Around The Continent: Week 8 Full of Lopsided Scores
[tps_title]Around the Continent[/tps_title]
Spain
In the most bizarre performance between two playoff bound teams from the top league in a country, the first place Valencia Firebats handed the second place Osos Rivas from Madrid a horrible 76-0 thrashing. This was an embarrassing performance on the part of Osos Rivas. Even though they were missing seven starters, there is no place for this in American football at the highest level in Spain.
In the other two games played, the Badalona Dracs handed the Mallorca Voltors their ninth straight loss, 56-6 and solidified their hold on third place. Finally, the Valencia Giants doubled the L’Hospitalet Pioners 28-14 and will finish fourth.
With only one game left to play in the Spanish league the Firebats will finish first with an 8-1 record, but Osos Rivas is in second at 6-3, the same as Badalona. So this weekend’s game between Osos Rivas and the Dracs will be for home field advantage in the semi-finals. The Dracs need to win by more than three to earn second.
Sweden
The Swedish season entered its second weekend of play. The defending champion and heavy favorites the Carlstad Crusaders with a new head coach at the helm handed the Limhamn Griffins at 41-13 loss. The Uppsala 86ers, still smarting after a tough loss last week to Carlstad, rebounded with a 39-0 drubbing of the Stockholm Mean Machines. Then the Tyreso Royal Crowns spoiled the home opener of the Vasteras Roedeers trouncing them 62-13.
Switzerland
There were two games on tap in Switzerland. The Calanda Broncos dispatched their arch rivals the Basel Gladiators handily 45-10, scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter. Lukas Lutscher caught two touchdown passes for the Broncos while Tommy Tribolet was the game’s leading tackler with eight stops and two tackles for loss. The Bern Grizzlies dumped the Zurich Renegades 45-27 to edge closer to Basel in the standings.
Calanda remains in first place in the Swiss league at 5-1 followed by the Gladiators at 3-2. Bern is right behind in third though also at 3-2.
Turkey
In the final games of the regular season in Turkey, the Koc Rams beat the ITÜ Hornets 27-7 which left them undefeated at 7-0 and in first. The Bogazici Sultans took care of the Anadolu USK Rangers 46-12 so they finished second with a 5-2 record.
Both the Rams and Sultans will now face each other in the Turkish championship game on May 30/31.
Ukraine
The Ukrainian season is fully underway. This past weekend in Group A play, the Kiev Slavs defeated the Odessa Pirates 21-17 for their second victory of the season. Meanwhile the Kiev Bulldogs whipped the Dnipropetrovsk Rockets 50-6.
