Rio de Janeiro, June 18, 2016 – USA and Brazil’s clash in Rio de Janeiro will have an Olympic feel about it, with the two sides having met at the 1984 and 2008 Games.
Head-to-Head
· The most recent encounter between these two teams was at the 2015 World League, when Brazil won 3-1 in the Final Round in Rio.
· These nations have met twice in an Olympic final, in 1984 and 2008. United States won the gold medal twice.
· This is the 38th meeting in the World League. Brazil have won 27 of the previous 37 matches, United States have won 10.
· They have met once in a World League final. In 2014, United States won 3-1.
Brazil
· Brazil can win their first three matches of a World League campaign in straight sets for the first time since 2011.
· Brazil have won their last eight matches in major competitions and their last five in straight sets.
· Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza is Brazil's leading top scorer with 35 points, only two behind USA's Taylor Sander.
United States
· USA can equal their start of the World League campaign from 2015, when they won the first three matches all by a 3-1 score.
· They can win their first three matches for the third year in a row. They had not achieved this in the five years prior to 2014.
· Taylor Sander is top scorer in Group 1 with 37 points.
· Erik Shoji had 23 digs in 38 attempts, most of all players