SEE Brazil-Philippines head-to-head in Fiba competition

FOR Gilas Pilipinas to achieve its dream of reaching the Olympics for the first time in 52 years, it has to accomplish a mission that it has never done before: beat Brazil.

The Philippines drew Brazil in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament after a wild and wooly group stage in Riga, Latvia.

This will only be the fifth time that both nations will play against each other, with the Brazilians coming out on top in the past four jousts.

Gilas coach Tim Cone was yet to be born the first time the two nations met in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in Finland.

Drawn in Group C, Brazil, bannered by the quartet of Zé Luiz, Alfredo da Motta, Angelim and Algodão and coached by Manoel Pitanga, whipped the Philippines, 71-52. Carlos Loyzaga and Ponciano Saldana scored 14 points apiece for the squad of coach Fely Fajardo. Brazil finished sixth in the tourney while the Philippines ended tied for the 9^th to 16^th places in the 23-team field.

Two years later, the two countries found themselves in the same position in the 1954 Fiba World Championship in Rio de Janeiro.

The Brazilians delivered a show before their home fans at Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, jumping to a 44-22 halftime lead before completing the 99-62 rout behind Angelim’s 18 points. Lauro Mumar led the Filipinos with 22 points in the loss, though both sides still advanced to the final round of the tournament.

They would meet again a week later, and though the Philippines performed better, Brazil still pulled off the 57-41 win. Almir led Brazil with 15 points, which was matched by Loyzaga to lead the Nationals.

It turned out to be the virtual battle for silver after the Kirby Minter-led USA went on a 7-0 romp of the final round for the Americans’ first world title. Brazil trotted a 6-1 card to claim silver behind legends Algodão and Wlamir Marques, while the Philippines wound up at 5-2 for bronze behind All-Tournament Team member Loyzaga.

Until today, it remains as the only podium finish of the country – and the whole of Asia – in the now-rechristened World Cup.

More than two decades have passed since the two teams crossed paths again, this time with the Philippines looking for redemption in its home court for the 1978 Fiba World Championship in Manila.

Coached by Nic Jorge, the RP Team pinned its hopes on the leadership of Ramon Cruz, who led the team in scoring with 16.8 points, as well as Steve Watson, Bernardo Carpio, the late Alex Clarino, and Padim Israel.

As host, the Philippines also earned an automatic bye to the semifinal round together with reigning champion Soviet Union, which won the cup in 1974.

Those hopes, however, was not to be as Oscar Schmidt, Marcel, Marquinhos Leite and the rest of Brazil ran away with the game in the second half, uncorking 60 points in the final two frames to take the 119-72 victory.

Brazil, collecting a 5-2 record, went on and beat Italy in the bronze medal match, 86-85, for their final Fiba World Cup medal up to this day. The Philippines, meanwhile, stumbled to a winless seven-game run before dropping a 92-74 loss to Australia in the seventh place playoff.

Forty-six years later, the two nations meet again.

Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, and June Mar Fajardo carry the hope of the nation as Gilas continues to chase that Olympic dream.

But standing in their way are the Brazilians once more, parading Bruno Caboclo, Yago Santos, and the ageless Marcelinho Huertas.

Can Gilas Pilipinas find a way and do the improbable once more?