Brazil wins thrilling five-set battle over Argentina

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, August 18, 2025. – Brazil came out on top in a thrilling five-set match, defeating Argentina 3-2 (27-25, 19-25, 25-14, 22-25, 15-12) to remain unbeaten in Pool B of the men’s volleyball tournament at the II Junior Pan American Games Asunción 2025, held at the COP Arena.

On Tuesday, Brazil (2-0) will close the preliminary round against Cuba (1-1), while Argentina (1-1) will face the Dominican Republic (0-2). The group winner will earn a direct berth to the semifinals.

The opening set had a dramatic finish, with Argentina pulling ahead 21-19 thanks to the attacks of Nicolás Oldani. However, Brazil rallied and sealed the set 27-25 with a block by Witallo de Sousa over Nahuel García.

In the second set, Argentina took control behind the leadership of team captain Denis Cabañas, supported by Samuel Guidi and Oldani, prevailing 25-19 to level the match.

Brazil regained momentum in the third, led by Maicon dos Santos on offense along with contributions from Samuel de Morais and Sousa, dominating with a convincing 25-14 win.

Argentina forced a decisive fifth set after controlling the fourth with solid blocking, highlighted by Nahuel Rojas and Nahuel García. Brazil narrowed the gap with an ace from Guilherme da Silva, but Argentina held firm to close 25-22.

In the tiebreak, the score was tied at 8 before Brazil surged ahead with back-to-back points from Maicon dos Santos. Guilherme da Silva added key points down the stretch, and after an Argentine service error, Brazil secured the 15-12 victory.

Brazil led in attacks (58-48) and service points (7-5), while Argentina held the edge in blocks (14-8). Errors were nearly even, with Brazil committing one fewer (34-35).

Four Brazilian players scored in double digits: Maicon dos Santos with 18 points, including 4 aces, Guilherme da Silva with 17, Samuel Carazzai with 14, and Witallo de Sousa with 10. For Argentina, captain Denis Cabañas was the match’s top scorer with 20 points, followed by Nahuel Rojas with 12, and Nahuel García and Nicolás Oldani with 10 each.

Brazilian outside hitter Amorim da Silva said: “It was a very tough match. Brazil and Argentina are always a great classic; our rivalry is very strong. We knew it would be a very complicated game. At no point did we stop believing that we could win, and that’s why we kept playing hard. For now, we are undefeated, tomorrow we have a very difficult match against Cuba, and we hope to neutralize them to finish first in the group.”

Argentina’s coach, Damián Arredondo, stated: “We’re left with a bittersweet feeling because we felt we could have won, especially the first set which was very close. This is a learning experience for this very young group, and that’s why we go through ups and downs. We are extremely proud of the match the players played and the effort they gave.”