The Brazilian baseball team is just one victory away from securing its second title at the South American Baseball Championship in Lima (Peru), the first competition in the Olympic cycle for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. This Thursday (21), in the semi-final , the team led by coach Ramon Ito won 10-0 in Chile. The title decision will be on Saturday (23), at 5pm (Brasília time), at the Andrés Avelino Cáceres Sports Complex, in Villa María del Triunfo, in the Peruvian capital. Brazil’s opponent will be the winner of the other semi (Argentina x Peru). The continental final will have tlive broadcast on the channel of the Peruvian Baseball Sports Federation (FDPB).
Brazil concluded the qualifying phase in second place, behind Argentina, undefeated in the tournament. Following were Chile (3rd), Peru (4th) and Ecuador (5th). Eight of the 24 called up by coach Ramon Into, awarded the Olympic Brazil Prize last year, were part of the Brazilian team runner-up at the Pan American Games in Santiago (Chile) last year. Among them, Victor Coutinho, who played late as an outfielder.
“Today was a very important game for us. The team played hard and we managed to come out with the victory”, said Victor, in a statement to the FDPB.
In the final on Saturday (23), Brazil can face Argentina again, who inflicted the only defeat on the Brazilian team (2-0) in the debut of the qualifying phase. A possible new clash against neighbors brothers it will not change Brazil’s stance on the field, guarantees Victor Coutinho.
“Baseball is a difficult game, we have a team to play on equal terms,” said the defender.
Unlike the previous edition of the South American Championship, whose winner secured a place in the Pan de Santiago, this edition of the tournament in Lima does not qualify for any other competition. However, it guarantees points for Brazil in the world rankings, which are essential for paving the way for the Olympic classification. Baseball is one of the new sports included in the Olympic program from 2028 onwards – the others are softball (women’s version of baseball), cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash.
The team’s next commitment will be in March 2025, when the qualifying rounds for the Wordl Baseball Classsic (WBC), the equivalent of the sport’s World Cup, take place.
Results – qualifying phase
17/11 – Brazil 0 x 2 Argentina
18/11 – Brazil 10 x 0 Chile
19/11 – Brazil 11 x 1 Peru
20/11 – Brazil 6 x 3 Ecuador
