Fútbol Americano

"Fútbol Americano" was the marketing name used for the first-ever National Football League regular season game ever held outside the United States.cite web | url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8903133 | title=History to be made in Mexico City | publisher=NFL.com | date=2005-09-28 | accessdate=2006-08-07] 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.cite web | url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20051002_SF@ARI | title=Cardinals handle 49ers in Mexico 31-14 | publisher=NFL.com | date=2005-10-02 | accessdate=2006-08-07]

The name "Fútbol Americano" is Spanish for "American football," a term used to distinguish from "fútbol," which actually means soccer.

Background

Beginning in 1986, the league held a series of annual pre-season exhibition games, called American Bowls, that were held at international sites outside the United States.cite book | title=2006 NFL Record and Fact Book | id=ISBN 1933405325 | pages=616] 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.cite web | url=http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/8163420 | title=Tagliabue discusses team for L.A. in address | publisher=NFL.com | date=2005-02-04 | accessdate=2006-08-07]

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.cite web | url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8294013 | title=Mexico could be host to regular-season game | publisher=NFL.com | date=2005-03-15 | accessdate=2006-08-07] 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 never called or recorded this 49ers-Cardinals game in Mexico City as an "American Bowl".

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 Fitzgerald 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. [cite web | url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/release.jsp?release_id=1724 | title=Ball from historic Mexico City game arrives in Canton | publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame | date=2005-10-05 | accessdate=2006-08-07]

coring summary

Linescore Amfootball
Road=49ers
R1=14
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
RT=14
Home=Cardinals
H1=0
H2=12
H3=6
H4=13
HT=31
*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."

References and notes

*cite news | title=Cardinals deep-six 49ers in historic tilt in Mexico | first=Tom | last=Weir | publisher=USA Today | url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/games/2005-10-03-cardinals-niners_x.htm | date=2005-10-03 | accessdate=2006-08-07