The best of the Emirates American Football League will take to the field together on Saturday when the UAE Falcons meet the Colombo Lions in Sri Lanka.
The UAE’s collection of top American football talent has formed an All-Star team which will feature EAFL stalwarts such as Dubai Barracudas quarterback Zavier Cobb and Abu Dhabi Wildcats running back Vivaldi Tulysse as they face Sri Lanka’s finest at Racecourse Stadium (18:00 UAE).
For a change, Barracudas and Falcons coach Kyle Jordan will have the chance to see what Tulysse can do in his offence with a playmaker like Cobb under centre, rather than go up against him.
It’ll be an embarrassment of riches for the Falcons in the backfield, with both Tulysse and Desert Bowl MVP Luke Norrey capable of finding the end zone on any play.
“We have the most dynamic running backs in the league – Vivaldi and Luke Norrey,” said Cobb. “I’m pretty sure you’ll see a lot of those guys doing what they do and hopefully I can get some passes off, but the line will dictate all of that.”
As is the case with playing an international side, Jordan’s squad won’t know what specifics to prepare for.
That will likely lead to a feeling-out period early in the contest as both teams get accustomed to one another, but Jordan has faith the quality of his roster can make up for the lack of familiarity with both the Lions and themselves as a unit.
“We don’t really know what to expect,” said the head coach. “We haven’t seen a lot of footage on the Colombo Lions. We’ve got a lot of quality athletes that have a lot of football experience, so hopefully that will make up for our inexperience of playing together.”
