The Wroclaw Panthers from Poland and Italy’s Milano Seamen face each other Sunday in the IFAF Europe Champions League title game in Wroclaw.
The Panthers defeated Austria’s Danube Dragons 49-34 in one semifinal Friday while the Seamen edged Turkey’s Koc Rams 17-14 in the other Final Four game.
Wroclaw enters this game as favorites coming off a dominant performance in the Polish championship game and then displaying impressive offensive firepower in their win over the Dragons. Nevertheless, Milano have proven they can play great defense and have an offense which can score quickly.
Wroclaw Panthers QB EJ White. Photo: PAP
Panthers quarterback EJ White was spectacular against Danube, leading his team in rushing with 94 yards and two touchdowns and throwing for 312 yards and four touchdowns. His counterpart with the Seamen, Garrett Safron, while not as explosive against the Rams, still threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns and proved he can carry the ball with 37 yards rushing.
Receivers Tomasz Dziedzic and Patryk Matkowski of the Panthers were deadly against Danube. Dziedzic caught five passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns while Matkowski hauled in four passes for 125 yards and one touchdown.
Milano receiver Stefano De Tunisi caught both touchdown passes for the Seamen against a very tough Rams secondary. Running back Matt Binda was the top rusher for Milano in the semifinal with 55 yards on 15 carries. However, Binda is a big game running back and could be dangerous in this one.
Although Wroclaw is the favorite with an expected wildly cheering hometown crowd, the Seamen performed well on the road earlier in the IFAF Europe tournament.