Brazil defeats Canada and reaches the men's water polo final at the Santiago Pan American Games - News :: CBDA
(Rio de Janeiro, November 3, 2023) The Brazilian men's water polo team outdid itself and defeated the strong Canadian team this Friday, the 3rd, by 13 to 12, reaching the long-awaited final of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. This Saturday, the 4th, the penultimate day of the event, Brazil will face the United States at 8:30 pm in the dispute for the gold medal.
The national team played a historic game against Canada from the first to the last play. Strong in defense and without stopping to attack, Brazil alternated the lead on the scoreboard, always with a difference of at most one point, to end the first half losing 6 to 5. The game remained very close until the end and the victory came on the last shot of the match, through Gustavo Grummy, with 14 seconds left.
“We faced a very difficult opponent, but today what stood out was the quality of the Brazilian team and not of one player. Everyone participated, everyone played and were very brave”, said the team captain, Gustavo Grummy Guimarães. “Our goal was to reach the final. Now we have to enjoy this moment because we deserve it. Tomorrow is that, we already have the no, so let's see what happens”, said the striker.
With the victory, the team maintains the rhythm of winning medals in the last editions of the Pan American Games: bronze in Guadalajara 2011 and Lima 2019 and silver in Toronto 2015.
Half of this team lost to Canada in the semifinals of Lima 2019. Another factor that explains the blood in the eyes with which the team entered the pool.
“We wanted to get revenge. It's a team that fought hard but it couldn't end in a better way, in a Pan American Games final”, celebrated Grummy, now a four-time Pan American medalist.
Women go in search of bronze
In the women's tournament, the score was the opposite. Brazil was defeated by Canada 21-4 and will now play for the bronze medal against Argentina at 11 am on Saturday. Canada and the United States will compete for the gold.
“Reaching the semifinals was very significant for us. Half of the team is playing for their first senior team. It will be fantastic to win a medal. Despite today's result, we have to hold our heads up high, see where we went wrong in defense and attack to go after the bronze medal. We knew it would be a very tough match. Canada does not forgive any mistake,” said team captain Letícia Belorio.
“Argentina has been evolving in women's polo, but our team has also grown a lot during the tournament. I believe that if we go in focused, we have a good chance of taking this medal home,” added Letícia, 22, winner of the Brazilian Olympic Award for best polo player in 2022.
Canada will face the United States in the final of the women's tournament and Argentina in the dispute for the men's bronze.
*Text produced by the Brazilian Olympic Committee
