MEDELLIN (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - If the Group A games that Mexico won at Medellin were complicated, thanks to the FIBA AmeriCup format what will to come promises to be even more demanding.

Before playing the Semi-Final at Cordoba on September 2, the Mexican team will have 5 free days that they expect to use to their benefit before playing for the pass to the championship game against the Group B winner.

“We're truly satisfied with what we've achieved. Now we'll be competing against the other group’s winner. One always wants to reach the Final in the best way possible, and we’ll work to do so,” said Sergio Valdeolmillos, Mexico’s coach.

“Now we have several days to recover and train, and its clear that we’ll use them to our advantage,” said the Spanish coach.

Mexico will travel to Panama, where they’ll rest until Wednesday, when they leave for Córdoba.

Meanwhile, the team's shooting guard, Francisco “Paco” Cruz, believes that those vacation days will benefit the team. “Those days will be great to rest a bit and recover from our injuries,” said Cruz, who headed Mexico’s offense with a 14.3-point average in Group A’s three games.

Mexico will have to wait several days to know who will be their rival at Semis. The options right now are Argentina, Venezuela, Canada or Virgin Islands.

“There are very good teams over there. I think that we have to keep playing the defense just as we've been doing up until now. The coach says that the defense gives us the offense,” Cruz explained.

The Mexican National Team ended their Group A participation in Medellin with a perfect 3-0. Nonetheless, it wasn't an easy accomplishment. They defeated Puerto Rico only by three points and had to play to their max against an aggressive Colombian team.

For the 2013 Mexican continental champions, this is their third consecutive qualification to a continental Semi-Final, a streak that started four years ago in Caracas, where they surprisingly achieved the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship.

FIBA