Fútbol Americano
Encyclopedia
"Fútbol Americano" was the marketing name used for the first-ever National Football League
regular season game ever held outside the United States
. Played on October 2, 2005 at Estadio Azteca
in Mexico City
, the Arizona Cardinals
defeated the San Francisco 49ers
, 31-14. The game drew an NFL regular season record of 103,467 paid fans.
The name "Fútbol Americano" is Spanish
for "American football
," a term used to distinguish it from fútbol, which is Spanish for association football (soccer in American English). Fútbol is an approximation of the English word "football" to the Spanish phonology; a more literal translation of "foot ball" is balompié, a calque term that is not used nowadays in Spanish speaking country other than for stylistic purposes in media.
s, called American Bowl
s, that were held at international sites outside the United States
. Several years later in his annual news conference prior to Super Bowl XXXIX
in February of 2005, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
announced that the league was considering holding regular season games outside the United States, with Toronto
and Mexico City as the primary candidates.
In March, the league announced that the first NFL regular season game outside the United States was to be played on October 2, with the Cardinals facing the 49ers in Mexico City. It was scheduled as a home game for the Cardinals, mostly because the team rarely sold out at their then-home field, Sun Devil Stadium
in Tempe, Arizona
.
To mark this historic game, all NFL players during that weekend wore "Fútbol Americano" stickers on their helmets, while "Fútbol Americano" banners were placed in all league stadiums. The league does not consider this 49ers-Cardinals game in Mexico City as an "American Bowl". However, it has been retroactively included in the NFL International Series
, which did not officially begin until 2007.
To this day, it is one of only two NFL games played outside the US to have aired on national television, the other being a New York Jets
-Buffalo Bills
game in Toronto
in 2009, which aired on NFL Network
.
with an unsuccessful two-point conversion
to still trail 14-12 at halftime. Kicker Neil Rackers
, who scored two field goals in the second quarter, scored two more in the third to take a 18-14 lead. Arizona then dominated the fourth quarter, as they scored a field goal (21-14), a touchdown (28-14), and another field goal to win the game, 31-14.
The football used on the opening kickoff was later sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
regular season game ever held outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Played on October 2, 2005 at Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca is a stadium in Santa Ursula, Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.The stadium was the venue for football soccer in the 1968 Summer Olympics....
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeated the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, 31-14. The game drew an NFL regular season record of 103,467 paid fans.
The name "Fútbol Americano" is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
," a term used to distinguish it from fútbol, which is Spanish for association football (soccer in American English). Fútbol is an approximation of the English word "football" to the Spanish phonology; a more literal translation of "foot ball" is balompié, a calque term that is not used nowadays in Spanish speaking country other than for stylistic purposes in media.
Background
Beginning in 1986, the league held a series of annual pre-season exhibition gameExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
s, called American Bowl
American Bowl
The American Bowl was a series of National Football League pre-season exhibition games that were held at sites outside the United States between 1986 and 2005.- Overview :...
s, that were held at international sites outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Several years later in his annual news conference prior to Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
in February of 2005, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
announced that the league was considering holding regular season games outside the United States, with Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Mexico City as the primary candidates.
In March, the league announced that the first NFL regular season game outside the United States was to be played on October 2, with the Cardinals facing the 49ers in Mexico City. It was scheduled as a home game for the Cardinals, mostly because the team rarely sold out at their then-home field, Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
.
To mark this historic game, all NFL players during that weekend wore "Fútbol Americano" stickers on their helmets, while "Fútbol Americano" banners were placed in all league stadiums. The league does not consider this 49ers-Cardinals game in Mexico City as an "American Bowl". However, it has been retroactively included in the NFL International Series
NFL International Series
Beginning with the 2005 season, the National Football League has hosted regular season American football games held outside the United States in a series known as the International Series.-Background:...
, which did not officially begin until 2007.
To this day, it is one of only two NFL games played outside the US to have aired on national television, the other being a New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
-Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
game in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 2009, which aired on NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
.
Game summary
The San Francisco 49ers got all the momentum scoring two fumble returns for touchdowns and taking a 14-0 lead with 7:57 to play in the first quarter. However, San Francisco would never score again. In the second quarter, the Arizona Cardinals scored two field goals and a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry FitzgeraldLarry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
with an unsuccessful two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
to still trail 14-12 at halftime. Kicker Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, who scored two field goals in the second quarter, scored two more in the third to take a 18-14 lead. Arizona then dominated the fourth quarter, as they scored a field goal (21-14), a touchdown (28-14), and another field goal to win the game, 31-14.
The football used on the opening kickoff was later sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
Scoring summary
- 1st Quarter
- SF - D.Smith fumble recovery in end zone (J.Nedney kick), 49ers 7-0.
- SF - D.Johnson 78 yd. fumble return (J.Nedney kick), 49ers 14-0.
- 2nd Quarter
- AZ - FG N.Rackers 40, 49ers 14-3. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 4:56.
- AZ - FG N.Rackers 45, 49ers 14-6. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:55.
- AZ - L.Fitzgerald 17 pass from J.McCown (pass failed), 49ers 14-12. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 1:03.
- 3rd Quarter
- AZ - FG N.Rackers 48, Cardinals 15-14. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:17.
- AZ - FG N.Rackers 23, Cardinals 18-14. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:04.
- 4th Quarter
- AZ - FG N.Rackers 43, Cardinals 21-14. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:02.
- AZ - A.Boldin 27 pass from J.McCown (N.Rackers kick), Cardinals 28-14. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:47.
- AZ - FG N.Rackers 24, Cardinals 31-14. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:41.
See also
- National Football League in TorontoNational Football League in TorontoThe National Football League has long been rumoured to be considering placing one of its franchises in Canada's largest city, Toronto, Ontario....
- National Football League International Series
- Fútbol Americano en México