Frankfurt Galaxy loses in ELF against Düsseldorf Rhein Fire

FWith five minutes left, it looked like Frankfurt Galaxy would live up to expectations and win their opening game of the second European League of Football (ELF) season against the Düsseldorf Rhein Fire. And that despite a clear deficit in the meantime and many shortcomings in the Frankfurt game.

Galaxy quarterback Jakeb Sulivan had just heaved himself and the football into the end zone for a touchdown. With the subsequent extra point, Galaxy equalized to 26:26. This was followed by the appearance of the Galaxy defensive.

Düsseldorf’s playmaker Matt Adam rarely got into trouble on this Whit Sunday. But now, as the game came to a head, purple jerseys rumbled from all sides at Adam, who again and again couldn’t find a way out and was thrown to the ground. The noise level in the stadium on the Bornheimer Hang reached its peak, and the Galaxy fans finally seemed certain of victory. Frankfurt had the ball and enough time for the winning attack.

However, the final punchline was not to Frankfurt’s taste and therefore suited the wild ups and downs of the game. The Galaxy quickly lost the ball and a Düsseldorf field goal eight seconds before the end also made the game 26:29. The first game as the defending champion – it was far from masterly.

“We weren’t tough enough”

Galaxy coach Thomas Kösling did not hide his disappointment. “We played very naively, we weren’t tough enough, we made bad decisions,” he said. Kösling, obviously at a loss, could not answer why his team, a well-established, successful team, made so many mistakes against the newly formed Rhein Fire. The coach did not look for excuses either. It is difficult to play against a league newcomer whose skills are still a big unknown. Nevertheless, Kösling was convinced: “If we had played at normal level, we should have won the game.”

Galaxy only reached this normal level in phases, around the middle of the second quarter. The ball stayed in Jakeb Sullivan’s hands for a long time when he was better protected by his offensive line and was able to distribute many short passes with less opponent pressure. Galaxy kept pushing his way down the field and rewarded himself with his first touchdown. It was the controlled game that Kösling imagines. Alone, Galaxy was 3:19 behind at that point after a false start. “Fire, Fire, Fire” chants from the Düsseldorf fans drowned out the cautious calls from the Galaxy. After all, both teams and coaches were happy about it, the fans are back in large numbers. 7525 came, the seats were sold out.

Rimmler is the bright spot

Galaxy coach Kösling counted a newcomer, kicker Ryan Rimmler, among the “few bright spots”. The 24-year-old has played at the highest American college level for several years. Kösling is hoping for consistency from him in a position that worried the coach last season. In fact, Rimmler remained flawless in his first appearance for Frankfurt. After a 55-yard field goal that brought his team to 12:19 at halftime, a murmur went through the Frankfurt crowd. They hadn’t seen such a powerful shot in a long time. “That was my career high, for sure,” said Rimmler.

Next weekend the Frankfurt team will go to Vienna, where Galaxy will face off against the Vienna Vikings. Like Düsseldorf, the Austrians are new to the league, but are considered contenders for the title. At the start they won against the Tirol Raiders 29:23. So it won’t be any easier. Thomas Kösling wanted to see the defeat as a good omen: “The good thing is that the season started the same way for us last year”, at that time with a defeat against Hamburg. By the end of the season, Galaxy had become a champion. “Hopefully we can do it again.”