LIVESTREAM Sweden: Örebro Black Knights @ Tyresö Royal Crowns, April 9, 13:00 CET (1 pm, 07:00 am ET)

The Swedish Superserien heads into the second weekend of play Saturday, April 9 as the Tyresö Royal Crowns, newly returned to the top league, play host to the defending Swedish champion Örebro Black Knights.

The Royal Crowns last played in the Superserien in 2017 but two years previous in 2015, Tyresö went unbeaten in the regular season and were surprisingly eliminated in the semifinals by Örebro.

The Black Knights are coming off a close 26-23 loss last week to the Stockholm Mean Machines in the opening game of the Swedish season.

Tyresö enters the game under head coach Carl Haglind with a high level of anticipation. This is no rookie lineup that Royal Crowns have assembled with veteran and Team Sweden quarterback Phil Juhlin under center. Juhlin also serves as offensive coordinator and was a key to the success of the team’s undefeated season in 2021 in the lower division and advancement to Sweden’s top league. Another veteran and Tyresö product starts at running back, Emil Knutsson. Knutsson is definitely a quality back. He was the rushing leader in the top league three years in a row, winning the title with Carlstad in 2020 and with Stockholm in 2018 and 2019. The receiving corps of Edwin Taborda, Niko Peterson, Mattias Gauthier and Dovydas “Dovve” Koncevicius is as good as it gets.

Juhlin is looking forward to the season:

“This feels very cool. This is the third team I have played for in the Superseries and the second time I have been able to help a team move up. I was with the Kristianstad Predators in 2013. It’s going to be an interesting year. We’ll also be playing in the Scandinavian Cup. We have the potential to play 13 games in total with all the tournaments. I am really excited about our chances.”

Defensively, Tyresö has recruited linebacker Ali Chakkour from the Mean Machines and snagged Team Sweden edge rusher Malcolm Engström who played last year for the Potsdam Royals in the German Football League and the year before with the Mean Machines.

For the Black Knights, quarterback Trevor Vasey leads a potent unit.  The 6’7″, 220 pound, 28-year-old Vasey threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 67 yards last week against Stockholm and can make things happen both with his arm and his feet. With veteran running backs Tim Göransson and K Wedberg along with an outstanding receiving corps led by Team Sweden wideout Johannes Lindeus, who had 99 yards receiving in the season opener last week, Örebro will test the Tyresö secondary.

On defense, the front seven is unchanged from last week and includes 6’3″, 307-pound defensive linemen Tristen Cox, along with Team Sweden’s Sebastian Nilsson, as well as Martin Jappinen and linebackers Rikard Carlsson, Edvin Jönsson, Josh Murphy, and Filip Jönsson. The secondary features the other Murphy brother, Eric as well as Cewin Eriksson.

Watch the game live here. Örebro Black Knights @ Tyresö Royal Crowns, April 9, 13:00 CET (1 pm, 07:00 am ET)