LEÓN (Mexico) – The eight best teams on the continent passed the Group Phase and settled in the Quarterfinals that will be defined this Friday, July 7 at the Dome of the León Fair, Guanajuato (Mexico).
The great objective of the teams is to advance to the Semifinals, but also, and no less important, to stay on the road to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Teams from the Americas are guaranteed two places in the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. One of them already belongs to the United States, current Olympic and world champion, and the other will be for the best team of this AmeriCup 2023, not counting the Americans.
The next four best-placed teams will have a place in the Americas Olympic Pre-Qualifier, from where two more teams will go to the World Olympic Qualifier.
There is not little that is at stake, so that the national teams are obliged to show their best version in these Quarterfinals. Let’s review each of the duels:
United States vs. Colombia
12:10 local time
The defending champions North Americans went 3-1 in Pool A and claimed second place after losing to Brazil. They have not looked like the dominant team on previous occasions, but they have great talent and have the ability to show better performance from now on. Rickea Jackson has led the offense with 13.5 points, but the most decisive player is center Lauren Betts, who is averaging 10.5 points and 11.8 rebounds. Angel Reese (7.8 PTS) has to step up on offense.
Colombia left a 2-2 balance to stay in third place in Group B. They come from a great exhibition against Mexico and have the physique to complicate the Americans. They will depend on their pitchers being able to open the field. The escort Jenifer Muñoz is the spark plug of the attack with her 16.3 points average.
The last time these two teams met was in the 2019 AmeriCup Group Stage with an 88-46 victory for the United States.
Puerto Rico vs. Venezuela
2:40 p.m. local time
Puerto Rico finished in second place in Group B with a 3-1 record but Colombia and Mexico made life very hard for them. They did not see themselves as that team that plays cheerfully and runs the field, perhaps because the group did not fully come together before the tournament, but the important thing is that they showed personality at the end of the commitments. Arella Guirantes, with her 16.3 points, is still the main weapon but she needs another teammate to second her so as not to suffer so much wear and tear.
The Venezuelans (1-3) surprised by getting into third place in Group A. That epic comeback against Cuba was enough for them, which allowed them to come out favored in the ratio of points for and against, in the triple tie with the Antilles and Argentina. The offense has responded (4th best with 73.0 points) and they have the best scorer in the Group Phase, Daniela Wallen (20.5 PTS), but they will need more than that to be able to give the bells against the Puerto Ricans.
The most recent precedent between these two squads was in the previous edition of the AmeriCup in 2021, with Puerto Rico dominating in the Group Phase by 88-50.
Canada vs. Argentina
17:40 local time
The squad led by the Spanish coach Víctor Lapeña has been very solid on both sides of the pitch. Canada was the team that scored the most points (86.0) and the team that conceded the fewest (51.8) in the Group Stage. Hence his unbeaten 4-0 in Group B and his badge as a great contender for the title. Collectiveness has been its great virtue with a total of six players averaging over eight points, led by the experienced Nirra Fields, Shay Colley and Kayla Alexander, the latter the leader in rebounds with 13.0.
For its part, Argentina has been the opposite. One word that could very well describe the team is irregularity. In the Group Phase they had great passes against the United States and Brazil but then they made too many mistakes in the closings and hence their record of 1-3 to fall to fourth place in Group A. However, it is a team with capacity -about all because of the presence of Melissa Gretter (leader in assists with 7.3), Andrea Boquete (16.5 points) and Florencia Chagas (10.3 PTS)– and if they manage to have a clear mind at crucial moments, they can complicate anyone.
The last time Canada and Argentina met was in the 2017 AmeriCup Final, precisely in Argentina, and there the North Americans were crowned 67-65.
Brazil vs. Mexico
20:10 local time
The South American quintet left a great impression in the qualifying phase by finishing unbeaten leader (4-0) in Group A. The most striking thing about Brazil was that coach José Neto used a fairly wide rotation to the point that in all games he used his 12 players and the one who averaged the fewest minutes was Aline Moura, with an average of 9.9. This is not a minor detail because it means that the team will arrive fresh at this decisive stage and with all its players ready to contribute. Tainá Paixao (13.8 points), Damiris Dantas (13.0 PTS) and Kamilla Soares (10.3 PTS and 8.8 REB), make up a trident difficult for rivals to contain.
The Aztecs (1-3), who closed the previous round in the fourth box of Group B, with a painful defeat against Colombia, will try to rely on the momentum of their fans to face a Brazil that looks superior in all his lines, mainly in the game in the paint. The biggest arguments for Mexico will be the offensive capacity of Sofía Payan (12.0 PTS), Claudia Ramos and Paola Beltrán (10.3 each).
To observe the most recent precedent between these two teams, one must go back to the 2013 Women’s AmeriCup, precisely in Xalapa, Mexico, and there the Brazilians dominated 97-45 in the Group Phase.
FIBA
2023-07-06 19:16:19
#Quarterfinals #Semifinals #road #Olympic #Games #goal #FIBA #Womens #AmeriCup
