Marchi: ‘I want to be on Team Brazil’

PUEBLO, Colo. – 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi is not giving up on qualifying for the 2017 PBR Global Cup.

The 35-year-old understands there is a new wave of Brazilian-talent carrying the green and yellow national colors of his homeland, but he wants to make sure he is there as a veteran presence when the Global Cup invades Roger’s Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Nov. 9-11.

“They need the old man there for strategy,” Marchi said with a big smile. “I can ride all the bulls and help put good things on the kids mind. I will help them not to be nervous. I want to be on Team Brazil for the Global Cup. I am going to try everything. If it is supposed to be there, it will be there. I am going to try my best. I am going to leave it in God’s hands.”

Marchi competed in all four of the past PBR World Cups, but the new Global Cup will certainly be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for riders across the globe that are selected to compete in the team-formatted event.

The Leme, Brazil, bull rider stated earlier this season that Brazil needs to regain bragging rights against the United States, who they split the old World Cup battles at two wins a piece.

However, Marchi is in jeopardy of being off the Team Brazil roster for the first Global Cup with one week left to try and earn a guaranteed roster spot.

Team Australia, Team Brazil, Team Canada, Team Mexico and Team United States will all name their first five riders to their seven-man rosters Saturday night following the Built Ford Tough Music City Knockout in Nashville.

As the host country, Canada will compete with seven extra riders for “home field” advantage.

The rosters are all based off the highest-ranked riders in the world standings at the conclusion of the event.

Each team will have the opportunity to generate seven qualified ride scores per day on Nov. 9-10. The prestigious Global Cup Trophy will be awarded to the team with the highest aggregate ride scores over the course of the event.

The Global Cup offers host countries “home-field advantage,” and Team Canada will compete with 14 riders on their team versus the seven riders competing for the visiting teams. (Note: Team Canada’s score each night will be based off their Top 7 performing riders).

Team Canada will fill its final nine riders to its roster based on a national qualifying event on Nov. 9 at Rogers Place. This will serve as the kickoff event for the 2017 Global Cup.

In regards to this weekend, Team Brazil has arguably one of the most intriguing Global Cup roster battles unfolding.

The team’s current roster looks like this: No. 1 Eduardo Aparecido, No. 2 Kaique Pacheco, No. 10 Joao Ricardo Vieira, No. 13 Rubens Barbosaand No. 17 Fabiano Vieira.

Marchi is currently No. 22 in the world standings and is 275.84 points behind Fabiano Vieira for the last guaranteed roster spot.

The 14-year veteran will likely need to advance to the Final 4 of the Music City Knockout to potentially earn enough points to pass Vieira, who advanced to the championship round last year before a shoulder injury prevented him from competing.

In fact, riders No. 18-23 in the world standings are all Brazilian-born riders that could use a victory in Nashville to push themselves into a roster spot.

No. 18 Claudio Montanha Jr. is only 19.17 points behind Vieira, while No. 19 Marco Eguchi sits 60.83 points behind.

Then there is three-time World Champion and current No. 20 Silvano Alvestrailing Vieira by 252.5 points.

If Marchi and Alves fail to qualify for the Global Cup, it would sure make things difficult for the to-be-determined Team Brazil coach.

Each country’s head coach will be allowed to select one rider to their seven-man roster.

The other rider rounding out the rosters is a national team qualifier determined by each of the country’s national offices.

Team Brazil will announce their national qualifier Monday following the PBR Brazil National Finals in Barretos.

“Brazilians have a strong team,” Marchi said. “Eduardo, Kaique, Joao, Silvano. These are all strong names, but it is competition. We will only win the championship on the last day and the last ride.”

EARLY LOOK AT OTHER GLOBAL CUP ROSTERS HEADING INTO NASHVILLE
*Rosters are tentative and subject to change.

Team Australia

No. 27 Troy Wilkinson
No. 35 Aaron Kleier
No. 39 Kurt Shephard
No. 40 Lachlan Richardson
No. 43 Sonny Schafferius

Team Brazil

No. 1 Eduardo Aparecido
No. 2 Kaique Pacheco
No. 10 Joao Ricardo Vieira
No. 13 Rubens Barbosa
No. 17 Fabiano Vieira

Team Canada

No. 32 Dakota Buttar
No. 42 Jordan Hansen
No. 46 Justin Lloyd
No. 50 Brock Radford
No. 53 Cody Coverchuk

Team Mexico

No. 63 Edgar Durazo
No. 111 Ricardo Orozco
No. 121 Juan Contreras
No. 148 Jorge Valdiviezo
No. 148 Francisco Morales

Team USA

No. 3 Jess Lockwood
No. 4 Chase Outlaw
No. 5 Derek Kolbaba
No. 7 Cooper Davis
No. 8 Matt Triplett

*No. 6 J.B. Mauney will miss the inaugural Global Cup event after sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury at this past July’s Calgary Stampede.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko