LIVESTREAM: IFAF EC Qualifier – Team Great Britain @Team Sweden, Sat. Nov. 2, 2p CET (9a ET)

Team Sweden will play host to Great Britain in a crucial matchup to decide who advances to the final four in the 2020 IFAF European Championship next year.

Sweden, Europe #5,  and Great Britain. Europe #6, play in Group A, Division D along with Russia.

Sweden downed the Russians, in Moscow, 34-7 while Great Britain blanked Team Russia 34-0 in a game played in London, which sets up this showdown.

The last time these two teams met in the European Championship tournament was in 2010 when Sweden downed Britain 14-2. Sweden finished fourth in that tournament while the British wound up in sixth place.

Sweden finished fourth in the 2018 IFAF European Championships after losing to Finland in the bronze medal game, 35-21. Great Britain finished fifth in the same tournament, beating Denmark in the final game.

Sweden’s head coach Billy BD Kennedy, is no stranger to international play. He was Sweden’s offensive coordinator in 2005 when Sweden won the European title and then served  as head coach in 2007. The Swedish roster will be far bigger than the 31 players who faced the Russians a month ago. A number of additions have been made including wide receiver Jonathan Gihl, defensive linemen Julian Santana and Sebastian Nilsson, defensive backs Josh Murphy, Sebastian Jönsson and Sebastian Gauthier  as well as linebacker Robin Prevlovnic and offensive lineman Marco Gudding.

Marcus Johnson, Kevin Börzsei and Joshua Akena all caught touchdown passes against Russia and all will give the British secondary a difficult time.

Kennedy will do doubt start Phil Juhlin at quarterback. Juhlin made is debut on the national team at the 2014 European Championships. He is backed up by Dennis Isberg who took over in the game against Russia after Juhlin suffered an injury. Juhlin threw one touchdown pass in that game before getting knocked out of the game in the second quarter. Isberg threw two more.

Great Britain head coach Michael Callan to field a well rested and prepared GB Lions squad against Sweden.

Callan will likely continue with the quarterback rotation of James Slack and Pat Daley. Slack played the first half against Russia while Daley took over in the second. The run game will be the key to this British squad and with veteran Glen Toonga who just finished a season with the Dresden Monarchs, likely in the lineup along with Thomas Campbell, Elliot Walters and Andrew Owusu, the Swedish front seven will be challenged. Toonga was the fourth leading rusher in the German Football League with 895 yards rushing in 14 games.

Watch the game live here. Team Great Britain @Team Sweden, Sat. Nov. 2, 2p CET (9a ET)