Allgäu Comets are not only upset by the defeat in Dresden, but also by the withdrawal of the Berlin Adler. How this will affect the play-offs.
Tobias Giegerich
11.09.2024 | Status: 14:53
On Sunday, the Allgäu Comets were reminded of the 14:96 loss to the Potsdam Royals at the end of July in the Illerstadion. Similar to the debacle against the leaders of the northern division of the German Football League (GFL), the Comets had no chance in the 21:69 loss in Dresden – although the defeat was not quite as severe. “I was very disappointed on the way back – but not with the players, but because we didn’t play our best game against a top team,” said Comets head coach Elias Gniffke.
The parallels to the Potsdam game were unmistakable: ball losses after fumbles or interceptions, failed snaps and poor communication in pass defense. “These were behavioral patterns that we thought we had stopped,” explains Gniffke. As in other games against top teams in the GFL, his team lost control of the game despite being in the lead. “We fell into a hole again,” said Gniffke.
This was easy to see from the 7:49 halftime score. So the opening of the rebuilt Heinz Steyer Stadium in Dresden became a day of celebration for the Monarchs – and the 10,000 spectators at the GFL game. “That was actually exactly the stage we wanted to use,” says Gniffke. “Even if you didn’t really notice the number of fans on the sidelines. For me, the number was not a burden, but rather an incentive.” This attitude was only partially transferred to his players, although Gniffke offers other explanations. “Our number one receiver Nate Stewart arrived with food poisoning, and Chemsedine Jaouani and Marco Ücker are two important players out for the rest of the season,” says the Comets coach. One ray of hope was receiver Ahsan Moore, who scored all three of Kempten’s touchdowns.
The Comets’ play-off hopes (5th place in the southern division) have been dampened not only by the defeat in Dresden. The Berlin Adler’s withdrawal from the northern division has given the Comets’ competitors Straubing Spiders and Munich Cowboys two wins. This has significantly worsened the Comets’ starting position ahead of the last game of the season on Sunday (3 p.m.) at home against Kirchdorf. Play-off places 3 and 4 are still possible, but the Comets have to win against Kirchdorf and hope for slip-ups from their competitors Munich and Straubing. The two teams are already in action on Saturday – it may then already be clear whether the play-offs will take place without the Comets this year.
