The first three games from Japan’s X League quarterfinal playoffs take place Saturday November 12 and you can watch them all live here. Games 1, 2 and 3 are on the same US Stream channel as shown below.
Game #1
Obic Seagulls – Kobe Elecom Finies (Game start 11 AM, 9 PM EST Fri. Nov. 11, 3 AM CET Sat. Nov. 12)
The first game kicks off at 11 am Japan time and features unbeaten Obic Seagulls against wildcard winner Kobe Elecom Finies. This is Obic’s second straight game against the Finies as they beat them 20-14 in October to finish the regular season 6-0.
For Obic DL Byron Beatty that fact allows the Seagulls to “adjust to what [Kobe] did against us [and] take away the plays that they were successful with against our defense.”
With former UCLA QB Jerry Neuheisel looking more comfortable by the week Obic will be heavy favourites to win again and go through to the last four. Kobe however won’t be overawed as they were still in the October game right until the end and actually were driving for the go-ahead TD late in the fourth quarter before an INT ended their hopes.
Game #2
Fujitsu Frontiers – Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers (Game start 2 PM, 12 midnight EST, 6 AM CET)
The action stays in Yokohama for game 2 where top seed Fujitsu Frontiers face the second wildcard winner Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers.
The Challengers win over Silver Star in game five got them into the playoffs but they weren’t able to beat any other top division team in the regular season. The biggest reason for that was probably their inability to score points against stronger defenses. That’ll be a challenge against a rested and well-prepared Fujitsu.
Game #3
Lixil Deers – IBM Big Blue (Game start 5 PM, 3 AM EST, 9 AM CET)
The Lixil Deers meet their Pearl Bowl final (Spring preseason tournament) conquerors IBM Big Blue yet again. In that game DL James Brooks batted down a Shohei Kato 2-point attempt on the game’s final play to give IBM their first ever title.
The Deers have had the best of recent games against IBM however, knocking Big Blue out of this competition last year and winning 52-48 on a TD with the final play of the game in week 3 this year. Even that pales in comparison to the 69-54 slugfest they dealt up in the 2014 playoffs. Former UCLA QB Kevin Craft threw nine TDs that day and with standout TE John Stanton and WR Takeshi Kurihara stretching the field expect to see plenty of points again this weekend.
Lixil’s Kato led the league in passing attempts, completions, yards and TDs and the Deers can score at will when they get going. They have made a habit of winning games with stunning comebacks so even though it’s the late game don’t expect to see anyone heading home early
