Rivas Osos

Rivas Osos
Helmet Logo
Established 1989
Based in Rivas-Vaciamadrid  Spain
Home ground Estadio Cerro del Telégrafo
Team colors
  Yellow
  Red
  White
Head coach Enrique Fernandez Gomez Spain
League LNFA
Division LNFA Elite
LNFA titles 1 (2001)
Spain's Cup titles 5 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007 & 2009)

Rivas Osos (Rivas Bears in English language) is an American football team based in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Community of Madrid (Spain).

They have won the LNFA once, in 2001, and were runners-up in 1999, 2002 and 2012. They have also conquered the Spanish Cup in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2009.

History

The beginnings

The team was established in the spring of 1989 as Madrid Bears, changing names to Madrid Osos when they joined their first official competition by the end of that year, the Second Catalan Football League. During those first years, the team received a lot of help (equipment, players, coaching staff, etc.) from the American soldiers stationed at the nearby base of Torrejón.

The team played their first game in the Community of Madrid before 500 spectators in a friendly match against the Barcelona Búfals in July 1989, which despite ending in a 14-6 defeat left a good impression and was vital to the development of new teams such as Madrid Panthers, Toros de Madrid (Madrid Bulls) and Delfines de Madrid (Madrid Dolphins).

The Bears' first participation in official competition implied searching for a sponsor, to reduce the cost of equipment. American football in Spain was practiced only in the area of Catalonia, so the Bears entered the II Catalan Football League. Their first game in the league was against the incumbent league champions, Badalona Dracs. The Dracs were defeated by the Bears who only had played one game before then.

Madrid Osos reached the semifinals undefeated that year, being defeated then by the Dracs. The Osos participation in this competition ended in fourth position.

The II Football Supercopa of Spain was a progression in the sport for the Osos, as the team reached the Cup final against the mighty Barcelona Boxers in a great match in the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, in which the Boxers won before 25,000 spectators. The Madrid Bears lost, and remained runners-up.

Since then, the Bears have continued to be one of the greatest teams in football in Spain, always playing in the First Division.

The 1990s

From 2000

Staff

Edouard Barrera - Athletic Director

Sebastian Serrano - Head Coach - Defensive Coordinator

Ignacio Pliego - Offensive Coordinator

Javier Hernandez - Assintant Offensive Coordinator

Fernando Guijarro - Offensive & Defensive Line Coach

Luis Javier Boza - Special Teams Coordinator

External links

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