2017 AmeriCup - The Group Stage
The first stage of the 2017 AmeriCup proved to be both entertaining and intriguing - with terrific basketball on display and results that would suggest that the remainder of the tournament will not be as straightforward as it first seems.
Spectators in Medellin were treated to an exciting start to the tournament. A tight encounter between Mexico and Puerto Rico went down to the wire, with Mexico snatching victory by three points, was followed by spirited Colombia being denied a win in their AmeriCup debut by a single basket from Brazil.
The opening win for Mexico proved to be a decisive one, as they went on to a decisive win over Brazil and survived a hard-fought battle with Colombia to finish the group with a perfect record and advance to the knockout stage. Their efforts on defensive a big highlight, it was a highly commendable performance from Mexico.
In-fighting nuked Brazil's chances, their win over Colombia being their only win. Puerto Rico played good offence, particularly in their final game against Brazil, but that would not be enough to see them advance. Colombia continued to play with heart, but their lack of experience at this level showed, and they bowed out winless.
In the opening game of Group B, Canada paid for any hubris with a shock defeat to Virgin Islands. Behind 25 points and 8 assists from Walter Hodge, Virgin Islands' energy, physicality and vision from the start saw them run out convincing winners in this initial encounter.
The group hosts, Argentina, got off to a good start with a close win over Venezuela, then defeating Canada 92-86 in overtime the next day. Facundo Campazzo, scoring 23 points, began to emerge as a potential new star for the team. Meanwhile, Virgin Islands were denied a second win in the group by a three-point shot from Venezuela’s John Cox in the final seconds of the game.
It all came down to the last day, with all four teams still able to qualify. Virgin Islands faced the biggest task - a win over Argentina would secure their semi final place, but the hosts were rampant, limiting all the Virgin Islands’ chances and leading the game from the start. A final win for Venezuela would see them through, but behind an excellent showing from Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Canada emerged victorious in the back-and-forth game between the two.
Argentina advance as group winners, but the runners-up of Group B would also advance. With the three remaining teams tied on records, it came down to the games between them, and that fell in favour of Virgin Islands - one of the least favoured teams taking part had reached the highly contested knockout round.
Quietly confident USA began the tournament with a 41-point victory over Panama, which was followed by an impressive performance by Uruguay. Behind Jayson Granger’s 23 points and 8 assists, they overcame a second quarter scare from Dominican Republic to win 66-57. It became clear after the first day’s play in Group C that it would be down to these two teams as to who would take first place.
They faced off on the second day of Group C play. Initially, Uruguay looked set to pull off a big upset, with the duo of Esteban Batista and Jayson Granger helping their team to lead USA up until midway through the second quarter. With improved three-point shooting and inside play, the USA found their stride, and Uruguay’s final quarter attempt at a comeback fell short.
USA topped the group the next day with a 72-56 win over Dominican Republic - who had defeated Panama the day before - while Uruguay’s 11-point win over the Panamanians would not be enough. Due to the baffling rules of this tournament, Uruguay have been denied the chance to continue this exemplary form any further.
In the semi-finals, USA take on neighbouring Virgin Islands, followed by a tantalising match-up between Argentina and Mexico. Play resumes on September 2nd, until keep up to date with the 2017 AmeriCup on the tournament's official website.
