Football: Perfect Vikings are hot in the ELF final

For both clubs, it’s their second title at stake, and the winner can call themselves record champions. “These are the top teams in Europe, it can be a ‘high-scoring game,'” said Calaycay. The Vikings won the strongest European football competition in their debut season in 2022.

One year later, Rhein Fire triumphed; the team of NFL-experienced head coach Jim Tomsula, who was head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, remained undefeated. The Viennese, who won all of their twelve regular season games and the semifinal (47:31 against the Paris Musketeers), could now do the same. The crowning glory will take place in Schalke’s football temple, where a record crowd awaits both teams.

“Our chance to show what we can do”

“In many ways, this is the biggest game for us. It is the biggest stadium with the biggest number of spectators. And it is at the highest sporting level,” explained Calaycay at a media event in Vienna. “We are playing in Germany against a German team, and it will be very loud.” This is our chance to show what we can do on a stage like this.”

Vikings quarterback Ben Holmes had a similar view: “It’s not a match like any other. But at the end of the day, you go out and line up against another football team. We try to keep it simple.” Rhein Fire is playing a home game and is considered a favorite, especially in Germany.

Vikings demand respect

The team around star running back Glen Toonga has only lost one game so far, against the Madrid Bravos at the beginning of June by 10:22. Since then, the Düsseldorf team, who play their home games in Duisburg, have got into shape and on the road to victory. In the semifinals, Stuttgart Surge were defeated in a rain battle with a score of 29:23 after extra time after trailing 13:23 with three minutes to go.

Calaycay has great respect for Tomsula’s team, but does not see his team as an underdog. “I think we are underestimated by the media. It was said that we had the easiest opponents, a bad conference and that we are not as good as everyone thought. But there are facts: We are undefeated in two regular seasons in a row,” said the 48-year-old.

Compact team without weak points

In fact, the Viennese are characterized by team unity. The Vikings can decide games with both the offense around wide receiver Reece Horn, who caught eight passes for 167 yards in the semifinals, and tight end giant Florian Bierbaumer, who scored three touchdowns and 99 yards in the semifinals, and the defense led by Exavier Edwards and Benjamin Straight.

Holmes, who is protected by a strong O-line and always gets enough time to make his throws, as his five touchdown throws in the semifinal against Paris prove, added: “We have a really good team together. We all have a lot of trust in each other and that’s how we want to perform. You can’t be afraid in games like this. You have to leave everything where it is.”

Rhein-Fire-Star can be stopped

The two teams have never played against each other before, so the final contains a number of unknown variables. Not one of them is Fire star Toonga, who has already scored 31 touchdowns this season. The 29-year-old Brit faced the Vikings in the final two years ago, back then with the Hamburg Sea Devils, and came up short.

The Vikings now want to stop the running back again. Calaycay can quickly draw on the full squad. “We are healthier than ever, we are only missing two players.” The dream of the perfect season plays no role for the team from Simmering, which flew to Germany on Friday.

“1:0” as Vikings mantra

“We start every week from zero, as if the match before no longer exists.” You always try to make it 1-0. “I’m just thinking about Rhein Fire and want to be back at 1-0 at the end of the week,” explained US playmaker Holmes.

Calaycay has introduced this “1-and-0 routine.” “It’s always just the one week we play that counts. We want to stay undefeated, 1-0. That’s written on our clothes and in every text message I write to the team.”

European Football League