Four Contenders Remain in Bowl Hunt

May 27, 2003 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release

The race at the top of the standings is one of the tightest in league history as four teams – Frankfurt, Rhein, Barcelona and Scotland - are either at 5-3 or one game back at 4-4.

Frankfurt Galaxy (5-3) goes into this Sunday's Deutschland Derby with Rhein Fire (5-3) knowing victory will see them become the first team to book a World Bowl berth.

However, the Fire can be the first team on the plane to Glasgow, Scotland, if they beat the Galaxy on Sunday and the F.C. Barcelona Dragons (5-3) defeat the Scottish Claymores (4-4) in a game being played 24 hours earlier on Saturday.

The Week 9 action concludes with two teams playing for pride as the Berlin Thunder (2-6) visits the Amsterdam Admirals (3-5).

WEEK NINE SCHEDULE

SATURDAY MAY 31

Scottish Claymores at F.C. Barcelona Dragons

Mini-Estadi, Barcelona, 5:30 p.m.

Berlin Thunder at Amsterdam Admirals

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, 7:00 p.m.

SUNDAY JUNE 1

Rhein Fire at Frankfurt Galaxy

Waldstadion, Frankfurt, 4:00 p.m.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 8

OFFENSIVE · CRAIG NALL · QB, Scotland

22 of 31 for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns;

135.6 quarterback rating

DEFENSIVE · JESSE WARREN · DE, Rhein

2 tackles, 1 sack, fumble recovery for touchdown

SPECIAL TEAMS · J.R. JENKINS · K, Berlin

2 of 2 on field goals from 52 and 45 yards

NATIONAL · BASTIAN LANO · DT, Rhein

2 sacks; takes season total to 6.5 (2nd in NFLEL)

WORLD BOWL SCENARIOS

Calculators ready as World Bowl

race goes down to the wire

THE race for places in World Bowl XI at Hampden Park, Glasgow, on June 14 could be the closest battle in NFL Europe League history.

With two weeks to go in the season, four teams remain in the hunt for the championship game, including three teams bidding for a record fifth appearance in the big game – and the host team themselves, the Scottish Claymores.

One team has a shot at clinching a World Bowl berth in Week Nine. Another could also be in a position to clinch if other results go their way. But if Scotland and Rhein are victorious this week, it will be the first time in league history that Week 10 has arrived without either World Bowl contestant having been decided.

Confused? We hope you won't be. So to begin with, here is a reminder of the NFL Europe League's tiebreaker system.

NFLEL TIEBREAKER SYSTEM

If two or more clubs finish with identical won-lost-tied percentage, the following steps will be taken until a winner is determined:

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the tied clubs).

2. Best points differential in games between tied teams

3. Best points differential in all games

4. Best net touchdowns in games between tied teams

5. Best net touchdowns in all games

6. Coin toss

NOTE REGARDING MULTI-TEAM TIEBREAKERS: If, after completion of one of the above steps, clubs remain tied after third or other clubs have been eliminated from, or have won, a multi-team tiebreaker, the tiebreaker reverts to Step 1.

Frankfurt is the team with the clearest shot at clinching a World Bowl berth in Week 9. If the Galaxy end a seven-game losing streak against the Rhein Fire at the Waldstadion they will be guaranteed a place in the championship game. (However, if they lose to the Fire they could find themselves needing not just a win in Week 10, but other results going their way).

The Rhein Fire will be in position to clinch a World Bowl with a victory in the Deutschland Derby next Sunday if the Barcelona Dragons beat the Scottish Claymores in Spain 24 hours earlier. In other words, a Dragons win against the Claymores means the winner of the Frankfurt-Rhein game is guaranteed to be the first team to clinch a World Bowl place.

It is impossible for both World Bowl contestants to be determined in Week 9.

To summarise, here is the World Bowl picture in simple forms for each of the teams.

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS: Eliminated from World Bowl contention and still seeking first championship game appearance since 1995. Need to win final two games to avoid matching longest streak of losing seasons in NFLEL history (5 – London/England Monarchs, 1992, 1995-98)

F.C. BARCELONA DRAGONS: Need to win final two games to be certain of World Bowl berth. Can qualify with one win and combination of other results (see scenarios on following page).

BERLIN THUNDER: Eliminated from World Bowl contention, thus ending bid to become first team to qualify for three straight championship games. Need to win one more game to avoid posting worst record of a defending World Bowl champion (London, 2-7-1 in 1992).

