USA versus Brazil

• Brazil and Unites States have met eight times before at the World Championships. They played each other in each of the last four World Championships. 

• Their last meeting was at this World Championship. In the second round Brazil won the encounter in straight sets.

• Brazil have won the last eight matches against NORCECA countries, including their last World Championship match against Dominican Republic (3-0). In these eight encounters, Brazil only conceded two sets.

• United States have lost their last three encounters against CSV countries. All three matches were against Brazil.

• Since the format includes a semifinal (since 1978), Brazil have won three of their four semifinals, in 1994 (v RUS), 2006 (v SRB) and 2010 (v JPN). They lost to Cuba in 1998.

• They can become the second team to reach the final (gold medal match) three times in a row after China in 1982 (gold), 1986 (gold), 1990 (silver). Soviet Union and Japan also recorded 3+ successive top two finishes at a time when the worlds did not feature a gold medal match and were contested in round-robin format.

• Japan (six times from 1960 to 1978) and Russia (four times as URS 1952-1962) finished in the top two in more consecutive editions, but the format in the years  prior to 1978 did not include a specific final match. 

• Brazil have yet to win the final, finishing runners up three times.

• Since the World Grand Prix has been held (1993), the winners of the WGP have never won the World Championship gold medal in the same year. Brazil have won the WGP in 2014.

• Brazil's women can equal their male colleagues in reaching the final three consecutive times and in the same years: 2006, 2010 and 2014.

• They are guaranteed a top four finish for the fifth time in the last six editions. They only finished seventh in 2002.

• Brazil are the only unbeaten team in this year's competition with 11 victories so far. In 12 of the 16 previous editions the winner of the tournament did not lose a single match.

• United States have qualified for the semifinals for the second time in a row. It's the first time ever they qualify for the semifinals in two consecutive World Championships.

• United States have now lost exactly 200 sets at the World Championship and are the third team with at least 200 sets conceded, after Germany (including East and West) (325) and Netherlands (221).

• USA's win over Russia ended their two-match losing streak. Italy are the only team to have lost two matches en route to the gold medal in 2002.