LIVESTREAM Spanish Semifinal: L’Hospitalet Pioners @ Osos Rivas, April 21, 12:00 CET (12 noon, 6 am EDT).
The last semifinal matchup of the weekend in Spain’s National League of American Football, LNFA, pits the top team in the West, Osos Rivas against the East number two, the L’Hospitalet Pioners.
The Pioners enter this game as heavy underdogs, but they have a chance to upset a team that is right on the cusp of a potential championship season in the Osos Rivas.
The Osos finished their season 7-1 with their only loss coming against the defending champions and now also Spanish Bowl finalists, the Las Rozas Black Demons. The Osos managed to get their win back as they beat the Black Demons 28-21 in the return game late in the year. The Osos go into this playoff matchup on a five-game win streak withfour of their last five games being shut outs against the Mariners, Alcobendas and Camineros twice. Osos Rivas look like the real deal with the best defense in the league allowing a mere 7.6 points a game on average and with quarterback Russell Tabor sitting on 19 touchdown passes. Osos are the heavy favorites in this game for a reason.
In terms of historical data for this game, the two squads have only matched up once before with the Osos taking the victory, 49-28, in a game all the way back in 2020. The Pioners on the other hand, though more than likely pleased they finished in a playoff position, definitely find themselves in the underdog position, finishing the season 5-3, losing to the Dracs twice and also giving up a game to Mallorca. It is a case of any given Sunday for L’Hospitalet as they will hope the Osos are overlooking them and then can punch their ticket to the finals. They will lean on their star tandem brothers Alex and Luis Enrique Garcia Rosado, who, at quarterback and wide receiver respectively, have changed the fortunes for the Pioners.
L’Hospitalet Pioners @ Osos Rivas
April 21, 12:00 CET (12 noon, 6 am EDT)
