The Vienna Vikings (6-0) will put their unbeaten streak on the line when they face the Swarco Raiders (3-3) in Innsbruck Saturday, May 18 as the Austrian Football League heads into the home stretch of the season.
This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. Last year, Vienna won their only encounter beating the Raiders 35-14.
The Raiders bounced back against the Salzburg Ducks last week shutting them out 30-0 after beating the lowly Telfs Patriots the week before pummeling them 56-6. They had lost three in a row to the Graz Giants (49-21), the Prague Black Panthers (21-0) and the Danube Dragons 23-7. Swarco has opened the season with a 45-2 victory over the Mödling Rangers.
Vienna has been far and away the best team so far in the AFL, undefeated, allowing just 58 points and scoring 283 so far in six games. Their season kicked off with a 83-7 thrashing of the Patriots, then running it close with both Prague in a 28-22 victory and a 14-9 victory of Danube, before smashing the Ducks 62-0. They then walloped the Mödling Rangers 61-17 before dominating the second place Graz Giants 35-3.
Offensively for the Raiders, quarterback Kason Martin will look to manage the game and avoid turnovers which have plagued them this season. Martin has only thrown for 581 yards in six games with Felix Kanter his leading target with 176 yards receiving and three touchdowns. However, Raiders running back Tim Tonko makes a difference. He leads the league in rushing with 61 carries for 545yards and five touchdowns.
Watch live. Vienna Vikings @ Swarco Raiders, May 18, 18:00 CET (6 pm, 12 noon EDT).
Defensively the Raiders are led by Dakota Cannon Griner who currently sits atop the AFL with 40 tackles in six games to go along with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
The Vikings have the number one passing offense in the league with 27 touchdowns and averaging 304.5 yards per game. Both of their quarterbacks, Nico Hrouda (1,309 yds) and Michae Szabo (431 yds), feature in the top ten of QBs in the AFL Their receivers also feature prominently the league’s top ten. Andre Fine Maximillion tops the AFL with 11 touchdowns and a whopping 693 yards in six games, while Leonard Foidl takes 6th place with three touchdowns and 238 yards.
Their rushing attack might not be considered the best in the league but there are still two Vikings who have put up top 10 numbers. Kevin Wojita takes the sixth spot rushing for four touchdowns and 249 yards so far, with his teammate Florian Wegan putting two touchdowns on the board and rushing for 217 yards, good for eighth among AFL running backs.
The defense for the Vikings is almost as impressive as their O, with the Vikings leading the AFL in rush defense only allowing 48.3 yards on average and only allowing one touchdown when their opponents take to the ground. They also have the best pass defense in the league allowing just 122.5 yards a game through the air.
The Raiders are playing at home and in danger of missing the playoffs with four games left in the regular season so they will be extra primed for this one. Still, with the way Vienna is playing it will be a tough battle for the home team.