The Frankfurt Galaxy dominated the Vienna Vikings in all phases of the game Sunday handing them their first loss of the season in a devastating 42-8 rout.
Up until this point the Vikings had been the European League of Football’s golden child, swatting aside competition with relative ease. It is for this reason that the circumstances of their first loss are so striking.
From the moment the game kicked off the Galaxy went to work dismantling Vienna on both sides of the ball. There appeared to be little the Galaxy could do wrong.
On the ground, Frankfurt had success early on with gaping holes opening up in front of running back Thomas Fischbach who punished Vienna’s interior. But Fischbach’s 104 yards off of 20 carries was pedestrian compared to the day that wideout Reece Horn had.
Horn, the former NFL receiver, was absurdly left on an island with Vienna’s defensive backs time and time again. It was therefore no surprise that quarterback Jakeb Sullivan targeted him frequently, leading to Horn finishing the first half with three touchdowns.
On defense, the Galaxy were equally as dominant with their front seven getting into Vikings’ quarterback Jackson Erdmann’s face early. Erdmann’s reliance on the short game was gobbled up by Galaxy defenders who continued to gnaw away at the ball, forcing multiple turnovers before halftime.
This intense onslaught by the Galaxy led them into the tunnel leading 29-0, a situation that the Vikings were not accustomed to. Heads were clearly down, and the Vikings offered little resistance in the second half as the Galaxy’s reign of terror with another passing touchdown from Sullivan, taking his final tally to 304 yards and four touchdowns.
It wasn’t until midway through the third quarter that the Vikings managed to get their first and only score of the game along with a converted two-point conversion. But by this time, the Galaxy were already up 36-8, leaving all hopes of a fourth-quarter comeback only within the realms of fiction.
As the fourth quarter ticked it appeared as if both sides had accepted their fate and the scoring stopped. For the Galaxy this appears to be exactly what the doctor ordered, pushing them into the upper echelons of the league and a playoff spot well within their reach.
Vikings now stand at 8-1, by far the best record in the league. They are still a complete team and will likely foray deep into the playoffs. But the Austrian giant has been felled and all other teams will certainly be trying to figure out how the Galaxy did it as the final weeks of the season unfold.