LIVESTREAM Austria: Mödling Rangers @ SsangYong Danube Dragons, May 23, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 09:00 am ET)

| American Football | 05/23/2021

In one of two games on AFI.tv today, May 23, the Mödling Rangers (0-3) will visit the Ssangyong Danube Dragons (2-2) in this Vienna region Austrian Football League matchup.

There is definitely a rivalry atmosphere for this game as the clubs play a mere 28 kilometers apart. The Rangers see an upset opportunity here, as Danube limps into this week off the heels of a blowout loss in Graz.

The visiting Rangers approach this game with nothing to lose. The winless team has improved slowly week to week under the leadership of head coach Josiah Cravalho. Young Austrian passer Benjamin Brauer recently played his best game of the season against the Swarco Raiders putting together a 190 yards total yard and two touchdown performance. The focal point of the Ranger’s offense however, is Nick Milgate. Milgate is former All-American defensive back at Alfred State University (NCAA D3). The defender has been pressed into offensive duty for the Rangers as a receiver and responded well, racking up 117 total yards and two touchdowns in their last game.

Mödling Rangers @ SsangYong Danube Dragons, May 23, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 09:00 am ET)

Milgate on the team’s mindset going into the Dragons game.

“We just have to play assignment perfect football and execute our game plan, regardless of what’s happened in previous weeks. We’ve improved every game this season and look to do that again this week and come out with a win against the Dragons.”

Rangers coach Josiah Cravalho has brought in 21-year old French defensive lineman Adnane Rekibi to bolster the Mödling defense. The young Frenchman brings experience from Paris’s Flash de La Courneuve and the Cegep level in Quebec, Canada.  Expect the new lineman to play a ton of snaps as Mödling’s roster could use his size and experience in the middle of their defense.

Rekibi on joining the Rangers:

“I want to be a playmaker, I want to help the team.”

For the host Ssangyong Danube Dragons, they are eager to take advantage of the winless Rangers and get back in the win column. The offense has cooled off the last two weeks for the Dragons. After 35 and 28 point performances in their opening two games, points have been hard too come by in the past two weeks as they’ve only managed five touchdowns in the last two games. Expect quarterback Chad Jeffries to target talented Austrian receiver Felix Reisacher more in order to give this offense a spark.

Reisacher describes the teams current focus:

“We just have to focus on ourselves this week and find our rhythm. We haven’t been able to do that the last few weeks and as a result we struggled. We need to put a whole game together and play sound football in all phases of the game. If we can do that consistently for the rest of the season, we can beat anyone.”

Defensively, look for Bernard Mosor to play a large role in this game. The veteran pass rusher will be lining up against an inexperienced Rangers offensive line. Fans should be seeing Mosor celebrating a few sacks in today’s game as he has the stark advantage in the trenches.

Both of these teams know each other very well as the Rangers will make the short 30-minute drive to play a Dragon’s team aiming to get back to its winning ways.

Watch the game live here. Mödling Rangers @ SsangYong Danube Dragons, May 23, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 09:00 am ET)

 

 

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and