Brazil romped to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Greece in their second Pool B match of the FIVB Volleyball World Championship for Men in Fukuoka on Saturday.
The defending and Olympic champions encountered brief moments of resistance from the hard-working but injury-hampered Greeks in their 25-19, 25-18, 25-16 victory.
Greece fell to their second straight defeat following their 3-1 loss to France on the opening day.
At times, it looked like a training match for the Brazilians, who could count on a array of powerful attackers to punch holes in the stretched Greek defence.
Both sides started off confidently, with Brazil slightly more adept on the defensive side. That, however, did not stop Greece from taking an 8-7 first time-out lead on Nikolaos Smaragdis' thumping spike down the middle.
Master setter and captain Ricardo Garcia was creating numerous openings for Brazil while Vasileios Kournetas played a similarly effective role for the Greeks.
Konstantinos Christofidelis found space on the left to give Greece a 11-9 lead but Gilberto "Giba" Godoy and Andre Nascimento brought Brazil back to 12-12.
A disputed call that gave Brazil respite appeared to rattle Greece as Gustavo Endres punished some lax defending with two strong spikes and Nascimento sent in a service winner to give Brazil a 16-13 lead.
The 2.01m Dante Amaral was hardly needed by the Brazilians until he made it 20-17 for his team with his trademark windmill-like blast down the middle.
He was responsbile for the next two points as well, a snap spike from the left and a block on Ilias Lappas' smash. Amaral also sealed the set for his team with a simple first-time slap.
His late show allowed him to finish the set with four winners, the same as Giba, though Christofidelis led the field with five.
Greece were suddenly without captain Nikolaos Roumeliotis because of an injury but had Antrei Kravarik turning in strong winners at the start of the second set.
Brazil's greater weaponry, though, helped them to an 8-6 first time-out lead.
After the break, Greece were struggling for ideas and were undone by some indecision and Amaral's rifle shots that helped Brazil to a commanding 16-10 lead.
There was no looking back for the Brazilians as a succession of winners and Greece's inability to create attacking chances turned the match into a one-sided affair.
Two successive poor serves from Greece gave Brazil the set and a 2-0 lead.
Heads were down in the Greek camp at the start of the third set and Brazil showed no mercy with Giba and Nascimento firing in winners.
Brazil were also helped by some continued poor serving and, at times, chaos of the Greek build-up - which is why the Brazilians were probably surprised to be only 8-5 up at the first technical time out of the set.
Soon it was 16-8 to Brazil on Andre Heller's snap tip-over as the South Americans seemed bent on finishing it off as quickly as possible.
The formalities were completed when Murilo Endres smashed the winning spike.
