Frankfurt Galaxy host Hamburg Sea Devils in key Western Conference showdown

| American Football | 07/16/2023

A pair of European League off Football Western Conference rivals will meet on Sunday as the Frankfurt Galaxy host the Sea Devils in a game with plenty of playoff implications.

The Galaxy have to be happy with their start to the season, as they enter the week 4-1 and sit just behind the Rhein Fire in the Western Conference standings.  The Galaxy lost to the Fire in the first week of the season but have not dropped a game since.  Furthermore, this week will mark the return of quarterback Jakeb Sullivan, who had been out since week 2 with an injury.  Steve Cluley had come in as Sullivan’s replacement and played very well, going undefeated as a starter, but Galaxy fans must be excited for the return of the quarterback who has been there since the ELF’s first season in 2021. 

Last week, Frankfurt went on the road and won an exciting game over the scrappy Milano Seamen by a score of 40-33.  Nico Strahmann caught four touchdown passes from Cluley and was named the league’s MVP of the week for his efforts.  Now, Strahmann and the Galaxy will put their hot streak to the test when they welcome a hungry Sea Devils team.

The Sea Devils have a record of 3-3 and will need a strong performance on Sunday to give themselves a winning record.  Hamburg lost their first two games of the season, before winning the following two.  They lost a heartbreaker to Paris in week 5 but rebounded last week with a 17-10 home victory against a strong Wroclaw team.  Hamburg is a really solid team that is probably better than what their record indicates, but a tough schedule and multiple close losses currently has them on the outside of the playoff picture.  Of course, the season has not yet reached its halfway point, but it is not too early to be thinking about how each game will impact teams’ playoff hopes.

For the Sea Devils, a win would take them to 4-3 and put a dent in Frankfurt’s record, while the Galaxy would love to improve to 5-1 and put a big gap in between themselves and the Sea Devils in the Western Conference hierarchy.  With that being said, we can expect a hard-fought game between two strong teams.

A current student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carter played football in high school and has been a lifelong avid football fan.