Sportklub CEFL is preparing for a hectic week of football. Five games will be played on Saturday, three in the CEFL Championship 1/8 round and two in the CEFL Cup. There will be a lot of live streams to choose from as well as a broadcast on Sportklub TV on the markets under its coverage.
April 23
| Date | Event | Time/Results | League |
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CEFL Championship
Saturday, 23 April, 12:45 CET
Belgrade SBB Vukovi — Vienna Danube Dragons
Saturday’s action is opening in Belgrade, where the CEFL’s winningest team, SBB Vukovi will host a newcomer to the Championship, Vienna’s Danube Dragons. The game will start at 12:45 and it will be broadcast on Sportklub TV.
The latest of SBB Vukovi’s 6 CEFL titles has come in 2014 and their last appearance in the Championship was in 2017. They were runners-up of the national league since then, but now they’re returning after winning it last season. In addition to that, they’ve also played all 3 seasons of the IFAF Europe Champions League, placing in the finals in 2014 and 2015.
The Danube Dragons from Vienna are coming to the CEFL for the first time this season. They’re no strangers to international competitions though, having played in the EFL before. Their only appearance in the Champions League was in 2016, when they advanced to the Final Four tournament. They lost only to Wroclaw Panthers who raised the trophy that year.
SBB Vukovi are coming out of a shootout with their traditionally fiercest opponent domestically, Kragujevac Wild Boars. They’ve won it by a miniscule margin of 2 points. It was the second week of the national season and their QB, Ryan Barabe already has great connection with his receiving options.
The Viennese are topping their national standings too with a 3-0 record. After off-season perturbations they have a better-than-ever chance this year to add to their only Austrian title from 2010. Their offensive leader, QB Chad Jeffries will help them in this quest on the national and international scenes.
CEFL Championship
Saturday, 23 April, 14:00 CET
Copenhagen Towers — Örebro Black Knights
Live stream: https://cefl.afi.tv/watch/991-cefl
The second game in the Championship program on Saturday is in Copenhagen between the two Scandinavian national champions. The Towers will greet the Örebro Black Knights and both teams appear in the CEFL for the first time.
The Towers have had contact with the CEFL before, competing in the Superfinal in 2018. They played it as the winner of the NEFL (Northern European Football League) against the CEFL’s best, Swarco Raiders. The Towers have hosted that game in Copenhagen, and ultimately lost. This wasn’t their only international stint, because they also played the Champions League in 2015 and the NEFL in 2017.
The Black Knights have also competed on the European scene before. It was their single term in the Champions League in 2014 when, curiously enough, they’ve met with the Copenhagen Towers. That game was also played in Copenhagen and the Black Knights have won it 30-20. No doubt the Towers still remember that slap, which raises the stakes for both teams this time around.
The Danish league hasn’t started yet so this game will serve the Towers to learn who they are this season. They will be aided by the overseas additions in the offense, quarterback Joshua Greaves and wide receiver Mike Williams.
Meanwhile, the Black Knights have played half of their national league’s regular season games. They’ve lost the first two, winning only the cliffhanger versus Carlstad Crusaders by 3 points last weekend. They will have their own tower in the offense embodied in the 2-meters-tall quarterback Trevor Vasey.
CEFL Championship
Saturday, 23 April, 18:00 CET
Badalona Dracs — Flash de La Courneuve
Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgkgBNraAEo
Third and final game of the CEFL Championship 1/8 round will be played in Badalona. The home team and the 2021 Spanish champions, the Dracs will play host to the French powerhouse, Flash from La Courneuve. The game will start at 18:00 CET and live stream is secured so be sure to tune in.
Although the Championship was structured to include Badalona Dracs in 2020 and 2021, the pandemic has changed those plans, so this is their premiere season in the CEFL. The team’s biggest international success has come in 2014 when they’ve placed in the EFL Bowl. Lately, they also took part in the IFAF ECTC (European Club Team Competition) in 2019.
The Flash were also long-time contestants of the EFL, which was the strongest European club team competition until 2013. Their greatest accomplishments have come in in 1998, 2006 and 2008 when they were one step shy of capturing the EFL finals. They were also scheduled to play the CEFL Cup in 2020, but we all know what happened that spring.
The Dracs have already finished playing their national league’s regular season. They’ve placed in the semifinals from the second spot in their group with a 6-2 record. They begin playing their most important games of the season on Saturday and their import QB/WR combo, Joseph Bubonics is ready.
Playing in the French league, the Flash have posted impressive numbers. In the 7 wins so far they’ve scored stellar 51.7 points per game and given up only 49 points total! Judging by that math, it’s hard to stop their American QB Conor Miller, but their defense is equally challenging for opponents.
CEFL Cup
Saturday, 23 April, 15:30 CET
Kragujevac Wild Boars — Fehervar Enthroners
Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhaQ3XYBGdY
The first game of the CEFL Cup this Saturday will take place in Kragujevac, where Hungarian vice-champions Fehervar Enthroners visit the Wild Boars. This will also be the only game of the Southern group and its winner will head directly to the finals.
The Wild Boars have won the premiere season of the CEFL Championship’s forerunner, SELAF in 2006. Later, they also appeared in the CEFL bowl game two more times, in 2013 and 2017. Their young team has had a tough time visiting Dacia Vienna Vikings last season, but now they’ve reinforced their roster and they’re trying to return to their winning ways.
Fehervar Enthroners are new to international stage. Their team started competing in the lowest ranks nationally and has risen to top tier only in 2018. That same season they also took up playing in the bottom echelon in Austria and have been promoted every year. Last season they were set to play the CEFL Championship but the pandemic has thrown a wrench to that agenda.
Half way through the national season, the Wild Boars have lost only to SBB Vukovi and are looking poised for the playoffs. The high score of that game (33-35) though painful, proves their offense is on the right track led by its American quarterback, Isaiah Green.
Fehervar Enthroners have just opened their domestic championship last week with a convincing win over another well-known team in the CEFL, Budapest Cowbells. Their quarterback, Chris Merchant has a plethora of offensive options to choose from for this game.
CEFL Cup
Saturday, 23 April, 16:00 CET
Prague Lions — Tychy Falcons
Live stream: https://sport.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/ostatni/zive-prague-lions-tychy-falcons/6263f7d243b414b574a24fcb
The final game of the day is played in the second round of the CEFL Cup’s Northern group. Czech runners-up, Prague Lions will host the vice-champions of Poland, Tychy Falcons. Next to the Lions, the Falcons are also joining the CEFL for the first time.
The Lions have beaten the current champions of Czechia, Vysočina Gladiators last week in a game which was counted for their national league, as well as for the CEFL Cup. If they win out against Tychy Falcons now, they will go straight to the final game. In case they lose on Saturday, they’ll have to wait for the last game in this group and calculate the points’ difference.
Tychy Falcons will get their first taste of international experience with this game. Their team was founded in 2008 and slowly rose through the Polish ranks. They’ve just started their domestic schedule with a loss and they’re looking to rebound from it. That’s why they’ve bolstered their roster with 3 non-homegrown players and 2 imports, one of them being their quarterback, Christopher Jeffrey.