CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1999

E' iniziata la Champions League 1999, il massimo torneo europeo per club organizzato dall'European Federation of American Football. La prima fase vede le 17 squadre invitate impegnate a qualificarsi per i quarti di finale; i team sono stati divisi una parte in gironi da tre squadre e una parte in sfide dirette che qualificheranno 6 squadre che affronteranno insieme Braunschweig Lions e Hamburg Blue Devils i quarti di finale.
I gironi delle squadre italiane:
Bergamo Lions, Graz Giants e Colonia Crocodiles;
Badalona Drags, Aix en Provence Argonautes, Legnano Frogs.
Le partite delle italiane:
03.04 Bergamo - Cologne Crocodiles Vs. Bergamo Lions 17 - 41
18.04 Colonia - Graz Giants Vs. Cologne Crocodiles
24.04 Graz - Bergamo Lions Vs. Graz Giants 60 -48

21.03 Badalona - Legnano Frogs Vs. Badelona Drags 27 - 29
11.04 Aix en Provence - Badelona Drags Vs. Aix-en-Prov. Argonautes 13 - 30
01.05 Legnano - Aix-en-Prov. Argonautes Vs. Legnano Frogs 14 - 25

16.05 Bergamo - Quarti di Finale: Frogs Legnano - Lions Bergamo 28 - 14

12.06 Amburgo - Semifinali: Frogs Legnano - Hamburg Blue Devils 21 - 41

Sabato 3 Aprile a Osio Sotto (BG), i Lions hanno iniziato con una bella vittoria la loro avventura in Champions League contro i Colonia Crocodiles. Huddle M@gazine ha seguito la partita, clicca per la cronaca e per le foto della partita.
Sabato 24 Aprile a Graz i Lions hanno proseguito il loro cammino nella Champions Legue con una squillante vittoria 60 - 48 contro i locali Giants, un click per leggere la cronaca.
Sabato 1 Maggio, al Vigorelli i Frogs compiono l'impresa non solo di battere gli Argonautes di Aix en Provence, ma di farlo di 11 punti, vincere il girone e dar vita insieme ai Lions al derby italiano di Champions League. Vale la pena di leggere il resoconto di Huddle M@gazine.

Nella pagina "La sportivita' Efaf" potrete leggere invece dei giochi sotterranei messi in atto dalla Federazione Europea per favorire Colonia.

Dal sito Efaf ecco la cronaca di Badalona Drags - Frogs Legnano:

29 March 1999 :
The 1999 Champions League
Badelona Drags wins first 1999 Champions League battle
It was a perfect day , 20 degrees, with a spring sun. There were about 2.500 people, screaming all the game because of the emotion.The game started with a 60 yards Td pass to Natli Walter(Frogs). Drags defense was controlling the game, but a long pass destroyed all the work. Thus, Legnano lead 0-7 finish in the end of the first quarter. At the begining of the second quarter, a good punt left the ball at the Legnano yard 1 . American Len Sexton of the Frogs, broke loose and ran for 99 yard Td. Frogs 0-14. Every one thought that the Italian team was going to win without any problems, as ever the Spanish teams falls defeated. The Drags kept controlling the ball howver, stopping the Frogs offense. They kept moving the ball two or three first downs every drive, finally, a 32 yards pass caught by Christian Llitjos, putting the Drags on the Scoreboard 6-14. The crowd started to believe that Drags could do something important.  Drags kept trying and with just one second of the second quarter remaining, they scored again with a 26 yard td pass to Mexican RB Fernando Contreras and also they scored with a 3 yard the extra point for a tied 14-14. This ended the first half.  At the beggining of the third quarter the Itialians did a good drive and get another 27 yards Td pass to Mario Panzani, for a score of 14-21. But Drags believed that today they can beat the italians, and get another 18 td pass to Conteras again and also the 2 points conversion, now leading for the first time 22-21. The 2.500 people started to roar and with its support Drags get more points with another 17 yards td pass to Christian Llitjos and with the extra point for a 29-21 lead. It seems to be definite with only 1:40 at the clock and the italian team without any timeouts. But a personal foul of a Drags player, who fell in a the provocation of a Frogs player, on fourth down, giving the Frogs a new drive and the chance to score a 32 yards td pass. The Drags defense stopped the two points conversion.  The score was 29-27, but the Italians didn't gave up at all and they tried a onside kick. Then started the problems to the referees, because there were 2 faults of the Italians, an offside of the kick off team, and interference of a Frogs player. Even, the referees weren't sure about which team had the ball. All the Italian team, including the coaches and the trainers, discussed with the referees at the middle of the field, who after a 10 minutes discusion gave the ball to Drags.  Finally, The game finish with a 29-27 Drags victory.


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