Argentina to receive Puerto Rico for a vital duel
Puerto Rico and Argentina will face each other on Monday at Formosa’s Estadio Cincuentenario, where they expect a great opportunity for both national team’s aspirations to qualify for the FIBA World Cup.
FORMOSA, ARGENTINA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers) — Puerto Rico and Argentina will face each other on Monday at Formosa’s Estadio Cincuentenario, where they expect a great opportunity for both national team’s aspirations in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers.
The Argentine national team have been traveling throughout different cities in the country. They played their first match at la Rioja, against Paraguay. Then it was Olavarría’s turn, where they received Uruguay. And, in the most recent game, against Panama, the encounter took place in San Juan. Now it is time for Estadio Cincuentenario, with a capacity for 4,500 people. Built in the year 2007, it hosted the U-18 FIBA Americas Tournament and the South American Qualifiers on 2018, as well as others more.
With Luis Scola as scoring leader, with a 16.3-point average per game, plus his 7.8 in rebounds; Nicolás Brussino with 13.4, and Facundo Campazzo with 13.3, Argentina will try to keep these important points at home. The Puerto Rican side arrive with captain José Juan Barea as their leader, with 15.0 points and 7.0 in assists; Ángel Vassallo with 13.7 units and will also try to seek those points to not lose the leaders’ tracks and continue their aspirations to the world stage.
Sergio Hernández, Argentine coach, talked to FIBA before the game: “We play day to day, but this one is quite important. Mexico is now in a very complicated spot, but this favors us. I expect a full stadium at Formosa. Argentina accompanies us quite a lot, it has already happened. This team wins sympathies, it's a team with charisma and people love them. And, above all, they're on the right path.”
“We always respect our rivals very much, we're happy to be competing and being close to our objective, but we always respect everyone. I love the idea of this team since always. Everything started in Toronto 2015 when these guys were 20, 22 years old. We're doing well at these Qualifiers, but we lost a game today. It hurt because it was at home, but we have a record of six wins and one loss. I’m semi-calm because I know that it depends on us if we win or lose, because if you lose it's because the rival plays better than you do.”
Argentina persevered in their last game as visitors against Mexico, 78-74, with a determining performance of their point guard, Facundo Campazzo (26 points and 8 assists), and continued to lead the positions in their zone, with a 6-1 registry and 13 points, like the United States.
The Argentine point guard noted: “[Against Mexico] we made some hurried defenses and attacks, so that we don't make them against Puerto Rico. Now we're setting our sights on Monday's match, which we have to win. I think about helping Argentina, not on personal things. Argentina has aspects to improve. But we're doing good. We're finding that chemistry that's important in building little by little and shaping our identity.”
Puerto Rico arrives at this encounter after a local victory against Panama, 82-73, with 18 points and 7 assists by José Juan Barea, leader in the attacks with guard Gian Clavell, who scored 11 of his 14 points in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter. It was an important victory for the Boricuas, who improved their mark to 5-2 in Group E, and stayed within the first three teams.
“It's going to be a very difficult game, but we're good. The guys are in good rhythm. We're going over there to give it all. The greatest effort will be to see what we can do over there with such a team as Argentina.” As for their visit to Argentina, he added: “We've played well in Argentina and we've had the chance to defeat them. I believe that we can win there. We know how difficult it is. We have (Javier) Mojica and (David) Huertas, who are playing at a high level. You never know what could happen. We must stay positive and give us that opportunity. If we want to defeat Argentina, we have to achieve 95 percent of the free throws.”
Eddie Casiano, Puerto Rico's coach, also talked about Monday’s encounter: “We know that Argentina are among the best in the world. They move the ball and try to win with their rotations. They do very good curtain and its quite a good challenge for us. We've always played well against them. Despite we're a bit unmanned, it’s a good challenge. I believe we can do a good job. We have to use what we have and use it the best we can. We're still not a potency, but we're working to improve the team.”
The last time that Puerto Rico played at Argentina was at a FIBA Americas Tournament in 2011. The result favored the locals, who were later consecrated as champions, 81-74. From that occasion, for the Boricua side only José Juan Barea, Ricky Sánchez and Javier Mojica will be present. As for the Argentines, it will only be Luis Scola. Carlos Arroyo, with 24 points, and Emanuel Ginóbili, with 23, had been the best of the encounter that took place at Polideportivo Islas Malvinas, at Mar del Plata.
The 1995 FIBA Americas Tournament is one of the championships best remembered by the Puerto Ricans who, in Argentine land — more precisely, in the city of Neuquén — were proclaimed champions, winning the final against the locals, 87-86, and achieving their third title of the tournament.
The two national teams will collide once again in Puerto Rican territory on February 22 of next year in the third stage of the Qualifiers. Until then, they will do everything in their reach to add points and not be left out of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
FIBA