SAN JUAN (William Rosario's Somewhere in the Americas) - The first round of the 2015 DIRECTV Liga de las Americas (LDA) is over. Penarol and Regatas from Argentina, defending champs Flamengo, Bauru and Sao Jose from Brazil, Halcones Rojos and Pioneros from Mexico, and Trotamundos from Venezuela, make up an interesting Semi-Final round that promises to be one of the most competitive in league's history.

Let's go through the cream of the crop.

Penarol is back as an elite club in the Americas for the first time in five years and is looking to make a big splash. The first-ever LDA champions are aware that the road to the title in 2015 is a difficult one and that a power move was necessary for them to have a big possibility. So they put in their bid to host one of the Semi-Final groups and were given the chance to do it. A team that features Leo Gutierrez as its leader, with the supporting cast that Penarol has, a tradition in the competition (the only two-time champ) which must be respected, and playing at home in front of one of the craziest fan bases on the continent… is sure to be in the fight to move on as the first-placed team of the group to reach the Final Four.

But Flamengo won't play dead. The defending Intercontinental Cup champions will be in Mar del Plata after losing their first game in the league since 2013. The Rio de Janeiro club lost in a thriller in the first round match-up against Pioneros of Cancun, who were Group B hosts and needed to win to make it to the Semis. Flamengo has the same team that won last year with the added bonus of having Walter Hermann as the starting small forward. Not a bad deal. 

Then there's Bauru, last year's Liga Sudamericana champions and a team that was built to win it all and do one over Flamengo's magical run in 2014. The Brazilian club went out in the off-season and signed national team members Alex Garcia and Rafael Hettsheimeir, along with sharp shooters Robert Day and Jefferson, to go with Larry Taylor, Ricardo Fischer and Murilo Becker who were there for the last couple of years. They have dominated every international game they have played in over the last month, winning their first round contests in Colombia by an average of 31 points. Their offensive versatility is almost impossible to contain. So in order to beat them, a team will have to try and match them.

Pioneros are the team to try and do that, especially at home. The Cancun club is a non-stop transition machine led by point guard Dennis Clemente and national team member Hector Hernandez, in a side that's very representative of the North American-influenced Mexican team. Pioneros have the individual ability to play with anybody, but then to struggle against teams that play organized basketball. In the first round they lost their second game at home to a short-handed Malvin club that showed great patience and ball movement. The Uruguayans, simply put, knew how to play the fast break Pioneros.

That's where Regatas have a shot. Even though they don't have the names and veteran players they had in the past, like Javier Martinez and Nicolas Romano, they do have a coach - Nicolas Casalanguida - who trusts young players and teaches them the right way to play the game. This is a Corrientes club that advanced to the Semi-Finals without being totally dependent on star shooting guard Paolo Quinteros. Now there are up-and-comers like Nicolas Brussino and Phillip Hopson who have shown themselves able to compete in the league and must now be sharp in order to give Regatas a chance to make it to the Final Four.

Halcones Rojos, Trotamundos and Sao Jose have a tough road ahead of them. They'll have to battle the elements and more importantly the inexperience at this semifinal level of the international club stage. Don't get me wrong, all of them can compete and upset the group. They are coached the right way and have interesting names like David Huertas and Paco Cruz (Halcones Rojos), David Cubillan and Jhornan Zamora (Trotamundos), and Caio Torres and Valtinho (Sao Jose) that earn them some respect as adversaries. However, they will have to travel long distances and find themselves out of their comfort zones, and it will be difficult. But where there's a court and 40 minutes there's a chance.

These next two weeks will be exciting for everybody involved. The league can rejoice in the fact that the Semi-Finals have four of the biggest basketball club brands in the Americas. Flamengo, Penarol, Regatas and Pioneros - all past champions - have been a part of the international club scene for the better part of the last decade. And they are all together to give prestige and viewership to a competition in the middle of their first DIRECTV sponsored and financially backed season.

I can't imagine what it will be like for the fans. Both host cities have passionate crowds that will have the opportunity to see 12 interesting and competitive games with stars and the high stakes of having everybody wanting to move on to the Final Four. 

And then for the media, well, it is not a bad thing to cover good basketball in Cancun and Mar del Plata. Enough said. 

I include myself in that last equation. Two weeks in two of the most beautiful cities on the American continent, with the best our game has to offer at the club level. That's alright, ain't it?

William Rosario

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.