The men’s volleyball team ended the first phase of the World Championship with 100% success. This Tuesday (30), the Brazilians beat Qatar by 3 sets to 0 (partials of 25/13, 25/23 and 26/24) at Arena Stozice, in Ljubljana (capital of Slovenia).
With three wins in three games, Brazil ended Group A of the World Cup in the lead, with eight points, followed by Japan, which secured second place, with six points, by beating Cuba, also on Tuesday, by three sets to one ( 25/18, 21/25, 25/15 and 25/19). The Cubans, with four points, were in third position. Qatar was the lantern of the key, zeroed.
✅ Leaders
✅ Unbeaten
✅ Departed, octavesTHE #male selection won their third game in the group stage, against Qatar, by 3 sets to 0, guaranteed the first place of group B and advances undefeated to the round of 16. ??✨#World Championship #MWCH2022 #volleyball #Electrifying2022 pic.twitter.com/SSr614BSC9
— CBV (@volei) August 30, 2022
The team led by Renan Dal Zotto awaits the conclusion of the third round in the other groups, this Wednesday (31), to know who they will face in the round of 16. The team with the best record in the first phase faces the one with the lowest score, and the second team with the most positive performance faces the second with less points. and so on.
The knockout starts this Saturday (3), with games in Ljubljana and Gliwice (Poland). The schedules will still be confirmed by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
“We didn’t have a brilliant match, but we knew we couldn’t lose any set. We wanted to give most of our athletes game conditions, because we’ll be at least four days without playing, waiting to know our opponent in the round of 16”, commented Renan, to the website of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV).
The Brazilian rotation was reflected in the scoring, with nine different players scoring points in the game. Center Flávio, with ten points (eight attacking, one blocking and one serving), was the highlight of the green and yellow team, while pointer Youssef Oughlaf, from Qatar, was the top scorer of the match, with 11 pins.
“I’m very happy that with each match the team shows growth, a better rhythm on the court. This rhythm will be important for the next phase”, praised Flávio, also to the CBV website.
Brazil is a three-time world champion in volleyball among men and has been present in the last five finals, lifting the cup in 2002 (beating Russia), 2006 (Poland) and 2010 (Cuba) and taking the runner-up in 2014 and 2018 (both with defeat for the Poles). If it wins the tetra, the country would isolate itself as the biggest winner in activity and second in history, behind only the extinct Soviet Union, owner of six trophies.