ELF Playoff Picture: Nine teams still in the hunt

With  just a couple of games left of the European League of Football regular season, the playoff picture is beginning to solidify.

The two unbeaten teams, the Vienna Vikings and Stuttgart Surge have seemingly qualified for the ELF Semifinal Round although of the Surge’s three remaining games, the one against the Raiders could trip them up.

Let’s take a look at the playoff scenario with nine of the ELF’s 17 teams still either hunting for a playoff berth and looking for better playoff positioning.

Semifinalists

Vienna Vikings (11-0)

With only one game left against the Fehervar Enthroners, Vienna is more or less a lock to finish unbeaten.

Stuttgart Surge (9-0)

The Surge have three games to play against the Raiders Tirol, Helvetic Mercenaries and Barcelona Dragons. They should win two comfortably but the matchup against the Raiders could be dangerous. Stuttgart beat the Raiders earlier in the season but the 30-25 win was not easy.

Wild Card

Paris Musketeers (7-2)

The Musketeers are not completely safe. They still have three tough games facing the Madrid Bravos, Cologne Centurions and Frankfurt Galaxy.

Tirol Raiders (6-3)

The Raiders also have a tough road ahead with games against the Surge and Ravens. Their final game is against the Seamen.

Madrid Bravos (7-2)

 

 

 

 

 

Madrid has two winnable games as they face the Galaxy and Hamburg Sea Devils. However, they also play the Musketeers in Paris with plenty on the line for both teams in that game.

Rhein Fire (9-1)

The Fire’s last two games are against the Sea Devils who they beat easily earlier in the season, and the Berlin Thunder who they defeated in a close one, 27-24. However, both games are at home and the Fire have looked impressive in their last five games.

Still in the Hunt

Cologne Centurions (4-5)

The Centurions have won three of their last four games and put themselves back in the playoff race. They have a home date against the Musketeers and then two winnable games against the Sea Devils and Enthroners.

Wroclaw Panthers (4-5)

Wroclaw need to first beat the Berlin Thunder in Berlin to have a chance but after that they take on the Galaxy and Prague Lions, both games winnable.

Munich Ravens (6-3)

After opening the season 2-3, Munich has won four in a row with the Barcelona Dragons and Helvetic Mercenaries to face in the next two and Tirol in the final game. They beat both Barcelona and Helvetic easily earlier in the season. However, their game against the Raiders will be crucial. They lost a close one to Tirol, 29-26 in Innsbruck. They are playing that final game in Munich however.

Eliminated

Berlin Thunder (4-6)

This has been a tough year for the Thunder who could have won three to four more games. They close out the season against the Wroclaw Panthers and Rhein Fire.

Frankfurt Galaxy (3-6)

The Galaxy have suffered through their worst season in the ELF. To make matters worse, the 2021 champions have three difficult games left against the Bravos, Panthers and Musketeers who are all battling for the playoffs.

Milano Seamen (3-7)

Milano has improved slightly over 2023 when they finished 2-10. Their final two games are against the Raiders who are fighting for a playoff spot, and the Barcelona Dragons who are in disarray. The Seamen could actually double up on their win total from last year.

Fehervar Enthroners (2-7)

The Enthroners will likely match their win total from 2023 as they have the Prague Lions up next but their final two games are against the Vienna Vikings and the surging Cologne Centurions.

Hamburg Sea Devils (2-7)

A dismal season for the 2021 finalists and it likely won’t get better with the Fire, Centurions and Bravos left to play.

Barcelona Dragons (2-7)

Barcelona find themselves in more or less the same place as last year and with the Ravens and Surge up next, on the road, this will not improve. They face the Seamen in the final game also away from home.

Helvetic Mercenaries (1-9)

 

 

 

 

 

The Mercenaries still have the Ravens and Surge left to play, both teams of which need the win. Although both games are at home for the Swiss squad, they will likely finish the year with the one win.

Prague Lions (0-10)

Tough season for the Lions, again. They finish against the Enthroners, who they lost badly to four weeks ago, and the Wroclaw Panthers who defeated them 14-3 month ago.