Around the Continent: Roger’s Corner – August 6th, 2014
Great football action continues in Europe!
A number of leagues are still in full action in Europe with playoff spots up for grabs.
It has been a tumultuous week for the Berlin Adler (Europe #8). After dropping a huge 56-7 loss to the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions (Europe #2), the team watched as club management decided to fire head coach Kim Kuci a few days after the game. This happened to the EuroBowl winning head coach!
The team then hosted the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (Europe #3) and lost in a thriller 21-20, leaving them dangerously close to missing the playoffs in Germany. This would be a first. The EuroBowl winning team does not qualify for the playoffs in its own country the same year! P
Poland crowned a new champion as the Gdynia Seahawks upset the Wroclaw Panthers 41-32 in a game that became a game in the fourth quarter. With the Seahawks up 35-12 early in the final period, Wroclaw mounted a comeback bid and looked dangerous in doing it. They scored three touchdowns but could not quite make it. Read the story HERE.
In Ireland, the championship final – the Shamrock Bowl – is this Sunday, August 10 as last year’s champion, the Belfast Trojans will face the Trinity College Dublin who have never been in the final before. Read further and watch for a preview in AFI.
As mentioned last week, the Serbian team Vukovi Belgrade (Europe #11) completed a wonderfully successful 19 game season winning the Central European Football League title while also winning the Serbian league (www.saaf.rs).Read an article on that website about American Football International Review too. And look for an upcoming story on this remarkable team in AFI!
Here then is what happened around the rest of the continent last weekend.
Austria
The Austrian final three weeks ago, Austrian Bowl XXX, was a thriller for the ages as the Vienna Vikings (Europe #1) and the Swarco Raiders (Europe #5) 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!
