Sweden came ever so close to its first-ever European championship last year as it fell just short against Italy in last year’s title game. Now the recent silver medalist hope to get back on track to compete for their next medal with a game against a much-improved Serbian Team.
A new-look Serbian squad will make the trip to Örebro and take on the favored Swedish squad with something to prove.
LIVESTREAM IFAF European Qualifier: Sweden vs Serbia, October 8, 18:00 CET, (6 pm, 12 Noon ET)(Game geoblocked in Sweden)
Sweden returns 21 players from last year’s silver medal team, as head coach BD Kennedy has his team looking to contend for gold once again. Veteran quarterback Philip Juhlin hopes to continue his chemistry with savvy receiver Kevin Borzei and young talent Anton Jallai, who recently won ‘Rookie of the year’ in the European League of Football. In the slot, Johan Hallgren may look small, but has been impressing coaches during training camp.
Offensive linemen Oscar Sundquist and Alexander Pellikka Svallin hope to open up some running lanes and protect their quarterback, against a physical Serbian defensive line. Veteran tailback Kasper Wedberg will likely take the bulk of the carries in a young backfield featuring Oliwer Stedt and Oliver Lundberg.
Defensively, familiar faces Mattias Eriksson and Malcolm Engstrom will aim to cause havoc in the Serbian backfield. These two defenders are among the best in the Swedish Superserien. Expect Berlin Thunder linebacker and Ludbig Myren to also make some plays, along with teenager old defensive tackle Thomas Collins. Collins is a sought-after college prospect with scholarship offers from several division-one schools including Oregon, Penn State, Texas, & Texas A&M.
Serbia is led onto the field by new head coach Brett Morgan, who has experience at the game’s highest levels coaching in the CFL, NCAA D1, and several stops in Europe. Morgan has been holding several training camps in Serbia getting this talented team ready to compete at a continental level.
Offensively, quarterback new Branislav Fekete of the Kikinda Mammoths will be managing the game from behind center. Upfront, Serbia boasts one of the largest offensive lines in Europe, expect Milan Pavlovic of the Kragujevac Wild Boars to open some holes for a talented group of running backs including Filip Vlajic of the ELF’s Raiders Tirol.
Defensively for Serbia, ELF All–Star Goran Zec is an impact player in the secondary. Look for the speedy veteran to be flying sideline to sideline today. At the line of scrimmage, Dusan Novakovic and Igor Timotejevic are two skilled veterans with experience playing in Italy, Germany, and the ELF. Linebacker Lazar Bogicevic of the Belgrade Blue Dragons is another player to watch on this defense.
LIVESTREAM IFAF European Qualifier, AFI.tv: Sweden vs Serbia, October 8, 18:00 CET, (6 pm, 12 Noon ET)(Game geoblocked in Sweden)