The International Bowl action at the 59th annual Pop Warner Super Bowl got underway on Monday at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando.
Teams from Mexico, Canada and the UAE played round-robin games in the Midget and Junior Midget divisions under clear skies and 76 degrees after a cool start to the day.
“We enjoyed a fabulous opening round as the teams shook off their travel legs and each played two 24-minute games,” said Global Football President Patrick Steenberge, organizer of the International Bowl games.
“The EAFL team from the UAE is vastly improved from last year, as is Mexico Azul. Canada is strong as usual.
“The shorter, multiple-game format we introduced has worked very well, creating fast paced competitive games. Now the teams can relax at Disney for a couple of days and then play again on Thursday.”
In the Midget Division, Canada’s Ontario-based team, led by head coach Peter Wilson, posted two wins, beating Queretaro from Mexico 22-0 and then scoring 20 unanswered points against a EAFL Falcons team from the United Arab Emirates that had previously beaten Mexico City 24-0.
In two all-Mexican match ups, Mexico Azul, under head coach Christian Alejandro, also recorded two victories, 13-0 over Queretaro and 9-0 over Mexico City.
Midget Division
EAFL Falcons 24 Mexico City 0
Mexico Azul 13 Queretaro 0
Mexico Azul 9 Mexico City 0
Canada 22 Queretaro 0
Canada 20 EAFL Falcons 0
Standings
Canada 2-0
Mexico Azul 2-0
EAFL Falcons 1-1
Mexico City 0-2
Queretaro 0-2
The Junior Midget Division featured a total of three games on Monday, with Mexico Azul making the early running with two wins, with the EAFL Falcons also tasting victory.
Junior Midget Division
EAFL Falcons 19 Mexico City 0
Mexico Azul 34 EAFL Falcons 0
Mexico Azul 26 Mexico City 0
Standings
Mexico Azul 2-0
EAFL Falcons 1-1
Mexico City 0-1
Thursday’s upcoming games:
