Tokyo 2020: Brazil loses to USA, closes Games with silver in women’s volleyball

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian women’s volleyball team played the last moments of the Brazilian delegation at the 2020 Olympics at dawn on Sunday (8), leaving Tokyo with the silver medal.

In a new final against the United States, Brazil met a very inspired opponent and lost 3 to 0 sets (25-21, 25-20, and 25-14). The country’s athletes closed out a record result in Olympic Games, garnering a total of 21 medals, two more than in Rio 2016 and a number never reached before

Brazilian volleyball players have now won five medals in the women’s Olympic tournament. To the gold medals of Beijing and London – both against the United States – and the bronze medals of Atlanta and Sydney was added the silver medal of Tokyo. In addition, there were two fourth places, in Barcelona and Athens.

The current squad includes three holdovers from the 2012 title: Fernanda Garay, 34, Natalia, 32, and Tandara, 32, but the latter said goodbye to the Games just hours before the semifinals because she tested positive in an anti-doping test conducted a month ago while she was still preparing. The substance found was ostarine, and the athlete has already returned to Brazil, where she is working on her defense.

At 40 years old, Carol Gattaz is the oldest Brazilian woman to stand on an Olympic podium in her first participation. Another success is the fourth victory of coach José Roberto Guimarães. Although coaches are not officially recognized as medalists, the 67-year-old Paulista has the gold medals from 1992 with the men’s team, from 2008 and 2012 with the women’s team, and now this silver medal with the women’s team on his resume.

“Our preparation was the best possible. We knew how difficult it would be and that they would give everything. Strategically, they managed to play better. But I am very proud of this group. We had no doubts that we would have a great game, but they were better. I hope the Brazilian fans were proud of us,” Fê Garay said in an interview after the match, confirming that she had played her last game for the national team.

TOTAL SUPERIORITY OF THE USA

Brazil and the United States decided the 2008 and 2012 games. In both cases: Gold for Brazil. For the Americans, it was a chance to win the title at the world’s biggest sporting event for the first time after two victories over the Brazilians in the 2019 and 2021 Nations League finals. And that’s what they did, playing a game of total superiority and giving the Brazilians no chance.

In the final act of the volleyball match in Tokyo, the United States started 4-0, forcing Ze Roberto to take his first breather of the match already. Brazil stepped up, managed to get back into the game at times but could not equalize.

After a good moment for the Brazilian team, Larson made her sixth point to make it 18-14. The Brazilian team still saved the first two chances of the opponent to finish the match, but too much remained: 25-21 for the Americans.

Brazil finally got the lead at the beginning of the second set when it took a 2-0 lead thanks to a block by Rosamaria, who is new to the team since Tandara dropped out in the semifinals.

Zé Roberto put Natalia on instead of Rosamaria, but the American attack continued to work, and it was 10-7. In the opening period by Drews, 12-8, and a Garay error, 15-9. But the pressure on the scorers quickly switched sides after a Garay reception error, allowing the U.S. to pull away to 5-4.

Brazil was still trying to stop a small game, and on the next throw, Natalia was blocked – that’s when the United States opened with 18-9. In the final phase, Zé replaced the lifters, Macris for Roberta, and Brazil scored five points in a row to cut it to four (20-16). Although the team was at its best, the USA advantage was enough to win 2 sets to 0, 25-20.

The third set started with the Brazilians playing better, but the Americans followed with more efficiency. In a conversation at the request of Time, Zé Roberto called for a change of mood. After a 7:7, Brazil soon fell behind again, and Akinradewo provided a block to make it 11:7 for the opponents.

The Americans’ impressive defense and an uninspiring day from the Brazilians made the match a clear affair for the United States. Soon the score was 15-8. The Americans continued to hit hard, and the Brazilian team, which was definitely not as strong in the final as in the previous match in Japan, finally lost 25-14. With great performance, the American team won the Olympic Games with a 3-0 victory for the first time. Undisputed.

“It’s always very bad, you always want to win. But today, the United States played better than us. In the last three finals against them, they won. We fought hard, few believed in this group, and to get here is already a victory,” commented Natália.