Lausanne, Switzerland, September 15, 2017 – After three competition days at the 2017 FIVB Men's World Grand Champions Cup in Japan, USA and Brazil lead the standings with two wins and seven points each. As these two teams meet in the opening match of the penultimate day on Saturday, the eventual winner will get a head start towards the title before the crucial matches on Sunday. This will be fourth encounter between USA and Brazil in the history of the Grand Champions Cup.
Head-to-Head
• Brazil have won all their previous three World Grand Champions Cup matches against USA. In 2013, they won in straight sets. In 2005 and 1993, Brazil came from behind to beat USA 3-1.
• This will be the 100th match in the history of the Men’s World Grand Champions Cup.
• In these nations' most recent meeting, on July 7, Brazil beat USA 3-1 in a 2017 World League semifinal.
USA
• USA can win three matches at a single edition of the World Grand Champions Cup for the second time, after four wins in 2005.
• USA are still in contention to win the World Grand Champions Cup for the first time and become the second team, after Brazil, to have won all five global tournaments - Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Champions Cup and World League.
• Matthew Anderson is his team's top scorer on 47 points, including nine aces.
Brazil
• Brazil bounced back from their defeat against Italy with a straight-set win over Iran.
• The Brazilians have never lost more than one match at a single edition of the World Grand Champions Cup.
• They could claim two straight-set wins in a row at the tournament for the first time since 3-0 victories against USA and Japan in 2013.
• Ricardo Lucarelli Souza (37) leads Brazil in spikes at this year's tournament.