Wallace was one of the key stars for Brazil to defeat Bulgaria
Katowice, Poland, September 9, 2014- Both left and right wing spikers Locarelli and Wallace led Brazilian Samba to the first victory 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-21) over Bulgaria in the second round of the 2014 FIVB Men's World Championship Pool at Spodek hall in Katowice, Poland on Wednesday.
The two Brazilian big gums scored 13 and 14 points respectively helping their team to have as early as possible win.
Brazil gained three points, to their record to be added to the 9 points they cross over with from the first round to improve to 4-0 with 12 points in Pool F, while Bulgaria dropped to 1-3 with 5 pts.
Playing well in spike and keeping right passing, Brazil was able to overcome the opponent in straight sets even when Bulgaria emerged in the third set.
Key Points
• Brazil won eight out of 13 matches against Bulgaria at the World Championship.
• Brazil have won all of their World Championship meetings with Bulgaria by either 3-0 or 3-1.
• Their last meeting in the competition came in 2010 with Bulgaria winning in straight sets.
• Brazil improved their run to 6 winning streaks in this competition and 10 as a whole.
• Now Brazil won 10 consecutive World Championship matches for the fourth time in team history and this is the 99th win at the World Championship.
• Brazil led 41-26 in spikes and scored 5 points by serve against 2 gained by Bulgaria.
From the very beginning of the first set, Brazil put a pressure on Bulgaria, running 3-0 ahead. After that, Wallace’s fine block and Lucas’s dink increased their leading to five points (5-0). With Nikolay Penchev, Bulgaria tried to catch up, but Wallace’s kill put Brazil 8-3 ahead at the first technical timeout. Still controlling the game and passing well, Brazil jumped into 16-9 leading. With fine Bruno’s setting, their opposites prevented Bulgaria from playing efficient defence. After Lucarelli’s kill, Brazil’s leading extended to eleven points (21-10). Fine block displayed by Todor Skrimov, Andrey Zhekov and Svetoslav Gotsev was a trial to lengthen Bulgaria’s chance to keep touch, but it was Brazil who won the first set 25-15 after Wallace’s huge spike.
At the opening of the second set, Bulgaria managed to build 3-2 leading, but after Lucarelli’s fine spike, Brazil caught up at 3-3. Adding Wallace’s ace followed by Bruno’s kill, they went to two-points leading (5-3). After Murilo’s kill, Canarinhos regained the advance (8-6). With an efficient block by Wallace, Lucas and Murilo, Brazil extended the leading to three points, but shortly after that, Bulgaria answered with fine block presented by Teodor Todorov and Nikolay Penchev, reducing Brazil’s leading to only one point. Continuing play on a point-by-point basis, both teams was trying to make some comfortable advance and they were Brazil, who gained 16-13 leasing at the second technical timeout, after Tsvetan’s Sokolov’s serve error. Staying focused, Brazil finished the second set 25-21.
Strong opening of the third set presented by Bulgaria let them jumped 4-2 ahead. Nevertheless, after Lucas’s ace, Brazil caught up at 4-4. With an ace displayed by Todor Skrimov followed by Tsvetan Sokolov’s kill, Bulgaria regained the leading (7-5). Fine spike displayed by Nikolay Penchev at 11-7 forced Bernardo Rezende to call timeout. This break helped Brazil to refocus and with Lucarelli’s aggressive serves, they caught up on two points. After fine Svetoslav Gtsev’s middle spike, Bulgaria led 16-14 at the second technical timeout. With Vissottos blocking Todor Aleksiev’s spike, Brazil run 18-17 ahead and kept extending their leading (21-19). They managed to stay ahead till the end of the set and finished it 25-21.