LIVESTREAM Spain: Fuenigirola Potros @Gijon Mariners, Jan. 30, 15:00 CET (09:00 ET)

| American Football | 01/30/2021

The Gijon Mariners (0-1) will play host to the Fuenigirola Potros (0-1) in the first of three games set for Spain this weekend.

After a long holiday break, a historic snow storm, and the coronoavirus pandemic raging, this will be the first game for both these teams since December 12, 2020.

Fuenigirola Potros @Gijon Mariners, Jan. 30, 15:00 CET (09:00 ET)

For the Potros, their opening round game a month ago was a disappointment losing to the Las Rozas  Black Demons 41-8. This young Potros squad will be eager to bounce back and defend their home turf this week against a talented Gijon Mariners squad. Look for the Potros quarterback Henri Väänänen to run the ball more against this Mariners defense. Väänänen is a physical quarterback who runs hard and has great touch on his deep passes. The Potros defense will need to step up against a talented an improving Gijon offense. Polish defensive end Michal Kusyk and defensive back Noah Richards will need to rally their teammates to shutdown this Mariners run game.

Väänänen knows his team has their work cut out for them today:

“The Mariners are a tough, resilient team, and we need to execute well to come out on top. We’re looking forward to a great game and getting in the win column.”

In a twist, the Potros have added 2018 German Bowl MVP Nikolas Knoblauch who played the first game of the season for the Badalona Dracs. After the Dracs reshuffled their roster, the German-Italian linebacker was free to join another team. Opting to stay in Spain, Knoblauch headed to Fuenigirola to help bolster the defense. The newest Potros has an impressive football resume including playing for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in Germany and the Italian national team, as well as stops in Italy, Denmark, and Sweden.

Knoblauch on his transition to the Potros and the matchup with Gijon:

“It’s been a quick transition for me, the weather and people are amazing. The team opened me with open arms and I felt at home since the first Day I arrived. The upcoming game is a really important one for our organization. I expect a close game through all 4 quarters.”

For the Gijon Mariners, they enter the season in a rebuilding mode, focusing on developing their young local players, building a core of Spanish players to rely on in the future. The Mariners are looking to improve on their first game of the season where they lost the Osas Rivas in a hard fought 27-14 game on December 12th which saw them fall behind but make a strong second half comeback. Look for Head coach Daniel Castanon will no doubt have some trick plays up his sleeve in order to hang with a hungry Potros defense. Look for Spanish national team running back Miguel Quince to make some plays in this one. Quince on the matchup with the Potros:

“I will say that we just need to be disciplined with what we do, avoiding any possible mistakes and showing the talent that this team has. It will be a great game to watch thats for sure.”

These two teams are excited to finally be back on the field. This matchup will showcase two teams filled with domestic talent along with some international wrinkles for the Potros. Look for both of these teams to play with passion and energy after the long break.

Watch the game live on AFI.tv. Fuenigirola Potros @Gijon Mariners, Jan. 30, 15:00 CET (09:00 ET)

https://fefa.afi.tv/watch/665-fefa-fuengirola-potros-at-gij-n-mariners

 

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and