Ruse, Bulgaria, September 15, 2018 - Reigning Olympic champions Brazil (2-0) look for their third 2018 FIVB World Championship victory when they clash with the Netherlands (1-1) on Saturday. The only time the Dutch beat the Brazilians in five head-to-head World Championships encounters was 52 years ago in Czechsolovakia in 1966.
Head-to-Head
• The Netherlands won only one of their five World Championship matches against Brazil, 3-2 in Pardubice in 1966.
• The most recent World Championship match between the Netherlands and Brazil was in Santa Fe in 2002. The Brazilians won in straight sets.
• There have been 35 world level major tournament matches between the Netherlands and Brazil. The most recent of those came when they met four times in the 2010 World League (one Dutch win, three Brazilian victories).
• The world level major tournaments are Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Brazil defeated the Netherlands in straight sets in the 1992 Olympic Games final in Barcelona.
Netherlands
• After a 3-0 defeat versus Canada in their opening fixture, the Netherlands won their second match at the 2018 World Championship 3-1 against China.
• The Netherlands could win consecutive World Championship matches for the first time since 2002, when they won three in a row against Greece, Czech Republic and Cuba.
• The Netherlands are one shy of 50 defeats at the World Championship. Their current balance is 52 wins and 49 defeats.
• Nimir Abdel-Aziz has scored 35 total points at this World Championship, most among Dutch players. Abdel-Aziz led his team in scoring against Canada (13 points) and China (22).
• Jasper Diefenbach scored seven points from blocks against China.
Brazil
• Brazil started their quest for the World Championship title with a 3-0 win over Egypt and a 3-2 win over France.
• Brazil have now won their first two matches in each of the last four editions of the World Championship (including 2018). In 2014, Brazil won their first nine matches, before losing their 10th to Poland.
• Brazil have won their last two matches that went into a deciding set, both against France (2014, 2018). They have never won three matches in a row played in five sets at World Championships.
• Wallace De Souza (32 points) and Douglas Souza (26) lead Brazil in scoring at this World Championship.