AFI Recaps the weekend of international football

AFI | Allgau Comets | 09/22/2021

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic Photo: Nicol Marschall

With many leagues winding down or finished, there was still plenty of football being played around the world.

The German Football League quarterfinals took place with the top four seeded teams advancing. One game was played In Norway, while in Japan, the XLeague finished off its second round of play. Finally, in the Swiss league, the final game of the regular season was played.

Germany

In the German Football League quarterfinals, the Dresden Monarchs had no problems eliminating the Allgäu Comets, handing them a 50-13 defeat. The Monarchs advance to the GFL semifinals where they will face the Saarland Hurricanes.

The Saarland Hurricanes fell behind early to the Cologne Crocodiles but took a 14-10 halftime lead and went on to down the Crocodiles 35-16. Saarland who have never before made it this far will now take on the Dresden Monarchs in the semifinals.

The Potsdam Royals surged out to a 29-9 lead midway through the fourth quarter and then eased off to defeat the Munich Cowboys 36-23 in the GFL quarterfinals. With the win, the Royals have advanced to the semifinal round for the first time in their history where they will face the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns.

The Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns remained unbeaten after beating the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions 38-13 in the GFL quarterfinals. This is the earliest exit from post-season play for the Lions in almost a decade. Schwäbisch Hall moves on to the semifinal where they take on the Potsdam Royals.

Norway

The Oslo Vikings maintained their dominance over crosstown rivals, the Vålerenga Trolls by beating them 41-6, their second straight win over the Trolls.

Switzerland

In the final regular-season game in Switzerland’s National League, the Geneva Seahawks (5-3) edged the last place Zurich Renegades (0-8) 10-7. The Seahawks will face the Bern Grizzlies in the Swiss semifinals this weekend.

XLeague (Japan)

The Obic Seagulls (1-0) made short work of IBM Big Blue (0-1-1), jumping out to a 31-6 lead at halftime and then cruising to a 41-20 win.

The Panasonic Impulse (2-0) trailed the Nozima Sagamihara Rise (0-2) 10-7 going into the fourth quarter of their XLeague matchup but scored 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points to go on to defeat the Rise 24-10.

The Fujitsu Frontiers (2-0) needed a pick-six and field goal in the fourth quarter to get by Tokyo Gas (0-2) 32-22 and win their second game in a row in Japan’s XLeague.