Showdown in São Paulo: Lusa Lions v. São Paulo Storm

The Lusa Lions are one of Brazil’s top American football teams and play in the Torneio Touchdown (TTD).

This Sunday, 1p.m ET, they meet São Paulo rivals the São Paulo Storm in Estádio do Canindé!

The Lusa Lions club was founded in 2005 as the Guarulhos Rhynos. In 2014 they changed their names to Lions as the team partnered up with the Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, a traditional soccer team in São Paulo. The Lions FA currently use the Portuguesa facilities and stadium.

One tradition that the team has started is the Summer Game, a football event, which is in its second year in 2015,  features a food truck festival along with a American football game. Last season almost 700 people showed up to the event.

The next game for the Lions is a game against the São Paulo Storm, a traditional American Football team from the city of São Paulo.

They are currently 2-0 in the 2015 Paulista Championship (organized by FEFASP), the São Paulo state championship. Both teams as mentioned in the flyer have players that are currently serving the national team. It’s a good match to watch the battle between center Dhyego Taylor (Lions) and defensive line Bruno “Gardenal” da Silva (Storm).

This game features clubs of São Paulo that play in different competitions, the CBFA and TTD, respectively.

Lusa Lions was one of the Brazilian teams that further strengthened the squad for the season 2015 — read more on Touchdown. 16 players who joined the team this year came from eight teams of São Paulo State, as ABC Corsários, Corinthians Steamrollers, Jundiaí Ocelots, Osasco Soldiers, Palmeiras Locomotives , São Paulo Storm, São Paulo Spartans and São Paulo Underdogs. Among these teams includes the good wide receiver Leandro Fratini, former athlete of the Storm.

What Lions and Storm are expecting about this match

Lions quarterback Catullo Góes is expecting a dream become true with duel against Storm.

“For me, playing against Storm means a lot. Since I started playing in 2008, I only heard about this team. I started at the bottom and they were always the favorite to everything. So put me a goal: one day I will get there.”

Storm head coach William Zapparoli thinks this meet will help both teams to improve their skills.

“Now we have this game against Lions at the beginning of the season 2015. It is an important moment for both teams, especially for the Lions, which is a strong team in Sãao Paulo with us. Then it will be a showdown for development and learning of both teams.”

Storm linebacker Fracari has felt angry because some players of Lions are provoking Storm roster.

“They’re saying on Facebook that they’ll beat us. They’re saying that we are old and will finish with us. I want to hear it from them on the field after really defeat us. We’re dominating São Paulo for a long time ago, and we will keep it like this.”

Lions cornerback Chiplay tries to answer Fracari.

“They say are the Tempestade Azul (blue storm in English) of São Paulo. They say are beating everyone. Now, they’re challenging the lion. This is our jungle. Our intention is putting them down and show to them that Lions dominate São Paulo.”

Both teams have players on the Brasil Onças, the Brazilian national team that is participating in this summer IFAF World Championships in Canton, Ohio.

The match will be played in Estádio Canindé, which is a professional team soccer stadium in Brazil and one of the nicest stadium that available to American football in Brazil.