Mid-Week Report: Innsbruck, here we come!
It's Raiders Week. Week 6 in the European League of Football brings for the fans theBattle For Austria - Part 1.
The first of two matches between the two European football powerhouses in Austria is scheduled for Sunday, July 9. The venue is the Tivoli Stadium in Innsbruck, where the kickoff between the Raiders Tirol (4-1) and the Vienna Vikings (4-0) will take place at 16:25.
"There is a very special rivalry between us and the Raiders. There is respect, but also the absolute will to win and to show who is number one. Last season we were able to win both duels. That's also our goal for 2023," said Head Coach Chris Calaycay ahead of the clash between the only two Austrian franchises in the league.
Vikings lead 2-0 in ELF duels with Raiders
2022 marked the first season in the European League of Football for both the Vikings and the Raiders. The two teams already met in Week One, and the reigning champions managed a hard-fought 29-23 victory at the Tivoli. "That was a very special moment for me, for all of us," offensive lineman Aleksandar Milanovic told at this week's Vienna Vikings Press Talk. "For a long time I had to wait for a win at Tivoli, that's why it felt all the more beautiful. The Raiders are a good team. Beating them will be hard but possible."
In the return match in Vienna, things were clearer. The team of HC Calaycay took an unchallenged 29:13 win in the Generali Arena. The defensive gameplan against the Tyrolean team, whose offense had worked so well before, was a complete success.
"It we need our best football to be successful in Innsbruck. Avoiding mistakes and being focused on every single play - that has to be our motto," said the master coach in the run-up to the game. In terms of personnel, his team has grown, as the Vienna franchise signed offensive lineman Robert Dragotinits this week. The veteran OL played in recent seasons in the AFL for the Mödling Rangers, but before that he was for years part of the Vienna Vikings club, with which he also won the Austrian Bowl in 2014 - Just against the Raiders ...
Roster Moves – Week 6
#78 Robert Dragotinits – Signed