Brazilian coach wanted his team to reach new heights and his players duly obliged as the world and Olympic champions romped to a 3-0 victory over the United States in Pool F of the FIVB Volleyball World Championship for Men in Hiroshima on Saturday.
At times playing sublime volleyball worthy of their favourites status, Brazil won 25-19, 25-18, 25-23 to send a message to the watching Bulgarians (4-0) that this group is going to be a real battle.
The victory meant Brazil took their Pool F record to 3-1, their only defeat coming at the hands of France during Pool B play in Fukuoka.
The Americans drop to 1-3 and now face a tough task trying to quality for the top 12 and a place in the positional play-offs.
Brazil play Bulgaria on Wednesday in a clash that could decide which teams go through to the semi-finals. And the Bulgarians, who had just seen off Cuba 25-22, 25-18, 25-20, know they won't have things their own way, as they did in Pool C.
The match began as a show of force from both teams keen to display the depth of their armoury.
Andre Nascimento, Giba and Dante Amaral pounded a few for Brazil while William Priddy and James Polster made their presence felt for the Americans.
Still, it was Nascimento's winner from the right that took his team to an 8-6 first time-out lead. Giba's bullet from the middle then pushed Brazil to 10-7 in front as the US struggled in defence.
Those early exchanges proved to be the closest USA would get in the first set as Brazil's awesome blocks and spikes dominated play.
Only Priddy managed to breach the yellow wall of Giba, Amaral and Andre Heller as Brazil stretched their lead to 16-12.
An American time-out at 20-14 down failed to stop the Brazilians, who started to use their substitutes such as setter Marcelo Elgarten and Anderson Rodrigues.
David McKienzie managed to salvage some points for the United States but Giba slammed one from the left to give his team six set points.
After squandering one set point, Giba turned up on the right to put Brazil 1-0 up.
Gustavo Endres made two ball-busting blocks on McKienzie and Giba powered one from the left as USA sought shelter in a time out at 5-1 down in the second set.
McKienzie worked hard for the US but Giba took control in taking Brazil to an 8-4 advantage.
Brazil maintained a comfortable lead, with Nascimento particularly deadly on the left, but then allowed US to come back to 15-12 from 15-9. Nascimento, however, put Brazil into the second time out 16-12 ahead with his effort from the right.
The South Americans then surged ahead with Clayton Stanley's missed spike putting them on nine set points. The United States saved three before Giba slapped a winner off the US defensive wall to give his team a two-set lead.
William Priddy helped the United States burst off the blocks in the third set as they went into the first TTO 8-6 ahead.
But Amaral's tip-over helped the champs level it at 8-8. Captain and first-choice setter Ricardo Garcia produced one of his trademark quick tips and Endres slammed a winner to give Brazil a 11-10 lead, the first time they went in front in the set.
Priddy sent a spike long to put Brazil 14-12 up with the Brazilians, with libero Sergio Santos in fine form, returning most things th US sent at them.
Brazil called a rare time-out after allowing the US to claw back to 16-15 from 16-12 down. This was USA's most competitive period since the opening phases of the match as they tracked Brazil to 20-20 with good work from Priddy and Ryan Millar.
A spike from Rodrigues and a Brazil block took them to 22-20 before Priddy hammered home for a one-point deficit.
Giba gave Brazil two set points and Nascimento converted at the second attempt.
