Six games you can’t miss during the FIBA AmeriCup Group Stage

RECIFE (Brazil) – The 19th edition of FIBA AmeriCup, to be played from September 2-11, will tip off very soon in the city of Recife, Brazil, with 12 of the best national teams in the continent competing for the title.

Here are the groups.

From the 2nd to the 5th of the month, we’ll have a total of four daily games, and on the 6th, we’ll play two more to wrap up the Group Stage. In that instance, the two best teams from each group and the two best third-place teams will advance to the quarter finals.

While teams prepare for battle, we leave you with six intriguing games you shouldn’t miss from the Group Stage:

Mexico vs. United States (Group C)

When: September 2nd – 17:40 local time

The defending champions, United States, will begin their defense of the crown against a feisty Mexican squad that just upset Brazil in the most recent window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers. And while Mexico will have some different players on their roster in comparison to their recent games, they’ll keep their nucleus of Paul Stoll, Gabriel Girón and Daniel Amigo, among others. The team is a well-oiled machine under head coach Omar Quintero and remains a dangerous opponent for any team.

The United States will have several veterans with NBA experience (Norris Cole, Jodie Meeks, Gary Clark Jr, Patrick McCaw, to name a few) and have proved that with similar rosters they remain a dominant squad. You only must go back to the 2017 AmeriCup and the recent windows of World Cup Qualifiers to confirm it.

Brazil vs. Canada (Group A)

When: September 2nd – 20:10 local time

Brazil, the host nation, limps in after suffering three straight defeats in the World Cup Americas Qualifiers. Head coach Gustavo Conti has his work cut out for him with the goal of repeating their feat from 1984, when they lifted the crown at home. They also maintain most of their roster, except for Bruno Caboclo, who recently signed a contract to return to the NBA. Brazil needs to find their chemistry to stay on course.

The Canadians announced a roster consisting mainly of players from their rapidly improving local league, but will have guys like Dalano Banton, who’s coming off his rookie season in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors (3.2 points per game) and others with experience in World Cup Qualifiers like Trae Bell-Haynes, Jean-Victor Mukama and Kalif Young.

Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic (Group B)

When: September 3rd – 11:10 local time

A classic Caribbean rivalry will have its latest edition at the most prestigious continental tournament. These are teams with similar characteristics who feel comfortable playing in transition. Puerto Rico announced that they’ll keep the same roster that placed in the recent window of the World Cup Americas Qualifiers. It’s a young, but talented squad with players ready to prove themselves. Point guard Tremont Waters, who’s playing at a very high level, will be relied upon to lead the team.

As for the Dominican Republic, they’ll make some changes to the roster and will lose some veteran leadership due to the absences of Víctor Liz and Eloy Vargas, among others. However, they’ll still have Andrés Feliz, Ángel Delgado, Sadiel Rojas and Jean Montero, giving coach Melvyn López plenty of depth and firepower.

Puerto Rico vs. Argentina (Group B)

When: September 4th – 20:10 local time

These two teams are perennial title contenders and that won’t change this time around. Argentina will have most of its stars like Facundo Campazzo, Gabriel Deck, Nicolás Laprovíttola, Carlos Delfino and Nicolás Brussino. The South Americans are coming off back-to-back silver medal finishes and are hoping the third time will be the charm in their quest to win gold for the first time since 2011.

Puerto Rico will feature a team very similar to that of Window 4 of the World Cup Qualifiers, giving them more time to gain cohesion and continuity. In this tough group, this will likely be a defining matchup to determine who will advance to the quarter finals.

Brazil vs. Uruguay (Group A)

When: September 5th – 20:10 local time

These teams faced each other twice in the First Round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers, so they know each other’s tendencies well. Brazil was able to win both games, but a lot has happened since those matchups and Uruguay is on the rise. The charrúas will be looking for vengeance on the road, and although that’ll likely be a tall task, they can’t be discounted after some recent upsets. This game will also likely determine who advances to the next round.

Argentina vs. Dominican Republic (Group B)

When: September 6th – 20:10 local time

This game will conclude the Group Stage, so every team that still has chances to advance will be paying close attention to the outcome. Understanding that the two best third-place teams will also move on to the quarter finals, every game has its own significance.

Besides the qualifying ramifications, it’ll be fascinating to see the juxtaposition of the Dominicans’ athleticism matched up against the controlled pace of the Argentinians.

FIBA