Brazilian players celebrate the ticket to the finals
Gurabo, Puerto Rico, September 18, 2015 – Two years after winning the bronze medal at the U18 World Championship in Thailand, the Brazilian team of Mauricio Thomas is ready to battle for the gold at the U20 in Puerto Rico.
Mauricio Thomas, coach of Brazil: reaching the finals is like a dream coming true. This team won the bronze at the U18 world championship two years ago so we have waited two years for this moment of battling for the title. The team showed a lot of determination, heart and courage. Now we have to prepare for tomorrow’s match.
Lana Conceicao, captain of Brazil: We all have dreamed with this moment. We were able to neutralize the offence of Japan and kept a good attitude during the whole match. It was a real team effort and we are going into the gold medal match with a lot of confidence and desire to win.
Kiyoshi Abo, coach of Japan: We made a lot of mistakes today and it cost us the match. Also our defence was not as good as usual.