NO ARROGANCE AS FIRE HEAD BACK TO DENMARK
Reigning European League of Football champions Rhein Fire find themselves in rarely-charted Wildcard territory this weekend, but remained focused as they try to beat North Division rival Nordic Storm for the second time in a week.
The game, which kicks off in Copenhagen at 3pm local time on Sunday afternoon, will be the second duel between the teams in a matter of seven days, and the third in just over seven weeks, with each side claiming victory on home turf during the regular season. This time, however, only the winner can continue to dream of a place in the ELF Championship final in Stuttgart on 7th September…
Having escaped with a last-gasp one-point win at Gladsaxe Stadium in July, the Storm found themselves on the other end of the scoreline in Duisburg last Sunday, and new Fire offensive coordinator Rohat Dagdelen expects the Scandinavian side to have been hard at work preparing for another intense game in the Danish capital this time around.
“I know the loss against us last weekend has left its mark on the [Storm] team,” Dagdelen claimed. “They won’t sleep this week and will try to come up with something to play against us. We won’t approach this game arrogantly, however, but, if we play focused football for four quarters, we’ll win.”
Head coach Richard Kent’s team have carefully analysed the game in Duisburg and found enough starting points to perform even better in the first ‘do-or-die’ game of the season. In particular, Kent will want to see his team shut down the Storm’s ground game which, although ultimately unsuccessful over 60 minutes, caused headaches for the home team as it controlled possession for long periods.
“We can’t allow them another offensive streak that lasts 17 plays and ends with a touchdown after more than nine and a half minutes of play,” edge rusher Destiny Idiahi confirmed.
Things are likely to be quieter at the Gladsaxe this weekend, which may help ease Storm concerns. The Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena was bouncing last Sunday, as the Fire fans created an incredible amount of noise to disrupt the opposing offense’s communication, leading to 12 penalties for 80 yards and contributing to the victory. The Fire fans travelled in great number to Copenhagen for the first-ever meeting between the sides earlier this season and, along with the Pyromaniacs cheerleader troupe, are expected to do so again this time — to the delight of the team.
“Our fans will be there,” defensive lineman Justus Sleimann smiled, aware that many fans will be making the trip north on the last weekend of summer vacation in North Rhine-Westphalia. “They’ll be there — and we’ll be there in full force, too.”