Exciting city derby: The fight for second place!

 

The 2019 AFL Regular Season is slowly coming to an end. In round nine of the Austrian Football League, the Dacia Vikings will be playing in Donaufeld on Saturday against the Danube Dragons. With a victory against the city's rivals, the Vikings could take second place. With another victory the following weekend against the Steelsharks Traun in the Hohe Warte stadium on June 23, the Dacia Vikings would qualify for the semi-finals. Winning is therefore a must if the Vikings want to be free from the wildcard weekend.

 

On the other hand, the Dragons currently sit at second place and will do everything to win their home game against the Vikings. In the first meeting of the two Viennese teams at the beginning of May, the Vikings defeated the Dragons 10-3 in a cold rain and mud fight. If you can trust the current weather forecast, the match-up next Saturday is likely to be a heat battle. The forecasted temperature is around 95 degrees Fahrenheit and will be a question of condition.

 

“Every team wants the best possible placement for the playoffs” (HC Calaycay)

 

"We now had two weeks to prepare for this important match against the Danube Dragons. Especially with regard to our ailing players, the slightly longer recovery time was enormously important thanks to the Bye-Week. Playing the city derby against the Dragons always has a special meaning for us. The fact that this time around also has the important second place on the table increases the explosiveness of the game in addition. As for the playoff phase, each team is fighting for the best possible starting position,” said Dacia Vikings Head Coach Chris Calaycay, who swears his team on the battle against the city rivals.

 

Looking at the personal details, it is gratifying to see that some key players of the Vikings are fully operational again. The two linebackers #49 Alexander Watholowitsch and #45 Ugo Uwakwe are back on the field again. The defensive linemen, #96 Marvin Wappl and #91 Nico Plenert, who were still struggling in the last round, should also be available again. The running backs #5 Marko Gagic and #26 Giuliano Moreno will play again against the Dragons and take over together with #39 Roman Simmel the running game of the Vikings. The statistically best rusher of the Vikings, Islaam Amadu, is just as convalescent as OL Lukas Seybold, LB Philipp Wimmer and WR Philipp Dubravec.

 

The last 18 city derbies ended in a Vikings victory

 

If you do not want to wait for a long time at the ticket counter, you can order tickets online quickly and conveniently. Online ticket owners should also have an extra entrance available, so the gameday in Donaufeld for all Vikings fans is already off to a great start. The team of head coach Chris Calaycay does not want to let down the years of the winning streak against the city rivals even at this meeting. Since 2011, the Men In Purple have won all 18 duels against the Dragons.

 

Key Facts:

Danube Dragons vs. Dacia Vienna Vikings

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Kickoff: 3:00pm

Venue: Stadium Donaufeld, Nordmanngasse, 1210 Vienna

Tickets: danubedragons.reservix.at/events