Fundidores de Monterrey

Fundidores de Monterrey (English: Monterrey Smelters), officially Fundidores, are an American football team based in Monterrey, Mexico. The Fundidores compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. The team plays its home games at the Estadio Banorte.

Fundidores de Monterrey
Team logo
Established28 September 2016 (2016-09-28)
Based inMonterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Home fieldEstadio Banorte
Head coachJorge Valdez
General managerJosé Luis Domene
Owner(s)
List
  • Fabián Marcos
    David Peréz-Salinas
    Carlos Lankenau
    Gerardo Contreras
LeagueLiga de Fútbol Americano Profesional
ColoursBlack and gold
   
Nickname(s)El Reino de Fuego (The Kingdom of Fire)
Mascot(s)Coque[1]
Tazón México
championship(s)		1: 2022 (V)

History

Origins

Monterrey has an important American football tradition. It is home of two of the most popular college football teams: the Auténticos Tigres of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León and the Borregos Salvajes of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. The city was also home for a short time to the Mexico Golden Aztecs of the Continental Football League.

In the late 90s, Monterrey had a semi-professional team playing in the Liga Nacional Master (Master National League), Cerveceros de Monterrey (Monterrey Brewers), who were national champions in 1995.[2]

Early years

The Fundidores (Spanish for smelters or founders) were founded in September 2016 as part of the 2017 LFA's expansion, this expansion also included another team in the North of Mexico: the Dinos de Saltillo.[3] The name is a reference to the city's Steel Foundry Company, that operated from 1900 to 1986 in what is now the Fundidora Park.

The team debuted at the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional in the 2017 season. On week 2, at the game against the Dinos, former NFL player, Chad Johnson, made its debut (and only appearance) with the team and scored on a 41-yard touchdown reception to help the Fundidores win the game.[4] Monterrey ended the season with a 2–5 record, not qualifying for the playoffs.[5]

For the 2018 season, the Fundidores failed again to qualify for the playoffs after finishing with a 2–5 regular season record.[6]

Carlos Strevel era (2020–2023)

Carlos Strevel was presented as head coach of the Fundidores ahead of the 2020 season. Strevel had previous experience as coach and administrator for several youth and college football programs in Mexico, most notably with the Borregos Salvajes CEM.[7]

In December 2020, Strevel felt into coma derived from COVID-19 complications. After recovering, Strevel returned to the Fundidores training camp in 2022, once the LFA authorized the 2022 season to be played.[8]

Strevel led the Fundidores to their first Tazón México championship in 2022, after defeating the Gallos Negros de Querétaro 18–14 in the Tazón México V, played in Tijuana.[9]

On 9 April 2023, the team announced that Carlos Strevel and Carlos Mercado, defensive coordinator, would no longer be with the team. Later that day, the team presented the Monterrey born Jorge Valdez, a remarkable linebacker as well as assistant coach of Auténticos Tigres, as the Fundidores' new head coach.[10]

Jorge Valdez era (2023-present)

Jorge "Pelón" Valdez was named head coach by the front office on 9 April 2023. He replaced Carlos Strevel as head coach and Carlos Mercado as defensive coordinator. Jorge had previous experience as the assistant to the head coach and defensive coordinator of Auténticos Tigres.

Stadiums
Estadio Tecnológico hosted Fundidores home games during 2017.
Fundidores de Monterrey stadiums
Stadium Tenure
Estadio Tecnológico2017
Estadio Nuevo León Unido2018–2019
Estadio Borregos2020–present
Estadio Borregos currently hosts the Fundidores.

For their first season in Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, the Fundidores played their home games at the Estadio Tecnológico which had been used previously for football matches by C.F. Monterrey, but, in that moment, Fundidores were the only tenant, since Monterrey had already moved to the Estadio BBVA Bancomer.[11]

On 9 April 2017 Fundidores played their last match at Estadio Tecnológico before it was demolished.[12]

For the 2018 season, Fundidores moved to Estadio Nuevo León Unido, a stadium with a 1,500 spectators capacity and artificial turf owned by the Government of Nuevo León.[13]

In 2020, the team moved to Estadio Borregos, with a capacity of 10,057 spectators, a major upgrade, since Estadio Nuevo León Unido could only accommodate 1,500 people. The stadium is owned by the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and it is used by college football team Borregos Salvajes Monterrey.[14][15]

The Fundidores debuted in their new stadium on 14 February 2020 in a match against rivals Dinos de Saltillo in the Clásico del Norte (Northern Classic), where they lost 15–23.[16]

Rivals

Dinos de Saltillo

Fundidores and Dinos are from northern Mexico and were divisional rivals since the establishment of the divisional system in the LFA in 2017, which was later discarded in 2022. The rivalry between the two cities, Saltillo and Monterrey, dates back to the times of the Liga Nacional de Futbol Americano (National American Football League) in the late 90s, when both cities had fierce matches between their two teams: the Dinosaurios (Dinosaurs) and the Cerveceros (Brewers).[17] The rivalry goes beyond the gridiron, since both teams fight season after season to get the best college players from Nuevo León and Coahuila.[18] The rivalry is known as Clásico del Norte (Northern Classic).[19]

Dinos de Saltillo vs. Fundidores de Monterrey season-by-season results
Season Results Location Overall series
2017 Dinos
33–16		 Estadio Olímpico Francisco I. Madero Dinos
1–0
Fundidores
14–6		 Estadio Tecnológico Tie
1–1
2018 Fundidores
17–0		 Estadio Nuevo León Unido Fundidores
2–1
Dinos
30–20		 Estadio Olímpico Francisco I. Madero Tie
2–2
2019 Fundidores
26–13		 Estadio Nuevo León Unido Fundidores
3–2
Dinos
8–0		 Estadio Olímpico Francisco I. Madero Tie
3–3
2020 Dinos
23–15		 Estadio Borregos Dinos
4–3
2022 Dinos
24–17		 Estadio Francisco I. Madero Dinos
5–3
2023 Dinos
38–31		 Estadio Francisco I. Madero Dinos
6–3
Fundidores
55–34		 Estadio Borregos Dinos
6–4

