FIRE READY FOR FAMILIAR FACES IN STORM CLASH
Just a couple of months ago, few would have dared suggest that the Rhein Fire would be headed to Copenhagen to take on European League of Football
newcomers Nordic Storm as the underdog, but that is the case this weekend as a matchup many football fans across Europe have been looking forward to since the schedule was released finally takes place.
Speaking to Gridiron for the magazine’s ELF season preview, Storm co-owner Randy Schroeder singled Rhein out as a fixture that dominated the newcomer’s programme, and admitted that he was grateful that their first meeting would not come until Week 9 — even if it means a return in Germany within just a few weeks. Even Schroeder would not have dared to dream that his team would be the ones heading into Sunday’s clash as the unbeaten side — let alone the last unbeaten team in the entire league — but that is exactly the scenario as the 6-0 Storm face off against a Fire team that has uncharacteristically lost three times, including back-to-back games at home, so far this season.
Schroeder would be the first to admit, however, that the Storm have yet to face an opponent of the Fire’s quality and, having looked laboured in their eventual win over Hamburg last weekend, will need to be at the top of their game if they are to continue their pursuit of the North Division title, a potential first-round bye and home semi-final in the postseason.
If the Fire needed any extra motivation for this game other than their wounded pride, they only need to look across the line of scrimmage. There, they will see a host of familiar faces, players that helped guide the German side to successive ELF titles in 2023 and ‘24, but who are now wearing the blue-and-white of the Storm rather than the deep Rhein red.
Although reigning league MVP, running back Glen Toonga, has been out injured since the opening week of the campaign, quarterback Jadrian Clark, center Joachim Christensen, defensive end Max Parkinson, linebacker Emmanuelle Falola — and even head coach John Shoop — are all well known to Fire fans. They are also proving crucial to the Storm’s immediate success, with Clark currently third in terms of passing yardage and second in touchdown tosses, and Parkinson second on the sack chart. Without Toonga, the run game has not been as much of a force as it might have been, and it will be interesting to see what impact young French running back Armand Soulerot, who last played in Germany’s GFL 2 for the Rostock Griffins, can have. Until the new signing finds his feet, however, Clark and the Storm will continue to look to WR Brendan Beaulieu, currently second in receiving yards, and TE Adria Botella Moreno, who is tied with his team-mate on 10 touchdowns so far.
Despite coming off an unexpected defeat at the hands of Raiders Tirol in Week 8, Rhein have put the travel rigours of back-to-back road games behind them and hope to find the sort of form that allowed them to exact revenge on the Vienna Vikings just a couple of weeks after the Austrians won in Düsseldorf.
“Since Monday, we’ve been intensively studying our opponents’ videos,” offensive lineman Nick Wiens commented, giving an insight into the week of preparation. Offensive processes were a particular focus in readiness for the trip to Denmark, and new OC Fred Armstrong is confident that there won’t be another accumulation of costly offensive penalties that could cost the visitors their shot at finally striking a blow on the newcomers.
New wide receiver Mark Pope should be even better after his first full week of training with the team, having already contributed 94 receiving yards and a touchdown just hours after arriving from the USA and having only one full training session. Quarterback Chad Jeffries, who faced the difficult task of replacing Clark under center after his predecessor’s successive title wins, will not only be pleased to have Pope further onto the same page, but will also look to running back Jonathan Scott — Toonga’s successor at the Fire — to help make the offense less predictable for their hosts, especially with early-season surprise Sergej Kendus also likely to suit up at Gladsaxe Stadium.
The return fixture takes place in just five short weeks, to close out the 2025 ELF regular season, but that might be too late for the Fire to claim any sort of bragging rights without a victory in Denmark first.