SURGE TAKING THE LONG ROAD HOME IN SEARCH OF SUCCESS

In reality, it’s only 5.2 kilometres as the crow flies between the GAZi-Stadion auf der Waldau in Stuttgart-Degerloch and the MHPArena in Bad Cannstatt, but the Stuttgart Surge still have to overcome a 472km detour to ensure they make this year’s ELF Championship game.

The Surge, as #3 seed, have to make the trip to Unterhaching for their semi-final, where they will take on a Munich Ravens side unbeaten at home for two years under Kendral Ellison and coming off the bye week conferred on them by winning the South Division. It will be the third meeting between the Surge and Ravens this season, such are the quirks of ELF scheduling and, having split the wins between them so far, there is a lot riding on this game. For Stuttgart, the goal is clear: to take the final step and reach the championship in their own city under the motto ‘Bring it home’.

The Ravens secured their place in the semi-finals by winning nine games in a row to gain the second seed, dominating their division with an impressive 11–1 record — with that sole defeat coming on the road against the Surge. Stuttgart, on the other hand, has had to take a longer route, hosting sixth seeded Madrid in the wildcard round last weekend and winning handily against an opponent many thought might have enough offensive firepower to cause the Surge some problems.

A look at the regular season statistics reveals subtle differences between the two teams. The Surge are second in the league in total yards per game with 412.7, while the Ravens are fourth with 398.0. Stuttgart also has a clear advantage in passing, with their 264.8 yards per game putting them in fourth place league-wide, while the Ravens rank tenth with 203.5 yards. It is in the running game, however, where Munich is extremely dangerous, with Ellison’s team holding the second-best rush offense in the league with 197.3 yards per game behind Justin Rodney (1,082 yards and 11 touchdowns), while Stuttgart ranks just ninth with 150.4 ypg.

Although Stuttgart appears to be weaker statistically in the running game, the offense shows tremendous efficiency on short runs, with Kai Hunter scoring 10 touchdowns in the regular season — a number added to by both Tomiwa Oyewo (five) and quarterback Reilly Hennessey (six).

The big focus, however, will be on Ravens quarterback Russell Tabor, who is a true dual threat. During the season, he ran for 663 yards and 13 touchdowns and threw for 2,315 yards and 27 scores. However, his ten interceptions also reveal a vulnerability, especially in comparison to the more composed Hennessey, who has only three interceptions in the entire regular season.

Defensively, Stuttgart has a lot to offer. They lead the league with 16 turnovers and 48 sacks, allowing an average of only 265.8 yards per game, which puts them second overall. The Ravens’ defense, meanwhile, lags significantly in the same categories. With only two turnovers (ninth overall), 29 sacks (fifth), and 342.5 yards allowed per game (ninth), Munich are at a statistical disadvantage, and the outcome of this all-German semi-final may hinge on the pressure that can be applied to Tabor — especially as the Surge defensive line has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to dominate games, as evidenced by their performance in last week’s wildcard game against the Bravos, who arrived in Stuttgart boasting the strongest offense in the league.

Both teams have perfect home records in 2025, and both want to advance to the final which, for the Ravens, would be a first. For the Surge, a second appearance after their 2023 defeat by the Rhein Fire would be capped only by playing in the final at the MHPArena in front of their home crowd, but head coach Jordan Neuman is quick to direct his team’s focus to this Sunday.

“Of course, we all dream of playing in the final in Stuttgart but, first, we must concentrate fully on the Munich Ravens,” he stressed. “They are an extremely strong opponent. We know them very well, and they know us very well too, so it’s going to be a tough, physical fight where small details can make all the difference. That’s why it’s important that we go into this semi-final fully focused.

“We hope for the support of our Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg fans. Against Madrid, we saw the big impact that loud, positive fan support can have, and we want to feel that in Unterhaching, too.”