Brazil were in no mood for a nervous Saturday afternoon as they dominated from start to finish against Angola, winning 30:19 to leapfrog them into fourth place and claim the one remaining quarter-final place in group B.
This Lusophone derby had some classic ingredients for a fascinating match, no matter how it would transpire.
Two talented, yet shaky teams who have battled their way into a position to reach the quarter-finals of a major competition. Both know deep inside that they are the better team and can get the result if they deliver what they can.
Often, these games develop into one of two contests: a nervy low-scoring scrap which goes down to the final minutes, or a blow-out as one team flies straight out of the blocks and dominates. This afternoon’s game saw the latter outcome.
Winning at a canter
Samara Vieira (5 first-half goals) and Gabi Moreschi (12 first-half saves) began the match like women possessed and it personified the entire Brazilian approach, dominating every encounter and not allowing Angola to breathe, taking a 9:2 lead.
By 23 minutes they had a 10-goal lead and by the time the shellshock wore off their African opponents, the contest looked over with the score at 14:6 at the break.
There was still a glimmer of hope for Angola, if they managed to begin the second half in the way their opponents did the first, but Brazil were just too switched on.
It was a tough second half for Angola, as they had to find something to keep fighting for as their Olympic dreams faded away. On the contrary, Brazil could enjoy the final 15 minutes, safe in the knowledge that their ticket to Lille was in the bag and they had a quarter-final against one of the Scandinavian trio to look forward to on Tuesday.