The two top teams in Denmark this season are headed for an epic battle Saturday as the defending champion Triangle Razorbacks will take on the Copenhagen Towers, who finished first in regular season play, in the 2016 Mermaid Bowl at Casa Arena in Horsens.
It is almost fitting that these two teams are meeting to decide Denmark’s title game. Since 2011, the Razorbacks and Towers have combined to win all five championships. The Razorbacks have won three and Copenhagen two. In the 2013 game Triangle beat the Towers to win the title. That was the only other time they have faced each other in the Mermaid Bowl.
They are tied in overall Danish titles with six apiece.
The Towers finished first with a 9-1 record and the top offense in Denmark averaging 36.3 points per game while allowing only 11.9. Triangle was right behind at 9-1 with the second best offense averaging 35.1 points per match giving up the same on defense, 11.9.
The only game either team has lost has been to the other. The Razorbacks downed Copenhagen in a tight contest in early June 31-30. Two weeks later, the Towers returned the favor defeating Triangle 20-13 in another hotly contested game.
The table is set for a game for the ages.
Both teams have excellent quarterbacks. Copenhagen’s Kasper Skyum is also Denmark’s national team quarterback and in addition to his strong arm is known for his football intelligence. He manages games extremely well, taking what the defense gives him.
Razorback’s quarterback ‘Duke’ DeLancellotti can hurt defenses with his feet and his arm.
Both coaches, Thomas Linnemann for Triangle and Copenhagen’s Peter Herbild, in speaking with Danish football writer that this game is tough to predict.
Linneman:
“I estimate the relative strength to be 50/50, like our mutual matches this season have been decided at the very end of the game.”
Herbild relishes the challenge facing his mostly Danish squad. He does not have the imports that the Razorbacks have:
“I am very pleased to see how our Danish players how many have been through our youth ranks, playing against a strong Razorbacks crew.”
For the Towers, he takes a look at Copenhagen’s defense which is very athletic he says. They achieve good pressure at all three levels with some outstanding players.
The example below shows defensive lineman Kristoffer Green, # 9, who first pushes the Aarhus Tigers left tackle backward, before completing a spin move to escape his blocker and sack the Tigers quarterback.
Another example is Towers linebacker Andreas Schneider, #2, who shows some of the explosiveness characterizing the Towers’ defense. He uses his speed to catch the Tigers’ running back in the backfield.
Razorbacks quarterback ‘Duke’ DeLancellotti can give opposing defenses headaches. His strong arm and speed enables him to stretch the defense out and create space.
And with appropriate modifications it is clear how the Razorbacks have designed plays so that DeLancellotti have a lot of room to run if he so chooses. The receivers run deep routes, routes to the sidelines and a slant, which offers him a lot of room to run along the sidelines.
The game will be shown on national television in Denmark on TV3 Sport, starting at 4 PM Saturday, October 8.
With excerpts from the article written on the Danish federation website by Mikkel Guldbjerg Jensen.