Arena Bowl XXII will take place this Sunday at the New Orleans Arena and it promises to be a good one. The Philadelphia Soul, coming in with a league best 15-3 record, are going up against the 13-5 San Jose Sabercats. The two met earlier this season in what was a game for the AFL ages. After San Jose jumped out to a 20-0 lead, eventually building it to 33-7, the Soul mounted a historical comeback and ultimately won, 58-57. There’s no doubt that the game is still on the mind of the San Jose players and there’s no better time than now to avenge that loss.
The Philadelphia Soul feature the league’s best offense and the league’s third ranked defense, which will be a tough combination for the Sabercats to overcome. On the other hand, San Jose’s defense offers one of the best secondaries in the AFL. They also have a league leading 31 sacks on defense, and that pressure will be key in trying to disrupt Philly’s star quarterback, Matt D’Orazio (pictured, right). The Sabercats offense is led by quarterback Matt Grieb and wide receiver Rodney Wright, but the Sabercats most consistent offensive threat, James Roe, will not be playing due to a knee injury. The teams are quite even, and this should make for a very entertaining game.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with arena football, there are some vast differences between the NFL and AFL. For one, arena football is played on a 50-yard field that has no out of bounds markers. Only a wall separates the fans and the field. The clock doesn’t stop save for a 1-minute warning, and this leads to a much faster pace than the NFL. All kickoffs and missed field goals can be returned by the opposing team. Each team plays eight players at a time, as opposed to the NFL’s lineup of 11. The live experience is much different as well. You can buy tickets to AFL games for as low as $5 dollars. Cheerleaders often throw prizes into the crowds between plays and each series. The cheerleaders and players are also required to stay on the field after the game so the fans can come down and greet them. It’s truly a great experience for those in attendance.
The Philadelphia Soul meet the San Jose Sabercats this Sunday, July 27th, at 3 PM ET, on ABC. Tune in and get your football fix.
