LIVESTREAM BNL Game of the Week: Rotterdam Trojans @ Amsterdam Crusaders, May 4, 18:00 CET (6 pm, 12 noon EDT)

AFI | American Football | 05/04/2024

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

The Amsterdam Crusaders (5-0) will face perhaps their toughest challenge of the season, Saturday, May 4 when they play host to the Rotterdam Trojans (4-1) in the lone BNL league game this weekend.

The Crusaders handed Rotterdam their only loss earlier in the year, beating the injury-decimated Trojans easily46-0.

Since then both teams have gone unbeaten. Amsterdam tops the league with a 5-0 record having scored an average of over 42 points a game while allowing just 6. The only team that has been close so far was the Limburg Shotguns who Amsterdam defeated 35-30 a month ago. The Trojans have cruised since that loss beating the Brussels Tigers 35-0 and Kasteel Nitros 47-12. They then turned away the Brussels Black Angels 24-20.

The Crusaders rely on quarterback Jasper Nijland who also guided them to the final last year. Look for Amsterdam to use running back Sydney Kunst who joined the Crusaders this season as well as Italian wide receiver Lorenzo Gavioli who joined the team from Italy’s Bolzano Giants.

Defensively, safety Sofyan Dardour who joined the team after being a hero of the Rhein Fire’s European League of Football’s title win, is a key. Safety Jeffrey Juurlink (Hamburg Sea Devils), Brian Snoek (Rhein Fire) and Thomas van den Oort (Rhein Fire) have all contributed to the toughest defense in the BNL. Veteran defensive lineman Dylan Bakker ( North Dakota Fighting Hawks) can fill in all over on defense.

For Rotterdam, head coach L’Anthony Reasnover relies on quarterback Walter Dycus (Monmouth College, NCAA Div. III) who has added a spark to the offense. Defensively, newly signed linebacker Colby Campbell (Presbyterian College, NCAA Div. 1, Duke University) has brought a ferocity to the front seven and was a key to the Trojans come from behind win over the Black Angels.

This matchup is shaping up to be the game of the season.