When the final score marked the 79-75 At the Obras Sanitarias stadium, joy was unleashed not only in the stands, but in the middle of the field with all the players of the Argentine basketball team that They achieved the goal of qualifying for the U19 World Cup after a close victory against Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the AmeriCup U18.
The team he leads Mauro Polla came to the duel against Red wine after finishing in second place in their group (losses against the United States and Brazil; victory against Belize) and had to battle against a tough rival, who had just finished third with the same record.
The beginning of the meeting in a grocery store Rock Temple favored the visit, which started with aim and better execution. Venezuela closed the first quarter 21-15 and Argentina had to begin to come back. But from the second quarter onwards, the National Team began to make a difference through the strength of Tyler Kropp in the painted area. With a partial 26-13the Argentine boys they turned the score around and left at halftime 41-34.
Contrary to what was happening in the tournament, Argentina had an erratic night in three-point shooting. Despite the low effectiveness behind the arc, Polla’s team came close to breaking the game in the third quarterafter a partial 19-15 which left them with a balance in favor of 11 points.
The last period was a battle. With the ticket to the World Cup at stake, Argentina had to withstand the resistance of Venezuela, which never gave up, shortening the distance and came within one possession of tying the game at the end.
With coldness worthy of an experienced player, Felipe Minzer (one of the figures of the young national team) took charge of a hot ball and scored the double that secured the victory. While Tyler Kropp He was the top scorer of the Argentine team with 22 points and 14/15 from the free throw line (he added 17 in the first half).
The most notable was Minzer, with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 3 steals for a PIR of 31. Besides, Joaquin Folmer He added 9 goals and was key in the decisive moments. This Saturday, from 8:10 p.m., Argentina will face Dominican Republic in the semifinals of the continental competition. The tournament can be seen live and exclusively through Basketball Pass.
At the end of the match, the coach Mauro Polla He showed his joy for the result obtained: “The objective has been more than achieved. Beyond the classification, which was the most important thing, we also achieved the goal of them meeting again for 25 days to enjoy what they love most, which is playing with this shirt. “To work conscientiously to improve and earn the chance to play against the best in the world next year.”
For its part, Joaquin Folmer he stated. “For me it is also a dream to qualify for the World Cup, I have been thinking about it ever since we won the South American Championship, that we had this possibility. It’s very nice, I really enjoy being with the group every day. “I am proud to wear this shirt and be able to qualify for the World Cup,” concluded the man from Entre Ríos.