FRANKFURT GALAXY: Can clinch a World Bowl berth in Week 9 by beating Rhein Fire. Victory in Week 10 could also clinch World Bowl berth, depending on other results. Can even qualify with two losses (see scenarios on following page)

RHEIN FIRE: Clinches World Bowl berth with two more wins. Can clinch in Week 9 with win against Frankfurt and a Scotland loss to Barcelona. Can qualify with one win in final two games, depending on other results (see scenarios).

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES: Can clinch World Bowl berth by winning final two games, but needs Frankfurt to win or lose each of their last two games to avoid being in a tie that includes the Galaxy. Even then, it could depend on points differential against Barcelona.

NOTES ON POINTS DIFFERENTIAL

Some ties could be broken by points differential in games between the tied teams. Here are the results so far in series where points differential could be a factor.

Barcelona 13 at Frankfurt 15

Frankfurt 47 at Barcelona 13

Rhein 3 at Barcelona 11

Frankfurt 7 at Rhein 14

Barcelona 17 at Scotland 10

Scotland 17 at Rhein 34

Rhein 0 at Scotland 33

TO PLAY

Scotland at Barcelona

Rhein at Frankfurt

Barcelona at Rhein

NOTE: Frankfurt-Barcelona scores are included because it is possible for Rhein, Frankfurt and Barcelona to finish in a tie where all teams have swept a series, in which case points differential in the games involving those three teams would be decisive.

World Bowl scenarios follow....

WORLD BOWL SCENARIOS

There are 64 possible combinations of results in Week 9 and 10 of the NFLEL season.

NEWS AND NOTES

Coaches aim to keep their cool as pressure mounts

WHILE fans around the league are reaching for the calculators to determine their team's World Bowl chances, spare a thought for NFL Europe's head coaches, who will be working in a pressure-cooker atmosphere in the season's final two weeks.

With the Frankfurt Galaxy, Rhein Fire and F.C. Barcelona Dragons boasting 5-3 records, and the Scottish Claymores just a game back at 4-4, the race to World Bowl XI couldn't be tighter.

Speaking after his team's 47-13 defeat of the Dragons in Week 8, Galaxy head coach DOUG GRABER said: "In this crazy league, who knows what will happen. It's going to come down to the end of the season – to the very last game."

Despite seeing his team suffer a heavy home defeat, Dragons head coach JACK BICKNELL said: "I am really looking forward to the next two weeks because these are good kids and they will bounce back. As I look into their eyes, I like what I see.

"If we win seven games we will be in the World Bowl and if we win six we will have a good chance."

The Fire advanced to 5-3 with a 28-21 defeat of the Berlin Thunder in Week 8, pleasing head coach PETE KUHARCHEK, who said: "That was a really big win for us because we are getting down to that time of the year when every game is crucial and you have to win those games to reach the World Bowl."

The Scottish Claymores have dragged themselves back into the World Bowl race with back-to-back victories over the Rhein Fire and Amsterdam Admirals.

Head coach Gene Dahlquist says: "For the first time this season we have won two games in a row and it was a meaningful victory because it means our dream is still alive."

While the Amsterdam Admirals and Berlin Thunder have been eliminated from World Bowl contention, those teams are not about to fold up the tent and prepare for their return trips to the United States just yet.

Berlin Thunder head coach PETER VAAS says: "It has been a very frustrating season for our players and coaches but we have fought through that frustration. I have a tremendous amount of confidence that we will fight again next week and the week after that.

"The last time I checked this was professional football. I am confident my players will prepare well and play hard against the Admirals."

Deutschland Derby takes on added importance in Week 9

NFL EUROPE'S most storied rivalry continues on Sunday as the Frankfurt Galaxy play host to the Rhein Fire in a Deutschland Derby expected to be contested in front of a capacity crowd at the Waldstadion.

A crowd of close to 30,000 will be on hand at the famous stadium currently undergoing construction in time for the 2006 soccer World Cup Finals.

And the game has taken on added meaning as either team could qualify for World Bowl with a win. For the Galaxy, it is a simple case of ending a seven-game losing streak at the hands of their German rivals and defeating the Fire. Rhein needs Barcelona to beat Scotland on Saturday before beating Frankfurt on Sunday to book a World Bowl berth.

Last year's meeting between the two teams at the Waldstadion drew a league record 58,572 fans. Galaxy general manager TILMAN ENGEL is expecting another big crowd and yet another memorable meeting between NFL Europe's best-supported teams.

