MAR DEL PLATA (DIRECTV Liga de las Americas) - The resumption of the Semi-Final Round of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas begins on Friday night in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and once again, big names in international basketball will be involved.

Hosts Penarol, defending champions Flamengo of Brazil, Trotamundos of Venezuela and Halcones Rojos of Mexico will run onto the court in Group F with the aim of a claiming a top-two place by the end of play on Sunday night to reach the Final Four.

Flamengo square off against Halcones Rojos in the first game on Friday and Penarol take on Trotamundos in the nightcap.

Which national team players are likely to have a big say in proceedings this week?

Without a doubt, Leo Gutierrez of Argentina will be a key for Penarol.

One of the Liga Nacional's all-time greats, the 36-year-old continues to pour in the points.

In the FIBA Americas League Preliminary Round, the 2.00m forward averaged 17.3 points per contest and shot a scintillating 46.7 percent from behind the arc in his side's triumphs over Fuerza Regia, Leones Alcaldia de Managua and Sao Jose dos Campos.

In their battle for first place against Sao Jose, he came up big in the final minute of a 73-72 win.

If Gutierrez is at or near the end of his national team career, one that has seen him celebrate a 2004 Olympic title as part of Argentina's golden generation, his Penarol teammates Luciano Nicolas Massarelli and Franco Giorgetti are hoping to follow in his footsteps on the international scene.

Massarelli, 21, played for the country at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship while Giorgetti most recently wore the Argentina shirt at the 2014 South American Championship.

David Cubillan, the Venezuela international who wears the No. 8 jersey for Trotamundos, will be important this weekend.

The 1.83m guard was relatively quiet in his side's first couple of Group D games against Patriotas de Boyaca and Bauru, but in their do-or-decider against Capitanes de Arecibo, he came to life.

Cubillan poured in 17 points as Trotamundos prevailed, 66-61, to take second place and advance.

Trotamundos coach Gustavo Aranzana will be hoping that Cubillan gets hot from long range, as he was at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship when nailing 46.9 per cent (14 of 32) of his three-balls.

He goes into Friday night's game shooting 33.3 per cent (six of 18) from behind the arc so far in this season's FIBA Americas League.

Dominican Republic veteran Jack Martinez didn't feature in Trotamundos' opening three games but he is with the team in Mar del Plata.

"The arrival of Martinez is positive, but does he does not come in physical shape and will debut with barely two practices under his belt," coach Gustavo Aranzana said.

Trotamundos are the big underdogs in Group F.

"For me the favorites are Flamengo and Penarol ...," the coach said.

"[But] In these competitions, you never know.

"For us, it is good to go without pressure, because nobody gives us a chance to qualify."

Flamengo's Marcelinho had such a good campaign in 2013-14 that Ruben Magnano asked him to end his international retirement and play for the national team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The 39-year-old who is famous for his scoring explosions found the going tough in the Preliminary Round of the FIBA Americas League, making just six of his 26 shots from long range (23.1 per cent) and three of 12 (25 per cent) inside the arc, but he is always dangerous.

"The FIBA Americas League has been very hard from the beginning," Marcelinho said.

The Semi-Final Round will be much more demanding - Marcelinho

Flamengo's Nicolas Laprovittola has been their most influential player.

The Argentina international averaged 18.3 points per game in the Preliminary Round and shot the ball the extremely well.

Halcones Rojos will be an interesting team to follow.

Stocked with Mexico players who featured at the World Cup, and a boss in Eddie Casiano who has been linked with the Puerto Rico national team coaching job, they will be ambitious.

Paco Cruz and Paul Stoll were important for the team in their successful Group C campaign, when they fell only to hosts Regatas Corrientes.

FIBA