Brazil strengthened its bid for a spot in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship with a dominant 25-11, 25-22, 25-18 victory over Czechia on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The win served as a statement for the World No.3 Brazilians, who had dropped a set against China in their opening match before eking out a 19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-21 victory.
(C) Volleyball World
Brazil now sits at 2-0 with six points in Pool H, but has not yet officially advanced to the next round due to that dropped set against China. A five-set match between Serbia and China later in the day could secure Brazil’s spot.
Otherwise, they will need to claim at least two sets against Serbia on Thursday to qualify.
“I think we made a lot of mistakes against China, so the coach told us to play better and return to our normal game because we are a strong team. After that, we came back and played better,” said Alan Souza, reflecting on the team’s mindset after their shaky start to the tournament.
Determined to bounce back, the South Americans started their game against the Europeans with a massive punch, winning the opening set in a blowout, 25-11.
Souza led the way with 12 points, one of five Brazilians scoring at least eight points as the team showcased its depth. Arthur Bento added 11 points, Judson Nunes contributed 10, while captain Ricardo Lucarelli scored nine.
Flavio Gualberto dominated at the net with five blocks and three attacks, totaling eight points.
“I think the balance of the team across all skills was really important. We served well and performed strongly in every situation. For me, the team’s balance was the best thing today,” said Brazil assistant coach Roberley Luiz Leonaldo.
(C) Volleyball World
For Czechia, Lukas Vasina and Jan Galabov scored 14 and nine points, respectively, as the team fell to 1-1 in the pool.