He says: "Our final home game of the season against the Fire is always the highlight of the year for Galaxy fans. The stadium will be filled again this year and we will put on an outstanding show with a ‘High-Noon' theme and some great European acts."

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK adds: "Our games with the Galaxy are always very important but this one is really big in terms of the standings. But in order for it to become big we had to beat Berlin in Week 8 and that means we have yet to give too much thought to the Galaxy contest. We will now."

Voting for All-NFLEL team continues at NFLEurope.com

VOTING for the 2003 All-NFL Europe League team continues with fans being invited to pick their favourite players on NFLEurope.com.

For the second year in a row, the fan poll will account for one third of the votes, with one third being made up of media ballots and the final third being decided by the NFL Europe League coaching staffs.

The All-NFLEL team will be announced at World Bowl Media Day in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 12.

After the opening week of online voting, the top five vote-getters in all categories are Scottish Claymores RB KEN SIMONTON, Amsterdam Admirals WR MATTHEW HATCHETTE, Claymores QB CRAIG NALL, Rhein Fire RB AUTRY DENSON and Fire offensive lineman LUKE BUTKUS.

NEWS AND NOTES

Nall and Hill become first 300-yard passers of the year

REMEMBER the old joke about buses? You wait ages for one and then two come along at the same time – it seems the same applies with the NFL Europe League and 300-yard passers.

Just when it looked like the 2003 season would mark the first year without a 300-yard passer, two quarterbacks achieved the feat – in the same game.

CRAIG NALL, of the Scottish Claymores, and Amsterdam Admirals passer SHAUN HILL both threw for 313 yards during their Week 8 meeting in the Netherlands.

The last time a quarterback had thrown for 300 yards in a game came on opening night of the 2002 campaign, when Berlin's Todd Husak threw for 352 yards at Frankfurt.

Nall, allocated by the Green Bay Packers, became the first Claymores quarterback to throw for 300 yards since Dameyune Craig on June 13, 1999. Hill, of the Minnesota Vikings, became the first Admirals 300-yard passer since Ron Powlus on May 28, 2000. They were also the first quarterbacks from teams other than Berlin Thunder to throw for 300 yards since 2000 (Ron Powlus – Amsterdam).

The achievements of Nall and Hill marked the first time since Week 10 of the 1996 season that two quarterbacks had thrown for 300 yards in the same game.

Below are the eight quarterback pairings in league history to have thrown for 300 yards in the same game.

Craig Nall (Sco) Shaun Hill (Ams) Wk 8, 2003

Steve Pelluer (Fra) Will Furrer (Ams) Wk 10, 1996

Kelly Holcomb (Bar) Will Furrer (Ams) Wk 1, 1996

Stan Gelbaugh (Lon) Mike Perez (Fra) Wk 2, 1992

Stan Gelbaugh (Lon) Reggie Slack (NY/NJ) Wk 1, 1992

Doug Pederson (NY/NJ) Mike Proctor (Mon) Wk 10, 1992

Stan Gelbaugh (Lon) Jeff Graham (NY/NJ) Wk 2, 1991

Scott Erney (Bar) Kerwin Bell (Orl) Wk 4, 1991

NFLEL FACT: Four-point success

THE 2003 NFL Europe League season has seen a record five four-point field goals kicked this year. The previous best was four field goals of 50-plus yards in 2000. Those kicking four-point field goals this season are Berlin's J.R. JENKINS (twice), JOE O'DONNELL (Amsterdam), JASON WITCZAK (Barcelona) and TODD FRANCE (Rhein).

Hatchette becomes latest NFLEL record breaker

AMSTERDAM Admirals wide receiver MATTHEW HATCHETTE set a new NFL Europe League record during his team's Week 8 meeting with the Scottish Claymores when the topped the 100-yard receiving mark for the fourth game in a row.

Free agent Hatchette, who boasts extensive NFL experience with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets, caught 8 passes for 127 yards during Amsterdam's 31-20 loss to the Claymores.

Having already gained 119 yards at Berlin Week 5, 120 vs Rhein in Week 6 and 105 yards at Frankfurt in Week 7, Hatchette broke a tie with three other receivers by gaining more than 100 yards against Scotland.

Consecutive 100-yard receiving games

4 Matthew Hatchette (Ams) 2003

3 Dane Looker (Ber) 2002

Bobby Olive (Fra) 1995

Eddie Brown (Sac) 1992

In paying tribute to his star wide receiver, Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: "He brings a work ethic in practice and he knows how to prepare for games. Those are habits he developed in the NFL and our guys look to Matthew for leadership."

