Around the Continent: Roger’s Corner – 7/23/14
Championships, more championships and more great football!
Two major championships were decided on the weekend. One may end up deciding who the top team is Europe is in 2014. The Berlin Adler battled the Braunschweig New Yorker finally edging them 20-17 to claim the title of winner of Eurobowl XXVIII in Berlin. Read the full story HERE!The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (Europe #4) hosted the Badalona Dracs from Spain in the European Football League championship game, beating them soundly 40-0. In all fairness, the timing for Badalona is difficult as they had not played a game since winning the Spanish championship one month ago. But Kiel is truly hitting their stride and could very well contend for European supremacy.
The Serbian team Vukovi Belgrade (Europe #11) completed a wonderfully successful 19 game season winning the Central European Football League title by downing the Ljubjana Silverhawks 27-17. Vukovi has appeared in the championship final every year since its inception in 2006 and won it four times. Coupled with winning the Serbian title and going the the finals of the IFAF Europe Champions League tournament Vukovi has truly put Serbia on the American football map. Look for a story on this remarkable team in AFI!
Finally, the Prague Black Panthers (Europe #10) put a cap to their incredibly long season by winning the Czech League championship, overwhelming the Pnbram Bobcats 40-0. They played 19 games in total in 2014, some of them back-to-back weekend games in the Austrian and Czech leagues and once playing two games the same day.
Here then is what happened around the rest of the continent last weekend.
Austria
The Austrian final, Austrian Bowl XXX will be held this coming weekend July 26 between two bitter rivals – the Vienna Vikings (Europe #1) and the Swarco Raiders (Europe #7) – facing each other again for the ninth time in Austrian Bowl history. These two teams have combined for 32 (including this year) appearances in the Austrian final. The Vikings hold the edge with 21 appearances and 12 wins. Swarco has played in the championship final 10 times coming away with three victories, all against Vienna. This will be the fourth year in a row these two have faced each other in the Austrian Bowl. The game will be streamed. Watch for a preview coming tomorrow on AFI.
Belgium
Belgian Bowl XXVII saw a new champion crowned earlier this month as the Ghent Gators made no mistake handing the defending champion the Brussels tigers a 38-0 pummeling. This was the first ever title win for the Gators and they did it on their first try. Read the game recap HERE!
