Colombia and Mexico surprise, Brazil imposes its law at home and Venezuela hits

Colombia and Mexico surprise, Brazil imposes its law at home and Venezuela strikes

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Recife (Brazil), Sep 2 (EFE).- The teams of Uruguay and the United States suffered a severe blow at the beginning of the nineteenth edition of the Copa América basketball due to Colombia and Mexico, while Brazil reconciled with their fans by beating Canada, and Venezuela left Panama in the ditch.

Eight of the twelve teams involved in the tournament that will be played until September 11 in the Brazilian city of Recife debuted today without great results or notable differences, but with great surprises.

At the close of programming, Panama paid dearly for the wear and tear of a long trip and delayed connections, although it showed quality with a group of young people against a Venezuelan team that preferred to wait to hit the final blow, and win by a difference of 14 points. .

64-70. COLOMBIA LEFT URUGUAY EMPTY-HANDED

Colombia shattered the forecasts prior to the Cup by building a real wall against Uruguay’s attack, which, handcuffed, could not score at least 10 points in the last quarter of the first game of the tournament played at the Geraldao Arena.

Such was the pressure on La Celeste that their players spent eight minutes without scoring a point on the Cafeteros’ board, who prevailed 64-70.

Centers Jaime Echenique, who last year became the first Colombian to play in the NBA, and Juan Tello led the victory by contributing 17 points each.

Despite this, the game’s top scorer was Uruguayan point guard Agustín Ubal, a player for the Spanish Breogán, who scored 27 points.

72-63. BRAZIL IMPOSES ITS LAW AT HOME

In a match of alternating dominance, so much so that there were up to nine changes in the lead of the result, the Brazilian team won a laborious 72-63 victory thanks to successful triples by Lucas Dias and Yago Santos.

Of the 9 hits from the perimeter, 5 came in the final stretch. Lucas contributed 9 points from the 3 shots he tried and Yago added two long distance shots.

Both players converted all the points in the fourth period (12-2).

For Canada, forward Delano Banton had a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Trae Bell-Haynes had 12 points and eight sacks. So much production was useless because the Americans only made three triples in 28 opportunities.

With the victory, Brazil was placed in the first position of group A. Colombia is second with a victory as well. Uruguay and Canada close the classification.

73-67. MEXICO MAKES HISTORY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE UNITED STATES

For the first time in the history of the Copa América, the current champion of the competition, the United States, fell to Mexico, which today did not need to suffer or expect miracles.

The unappealable 73-67 was the work of a solid team in contention and attack.

Point guard Paul Stoll was the axis with 15 points, nine assists and five rebounds. The work was completed in defense, which added 12 robberies.

Stoll, just 1.80 meters tall, made three triples and stole four balls, although he lost another seven in 34 minutes. It was a real headache for the Stars and Stripes team.

With fast play he became everyone’s partner, especially pivot Daniel Amigo, who scored 13 points, forward Fabián Jaimes, who left a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mexicans completed 44 points in the paint.

The United States never seemed to like the game. If society did not work, it was not the day for individual adventures either, since there was barely 26.7 percent effectiveness in triple shots (8-30).

Jeremy Pargo (14) and Norris Cole (11) barely finished with double offensive digits.

72-58. PANAMA COULD NOT WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF VENEZUELA

The game that was supposed to open the tournament closed the schedule today due to the delay that the Panamanian delegation had to arrive in the city of Recife, in the northeast of Brazil.

Panama, with a young cast that seeks in the Copa América to add experience and incorporate new figures in the complex qualifying process for the 2023 World Cup, offered resistance until fainting in the last stretch.

After losing to Venezuela with tight partials of 19-16 and 17-13, Flor Meléndez’s pupils surprised in the third set with a 20-23 reaction, but the physical demands derived from the long trip and the pressure that pressing the rival, took their toll until falling 16-6 in the final quarter.

Forward José Ascanio Solórzano and center Windi Graterol were the men of the match.

Solórzano contributed 17 points and Graterol 13, in addition to 13 rebounds and 3 steals.

Although Panamanian point guard Trevor Gaskins had 20 points and 3 assists, his teammates did not come close to his double-digit production.

IN ACTION PUERTO RICANS, DOMINICANS AND ARGENTINES

Group B of the Copa América will have action for the first time this Saturday. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will open the programming of four games. And then the Virgin Islands and Argentina will collide.

The second date of Group A will follow. Canada will play against Uruguay and Brazil will face Colombia.

The two best teams in each group and the two best third teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

– Results of the opening day of the Copa América:

Brazil 72-63 Canada (Group A)

Uruguay 64-70 Colombia (Group A)

Mexico 73-67 United States (Group C)

Venezuela 78-52 Panama (Group C)

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– Matches this Saturday:

Puerto Rico – Dominican Republic (first date of Group B)

Virgin Islands – Argentina (first date of Group B)

Canada – Uruguay (second date of Group A)

Colombia – Brazil (second date of Group A).