BUENOS AIRES (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019) — A few days before the start of the second stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers, 24-year old Uruguay power forward, Gonzalo Iglesias, spoke to FIBA before the duel against Argentina, which will take place on Friday at Guerrero Stadium. In this conversation, he expressed his satisfaction with the new qualifying format: “The National Team feels comfortable with what was assigned to us”.

“The squad is doing well before the windows start. These days that we get to play together again are very beautiful. We have to prepare the best we can to go out and play the best basketball that you can play in these windows. Luckily, the roster has been keeping for a while now the same players, although, as is expected, there are some new ones. We feel good and confident. Each of us has a role in the team and that's noteworthy,” said Iglesias before the first game of these windows.

The power forward of the Argentine League Club Bahía Basket, talked about the match against the Argentine National Team: 

“It’ll be a very physical game at times. We all know how Argentina is as a team and we have to play a good game to be able to fight as equals.”

He also said: “The good thing about playing in the Argentine League is to get to know the players that will play in their National Team and have a good idea of the what to look out for to go out to defend and attack.”

The forward of the Uruguayan team —which have achieved 2 victories in their 2 appearances in the windows — talked about the new format: “It gives us other possibilities. The National Team feels comfortable with what was assigned to us and we hope that everything continues in the best way to gain the qualification for the World Cup.”

With regards as to how a training day is with the Uruguayan side, he said: “We practice in the morning, we do “scouting” and we see our rival’s plays. We have dinner and then we go to bed thinking about the next game day. On the next day, we practice in the morning and come back at night to play.”

It is important to stress that under this new qualifying format, the three best teams in the zone will advance to a new phase that will have other three windows (with rollover points) and that the Americas will have seven spots available for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. Uruguay is at the top of Group A, alongside Argentina.

FIBA