Road to Brasilia

London travel to South America with a prime opportunity to showcase their progress in a draw full of intrigue.

London step onto the court in the Brazilian capital this weekend with the aim of turning potential into results and proving themselves as genuine contenders on the international stage. This Challenger field offers a compelling mix of experience and unpredictability as established World Tour regulars occupy the top seeds, while five Brazilian teams with limited history at this level bring an element of the unknown. For London, it represents an excellent chance to push through to the knockout stages, though they will need to remain wary of ambitious lower ranked teams eager to make their mark.

Amsterdam and Raudondvaris are the headline participants, with London arriving as the fifth seed, sitting two spots behind Riffa – the team that dealt them a loss in their last match-up in Bordeaux in a game that went down to the wire. That sting hasn’t been forgotten and finishing ahead of them this time is an obvious goal for a London side who are determined to climb the rankings.

First up for London is Partizan. On paper it’s a huge test, but the timing feels right. Partizan have struggled for consistency, missing the playoffs in five of their last seven events, though their recent Challenger win in Sansar where they defeated higher ranked Liman, hinted at a return to form. For London, it’s the perfect chance to knock off a big name early and set the tone for a deep run.

The key to securing a victory in their opening game will no doubt be to limit the all-round activity of Stefan Milivojevic, who dominated the Sansar Challenger stat columns. London will look to improve their rebounding and cap second chance efforts which proved costly in Debrecen. Offensively, Justin Pierce will aim to pick up where he left off and provide more flurries of athletic buckets to push London out of reach. In Jerome Desrosiers’ absence, Ashley Hamilton and Evan Walshe must lean on their GB chemistry to cover the facilitation and intangibles that Desrosiers brings, while continuing to deliver offensively. A returning Ryan Langborg will be keen to get going early from beyond the arc and add range to London’s impressive form from one-point distance in recent performances.

London will complete Group D gameplay against the victor of Friday’s qualifying draw B, featuring Waterloo, Sao Paulo DC and Brooklyn. All three of these teams are relatively unknown on the international circuit so it is critical that London impose their tempo on the game early and dictate proceedings from the off. London will benefit from facing the qualifier after Partizan, giving them the chance to assess what the newcomer brings before going to battle.

With so much uncertainty in the draw, opportunities will be there for the taking. If London can start fast and stay consistent, Brasilia could be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for.