The Japanese XLeague heads into the semifinals this Sunday with the Panasonic Impulse as slight favorites to win their first title since 2015.
The Impulse finished the regular season in first place with a 6-0 record including a 26-20 defeat of the Fujitsu Frontiers and a 13-6 win over the defending champion Obic Seagulls. They will face the fourth place IBM Big Blue (3-3-1) who they defeated 65-17 during the regular season. The game will be played at Yanmar Stadium Nagai.
In the other semifinal set for Yokohama Stadium, the 5-1 Frontiers, who finished second, will take on the third place Obic Seagulls (4-3) who they edged 14-13 in the final game of the regular season. This game will be a rematch of the 2020 Japan X Bowl which Obic won 13-7 after knocking down the potentially game-winning touchdown pass in the end zone on the final play of the game.