The 2011 Eurobowl competition (EFL) has been set for about a month now. This tournament is held in conjunction with each of the individual countries national league seasons. It is the american footabll comparison to the Champions League in soccer. The participants vie for the coveted Eurobowl trophy. The invitees are the top 1 or 2 seeds in each country from the previous year. This year there are 13 participants from 8 different nations.There are 9 teams entered into the group stage, with the winners of each group to face a semi-finalist from last years competition (shown in the top left of the picture) who are awarded automatic byes into the 2011 quarterfinal round.
In group A the Danube Dragons (my former team in 2009) and last year's Austrian Football League (AFL) Champions will face the Collectpoint Prague Panthers from the Czech Republic capital of Prague. The Dragons and Panthers last played in the EFAF cup, Europe's B-League tournament comprised of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place teams from the previous season, in which the Panthers won a decisive victory. The winner will face last year's Eurobowl champion and Germany runner-up the Berlin Adler.
Group B is where I'll be this season. There are a lot of similarities between these two group members. The Carlstad Crusaders, 2010 Swedish champs will play in their second ever EFL tournament
game, coming up just one win from an EFAF championship last summer, against the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes of Germany. The Canes are playing in their first ever european tournament game, and are coming off their first ever German National Championship (GFL) defeating the Berlin Adler last October. The winner will travel to Graz, Austria to face the Giants who were semi-finalists last season in both the AFL and the EFL.
Group C has yet another first timer in the match in the Spartiates L'Amiens who are from approximately 2 hours north of Paris, France. They won their first ever French title last season and are excited, based on my conversations with their head coach to defend their title and compete in the EFL. Their opponent is the only team in the Group stage who was not a champion the previous year. The 3rd place team from Spain, the Badalona Dracs, who have a storied history in this
tournament will be the target and have a great shot at making even more history for Spain which has had recent success in this tournament. The winner of this game will head to Innsbruck, Austria to face the Swarco Raiders Tirol who were the runner-up to the Dragons in the AFL last summer.
Group D is the only traditional group with 3 teams. Each team will play one another, with the winner being decided by 2 wins versus opponents or the best point differential in the event of a 3-way tie. The L'Hospitalet Pioners (my former team in 2008) won their 3rd Spanish title last season and competed well in the EFAF cup winning their second ever game in european competition. Their opponent to the east will be the Parma Panthers, the same team that John Grisham portrayed in his book Playing for Pizza. The Panthers won the Italian title last year and are looking to make a name for themselves on this grand stage. Just north of Italy is the last and final participant in the EFL group stage, the Calanda Broncos.
The Broncos enjoyed a perfect season last year winning the Swiss championship and the EFAF Cup over the Carlstad Crusaders. The winner of the group will travel north to face the Vienna Vikings, last year's runner-up in this very competition and semi-finalist in the AFL.
Interestingly enough, all 4 of the teams who have automatic byes in the EFL this year were beaten in their own national leagues last season. All 3 Austrian teams by the Dragons, and the Adler by the Canes of Kiel. Each year is a new adventure, and it all kicks off again this coming April. Stay tuned.
