Section D composed of Bahamas, United States, Puerto Rico and Cuba marches, after two days, tied with the four teams with one victory and one loss. Photo: ACN.
The Cuban men’s team will face the Bahamas this Friday in the first of the two matches scheduled at the Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum in Havana, venue of the second window of the qualifier for the Managua 2025 Americas Cup.
With the absence of the injured Jasiel Rivero and forward Karel Guzmán, plus the impossibility of having Yoel Cubillas in the first game due to immigration issues, technical director Onel Planas told the Cuban News Agency the team for the debut.
Planas, coach of the men’s team since September 2023, announced the point guards Reynaldo García and Tito Casero, who will be supported by forwards Howard Sant Roos and Yoanki Mencía and center Pedro Bombino.
Of the 12 Cuban basketball players called up for the games against the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, in both cases starting at six in the afternoon this Friday and Monday, nine players have experience in foreign leagues, four are active in Argentina, four in Europe and one in Japan.
The technical director confirmed that the most weakened thing with respect to the February window is the work under the basket that Rivero and Cubillas provide, both defensively and offensively.
In this regard, he assured that they know how to counteract this deterioration with a different tactical approach than the first date of the FIBA qualifier.
“We have been studied and that has made us review our tactics so as not to be neutralized. First we go with Bahamas, which is characterized by playing a lot from three-point distance, up to 30 shots per game, and with excellent effectiveness, even more than 45% in some games.
“The mix of youth and experience is one of the components that characterize the group. The work of the sixth and seventh men on the squad, mostly young, carries a determining weight in the outcome of the game,” he said.
He added that Pedro Bombino and Marcos Chacón demonstrated this with commendable performances in the first window.
Reynaldo García, a 34-year-old point guard and forward, with a stint in 20 teams from several countries, considers it essential that the team take full advantage of the warmth of the people in the stands to finish among the three best in group D and qualify for the biggest competition. important of the continent.
“Our team faces these matches in the best possible way, we have the hope that we will beat the United States in the first window. Now it will be more difficult due to the absences we have, but surely the incorporation of talented young people like Yoanki Mencía will help us seek the second victory at home,” the Cuban player with the most total points in the 2024 qualifier told ACN.
Section D composed of Bahamas, United States, Puerto Rico and Cuba marches, after two days, tied with the four teams with one victory and one loss.
After the games in Havana, the Cuban representation will travel in February 2025 to the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, where they will close the classification heading to Americup 2025, a competition that Cubans have not attended since 2015 (tenth place) and to which they have only qualified twice during this century (2011 and 2015).
In their first match of this qualifier at the Silver Spurs Arena in the United States, Cuba fell to the hosts by a score of 100-79, in a game in which they were only six points behind (63-57) during minute three of the third quarter.
In the second presentation before its audience, with a score of 81-67, Cuba achieved the first victory against the United States in 53 years in official competitions, since August 1, 1971, during the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia.
(Taken from ACN)
**Given Cuba’s need for wins to qualify, how effective do you believe Coach Planas’ strategy of balancing young talent like Yoanki Mencía with experienced players will be in achieving positive results, especially against strong teams like the Bahamas and Puerto Rico?**
## World Today News Interview – Cuban Basketball Team Prepares for Americup Qualifiers
**Introduction**
Welcome to World Today News, where we bring you in-depth analyses of current events. Today, we are joined by two esteemed guests to discuss the Cuban men’s basketball team’s journey through the FIBA Americup 2025 qualifiers. We have [Guest 1 Name], a renowned basketball analyst, and [Guest 2 Name], a former Cuban national team player. Welcome to both of you.
**Section 1: The Road So Far**
* **Host:** Gentlemen, the current FIBA qualifiers stand at a unique juncture with Cuba tied with the Bahamas, United States and Puerto Rico. Can you provide us with an overview of Cuba’s performance so far, highlighting both the challenges and triumphs experienced against such formidable opponents?
* **Guest 1:**
* **Guest 2:**
**Section 2: Impact of Key Absences**
* **Host:** The article mentions the absence of key players like Jasiel Rivero and Karel Guzmán, as well as Yoel Cubillas for the upcoming Bahamas game. How significantly will these absences impact Cuba’s performance, and what tactical adjustments might coach Planas employ to mitigate these losses?
* **Guest 1:**
* **Guest 2:**
**Section 3: Youth and Experience: A Winning Formula?**
* **Host**: Coach Planas highlighted the importance of a “mix of youth and experience” on the team. Can you elaborate on how this blend might contribute to Cuba’s success, specifically citing the potential contributions of young players like Yoanki Mencía?
* **Guest 1:**
* **Guest 2:**
**Section 4: Home Advantage and Fan Support**
* **Host:** The games against the Bahamas and Puerto Rico will be held in Havana. Reynaldo García emphasized the importance of home advantage and fan support. How crucial do you think the Cuban crowd will be in influencing the team’s performance and potentially securing those crucial wins?
* **Guest 1:**
* **Guest 2:**
**Section 5: Looking Forward: Americup 2025**
* **Host:** Cuba hasn’t participated in the Americup since 2015. What are the team’s chances of qualifying for the tournament, and what challenges and opportunities might they encounter in the later stages, considering teams like the United States are also in contention?
* **Guest 1:**
* **Guest 2:**
**Conclusion**
* **Host:** Thank you both for sharing your insightful perspectives and expertise on Cuban basketball and the FIBA Americup qualifiers. We wish the Cuban team all the best in their upcoming matches. We’ll be eagerly watching and reporting on their progress.
