The Brazilian men’s volleyball team faces a decisive clash in the Nations League (VNL), seeking to reverse the negative streak after its first defeat in the tournament. After losing the top of the table, the team led by Bernardinho will face Italy, in a fundamental match in the Ljubljana stage, in Slovenia. The clash is scheduled for this Friday (26th), at 3pm (Brasília time), and will feature live broadcast on sportv2, in addition to real-time coverage on ge.
The Brazilian campaign in Ljubljana began with a worrying setback against Ukraine last Wednesday, culminating in the loss of their unbeaten record. The team committed several individual and collective errors, resulting in a defeat by 3 sets to 1, with scores of 29 to 27, 22 to 25, 25 to 22 and 25 to 21. Despite the unfavorable score for Brazil, striker Darlan stood out by scoring 26 points in the match.
In this initial phase of the Nations League, the 18 participating teams will play a total of 12 games, with the best eight advancing to the quarter-finals, which will be held in a unique location (China already has a guaranteed place as host country). After the dispute against the Italians, Brazil will still have duels scheduled against Slovenia and Canada, also in Ljubljana. The recent defeat caused the Brazilian team to fall to third place, with 12 points, while Japan leads the table with 14, and Italy is in fifth place, with 10 points, showing the importance of each point in the race for a place.
After completing the stage in Slovenia, the Brazilian team will head to Chicago, in the United States, where they will play between the 15th and 19th of July. In the third and final week of the qualifying phase, Brazil will face opponents such as France, the United States, Poland and China. VNL champions in 2021, the team aims to win their second title in the tournament, a feat that would place them alongside nations such as Russia, France and Poland, who currently hold two titles each.
Broadcast details: where to watch the clash between Brazil and Italy
- Scheduled date for the duel: Friday, June 26
- Match start time: 3pm, Brasília time
- Sports event location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Live broadcast channels: sportv2, with a special pre-game starting at 2:40 pm. The ge portal will also provide real-time coverage.