Against the backdrop of the hot atmosphere in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian men's national volleyball team achieved a dramatic 3:2 victory against Ukraine in their latest Nations League match. The encounter offered a true spectacle, full of twists, individual flashes of brilliance, and nervous moments.

Slow start for the 'Canarinho's

The Brazilian team took to the court after a day of rest, necessary after the exhausting battle with Cuba. Nevertheless, the match with Ukraine started catastrophically - the leaders from the previous match, Darlan Souza and Henrique Honorato, failed to assert themselves, and the Ukrainian tactic to exclude the young Brazilian star from the game yielded results. Middle blocker Yuriy Semenyuk was a true wall at the net, recording three blocks in the first set. Ukraine decisively won the first two sets - 25:19 and 25:14, also shining on serve through Vasyl Tupchii (9 aces total for the team).

Decisive intervention from the bench

With the score at 0:2, Brazil's coach made key changes. Captain Flávio Rezende Gualberto took on the leadership role and demonstrated exceptional efficiency in attack - a remarkable 91.67%. Alan Souza, who replaced his younger brother, also distinguished himself with 21 points, entering the game from the third set. The Souza-Flávio tandem breathed new life into the team, and the Ukrainians began to make more mistakes, which allowed Brazil to equalize the match - 22:25, 23:25.

The tie-break - a specialty for Brazil

The match reached a decisive fifth set, where the Brazilians showed class and confidence. Despite the strong individual play of Illia Kovalov (25 pts), Tupchii (19 pts), and Semenyuk (18 pts), the Ukrainians could not withstand the pressure. The 'Canarinho's dominated the tie-break with 15:10 and deservedly recorded a 3:2 victory, proving themselves masters of decisive moments.

Result: Ukraine - Brazil 2:3

(25:19, 25:14, 22:25, 23:25, 10:15)

Ukraine:Todua (5), Tupchii (19), Yanchuk (13), Semenyuk (18), Synytsia (3), Kovalov (25), Boiko (libero) and Nalozhnyi, Uryvkin, Koval, Shchitkov and Kysyliuk (1)

Brazil:Judson (9), Fernando (3), Honorato (8), Flávio (12), Darlan (3), Bergmann (12), Maike (libero) and Matheus (1), Adriano (1), Chisoba and Maicon

The second referee of the match was the best Bulgarian referee, Ivaylo Ivanov, who has a knack for officiating competitive matches.