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 Brazil
defeats Colombia in opening match of Pan Am Cup
SAN JUAN,
Puerto Rico, May 24, 2010 – Brazil scored a 3-1
(25-17, 25-14, 24-26, 25-23) victory over
Colombia in the first match of the Men’s Pan
American Cup at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San
Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
The taller
Brazilians, who have a 2.05 meters height
average, topped their opponents in blocking 12-7
and also dominated the service category 6-1.
Mauricio
Silva topped the winners with 22 points,
including three serving aces, and Kaio Rocha and
Mauricio Souza added 15 and 12 respectively.
Colombian Alexander Moreno led his side with 13
points and Carlos Mosquera and Ronald Jimenez
contributed 11 tallies apiece.
“Our team is
very tall but also very young and they represent
the future of Brazil looking towards the next
Olympic cycle,” Brazilian Coach Rubinho Leonaldo
said after the match. “They are talented but
also need to do the job as protagonists. I like
the composure they showed.”
Horacio Dileo,
the Argentinean coach of Colombia, said: “We are
here to learn from the big teams and Brazil and
Argentina are the top teams of South America. I
am not happy but satisfied with the level we
showed today.”
“It was a
good game for us despite the errors after the
first two sets, but we also must admit that the
opponent played better,” said Silva, the captain
of Brazil.
“We couldn’t
play consistently,” said Moreno, the captain of
Colombia. “But Brazil is the country where
volleyball is better played and I am happy with
the level of our first match and hope to do
better in our next one.”
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