Around the Continent: Roger’s Corner – September 11th, 2014

Five-Peat Champion in Sweden as playoff football in full swing in Europe!

 

The Swedish American Football Federation championship game was in doubt for all of one quarter as the Carlstad Crusaders (Europe #6) capped an undefeated Swedish season by beating the Orebro Black Knights 49-9 in front of a national television audience last Sunday. Read the recap here.

In Finland, the number one and two teams in Finland advanced from the semi-finals as the Helsinki Roosters (Europe #12) blanked the Butchers 32-0 and Turku Trojans defeated the Senaijoki Crocodiles 28-7. Read more below.

Although two games remain in Germany, the playoffs are set.    We give a full account of the playoff picture below and a regular season summary next week. Needless to say, the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions (Europe #1) are heavy favorites to win the title.

In Denmark the playoffs don’t start until late in September as is the case in Germany as well. And finally in Russia, the two Russian finalists were decided.

Here then is what happened around the rest of the continent last weekend.

Austria

The Austrian final in July, Austrian Bowl XXX, was a thriller for the ages as the Vienna Vikings (Europe #2) and the Swarco Raiders (Europe #3) battled to a 17-17 tie in regulation time. Vienna scored the only touchdown in overtime to win its third straight Austrian title 24-17. Read the game recap here.

Belgium

Belgian Bowl XXVII saw a new champion crowned in July 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!

CEFL (Central European Football League)

Vukvoi Belgrade (Europe #10) capped a grueling yet highly successful season in July, by beating the Ljubjana Silverhawks 27-17 to win their second title of the year. Vukovi reached three championship finals winning two of them. A remarkable achievement.

Czech Republic

The Czech championship ended, as expected last month, with the Prague Black Panthers (Europe #8) taking the title beating the Pnbram Bobcats 40-0. With that, Prague finished a great season with a record of 13-6. They played more games than any other team in Europe.

Denmark

In Denmark four games were on tap. In Group 1 action the top team in Denmark the Copenhagen Towers (Europe #16) handed the Odense Swans another thrashing, this time 54-0. The Aab 89ers upended the Holbaek Red Devils 32-16 while the Amager Demons whipped Esbjerg 48-0.

With one week left in the season, the Copenhagen Towers  will finish first overall in the league regardless of what happens this weekend. The Triangle Razorbacks are second overall. Both these teams have a bye into the semi-finals which will be held Sept. 27 and 28th. In the wild card playoffs, the Aarhus Tigers who are third will play the sixth place team, the Amager Demons. Then the Sollerod Gold Diggers, number four, will face the Herlev Rebels who finished fifth. The winners of these games will advance to the semi-finals.

The Danish championship – the 25th Mermaid Bowl – will take place October 11.

 Finland

In Finland, the semifinals saw no surprises as the Helsinki Roosters (Europe #12) blanked the Porvoo Butchers 32-0. But the game was much closer than that. The total offense for each team was almost identical with the Roosters gaining 191 total yards and Porvoo 190. But the Roosters scored while the Butchers could not punch the ball in from the red zone.

In the other semifinal, the Turku Trojans, led by 156 yards rushing and two touchdowns by Jocques Crawford downed the Seinajoki Crocodiles 28-7.

So the number one and two teams in Finland will meet in the Maple Bowl this Saturday. Look for a preview on AFI.

France

The Thonon Black Panthers (Europe #15) won the French league in thrilling fashion two months ago. But they lost lost in the semi-finals of the inaugural IFAF Europe Champions League tournament to Vukovi Belgrade 19-7.

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