Roster
Fundidores de Monterrey roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • 32 Brandon Calzoncit
  •  9 Aaron McCallister
  • 29 Abraham Sosa
  • 24 Fernando Villanueva

Wide receivers

  •  4 Tavarious Battiste
  • 82 César González
  •  2 Torin Justice
  • 81 Daniel Lozano
  • 85 Daniel Peña
  • 17 Ramsés Ramos
  •  6 Fernando Richarte
  • 83 Marco Sosa

Tight ends

  • 39 Tommy Auger
  • 12 Claudio Montalvo
 Offensive linemen
  • 71 Jorge Alvarado
  • 66 Max Castellanos
  • 76 Isaac Cuevas
  • 53 Juan Pablo Garza
  • 70 Dustin Burns
  • 58 Emilio Pérez
  • 69 Saúl Sauceda
  • 71 Jorge Luis Villegas
  • 66 Anthony Turrubiartes

Defensive linemen

  • 14 Darius Allen
  • 91 Marco Álvarez
  • 42 David Garza
  • 90 Joan Lara
  •  3 Uriel Martínez
  • 92 Daniel Moreno
  •  7 Andrew Salas
 Linebackers
  • 25 Emilio Castillón
  • 11 Sebastián González
  •  5 Christian Hernández
  • 28 Itan Salas
  • 56 Xavier Woodson-Luster

Defensive backs

  •  0 Jeremy Cruter
  • 10 Colby Burton
  • 21 Javier García
  • 18 Cosme Lozano
  •  1 Prince Robinson
  • 27 Ricardo Sáenz
  • 23 Javier Sánchez
  • 20 Sebastián Sierra

Special teams

  • 19 Ricardo Aguilar K

Italics indicate International player
Roster updated 04-04-2023

Staff
Fundidores de Monterrey staff
Front office
  • Owners – Fabián Marcos, Carlos Lankenau, David Pérez-Salinas, Gerardo Contreras
  • General manager – José Luis Domene
  • Marketing / PR director – Carlos Lankenau

Head coach

  • Head coach – Jorge Valdez
  

Offensive coaches

  • Offensive coordinator – Alfredo Hernández
  • Running backs – Joel Rodríguez
  • Offensive line – Joaquín Dávila

Defensive coaches

  • Defensive coordinator – Jorge Valdez
  • Defensive line – Miguel Ángel Alvarado

Season-by-season
Season Head coach Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
2017 Leopoldo Treviño 2 5 .286 3rd (North) – – — —
2018 Israel González 2 5 .286 3rd (North) – – — —
2019 Israel González 3 5 .375 2nd (North) 0 1 .000 Lost North Division Championship (at Raptors) 53–47 (OT)
2020 Carlos Strevel 3 2 .600 3rd (North) Postseason cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Carlos Strevel 4 2 .667 2nd (League) 2 0 1.000 Won Semifinals (Raptors) 30–27
Won Tazón México V (Gallos Negros) 18-14
2023 Carlos Strevel / Jorge Valdez 6 4 .600 5th
Total 20 23 .465 2 1 .667

Championships

Tazón México championships
Year Coach Location Opponent Score Record
2022Carlos StrevelEstadio Caliente (Tijuana)Gallos Negros de Querétaro18–146–2

Notable players

References
  1. "Los colores de Fundidores". LFA.mx (in Spanish). 7 December 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  2. "Recordar es volver a vivir". Zócalo (in Spanish). 17 February 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  3. "Fundidores de Monterrey y Dinos de Saltillo, nuevos clubes de la LFA". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 28 September 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  4. "WATCH: Chad Johnson makes touchdown catch in Mexico look so easy". CBS Sports. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  5. "Derriten a Fundidores". El Norte (in Spanish). 9 April 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  6. "Fundidores cae y es eliminado" (in Spanish). Multimedios. 7 April 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  7. ""Queremos construir un Fundidores triunfador": Coach Strevel". LFA.mx (in Spanish). 20 January 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  8. "De estar en coma por COVID a pelear por el título de LFA; la historia de Carlos Strevel". ESTO.com.mx (in Spanish). 20 May 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  9. "¡Nuevos monarcas! Fundidores derrota a Gallos y se proclama campeón de la LFA". Mediotiempo.com (in Spanish). 22 May 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  10. Ortega, Héctor (10 April 2023). "Fundidores de Monterrey despide al coach Carlos Strevel". El Horizonte (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  11. "Encuentra Fundidores de Monterrey estadio" (in Spanish). Regio Deporte. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  12. "Fundidores despedirá al Estadio Tecnológico" (in Spanish). LFA. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  13. "Estadio Nuevo León". www.indenl.gob.mx. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  14. "Fundidores jugará en el estadio Borregos del Tec de Monterrey". LFA.mx (in Spanish). LFA. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  15. "¡Todo listo! Conoce el nuevo Estadio Borregos del campus Monterrey". Tec.mx (in Spanish). ITESM. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  16. "Fundidores vs Dinos". LFA.mx (in Spanish). 14 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  17. Pérez Ocampo, Víctor Manuel (9 October 2016). "Inició la era jurásica en Saltillo". Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  18. "Fundidores Vs. Dinos sí es un Clásico: Coach Tito González" (in Spanish). LFA. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  19. Ávila, Carlos (8 July 2022). "Fundidores y Dinos, el "Clásico del Norte" de la LFA". LFA.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 February 2023.
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