Team Germany will face France in the gold medal game at the 2017 World Games to be held at the Olympic Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland Monday evening.
Germany surprised many observers in upsetting the United States team 14-13 Saturday in one semifinal. Then Team France silenced the home crowd in beating Poland 28-2 in the other semifinal.
This will be the seventh meeting between Germany and France in international competition. Team Germany has won the previous six. The last time these two played each other was at the 2010 European championships when Germany won 26-10.
The last time American football was included as an invitational sport at the World Games was in 2005 when Duisburg, Germany played host and the home team won it all. Germany beat Sweden 20–6 in the final game while France took third place, beating Australia 14–0 in the consolation final. The United States was not represented at the event.
Germany won the last European championship in 2014. France finished with the bronze medal in that tournament, held in Austria. However, the reigning European champions from Germany do not like to be considered favorites.
Team France head coach Patrick Esume will be facing his native Germany for the first time as the opposing head coach. He is no stranger to playoff football. As head coach of the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes he won the German championship in 2010 and qualified for the German finals two straight years after that. He was named coach of the year in Germany in 2010 and with Kiel won the EFL (European Football League) title in 2014. He arrived in Kiel after a highly successful year as head coach of La Courneuve Flash winning the French championship in 2009.
Dogan Özddinzer, Defensive Coordinator for Team Germany:
“France has invested a lot in its national team in recent years. They hold several training camps each year, have completed friendly games, and competed against the best teams in the world at the 2015 World Cup. This team has continued to evolve and is so strong this year.”
Expect Paul Durand to start again at quarterback for France and Stephen Yepmo at running back. Durand threw three touchdown passes, all to Andrew James while Yepmo rushed for one himself.
Germany’s two quarterbacks, Alexander Haupert and Sonny Weishaupt played solid football, while the defensive front seven harried Team USA all game. Expect a well organized attack from Germany.
Team France last played in 2016 beating Italy in an international exhibition game 23-15.