Around the Continent: The Upsets Have Started!
[tps_title]Around the Continent[/tps_title]
Week Two of Around the Continent saw two more leagues get underway as both Serbia and Switzerland kicked off their 2015 seasons while Turkey resumed theirs. We intend to keep you abreast of all the news from around the European continent so make sure to check it out every week.
So far Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Ireland, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Poland, Serbia and Switzerland have kicked off their seasons. The Turkish league resumed as well this past weekend after a three month hiatus. We want to hear from Estonia, Lativa, Croatia, Slovenia and any other country playing American football. Look for a story about the Eastern League of American Football this week with teams from Belorussia (Belarus), Estonia, Latvia and Russia
There was a major upset in Spain as the Valencia Giants surprised the previously undefeated Valencia Firebats 26-20. The Firebats had beaten the Giants earlier this season without a problem. The Swiss league saw its own upset in the opening weekend although slightly less momentous as Luzern Lions beat the Zurich Renegades 32-30 in their first season back in Switzerland top American football division.
We do everything we can to stay on top of developments in each country but cannot always keep up with it so this is where we need your help. Last week, we had a number of misses but our readers helped us straighten things out. Please keep us informed of events when they happen in your country. Don’t hesitate to let us know if we have missed something or made a mistake. If you have a tournament write to us at [email protected].
Austria
Holly Kellner/ Gridiron Photography
No games were played this past weekend in Austria but on tap this Saturday is the home opener for the Danube Dragons as they will host the Swarco Raiders. The Raiders lost the opening game of the Austrian season 26-21 to the Vienna Vikings.
Belgium
The Belgian season is in full swing. The Flemish league was idle but the Ghent Gators are still firmly entrenched in first with a 4-0 record. In fact, in those four games the Gators have scored 144 points while giving up a mere six points.
In the French conference, the Brussels Tigers, finalists in the Belgian Bowl in 2014, are 3-0-1 in Group 1 although this past weekend the Liege Monarchs threw a scare into them with a 0-0 tie. This was the second time the Monarchs have come close to knocking off Brussels, losing to them 14-12 two weeks ago. In the only other game, the Waterloo Warriors beat the Louvain Fighting Turtles 22-6.
