After Portugal had earlier beaten Chile, 46-28, Brazil were already certain to finish in second spot in the group. And coach Marcus Oliveira therefore could be excused for bringing in some new faces in the squad, as well as giving more playing time to players who did not feature so often, such as Leandro Alves Monte Da Silva or Renan Iziquiel Pinheiro Da Silva.
Still, the South American champions continued in the same impressive gear and took a 7-3 lead as Spain’s coach, Jordi Ribera, also offered chances to shine to younger players, such as the Cikusa brothers, Jan Gurri Aregay or Ian Barrufet.
Only three players did not get on the scoresheet for Brazil in a match where goalkeeper Mateus Cristian Martins Nascimento was selected for the match ahead of the spectacular Rangel da Rosa, and rose to the occasion by making 13 saves and a 38% saving efficiency.
Eventually, Spain ran out of steam in the end and with their third win against a European side in the competition, Brazil will be brimming with confidence as they prepare to meet reigning champions Denmark, in a crunch clash for the semis in the Unity Arena is Oslo.