END OF GAME - The Philadelphia Soul are the champions of the world. After failing against Arizona twice in the ArenaBowl before, the Soul overcame nearly coughing up a 21-point lead to win their second championship in franchise history. The Soul used a strong fourth quarter to put together their 56-42 victory. Continuing coverage of ArenaBowl XXIX is right here at ArenaFan.com.
Reggie Smith 1, Arizona Rattlers 0. In an all-time classic battle between the Arena Football League's two most bitter rivals Saturday night, officials tainted the game's ending by gifting the San Jose SaberCats a 70-67
Any fan of arena football simply couldn't have asked for a better matchup. The three-time defending ArenaBowl champion Arizona Rattlers against the 17-1 San Jose SaberCats, the former looking to do the implausible in professional sports, and the latter looking to unleash three consecutive seasons of postseason revenge. And to top it all off with a trip to ArenaBowl XVIII on the line. The result? Arguably the best Arena Football League game of all-time.
There are a lot of really smart people in the Arena Football League, and I've had the pleasure of interviewing several of them over the course of the last week. Most recognize the fact that the Philadelphia Soul are going to be decided underdogs on the road against the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXIX on Friday night, but the common bond, regardless of who you speak to, suggests that physicality is going to end up being the key to the game.
In the span of two weeks of back-to-back away games, the Iowa Barnstormers took the New Orleans VooDoo to task, winning by a score of 48-34. In their first-ever meeting, the Barnstormers made big plays on offense and overcame a few miscues on defense to put New Orleans on their heels in the final minutes of the game.