Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 6, 2016 - Brazil's "other" team, #4 seed Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg start off their Olympics against Cuba's #21 seed, Nivaldo Diaz/Sergio Gonzalez in a pool D match on day two. All four players will be making their Olympic Games debut.
Head to Head
Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg won the only previous meeting at the World Championships in 2015, 21-19, 19-21, and 15-11 in 55 minutes.
Historically the #4 seed has won all four previous meetings over the #21 seed in the Olympic Games, and all in straight sets. The closest match was using sideout scoring in Sydney (2000) where Switzerland's Martin and Paul Laciga defeated Martin Lebl/Michal Palinek of the Czech Republic, 15-13 in 52 minutes.
Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg, Brazil, Seed #4, Pool D, Qualified as Host Nation Representative
• Evandro: July 17, 1990 (26y0m20d), 210 cm (6'11"), 105 kg (233 lbs.), Hometown Rio de Janeiro, 53rd FIVB World Tour event, three gold medals, $316,900 career winnings (ranks 60th)
• Pedro: March 27, 1986 (30y4m10d), 194 cm (6'4"), 95 kg (211 lbs.), Hometown Rio de Janeiro, 132nd FIVB World Tour event (ranks 30th), 16 gold medals (ranks 9th), $916,962 career winnings (ranks 7th)
• Evandro and Pedro have been playing together since 2015. They are playing in their 20th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together, two gold medals, $411,000 career winnings (ranks 44th).
• Evandro has played in nine FIVB World Tour final fours with three gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
• Pedro has played in 48 FIVB World Tour final fours with 16 gold, 10 silver, 10 bronze medals and 12 4th place finishes.
• Evandro and Pedro have played in seven Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Silver Moscow Grand Slam 2015, Gold Stavanger Major 2015, Bronze World Championships 2015, Bronze World Tour Finals 2015, Silver Maceió Open 2016, Silver Rio de Janeiro Grand Slam 2016, Gold Gstaad Major 2016).
• Evandro and Pedro won the bronze medal in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).
• Evandro finished 5th in the FIVB World Championships with Vitor Felipe in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).
• Pedro finished 17th in the FIVB World Championships with Harley Marques in 2007 (Gstaad) 17th with Pedro Cunha in 2009 (Stavanger), 5th with Rhooney Ferramenta in 2011 (Rome), and 5th with Bruno Oscar Schmidt in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).
• Evandro and Pedro are currently ranked 14th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 3,890 points and 4th in winnings with $166,000.
• Evandro and Pedro have a career 74-34 (68.5%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events, all in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period.
• Pedro won the gold medal at the U18 World Championships (Xylokastro, Greece) and the silver medal in 2003 (Pattaya, Thailand), both with Ian Borges.
• Pedro won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships with Pedro Cunha in 2003 (Saint Quay Portrieux, France), the bronze medal with Neilton Santos in 2004 (Porto Santo, Portugal), and the gold medal with Bruno Oscar Schmidt in 2006 (Myslowice, Poland).
• Evandro won a gold medal with Vitor Felipe on the South American (CSV) Continental Tour in 2013 (Chile).
• Evandro was named the FIVB World Tour Best Server in 2015.
• Pedro was named the FIVB World Tour Best Blocker in 2013 and was Team of the Year and Tour Points Champion with Harley Marques in 2008.
• Pedro hails from a volleyball family - sisters Carolina and Maria Clara have played on the women’s World Tour and his mother, Isabel, is a former winner on the circuit
Nivaldo Diaz/Sergio Gonzalez, Cuba, Seed #21, Pool D, Qualified through North, Central America and Caribbean Confederation (NORCECA) Continental Cup
• Nivaldo: March 24, 1994 (22y4m13d), 200 cm (6'7"), 81 kg (180 lbs.), Hometown LA Habana, 2nd FIVB World Tour event, $5,500 career winnings
• Sergio: June 20, 1990 (26y1m17d), 192 cm (6'4"), 89 kg (198 lbs.), Hometown Holguin, 2nd FIVB World Tour event, $5,500 career winnings
• Nivaldo and Sergio are playing in their 2nd FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together, $11,000 career winnings.
• Nivaldo and Sergio finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).
• Nivaldo and Sergio have a career 3-2 (60.0%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events, all in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period.
• Nivaldo and Sergio won eight gold, one silver, and one bronze medal on the NORCECA Continental Tour from 2012-2014.
• Sergio has won seven gold, six silver, and two bronze medals on the NORCECA Continental Tour with Yaismel Borrel, Kinderlan Alvarez, and Karell Pena from 2009-2013.
• Sergio ranks 2nd all-time in NORCECA Continental Tour gold medals with 15 and Nivaldo ranks 5th with eight.
• Nivaldo and Sergio helped secure Cuba’s Rio berth with a 5-0 match mark in the NORCECA Continental Cup in Guaymas, Mexico
• Nivaldo and Sergio with one previous FIVB World Tour event each are tied with Tunisia's Choaib Belhaj and Mohamed Naceur as the least experienced men's players at the Rio Olympics.