Central European Football League: Stockholm Mean Machines roll past Manchester Titans to advance to quarterfinals

The Stockholm Mean Machines got out to a slow start against the visiting British champions, the Manchester Titans in the opening round of the Central European Football League tournament but then took charge and defeated the Titans 44-14 at Zinkensdam stadium this past weekend.

Mean Machines quarterback Mateo Renteria threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns with Matt Retzlaff catching six passes for 109 yards and three of those touchdowns. Anton Blomren caught three passes for 95 yards and Robin Gavelin Miranda two for 29 and the fourth score. Running back Oliwer Stedt  rushed for 126 yards and one touchdown while Kasper Wedberg had 52 yards rushing and another touchdown.

For the Titans, quarterback Sam Bloomfield completed 17 of 29 passes for 138 yards with Anousheh Fulford catching seven of those passes for 46 yards. Jon Pan Gago rushed for 27 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and David Adebo had five carries for 33 yards.

It took the Mean Machines until the end of the first quarter to begin gaining momentum on their home field. Renteria found Gavelin-Miranda from the Titans‘ 16-yard line to give Stockholm a 7-0 lead after Hugo Backing’s extra point kick.

Kasper Wedberg increased the lead to 14-0 three minutes into the second period on a seven yard run capping nine-play, 77 yard drive.

The Titans responded on the very next possession as Bloomfield marched his team from his own 17 yard line down to the Stockholm one and then handed off to Pan Gago who punched the ball in to narrow the lead to 14-7 with only two minutes left in the first half.

Stockholm then stunned the Titans as Renteria hit Retzlaff with a 54 yard touchdown strike with no time left on the clock to take a 21-7 lead into the break.

The third quarter saw the Mean Machines defense rise up, halting every Manchester drive while the offense scored twice with Renteria connecting with Retzlaff for a 26 yard score and then a four yard touchdown pass to take an insurmountable 35-7 lead into the fourth quarter.

Manchester scored on the opening drive of the final period to close the gap to 35-14 but their hopes were shattered on the very next Mean Machines possession as Stedt exploded for a 50 yard touchdown to restore the 28 point lead.

The Stockholm defense kept the Titans bottled up throughout the rest of the fourth quarter and offense ate up the clock giving the Mean Machines a decisive 44-14 win.

With the win, Stockholm advances to the quarterfinal round where they will face the La Courneuve Flash in Paris on May 11.

Source: Meanmachines.se.