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.
Copenhagen Towers overwhelming the Danish league.
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.
Helsinki Roosters battling the Turku Trojans
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.
Germany
North
It was a busy weekend. The Cologne Falcons (Europe #8), clinched a playoff spot by beating the Berlin Adler (Europe #14) 26-23 and eliminating them from playoff play. Not only did Cologne qualify for the playoffs but the Falcons jumped past Kiel (Europe 9) into third in the North standings. See the recap on AFI. Elsewhere, Braunschweig took it easy on the Berlin Rebels beating them 37-10, while Dresden handed Dusseldorf yet another lopsided defeat pounding them 56-7.
With that, Braunschweig finished first with a 12-0 record, Dresden (Europe #4) was second at 8-4, Cologne third at 7-5 tied with Kiel also at 7-5. But Cologne beat Kiel twice during the regular season giving them the edge.
Braunschweig running back David McCant heading for the end zone.
South
The Munich Cowboys clinched fourth place and the final playoff spot in the South by beating the Marburg Mercenaries 54-29. Marburg had already qualified for the post season. The Schwabisch Hall Unicorns (Europe #5) clinched first place in the South by soundly beating the previous division leader the Stuttgart Scorpions (Europe #11) 49-22. The Unicorns have established themselves as a contender for the German crown. Finally, the Allgau Comets dominated the Saarland Hurricanes 31-6 to finish fifth. The Comets still have game remaining against Stuttgart.
With this, the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns finished first in the South, Stuttgart second, Marburg third and the Munich Cowboys fourth.
The quarterfinals set for September 20 and 21st will have the following matchups: Braunschweig-Munich, Dresden-Marburg, Stuttgart-Cologne and Schwabisch Hall-Kiel. Look for a detailed preview next week in AFI.
German Plays of the Week from last week
Great Britain
It was not unexpected. The BritBowl this year will feature last year’s finalists as the defending champion London Warriors (Europe #20) will take on their cross town rivals the London Blitz .
Two weeks ago, the Warriors had no trouble handling the Tamworth Phoenix who had finished second in the Northern division, beating them 41-14. In the other semi-final the London Blitz (second in the South) had to take the train up to Scotland to face the first place team from the North, the East Kilbride Pirates. The train ride did not seem to affect the Blitz as they dominated the Pirates 44-0.
Last year the Warriors beat the Blitz in a thriller 26-23 for their first championship. This will be the fifth year in a row that these two teams face each other in BritBowl. In fact, since 2005, the Blitz have appeared in every single British American Football championship game, winning five times.
Earlier this year, the Warriors beat the Blitz 33-13 but the game was much closer than the score indicates. Watch for previews and a live stream link next week.
BritBowl XXV is Saturday September 24. Look for a preview of the final next week on AFI.
Holland
In July, the Alphen Eagles won Tulip Bowl XXX in a nail biter, beating arch rival the Amsterdam Crusaders 14-12. This was the third Tulip Bowl victory in a row for the Eagles.
Ireland
In a Shamrock Bowl that will be remembered as much for the rain as for the defenses, the Belfast Trojans outlasted Trinity College Dublin 7-0 to win their third Irish championship in a row. Read the recap HERE.
Italy
The Milano Seamen (Europe #19) won their first-ever Italian championship – Super Bowl XXXIV in July beating four-time champion the Parma Panthers handily 33-3.
Norway
The Norwegian championship was decided in July as the Kristiansand Gladiators beat heavy favorite the Eidsvoll 1814s 22-21 on a last second hail mary pass.
Poland
The Polish Super Final saw the Gdynia Seahawks defeat the Wroclaw Panthers 41-32 to win their second Polish title in three years. Read the game recap HERE.
Championship Game MVP Tunde Ogun leaps into the end zone for another TD.
Russia
The Moscow Patriots were pushed to the limit by the St. Petersburg Griffins but found a way to win 27-26 in the first Russian semi-final matchup. The Griffins took the lead early and it was not until the fourth quarter that the Patriots made a comeback. . In the other semifinal, the host Astrakhan Gladiators took control early and never let up in demolishing the Nizhny Novgorod Raiders 52 58-8. Read the full recap on AFI.
A preview of the final will be published here on AFI.
Moscow Patriots swarming a Griffins ball carrier.
Serbia
Earlier this month, Vukovi Belgrade (Europe #10) made no mistake in the Serbian championship game beating rivals the Kragujevac Wild Boars 27-17, to cap a highly successful season. The Serbian squad also reached the finals of the the IFAF Europe Champions League tournament losing in a close one to Helsinki 36-27.
Spain
The season in June with the Badalona Dracs as new champions.
Sweden
In the Swedish nationally televised championship final, the Carlstad Crusaders (Europe #6) proved why they are one of the elite teams of Europe with a thorough trouncing of the Orebro Black Knights 49-9. In fact in all three meetings between these clubs this season the Crusaders have outscored the Black Knights 139-38. Read the game story here on AFI.
Switzerland
The Basel Gladiators (Europe #17) won the Swiss Bowl in July for the first time in their history.
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