Brazil’s Ceará Caçadores Face João Pessoa Espectros in Superliga Nordeste Semi

This weekend Brazil’s Superliga Nordeste (Northeast Superleague) semifinal round begins play as the Ceará Caçadores will host the João Pessoa Espectros at Presidente Vargas Stadium in Fortaleza on November 1st.

This is a special match for the roster of Caçadores because this is the first time a Ceará team has ever reached the finals of a regional competition. The Fortaleza team finished the regular season with five wins and one loss dropping one game to the undefeated Recife Mariners (6-0). After the merger between Fortaleza Dragões do Mar and Ceará Cangaceiros to form the Caçadores, the team came close to reaching the final of the Superliga Northeast last year, when it was defeated by the Espectros 24-18 at Murilão Stadium in Fortaleza.

The current Superliga Nacional runner-up, the João Pessoa Espectros want to repeat the victory over their rivals from Ceará from last season. The Paraiba Espectros finished the regular season with four wins and two defeats, with both losses coming at the hands of the Recife Mariners. Despite the losses, the team, led by head coach Brian Guzman, is the favorite to reach the final of the Superliga Northeast again. The team has a veteran squad with many players who played for the Brazil Onças (Brazilian National Team) when they played in the 2015 IFAF World Championships.

The other semifinal between the Recife Mariners and the Recife Pirates will be played November 8.

Superliga Nacional Standings 2015

Centro-Sul (Mid-South)

Unique Group Teams Win Lost Draw PF PA Net Home Away Streak
y – Cuiabá Arsenal 5 0 0 114 69 45 3-0 2-0 won 5
x – Coritiba Crocodiles 5 1 0 159 78 81 2-1 3-0 won 4
Itapema White Sharks 3 2 0 125 123 2 2-0 1-2 lost 1
Foz do Iguaçu Black Sharks 2 3 0 135 102 33 1-1 1-2 lost 2
São José Istepôs 2 3 0 76 75 1 1-2 1-1 won 2
São Paulo Storm 1 4 0 72 134 -62 1-2 0-2 lost 4
Goiânia Rednecks 0 5 0 56 180 -124 0-2 0-3 lost 5

Nordeste (Northeast)

North Group Teams Win Lost Draw PF PA Net Home Away Streak
y – Ceará Caçadores 5 1 0 194 87 107 3-0 2-1 won 2
x – Recife Pirates 3 3 0 71 88 -17 1-2 2-1 won 1
América Bulls 2 4 0 115 133 -18 2-1 0-3 lost1
o – Ufersa Petroleiros 2 4 0 39 77 -38 1-2 1-2 lost 2
South Group Teams Win Lost Draw PF PA Net Home Away Streak
y – Recife Mariners 6 0 0 217 44 173 3-0 3-0 won 6
x – João Pessoa Espectros 4 2 0 181 55 126 1-1 3-1 lost 1
Vitória 2 4 0 73 184 -111 1-2 1-2 won 1
o – Sergipe Bravos 0 6 0 9 253 -244 0-2 0-3 lost6

x – Clinched playoff
y – Clinched Division and Homefield Advantage
0 – Relegated to lower division

Journalist at Futebol Americano Brasil and American Football International. Post graduated in Digital Journalism at Famecos/PUCRS. Former multimedia producer of Locast Project MIT/USA. Former player of Porto Alegre Pumpkins.