The Swedish Superserien Championship Game features a classic matchup as the defending champion Stockholm Mean Machines and the Carlstad Crusaders face each other for the ninth time to decide the title.
The two teams played each other only once during the regular season with Carlstad coming away with a 21-7 victory. However, in the eight previous meetings to decide the championship, the Mean Machines have won seven with Carlstad’s lone win coming in 2020 when they defeated Stockholm 14-12.
Stockholm has won the title 13 times while the Crusaders have been crowned Swedish champions nine times including eight straight from 2010 to 2017. However, this is the seventh consecutive trip to the final for Stockholm with four wins
To reach the final, the Crusaders, who finished the regular season undefeated with a 7-0 record, beat the Oslo Vikings 42-28. Meanwhile, Stockholm, whose only loss came at the hands of the Crusaders, needed a last second field goal to defeat the Tyresö Royal Crowns 30-28.
The Mean Machines enter the game with the top offense scoring an average of 36.4 points a game while Carlstad was right behind with 35.7 points a contest. The Crusaders defense was impressive though as they gave up just 8.7 points a game in seven games. Stockholm allowed 16.1.
Stockholm led the league in rushing averaging 154.7 yard a game while Carlstad was the top passing team with an average of 279.4 yards a game. The Crusaders allowed the fewest yards rushing, 63.9 and second few2est yards passing, 179, with Stockholm right behind giving up 192 yards passing on average.
Watch the Swedish Final Live. Carlstad Crusaders vs Stockholm Mean Machines, July 6, 17:00 CET (5 pm, 11 am EDT)
Carlstad quarterback Slade Jarman led the Superserien in passing in both yardage (1,956) and touchdown passes (24). In the semifinal win over the Oslo Vikings, he threw for 390 yards and five touchdowns completing 72% of his passes. He also rushed for 195 yards. His key receiver is Willem Van Compernolle who hauled in 44 passes for 540 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season although in the semifinal . he caught only three passes for 23 yards. Kristian Natunen led the team last week with eight receptions for 123 yards while Albin Forsman had six catches for 85 yards. In other words, Jarman has plenty of targets.
Crusaders running back Young Kennedy was the second leading rusher in the Superserien with 65 carries for 479 yards and five touchdowns. He was tough in the semifinal with 126 yards and a touchdown in 10 carries.
Meanwhile, Derek Green, the son of former NFL quarterback Trent Green, who replaced the injured Mateo Renteria with a game to go in the season, threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns in the semifinal win over the Tyresö Royal Crowns while also rushing for 61. In the final regular season game of the season against the very same Royal Crowns, after just a week of practice with his new team, Green completed 18 of 26 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. His key receivers include Robin Gavelin Miranda who had six catches for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns in last week’s semifinal, Peter Forss who caught five passes for 50 yards, and the always dangerous Mats Retzlaff who hauled in three passes for 49 yards but who always steps up in the big games.
Running back Kasper Wedberg was the leading rusher in the Superserien carrying the ball 81 times for 519 yards. Last week against the Royal Crowns he led the team with 98 yards rushing and a touchdown on 15 carries
This is definitely the game everyone has been waiting for. These two teams are as evenly matched as possible. This one is up for grabs