The 2011 FIBA Americas Championship semifinal round is already set. That doesn’t mean the final two days of second round pool play isn’t important, however, as teams are still vying for the top seed as they look to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
FIBA Americas Championship 2011: Argentina Vs. Brazil Important For Semifinals Seeding
On Wednesday, the top two teams in the tournament will face each other when the Argentina Vs. Brazil game tips off at 5 p.m. EST. The two teams have split their last four match-ups, but it would seem Brazil is coming in as the underdog considering Argentina’s impressive performance thus far in the tournament.
Argentina is undefeated following an impressive shooting performance on Tuesday against Venezuela and Brazil has only dropped one game, against a solid Dominican Republic team, but a recent article on FIBA’s website shows that the two teams are respectful of each other’s game.
Brazil’s Tiago Splitter, an international star and role player for the San Antonio Spurs, will need to control Argentina’s Luis Scola — property of the Houston Rockets — if his team is able to compete in Wednesday’s game that will also play host to numerous other NBA players littering the rosters of both teams.
Splitter knows what he’s up against, though, when it comes to his team’s international rival.
“They have very few weaknesses,” Splitter said. “Watching them play is like watching an opera. It’s good the way they pass the ball, opening spaces to score twos and threes.”
Along with Argentina and Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have also clinched a spot in the semifinal round. All four teams will be looking to improve their seeding on Wednesday and Thursday before an off day on Friday prior to the semifinals.
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