Time to semi-finals in IFL and the wait is growing for the names of the two teams that will be protagonists next June 29th at the Benelli Stadium in RavennaIn the XLIII Italian Bowl.
Competing for access to the final we once again find last season’s semi-finalists, that is Parma Panthers, Guelphs Florence, Dolphins Ancona And Skorpions Varesewhich will meet at the weekend in the same way as in 2023, with the only important variation that will see Varese playing at home, strong in first place in the ranking.
Let’s start with the match Varesescheduled Saturday at 5.30pm at the Ossola Stadium of the Garden City. The Scorpions, so far undefeated, will find themselves facing the reigning Italian Champions for the second time this season and there is only one “Mission”: to overturn last year’s result and play for the first time in their history the final of the championship of First Division. For the Parma PanthersHowever, the possibility of defending the title is on the table and, despite the up-and-down season, when the panther smells its prey, it is difficult to stop it! Against the Frogs last week the Emilians demonstrated once again that they know how to best manage the games that count. Experience in these cases can make the difference and the long-distance duel between two of the best coaches in the League will be a further source of interest: Nick Holt on the one hand, Bryan Michetti on the other hand, we are sure they will be able to offer a great show in terms of game strategy. The rest will be done by the players on the field, with Ryan Griffin And Robbie Patterson to lead their respective attacks and try to maintain the right clarity for all four quarters. In the regular season the Skorpions prevailed 38 to 34, with the winning TD scored just over 50 seconds from the final whistle… a situation that Varese resolved in a similar way also in the last game played, the one against the Rhinos of last May 26th. A lot of attention will be needed both on the defensive front and on the special teams front, because every mistake risks being fatal when teams and players of this caliber are on the pitch.
Guelfi Sports Center ready to dye purple on Sunday, to welcome like last year the Dolphins Ancona in another sell-out semi-final. Ancona started as the underdog going into the match, there’s no denying it: the direct comparisons between these two teams, in the last three years, have all ended in favor of the Florentines, who dominated the field against the Dolphins even in the last regular season match played. Furthermore, the wild card round won by the Marches against Lazio Marines has once again drawn attention to the need to avoid drops in performance and concentration and against Florence, chasing a third consecutive final, a five-star performance will be needed. The Guelphs are preparing without leaving anything to chance and it seems they will take the field for the first time this season with full ranks and with the addition of an important piece in their offensive line: Francesco “Checco” Fantiblue and former player of the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, who will provide even more solidity to one of the most explosive attacks in the league. By Galbo & Co. will also have to face the obstacle represented by the League’s first defense, lethal against both the running and throwing game and finding a key to understanding it will not be easy at all. Be careful, however, about taking things for granted, because in one-off matches anything can happen, and the memory of what happened in Toledo is still very fresh in the minds of the Guelphs…
ITALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE – Semifinals
Saturday, June 15th
h. 5.30pm Skorpions Varese vs Panthers Parma
Sunday, June 16th
h. 3.00pm Guelfi Florence vs Dolphins Ancona
