Men and women won their four games in Lahti on Tuesday.
Four games, four wins: The German teams have made a big impression at the start of the Flag Football World Cup. The men’s team led by quarterback Benjamin Klever initially gave Sweden no chance in Lahti, Finland (42:25), then the European champions celebrated a comfortable 60:0 win over Georgia. In the last preliminary round match, the selection of the American Football Association of Germany (AFVD) will face Great Britain on Wednesday (10:30 a.m.).
“That was another typical late start from our team, but the long touchdown pass from Fabian Achenbach broke the deadlock. The defense had an excellent second half and the offense also found its game,” said men’s national coach Florian Berrenberg. His charges were 12:13 behind against the Swedes at halftime.
The AFVD women also completed their first two tasks in the Pajulahti Olympic Training Center with ease. The eighth-ranked team in the world followed up a 56:14 win against Poland with a 36:18 win against Brazil in the evening. Duels with Japan (1:00 p.m.) and Finland (7:15 p.m.) await on Wednesday.
At the season highlight of the sport, which will be an Olympic event for the first time in Los Angeles in 2028, the men will initially compete in eight groups of four, with the two best teams in each group advancing to the round of 16. For the women, there will be three groups of five and two groups of four, with the best three teams per group and the best fourth-place team advancing.
Compared to classic football, this variant is particularly different in terms of toughness. It is played between the two end zones on a 50 by 25 yard field. The teams consist of five players who wear three bands (flags) on a waist belt. If one is torn off, this counts as a tackle.
