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Brazil - Pool B (Scroll down for Spanish)
Brazil has been South American No. 1 power since 1951 when they won this continent's championship for the first time. The winning streak continues and South America is yet to produce a team capable of challenging the unprecedented dominance of the country that has claimed the continental title for 23 consecutive times.
The country's Volleyball excellence, however, has a far greater reach. The Brazilians competed at the World Championship for the first time in 1956 in France and finished eleventh. And while it took some time for them to catch up with the leading Volleyball nations, from the 1978 championship in Italy onwards, Brazil has always been among the world's best.
In the 1982 Worlds in Argentina, they won the silver medal, then finished fourth for three times, in France, 1986, Brazil, 1990, and 1998 in Japan to finally triumph for the first time in Argentina last year where they beat Russia 3-2 in a nail-biting and dramatic thriller final to seal the
title. The team showed outstanding performance there as a complete unit, but also had its stars, among them Andre Nascimento who was awarded the best spiker of the tournament and Maurico Lima who became the best setter.
The World Championship victory was yet another prize for Brazil's impressive collection of major international
titles. In 1992, Brazil won the Olympic tournament in Barcelona after they had also won the silver medal earlier in 1984 in Los Angeles.
Brazil is also one of the countries to have participated in all editions of the World Cup. Head coach Bernardo "Bernardinho" Rezende, who took over the national squad in 2001, led Brazil to the victory in the prestigious competitions the same year and the team also produced magic last year when the finals were held in Brazil. And although they ultimately lost the final to Russia their performance was far from disappointing. Brazil already won the World League in 1993 and is again one of the favorites for the 2003 edition. Currently the second team on the FIVB World ranking, Brazil will start its 2003 World League campaign in Pool B, facing another superpower Italy, a young and talented Portugal and a solid
Germany.
Squad: Wallace (Unisul, BRA Marcelo); (E.C.U. SUZANO, BRA );Giovane (Piemone Volley, ITA );André Heller (Unisul, BRA );Henrique (Telemig Celular/Minas,
BRA);Mauricio (Telemig Celular/Minas, BRA) ;Giba (Ferrara,
ITA);Murilo (Banespa, BRA); André (PANATHINAIKOS,
GRE);Sérgio (Banespa, BRA);Anderson (NEC,
JPN);Nalbert (Macerata A.S. Volley Clube, IT);Gustavo (Ferrara,
ITA);Rodrigão (Banespa, BRA);Wesley (Telemig
Celular/Minas, BRA);Leandro (E.C.U. Suzano,
BRA) ;Ricardo (Ulbra, BRA);Dante (Daytona Volley SRL, ITA).
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BRA/Brazil
