After a thrilling season of football in Denmark, the Mermaid Bowl is finally here. Vejle, Denmark will be the site of this year’s title game, in what promises to be an exciting matchup between Denmark’s most talented teams.
Tonight’s opponents are the Søllerød Gold Diggers and Copenhagen Towers. Søllerød has beaten Copenhagen twice already this season in two thrilling one-score games. Fans and experts alike are expecting another nail-biter under the lights.
The Søllerød Gold Diggers are led by 20-year-old quarterback Andreas Sølling. The young quarterback has caught fire of late taking Søllerød right back into title contention after the sudden departure of import quarterback Aaron Ellis. Sølling brings experience playing at St. John’s University (NCAA D3) as well as the Danish youth national team. Expect the young gunslinger to find Jens Kan Ole and Simon Fons, as these two have been his go-to targets late in the season. On the ground, the Gold Diggers love to run the ball behind a strong and cohesive offensive line. Running backs Christian Vahl and Edu Molina give coach Troels Vestergaard two strong options in the backfield. Quarterback Andreas Sølling on the title game matchup:
“There have been some wild matches against the Towers, now I have only been to one of them. But I think if we are to win, we have to play our game and make as few mistakes as possible. Only we stand in the way of ourselves. So now it’s all in or nothing, it’s time for war. We’re looking forward to Saturday and I’m more than happy to be a part of something bigger.”
Copenhagen Towers @ Søllerød Gold Diggers, October 9, 19:00 CET (7 pm, 1 pm ET)
Søllerød’s defense features speed on all three levels of the defense. French defensive lineman Saliou Sale is a quick-twitch defensive tackle that can be tough to block one on one. Behind him, linebacker Sam Taylor is a sure tackler who can make plays from side-line to side-line. However, the captain of this defense is Logan Dykstra. The former Sioux Falls University (NCAA D2) standout is back for his second season in Søllerød and has proven to be one of the most impactful defenders in the league once again. Gold Diggers linebacker Sam Taylor commented on the upcoming matchup:
“We’re going to win the matchup because we’ve gotten a little bit better with each game. As for our offense, that just means that they’ll be able to score even more on the towers than before. As for the defense, we’ll be causing them to score even less than they did this past game. My goal for this game is no overtime because they shouldn’t be able to put up as many points on us as last time and we should put up more.”
Copenhagen’s offensive line must play well in order for them to reclaim their first Mermaid Bowl since 2018. The Tower’s massive front five will be protecting the same quarterback who last hoisted the trophy for the Towers in signal-caller Randall Schroeder. Back in 2018, Schroeder orchestrated a brilliantly clutch two-minute drill to win the Towers the Mermaid Bowl. Now, three years later the Ave Maria (NAIA) product is back in Denmark’s capital city looking to recreate that same magic. Schroeder will surely be throwing the ball to Danish talent Jakob Green along with American import Mike Williams Jr. The Tower’s two top receivers have combined for over 1,200 yards this season. In last week’s semi-final, Schroeder threw five touchdowns finding Dane Jakob Green for four of them. Schroeder commented on being back in the title game:
“This game is the reason we play football. But the work isn’t done. We have to prepare to play a very talented and well-coached Søllerød team. I think we all feel good about our preparation and plan so now we have to go out there and get the job done. It’ll be a great game against a great team.”
As good as the duo of receivers might be, Copenhagen’s backfield also features two dynamic ball carriers in Anton Witmuer and Michel Konte Jr. The veteran Witmuer, leads the charge on the ground averaging over six yards a carry.
Defensively, the Towers will need to shed blocks to stop a running-based Gold Diggers offense. Defensive lineman Magnus Larsen aims to defeat the opposing blockers and get to the quarterback often. Expect defenders Marcus Boesen and Eivind Rolles to play well as the two were standouts all season, causing turnovers week after week. On the outside, Jakob Bækgaard will look to slow down a talented core of Gold Digger receivers from the cornerback position. If they can contain an explosive Søllerød offense, Copenhagen could be right back on the Mermaid Bowl podium celebrating for another title in the capital city clubs storied history. Defensive back Jakob Bækgaard commented on the chances of beating the Gold Diggers in their third matchup this season:
“Søllerød is a really good team. They play solid defense, and on offense especially their run-game is effective. We have made mistakes on special teams which have cost us dearly in both matches we have played against Søllerød this year (blocked punt TD and kickoff return TD), and we must definitely avoid fooling ourselves there again. I think third time’s a charm!”
These two teams have had two epic matchups already this season as both games have gone down to the wire. Fans are expecting nothing less as the matchup between these two Danish powerhouses is eager to claim Denmark’s top spot under the lights.
Watch the Mermaid Bowl live here. Copenhagen Towers @ Søllerød Gold Diggers, October 9, 19:00 CET (7 pm, 1 pm ET)
Søllerød Gold Diggers roster
Copenhagen Towers roster
