2015 Spanish Preview: Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA)

[tps_title]Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) A[/tps_title]

Spanish League Kicks Off With Two Crosstown Rivalries

The Spanish American football federation’s top league kicks off this weekend. The Federación Española de Fútbol Americano (FEFA) will present the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) kick-off this Saturday, January 17 when the Osos Rivas from Madrid host the Mallorca Voltors. Valencia’s two clubs, the Firebats and Giants will also meet on Saturday.

Sunday the 18th, the defending champion Badalona Dracs take on L’Hospitalet Pioners in a crosstown rivalry (both are from Barcelona). Spanish runners up in 2014, the Valencia Firebats face their cross town opponents the Valencia Giants. The Dracs-Pioners game will be available on Livestream.

The Badalona Dracs enter the 2015 Spanish season as the defending champions for the sixth time, and they are aiming for their seventh. Their 2014 title was their first in 10 years and came on the last play of the game against the Valencia Firebats, when they successfully turned a fake field goal into the game winning touchdown (10:30 mark of the video).

The six team league will see the introduction of the historic Mallorca Voltors as they return to the top division after a multi-year absence.[tps_title]Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) A[/tps_title]

[tps_header]Badalona Dracs[/tps_header]

The Badalona Dracs captured the first title in 2014 in 10 years under the guidance of head coach Oscar Calatayud who will be entering his ninth season as the Drac’s HC.

The club has also re-signed their two imports Kevin Curtis Duley and Nate Prioux and will be playing in a new stadium – Badalona Sud. The team has re-signed Mexican lineman Marcos Carmona as well.

[tps_title]Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) A[/tps_title]

[tps_header]Valencia Firebats[/tps_header]

The 2014 Spanish finalists, the Valencia Firebats are determined to succeed in 2015 after suffering a bitter, last play defeat at the hands of the Badalona Dracs. And on a fake field goal to boot.

Ezequiel Martí continues as head coach and has added Gavin Campbell, who coached the Aix Argonautes in France in 2014, as his defensive coordinator. He will not let that happen again. The Firebats had a solid 6-4 season and defeated Osos Rivas in the semis to reach the final.

[tps_title]Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) A[/tps_title]

[tps_header]Valencia Giants[/tps_header]

The Giants had a decent season in 2014 finishing fifth in the league but are bound and determined to improve in 2015. They open against crosstown rivals the Valencia Firebats.

Santiago Torres makes his head coaching debut after being defensive coordinator since 2012. The versatile defensive back/wide receiver Tachu Orue has returned after spending the 2014 season with the Seinojaki Crocodiles in Finland’s top division.

[tps_title]Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) A[/tps_title]

[tps_header]Osos Rivas[/tps_header]

The Madrid based Osos Rivas with Kike Fernandez at the helm will open the season against the Mallorca Voltors. The Osos, Bears in Spanish, finished the 2014 season 6-4 but were in every game. They lost both contests with the Dracs by a touchdown each.

The challenge for Kike Fernandez is fighting for a title that has eluded the Osos since 2001, when they won their only league title. The Osos fell to the Valencia Firebats (22-12) in the LNFA semifinals. They have signed import veteran quarterback Blair Black who spent the 2014 season in Serbia.  They will be well prepared for 2015.

[tps_title]Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) A[/tps_title]

[tps_header]L’Hospitalet Pioners[/tps_header]

Next up are the Pioners de l’Hospitalet. The Pioners bring in Ramon Figueroa as new coach replacing highly successful Teo Polanco who is taking a year away from football.

Figueroa, a Spanish-Mexican quarterback, is an icon in the recent history of the club and a legend in Spain. He arrived in Spain in 1997/98 and after passing through the Badalona Dracs and Phoenix Granollers he arrived to play for l’Hospitalet. In 2006 and 2007 he served as assistant coach and now Pioners are banking on his charisma and leadership to lead the team. He will have starting quarterback Brian Chris back on the squad.

After winning four straight Spanish titles the Pioners were bounced in the Spanish semifinals in 2014 by the Dracs. They will be looking for a major improvement in 2015.

[tps_title]Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) A[/tps_title]

[tps_header]Mallorca Voltors[/tps_header]

The Voltors return to LNFA A after going undefeated in LNFA B in 2014. Isaac Delgado Bazán also returns as head coach in his second season with the club.

The Voltors have the privilege of playing the opening game in Madrid against the Osos (Telegraph Hill, Saturday at 4 p.m. local, 10 a.m. EST).