Swedish Season Kicks Off This Weekend: Who Will Topple the Carlstad Crusaders?
[tps_title]PREVIEW: Svenska Amerikansk Fotbollförbundet[/tps_title]
[tps_header]Stockholm Mean Machines[/tps_header]
Head coach Rik Parker has taken over a club that was in total disarray in the offseason and will have his work cut out for him.
The team has not had a winning season since 2010 and their record over the past three years is a combined 4-26. A far cry from the championship years for a team which has won more championship titles than any other in the history of American football in Sweden (11).
And there is not much hope for a major turnaround this year either.
This year’s team, a mix of young and old, will start the year with Swedish quarterback Emil Sundström-Edland, who moved over from the STU Northside Bulls. However, he will only play the two first games of the season before having to depart for personal reasons. So the club is scrambling to find a replacement at this late hour.
The receiving corps is decent with veterans Leopold Toldy, Joakim Mårtensson and Tshilumba Tapila leading the way. The offensive line is also seasoned as Jesper Johansson, Thomas Lohr, Michael Lohr, Carl Backstrom and Jimmy Lundquist-Kuusine are all in the forties.
New head coach Parker likes the run game and has brought in Marcus Hudritsch Eriksson and national team linebacker Filip Jönsson from Örebro.
Stockholm’s defense will also revolve around Jönsson and it will have to. His merits in Sweden are unquestionable and he will bring up the level of play in the defensive squad with his roving, extremely physical style of play.
The defensive line lacks any kind of depth so probable starters Elias Gröön, James Gorecki, Richard Thunström and Jonas Soderberg will see plenty of playing time this year.
The secondary looks slightly better. Both Jonathan Westny and Erik Siljeholm have returned and are talented and together with Johan Mellström and Brit Thomas Parks provide a solid starting lineup.
This year’s version of the Mean Machines will offer glimpses of good play this year but every victory will have to be considered a huge success.
