Uruguay and Argentina to fight for the first spot on Group A

MONTEVIDEO (FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers 2019) — Uruguay and Argentina will meet on the second date of the FIBA Basketball World Cup America Qualifiers before China 2019. The Uruguayan team are coming from an important victory as visitors against the Argentinian team in the city of Olavarría (88-83) and now, as locals, they seek to continue to lead Group A from the Palacio Peñarol in Montevideo. These games are important because they rollover points to the next phase of FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.

The game leaders between both teams in Olavarría were Bruno Fitipaldo, with 25 points; and Esteban Batista with 17 points for the Uruguayan team. Meanwhile, Luis Scola and Nicolás Brussino had 23 points each for the team led by Sergio Hernández.

 

The Uruguayans arrived at this second phase with 3 victories and 1 loss against Panama in their last game (86-75), while Argentina also have 3 victories and only one loss. The Argentines are coming from a victory against Paraguay 83 to 61 as locals.

The 12 players that make up the Argentina National Team are: Facundo Campazzo, Nicolás Laprovittola, Luca Vildoza, Eric Flor, Nicolás Brussino, Máximo Fjellerup, Patricio Garino, Franco Giorgetti, Javier Saiz, Luis Scola, Roberto Acuña, and Marcos Delía.

 

It must be clarified that for the duel with Uruguay they can modify their list, which means that if Gabriel Deck —a key figure for the National Team in the previous phases of the Qualifiers— evolves favorably, he can join the team.

The bad news in Hernández’s team is the discharge of shooting guard Lucio Redivo, who suffered a muscle injury in the adductor magnus muscle. After running some tests, it was determined that he needed to be discharged from the next games. He will be replaced by Eric Flor.

“I wanted to see my teammates and be on par with the team on these Qualifiers. These next matches seem to be well. I have a lot of desire to train, work, and we are looking for that identity. It’s not easy, but we are looking for the best version of the National Team —that maybe we won’t find on the next two games—, but we are looking for that version and we are going to play a good game. There are two challenging games ahead. Panama and Uruguay have a similar game and a bad match by us could cost us. We are working hard this week, we have to adjust some things, but at this moment mistakes are welcome, and we have to be smart,” Facundo Campazzo (ARG), who recently won a championship with Real Madrid.

 

“On these windows we can spend more days together, maybe on other windows we were not complete, and we hope that the FIBA-Euroliga issue can be solved so that I can come.” “Now we have a few days to train in San Juan and search for our identity. Last year we found it in some instances during the AmeriCup and now we are following the same path,” added the point guard.

Meanwhile, the 12 players that forms the Uruguay National Team led by Marcelo Signorelli will be: Marcos Cabot, Nicolás Catalá, Bruno Fitipaldo, Luciano Parodi, Federico Pereiras, Santiago Vidal, Salvador Zanotta, Esteban Batista, Nicolás Borsellino, Mathias Calfani, Gonzalo Iglesias, Sebastián Izaguirre, and Hatila Passos.

The list of 13 players was given to the coach a week ago and maybe it is noteworthy that Sebastián Vázquez is not on it. “We took the decision for him to not join on this double window. We talked to him and he understood. After there were a lot of upheavals. This has some risks, but we assume those risks. We will see how it ends,” he expressed.

About what Signorelli expects for the following games, he said: “We have to submit to the game plan that we proposed since we planned it. A lot of defensive intensity and to try to run the court. We must fight with our weapons and that is the identity that Uruguay must have, with the players that we have. That is what took us to beat Argentina in Olavarría.”

“Zanotta, Borsellino, and Izaguirre were always with us. I like players that when you call the they say yes immediately, those are the players that we always want to have and for them to be at a hundred percent. It is an open National Team and there are always changes. We give value to the defense, we must be more intense because if we are not, we cannot compete. That is what we are searching for, and we accept criticism, but in Uruguay it is that way. We want to be calm and to know where we stand —that is the commitment that we want from the players.”

“We have inside players that can play as small forwards, which is one of the variations that we handle. In Olavarría, Nicolás Brussino was defended by Gustavo Barrera that has a significant size., But those that aren’t here, aren’t here and we have to be with those that are. There are various variations of the game, but they also must defend. The Qualifiers did not give us a lot of margin to work, but we did it,” he said after the friendly games with Chile in Santiago and in Valdivia, one with a 76-72 win and the other with a 71-64 loss.

With a campaign built by the players through social media under the title: “We are a team, we are Uruguay,” the National Team invites all Uruguayans to attend the Palacio on July 1 when they face off against Argentina to find a new win in these Qualifiers while taking care of the leadership of the group.

Bruno Fitipaldo, point guard of the Uruguay National Team, also referred to the next game against Argentina: “We already had the chance to play as locals in the AmeriCup and on the first Qualifying window, it was very beautiful. Not every year we have that chance, so we enjoy it very much and we come here as strong as a local and we hope to do it to Argentina. It will be a completely different game from Olavarría. Argentina has a lot of important players in certain positions and it would be much harder. We hope to get to that game with the expectation to be first.”

“I like the format of the Qualifiers, the National Teams are closer to their people, their country, and are more present on the games through the National Teams. We have a more organic contact, I like it a lot. It is a little tiring because I play in Europe, but I enjoy it a lot and hopefully it can be favorable for the National Team. For now, we are doing well. We have to get better and exceed what we have done.”

Argentinian center, Marcos Delía, expressed: “It is always a joy and it is very special to be on the National Team. This is different from the other years, these are two games that can get you in or out of the World Cup. These are two fundamental games and we can count on the guys from Spain and from the League that will give us a huge hand and it is good that they are here for this because this team is complete, and we can compete on a higher level.”

 About what is coming to Uruguay, expressed: “Batista is important in the picture, it will be important to control him and Fitipaldo. He does a lot for Uruguay and in Olavarría did a lot of damage.”

For his part, Uruguayan center, Gonzalo Iglesias, also analyzed the duel against Argentina: “It was a beautiful game to play against Argentina, and even more so as a visitor. We fought We know that this Argentina is not the same one that we will face as locals in Montevideo. They are coming with other players that play on strong leagues, but we are going to go play the same game that we did in Olavarría and face them as equals. To play in Montevideo is very beautiful. The people are always there and make their presence felt in the Palacio Peñarol.”

FIBA