It’s wild card playoff weekend in Poland as the third seeded Tychy Falcons (4-2) will host the sixth seeded Krakow Kings (2-4) in the Wild Card Round.
These two teams know each other well as their rosters are filled with experienced Polish players all looking to make a run at the Polish Bowl. In the only meeting between the two teams this year, Tychy came out on top 41-27.
The Tychy Falcons have had to improvise due to injury as defensive back Laparish Lewis replaced an injured starting quarterback Gabriel Losada. Lewis performed admirably in his only start – against the Bialystok Lowlanders – engineering 20 points behind a strong game on the ground. Look for Janek Szwej to get a ton of carries in this game as the Polish running back is one of the league’s premiere ball carriers. If Losada can return from injury today, expect the Falcons to air it out against this weak Krakow secondary.
Krakow Kings @ Tychy Falcons, June 26, 18:00 CET (6 pm, 12 noon ET)
Defensively, the Falcons will have to key in on Krakow running back Alonzo Brock. Containing the physical power back will be no easy task as Brock has been an unstoppable force all season. Look for Janek Sikora to slow down Brock at the line of scrimmage as the strong defensive lineman could blow up the Kings running game.
The aforementioned Alonzo Brock has been the wheels driving the Kings to the post season appearance. The former Kentucky State (NCAA D2) linebacker is a physical force at 230 pounds and his strength is evident as he is rarely taken down by a single defender. Brock’s brute force is complimented by his soft hands catching three of his 10 touchdowns this season from Polish quarterback Fillip Moscicki. If the Kings can avoid turnovers and run the ball against a tough Tychy defensive front, they could pull off the upset and advance.
The Kings defense is coordinated by coach Malik Jackson. Jackson’s defense has been one of the league’s best as his linebacking core matches up well with Tychy’s run game. Filip Swiechowicz has built a reputation this season as a hard hitting, run stopping linebacker for this Krakow defense. If he can help contain the Tychy run game, Krakow could be advancing to the next round.
Look this to be a physical game as these two experienced teams will meet for the final time this season. The Falcons entered the season as one of the League favorites for the title but have slid to the third seed. Today, they’ll have a chance to move on to the semi-finals while Krakow looks to shake things up and make a title run of their own.
Watch the game live here. Krakow Kings @ Tychy Falcons, June 26, 18:00 CET (6 pm, 12 noon ET).
Tychy Falcons roster
Krakow Kings roster
