Sports

Brazil debuts against Cuba tomorrow in the Men's Volleyball World Cup

With a new face, the team goes in search of the fourth championship

Agência Brasil

Published on 25/08/2022 - 18:20

Rio de Janeiro

vôlei, seleção masculina, liga das nações — © Wander Roberto/Inovafoto/CBV/Direitos Reservados

A Brazilian men's team renewed debut on the morning of Friday (26) in the Men's Volleyball World Cup with the mission to seek the four-time champion. The first match will be against Cuba, at 6am (Brasília time), in Ljubljana (Slovenia), in Group B. Brazil has been a finalist in the last five editions: they lifted the trophy in 2002, 2006 and 2010, and were runners-up in 2014 and 2018, losing to Poland, the other host of the World Cup this year.

Coach Renan Dal Zotto arrives at the competition under pressure from the team's last campaigns, which placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics last year, and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Nations League in July. Of the 14 players called for the World Cup, practically the same group that played in the Nations League, half are newcomers to the tournament. This is the case of the forwards Rodrigo and Adriano; the lifter Fernando Cachopa; the central players Leandro Aracaju and Flávio; and the opposites Darlan and Felipe Roque - the latter is the only one who played in the League.

Besides young talents, Dal Zotto has mixed the team with experienced athletes, including Olympic champion Wallace, who temporarily suspended his retirement - which began in August last year - to reinforce the selection as an opposite player. Other heavyweights will also take the court in the World Cup: the lifter Bruninho; the pointers Lucarelli, Leal and Adriano, the central players Lucão and Isaac; and the libbers Thales and Maique.

Brazil and Cuba are in Group B, together with Japan and Qatar. The 20th edition of the World Cup brings together 24 countries in the first phase, divided into six groups of four teams each. The first two places in each group will advance to the round of 16 (starting September 3), as well as the four best third-placed teams. The winners will go to the quarterfinals (September 7), the semifinals will take place three days later, and the title decider is scheduled for September 11, in the city of Katowice (Poland).