Brazil cut their errors by nearly half against Czechia, and the world no. 3 squad now took a huge step toward securing a Round of 16 spot at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.
Brazil looked every bit like the powerhouse it’s known to be.
After shaking off early jitters in the tournament, the world no. 3 squad cruised past Czechia, 25-11, 25-22, 25-18, to solidify its Round of 16 chances at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
[ALSO READ: Brazil moves on the verge of FIVB World’s Round of 16 with sweep of Czechia]
Two days earlier, the Brazilians had stumbled out of the gate against China, dropping the opening set and piling up 34 errors before steadying themselves.
This time, though, there was no such turbulence.
The three-time world champions trimmed their mistakes to just 14 and imposed their will from start to finish, improving to 2-0 in Pool H.
Alan Souza led the charge with 12 points and credited Brazil’s sharper mindset.
“We did a lot of defense. This is our plan. Play better after [each] game. We are happy with this victory,” Souza told reporters afterwards.
He added: “I think we made a lot of mistakes in the last game. Coach Bernard [Rocha De Rezende] told us to play better. [He urged us] to come back to our normal [game] because we are a strong team.”
Arthur Bento and Judson Nunes chipped in 21 points between them, while Lucarelli and setter Fernando Kreling added firepower with two aces each.
Kreling also orchestrated the offense with 30 excellent sets as Brazil outclassed Czechia in attacking (41-30) and blocking (8-5).
With the win, Brazil all but placed one foot in the knockout round, pending the result of the Serbia-China duel later in the day.
Up next, they face Serbia in their final pool match on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m.
For Czechia, Lukáš Vašina was the lone bright spot with 14 points in the 1-hour, 10-minute defeat.
The team now turns its focus to a late-night clash with China at 9 p.m.
—
Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.