Saturday March 16, the Gijón Mariners (2-4) will welcome the Osos de Rivas (4-1) at home in the Complejo Deportivo de Las Mestas (Las Mestas Sport Complex), Gijón, at 16:00 (Central European Time).
This game comes after a great performance last weekend from the team of northern Spain, Gijón Mariners, who defeated the Alcobendas Cavaliers 22-35 at the José Caballero stadium in Madrid. The Osos de Rivas had a bye week, but prior to that, the team from Madrid had an outstanding performance, also beating the Cavaliers, but 47-0 in a shutout at home. It looks like Osos is coming for it all again like two seasons ago when they won both, the LNFA Serie A Championship (Spanish Bowl), and the Spanish Cup.
Both squads have quite a history between them. They have played each other 14 times all-time in the Serie A, with a record of 13-1 for the Osos, being 2017 the last and only time the Mariners were able to come out victorious. Despite only losing against the powerhouse Black Demons, the team that up to date has scored the most on the Rivas defense this season is Gijón, when earlier this year they ended with a score of 41-21 in favor of the Madrid team.
Mariners coming in with an explosive running attack
After a rough first half of the season, last Sunday the Gijón Mariners tasted victory again. The most remarkable part of the Gijón performance was their rushing offense, being a force on the ground all game against a great and strong front 7 like the Cavaliers´ one. The names that have and will sound the most are the domestic Running Back Alejandro Herrero (number 3 in receiving TDs in the league with 5) and Athlete Javier Castañón (number 2 in rushing TDs in the league with 4). Also, domestic Athlete Rubén Quintana and their Mexican Quarterback William Michael Alexander are names that come to mind right away whenever you think about the Mariners Offense.
On the other side of the ball, players to keep an eye on are the already mentioned Rubén Quintana and Javier Castañón, plus Linebacker Roberto Rodríguez, the young Defensive Back Iván Bravo and the Americans Patrick Seijin Stebbins and Jordan Adam Zilbar.
The Osos de Rivas defense wants to shut everyone down
After 5 games played, Osos is the team that has allowed the fewest points in the league so far with just 37, only 7.4 points per game. This year, a great addition to the team on that side of the ball is the American Linebacker Davante Gabriel, an absolute force in the box and the leader of the group. Alongside him are names such as American Ronald Tomasello, veteran domestic Defensive Back Andy Vera, the youngster who has made a huge jump this year, Defensive Back Carlos Rodríguez, Safety Daniel Franco and the well known Mexican in Spain, Juan Antonio Escobar, who plays Lineman on both sides of the ball.
Rivas is not short on offense either. The name that stands out the most is American Quarterback Russell Tabor. The former North Carolina Tar heel is the current passing TD leader in the league with 17 in the air, and 3 on the ground. He has a great group of receiving weapons at his disposal composed of Edu Pérez, Iván Iordanov, Pablo Olivares and the American Gary Tyler.
Game´s outcome
This game will probably be a lot closer than most people think, being always an intense matchup whenever these two teams clash. An example of this is their first game this year, with an exciting second half where the Gijón Mariners scored more points than anyone on the Osos this season in a comeback attempt. That being said, this may be one of those big years for Rivas with all the power they have on the roster, high-caliber imports plus a well rounded and experienced national squad. So time will tell, but the clear favorites coming into the game are the Osos de Rivas.
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