Interativo, with a streaming link available on their official website.
In the first team practice of the year, on Saturday (January 08.01th), he impressed journalists with his speed and skill. The first goal for the starting team came from his feet, scored by Deivid. Satisfied with the opportunity, he explains that he believes in the saying "first impressions last" and therefore hopes to start his career at Flamengo on the right foot.
"I wasn't expecting this. I'm working hard. The first opportunity came quickly and I'm going to work hard to take advantage of it. It's a game where I intend to show as much of my football as possible to help Flamengo and also to show that I have what it takes to help," he emphasized.
But what about the pressure of playing for a big team like Flamengo, does it weigh on Vander? Not for him. According to him, the support from the group and the good relationships he's seen within the squad during these days already help him feel a bit more relaxed. Happy, he hopes to repay this warm welcome on the field.
"The people here are really great, they welcomed me well, everyone treats each other very well and that's good. The group is very united and I'm very happy to be at Flamengo and hopefully I can help the team on the field," he concluded.
Flamengo and Londrina face off this Sunday (January 09.01th) at 16 PM at Estádio do Café. The match will be broadcast live on TV Esporte Interativo, with a streaming link available on their official website.
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