With the two powerhouses of Italian football, the Parma Panthers and Milano Seamen, on bye weeks, week 3 of the Italian Football League presents some evenly matched contests.
Milano Rhinos 0-1 vs Ancona Dolphins 1-0
The Milano Rhinos opened their season up against a Lazio Ducks side that had already played arguably their toughest match of the season a week before against the Milano Seamen.
Rhinos quarterback Daniel Santacaterina put up a solid performance throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns in his debut. Unfortunately, this was not enough to secure a win against the Ducks who beat them 28-27 after the Rhinos failed to contain dual threat quarterback Calvin Stitt.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, did secure their first win of the season in week 1 against Bologna Warriors, who appear to be a far stronger team than in years past. A now familiar face in Ancona, quarterback Collin Di Galbo was able to wreak havoc on the Warriors’ defense with both his legs and arms.
If the pair’s week 1 performances are anything to go by, the Dolphins would be smart to take advantage of their mobile quarterback if they want to secure the win.
Verona Mastini 0-1 vs Modena Vipers 0-0
A year ago, this would have been a game to watch, but for different reasons as the pair were two of the strongest teams in division 2. Now, these two teams are battling to stay in the IFL after Verona had a poor first outing against arguably the weakest team in the league last year, the Bologna Warriors.
The Verona offense was unable to get a single point on the board and amassed only 21 passing yards the whole game. They will surely look to bounce back this week and prove to the rest of the league they deserve to be in the IFL. The Vipers are opening their season with this game but with former Ohio State quarterback Danny Vanatsky, behind center, they could give Verona problems.
Firenze Guelfi 0-1 vs Bologna Warriors 1-1
Firenze played their home opener against last year’s champions, the Parma Panthers, and they put on a show , although they finally succumbed 24-21 in that opening day matchup. Their unique style of offense kept the Panthers guessing with so many moving pieces.
A fresh group of imports is providing the team with some stability it seems, and despite that week 1 loss don’t be surprised if this team competes for a spot in the final this year.
Bologna will be confident coming off a 30-0 win last week against Verona but will have their hands full defensively with Guelfi. If they stand a chance of getting their second win of the season they will need to score and score often to keep up with the fast paced Guelfi squad.