After 10 weeks of American football in Spain, the stage is set for the most important time of the year, the LNFA Serie A playoffs. In the Spanish first division the playoffs consist of four teams, the two best of each conference. There will be the semi-finals, played on the weekend of the 20 and 21 of April, and the final game, the Spanish Bowl, the most important match of the year in the mediterranean country, played in May.
The semi-final matches will be played between the #1 Seed of one conference against the #2 Seed of the other. The result of which is that the Osos de Rivas will host the L´Hospitalet Pioners at the Cerro del Telégrafo Sports Complex in Rivas, Madrid, and the Badalona Dracs will face the LG OLED Las Rozas Black Demons at the Camp Municipal de Montigalá in Badalona, just outside of Barcelona.
The Two Kings of the West
Like has been usual for the past few years, the two kings of the West Conference are the Osos de Rivas and the Las Rozas Black Demons. This year it came down to their second matchup in Week 9 to decide who has the crown of the conference in 2024 in what was an amazing hard-fought game that ended up in favor of the Osos with a score of 28-21.
In their semi-final, the Osos will have the chance to take revenge against the L´Hospitalet Pioners, a team that earlier this year amazed the whole country with an unbelievable upset against Rivas in their stadium at the Spanish Cup quarter-finals (Spanish competition that opens up the season every year and where imports are not allowed), where they won with a score of 10-12.
Then we have the Black Demons that are going to clash against the Badalona Dracs. This is a rematch of the final of the Spanish Cup where the Demons came out as champions. It is for sure one of the most anticipated matchups of the whole season, and if things were different in that Week 9 game between Osos and Demons, this could have perfectly been the matchup in the Spanish Bowl.
Is the dynasty coming back?
The Badalona Dracs are the winningest team in the history of Spanish American football with 11 titles of LNFA under their belt. Not so long ago they were the absolute colossus of Spain and had a dynasty that seemed nobody could defeat from 2016 to 2021, when they won the LNFA Serie A undefeated almost every year.
This season, the Dracs are making a statement to bring back the dynasty and have absolutely dominated the East Conference, being the only team in the league that is entering Week 10 undefeated. Then there is the L´Hospitalet Pioners, a classic team in Spanish American football that knows how does it feel to win it all (6 times Spanish Bowl champions) that also once had a dynasty of their own when they conquered the title 4 years in a row, from 2010 to 2013 (the last time that they have won it).
Dracs only need to replicate what they have done all year long: control the rhythm of the game. They have the best backfield in the country and probably one of the best rushing attacks in Europe in 2024, and they will have to let them eat if they want to win it all.
The Pioners need to believe in their domestic talent to achieve the upset once again, like they did in that Osos game in November. Also, they will need to let their star imports shine in what has been one of the most exciting passing offenses in the league the second half of the season.
All or Nothing
There are also other kinds of playoffs in Spain, those of the bottom teams in the competition. This year a new format is going to be played where the worst team of each conference will play a game that will decide who stays in Serie A and who is demoted to Serie B.
Even though the Week 10 games have to be played, this matchup is also already set between the Alcobendas Cavaliers (West) and the Barcelona Pagesos (East). The game will be played at the CEM Bon Pastor stadium, Barcelona (because of point average), the same weekend as the semi-finals.
This has been a pretty tough season for both teams, the two being the youngest squads in the competition after winning the Serie B (Spanish second division); the Cavaliers in 2022 and the Pagesos in 2023.
The Alcobendas Cavaliers are known in the Spanish American football landscape because they are the only team in the Serie A without imports. Last year in their first ever season in the first division they ended up with a record of 1-7, only winning against the Camioneros de Coslada at home. This year in their second season of Serie A, despite some pretty good flashes of potential on the field and having pretty good performances against great squads, they have ended the regular season with an 0-8. They will have to display the toughness and resilience they have shown this past few years if they want to beat the Pagesos, remain in the LNFA A Series, and compete against the best Spain has to offer.
On their side is the Barcelona Pagesos who have played this year their first ever season of LNFA Serie A, also ending with a record of 0-8. They have also displayed some real good performances on the field. We highlight their second match against the powerhouse Badalona Dracs where they really put the actual Spanish Cup champions against the ropes (with a score of 19-33) in a game where all the regular starters were playing. If they want to solidify themselves as a Serie A team, they will have to put that type of performance against Alcobendas in what will be a great matchup for both.
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