Hungary: Home field advantage at stake in battles for second and fifth seed

The Hungarian Football League (HFL) heads into the final weekend of play and playoff positions are still undecided.

The Budapest Cowbells visit the Fehérvár Enthroners for the second seed on Saturday, while the Miskolc Steelers host the Győr Sharks for the fifth seed on Sunday. There will also be another game on Saturday, the Budapest Wolves who will be aiming to stay unbeaten at home against the Kyiv Capitals.

Fehérvár Enthroners (3-1) – Budapest Cowbells (3-1), June 1

After gaining a decisive road win against the Miskolc Steelers, the Enthroners are back on track. However, their offense faces another key game against an aggressive and determined defense. With a win, Fehérvár will make the semi-finals automatically which will be an historic achievement in only their second year among the top teams of Hungary.

The Cowbells lost the chance of becoming first seed after they had been defeated against the Wolves two weeks ago. The Enthroners game will be as hard as the last match. The defense might have a key role in stopping Fehérvár’s physical running game. Nevertheless, the offense has to improve after a weaker performance against the reigning champion two weeks ago.

Budapest Wolves (4-0) – Kyiv Capitals (2-2), June 1

There is nothing at stake for the Wolves in this game, after they had secured the number one seed. In addition, for head coach István Kovács it is also important to get into playoff form because the reigning champion has three weeks to rest. This game might also mean a great chance for those players, who did not have the opportunity to play in the HFL, to prove their talent.

The Capitals also secured fourth seed, but they will not play at home. Nevertheless, it is better to enter the playoffs with a 3-2 record. Moreover, Kyiv is continuously improving. The defense is strong and the offense is getting better with Troy Rice on board. The Capitals might be able to cause a huge upset in the HFL.

Miskolc Steelers (0-4) – Győr Sharks (0-4), June 2

Last year’s runner-up has had countless problems since the season started. The Steelers brought two import quarterbacks and both got injured. What is more, a lot of key players are also unable to play. Thus, it might be the time for Miskolc to reactivate Vasyl Yordan. And since the Capitals cannot play at home, the Steelers will do anything to win and grab home field advantage.

The Győr Sharks also has the same goal. The team is improving since head coach Dustin Hawke Willingham took over as quarterback. Although it did not result in wins, but the offense is starting to gain stability. This away game might be the best chance of getting the first win in the season due to Miskolc’s injury woes.