The Tirol Swarco Raiders (2-1) will host the Mödling Rangers (0-2) this Saturday, May 8 as the Austrian Football League approaches the midpoint of the season.
The traditional Austrian powerhouse Swarco Raiders are dealing with the injury bug as they look to get healthy and continue winning against a young and athletic Rangers squad.
The Raiders go into this game missing a plethora of starters due to injuries. The beat-up team used a strong fourth quarter last week to defeat the Prague Black Panthers 22-14. A key player for the Raiders has been receiver Marco Schneider. Although Schneider stands well under 6’0, his quickness and acceleration make him a dynamic threat in the open field. His two second half touchdowns helped seal the win one week ago. Look for quarterback Sean Shelton to involve Schneider more and more this season in different ways.
Mödling Rangers @ Swarco Raiders, May 8, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 09:00 am ET)
Defensively, the Raiders were able to match the offense playing a phenomenal second half against Prague. A clutch interception and solid tackling helped the Raiders pull off the come-from-behind victory.
Defensive back Thomas Kugler explains last week’s clutch second half performance:
We all worked really hard in the off-season and the coaches are doing a very good job preparing us for every game. But the biggest reason for our performance is that we have a really good chemistry in our team and that we trust each other in every situation.
The Mödling Rangers enter this game as clear underdogs looking to catch an injured Raiders team napping. The departure of running back Austin Micci left the Rangers coaches scrambling for a playmaker on offense. Defensive import Nick Milgate filled in at running back totaling 108 yards from scrimmage in their last game. Expect Austrian quarterback Benjamin Bräuer to look his way early and often against an experienced Swarco defense.
Bräuer describes his team’s mindset going into this week:
Underdog mentality! We have nothing to lose in this game! We worked on the little things this passed two weeks and also tried to learn from our mistakes last game! We will try to execute our gameplan and give 100% every play and at the end we will see!
The Rangers will have a chance to face a Swarco team that is far from a hundred percent this week. The Raiders will have to rely on some inexperienced players in this matchup as their list of injuries seems to get longer and longer every week.
Watch the game here. Mödling Rangers @ Swarco Raiders, May 8, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 09:00 am ET)
Swarco Raiders roster (Click to enlarge)
Mödling Rangers roster (Click to enlarge)
