In their final match at the traditional Hubert Wagner Memorial tournament in Krakow, Brazil defeated Serbia 3:1 in sets – (25:18, 22:25, 25:19, 27:25).
The 'Seleção' coach opted for changes in the starting lineup, with Chizoba taking the opposite hitter's starting spot, and outside hitter Adriano also being among the leading figures. Both repaid with high efficiency – 21 points for Chizoba and 17 for Adriano, making them the main scorers.
On average for the entire match, the Brazilians finished with 52% attack efficiency, and the individual stats of the starters are as follows:
| Player | Attack – efficiency |
|---|---|
| Flavio | 11 of 15 (73%) |
| Thiery | 6 of 9 (67%) |
| Adriano | 12 of 23 (52%) |
| Chizoba | 17 of 34 (50%) |
| Honorato | 8 of 22 (36%) |
The high percentages of middle blockers Flavio and Thiery are indicative of the good organization of attacks through the center. Chizoba maintains stable efficiency despite a high number of attempts, while Adriano solidifies his status as a new weapon in reception. Only Honorato remained below the expected level with weaker scoring.
In the previous two matches of the tournament, Chizoba made episodic appearances, as Darlan was the starter, and Adriano received limited time, mainly for serving. Against Serbia, however, both made significant contributions to the victory. Chizoba finished with 21 points, and Adriano scored 17. Flavio and Honorato added another 12 and 10 for the win.
In four sets, Brazil made only 17 unforced errors – 11 on serve, 3 in attack, and just 3 in reception. This indicator is among the lowest for matches at such a level and highlights the team's stability and concentration.
The 'Eagles' played their strongest match of the tournament, but their efforts were not rewarded. Serbia managed to win the second set and was close to taking the match to a tie-break, but in decisive moments, the Brazilians showed class and closed out the match in four sets.
Dražen Luburić was the main figure for Serbia – the opposite hitter scored 26 points (24 from attack with 63% efficiency, plus 2 aces). In addition to him, Veljko Mašulović stood out with 17 points and young Nikola Brborić with 10 (8 from attack, 1 ace, 1 block).
Tournament Results
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
| August 29 | Serbia – Poland | 0:3 |
| August 29 | Argentina – Brazil | 3:0 |
| August 30 | Serbia – Argentina | 0:3 |
| August 30 | Poland – Brazil | 0:3 |
| August 31 | Serbia – Brazil | 1:3 |
| August 31 | Poland – Argentina | 20:30 (in progress) |
With their victory in Poland, Brazil demonstrated that they are in excellent form on the eve of the World Cup in the Philippines. There, "seleção" is in a group with Serbia, Czech Republic, and China, and their matches will be in the same hall where the Bulgarian team will also play.
