BARCELONA, Spain – Former Augustana football player
Matt Lien, who plays professionally in Spain, will be playing for the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA) league championship on Sunday at 6 p.m. Central Time with his team, the l'Hospitalet Pioners. The title game is locally referred to as the “Spanish Superbowl.”
Live video and audio from the game will be Webcast on the Pioners' official team Web site,
www.pioners.org.
Lien and Pioners will face the Valencia Firebats in the title tilt. The Firebats are the defending LNFA champions; the Pioners last won a league championship in 2008.
Lien plays linebacker for the Pioners, who compete in the top American football league in Spain. The Duluth, Minn., native spent five years as a defensive back with the Augustana football program (2004-2008). During his senior season in 2008, Lein served as a team captain, started all 12 games and was third on the team with 90 tackles. He was also named All-Northern Intercollegiate Conference South Division first team in 2008.
The LNFA is 15-team, three conference league. At the end of each season, the league's champion and runner-up receive bids to compete at next year's European Football League (EFL) for a chance to with the Eurobowl. The EFL operates as a European Cup style tournament for European American football teams.
