The Scandinavian Cup opens with maybe the biggest rivalry in Scandinavian American football history as the Carlstad Crusaders travel to Stockholm to face the Stockholm Mean Machines, Saturday April 30.
The Mean Machines opened the season in the Swedish Superserien with two straight victories and have looked impressive. They downed the Örebro Black Knights 26-23 and then used a dominant second half to beat the Tyresö Royal Crowns 34-20. Quarterback Mark Pappas presides over a potent offense which includes deadly receiver Matt Retzlaff and exciting running back Oliwer Stedt who scored two fourth quarter touchdowns in the win over Tyresö. Pappas has thrown for 464 yards and six touchdowns in the two games with Retzlaff catching 264 yards of those and four of the six scores.
Meanwhile, perhaps their biggest rivals in Sweden, and now in the Scandinavian Cup, the Carlstad Crusaders dropped a heartbreaker to the Black Knights 22-19 after holding a 19-0 lead at halftime. Then they edged the Royal Crowns 10-7 on a last-minute field goal. Quarterback Tim Morovick has his own weapons including wide receiver Kevin Borzei who caught a touchdown pass in last week’s loss. Running back Alexander Segerfeldt leads a hard-nosed ground attack.
The Mean Machines have added All Europe wide receiver and kick returner Alpha Jalloh to the lineup, and he could be the difference maker.
Watch the Pay per View game live here.
