As the Spanish League of American Football hits the midpoint of the season Saturday, February 27, a key matchup is the Osos Rivas (3-1) hosting the Gijon Mariners (0-3).
The Mariners are still looking for their first win of the season, while Osos Rivas suffered their first loss of the season last week 35-28 at the hands of their cross town rivals, the first place Las Rozas Black Demons. The Mariners and Osos Rivas first met back in December with Osos Rivas winning 27-14 in Gijon.
Gijon Mariners @ Osos Rivas, Feb. 27, 16:00 CET (10:00 ET)
The visiting Mariners go into this game with nothing to lose. They have lost all three of their games this season, but their defense has kept many of their games extremely close. In their most recent defeat, a 13-7 loss to the Zaragoza Hurricanes, Gijon’s defense swarmed the Zaragoza offense holding them to only 13 points. They were able to force turnovers and keep the Hurricanes playmakers in check. Linebacker Nacho Valdes has been a force on their disruptive defensive unit all season. Unfortunately, their offense has not been able to capitalize on field position, scoring only 21 points in three games.
Look for running back Miguel Quince to get more carries as this offense searches for an identity. Quince comments on the upcoming game in Madrid.
“In Zaragoza I think we played a great game, but our offense has to improve a little bit more in the red zone. This week we will have to stop their offense as you said, our defense is preparing for this game very carefully, and on offense we have to score on the chances we have, we can’t make any mistakes if we want to win this game.”
Osos Rivas suffered a heart-breaking 35-28 loss in the Madrid Derby against the Black Demons last week. Although they lost, their offense was red hot, converting key third and fourth downs to stay on the field. Quarterback Garret Dellechiaie was able to find speedy receiver Alejandro Tizon for three touchdowns and running back Mike Gentili was the team’s X factor totaling 177 all-purpose yards. It will be interesting to see how this explosive offense will matchup against a Gijon defense that has been smothering its opponents all season.
Gentili on the matchup with Gijon:
“We need to treat this week just like we treated last week. It will be a hard fought game and we need to be ready to battle from start to finish. We want to be a championship team and that means approaching every game with a championship mentality”
This is a very important game for the Osos Rivas as they look to get back on track. The winless Mariners will go into this one looking to play spoiler and grow as a team. One key will be to see how a strong Mariners defense plays against an Osos Rivas team filled with talent.
Watch the game live here on AFI.tv. Gijon Mariners @ Osos Rivas, Feb. 27, 16:00 CET (10:00 ET)
Osos Rivas Roster (Click image to enlarge)
Gijon Mariners Roster (Click to enlarge)