Hatchette says of his NFLEL experience: "This is helping me a lot. It's been a while since I played 60 or 70 plays per game. I think that's why NFL personnel wanted to see me come here – to see how I handle game situations."

Hart tops 300 career points

BY kicking a 27-yard field goal and 4 conversions during the Scottish Claymores 31-20 defeat of the Amsterdam Admirals in Week 8, English kicker ROB HART became just the third player in league history to score more than 300 points.

Hart has now notched 301 career points and needs just four more to overtake former Rhein Fire kicker Manfred Burgsmüller (304) and move into second place on the all-time scoring list.

NFL Europe's leading points scorer is F.C. Barcelona Dragons kicker JESUS ANGOY, who has 326 points.

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (3-5)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (11-17 in NFLEL)Colours: Orange and blue

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jeff Lewis (3rd season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Larry Owens (3rd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 45-42

MEDIA CONTACT: Perry Hendriks

Phone: 31-20-465-0550

Fax: 31-20-465-0555

E-mail: hendriksp@admirals.nl

Internet: www.admirals.nl

LAST GAME: Lost 20-31 vs Scotland (5/24/03)

OFFENSE: 20.6 pts/game; 346.6 yds/game (rank 3); 79.9 yds rush/game (rank 6); 266.7 yds pass/game (rank 1)

Passing: Shaun Hill, 1,783 yds

Rushing: Tellis Redmon, 257 yards

Receiving: Matthew Hatchette 53 rec, 672 yards

DEFENSE: 24.9 pts/game; 321 yds/game (rank 3); 136 rush yds/game (rank 4); 185 pass yds/game (rank 1)

Sacks: Jonathan Brown, 5.5

Interceptions: Four players, 1

· THIS WEEK: vs BERLIN THUNDER ·

Admirals play host to the Berlin Thunder at the Amsterdam ArenA, where they have a 1-3 record this season. Team was eliminated from World Bowl contention last week. Head coach BART ANDRUS says: "We need to play better. We need to score and get to the point on defense where we have a chance."... Quarterback SHAUN HILL (Minnesota Vikings) leads the NFLEL in pass attempts, completions and yards (see table). Became first Admirals QB to throw for 300 yards in a game since Ron Powlus in 2000 vs Scotland last week... Quarterback DAVID PRIESTLEY did not play last week. Came off the bench to throw for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns in first clash with Thunder... Running back TELLIS REDMON (Baltimore Ravens) rushed for a team-leading 51 yards on 11 carries last week... Running back RAYMONN ADAMS (New York Jets) did not carry the ball last week. Held to 15 rushing yards in Week 5 loss to Berlin.... Receiver JUSTIN SKAGGS (Washington Redskins) had 5 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown last week, and is one of three Admirals to rank among the league's top four in receptions with 34 catches for 380 yards and 5 touchdowns. Caught 7 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown last time against Berlin... Free agent wide receiver MATTHEW HATCHETTE leads NFLEL in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns (see table). Has 53 catches this season, a new club record (Chris Coleman, 51 in 2001). Recorded fourth 100-yard receiving day in a row last week – a new NFLEL record. Caught 8 passes for 79 yards and 1 touchdown in first meeting with Thunder... Veteran Mexican wide receiver CARLOS ROSADO caught 3 passes for 23 yards last week and leads all national players with 21 catches for 285 yards this season... Tight end KIRK MCMULLEN (Carolina Panthers) ranks fourth in NFLEL with 32 receptions for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns after reeling in 2 passes for 13 yards last week... Tight end RYAN COLLINS caught 5 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown last week. Caught 2 passes for 6 yards in Week 5 vs Berlin... Defensive end JONATHAN BROWN recorded 6 tackles and a pass defense last week

Ranks fourth in NFLEL with 5.5 sacks and needs 1 more sack to move into third place all-time in the record books, surpassing Mike Sutton (16)... DE MIKE CECERE (Washington Redskins) has recorded 25 tackles and 4.5 sacks this season, including 5 tackles and 2 sacks in previous game against Berlin... Linebacker JOSH HOTCHKISS (New York Giants) recorded 4 tackles and half a sack last week and has 24 tackles on the season... Linebacker LOUIS GREEN recorded 2 tackles last week. Ranks second on the team with 29 tackles and has knocked down a team-leading 10 passes this season... Linebacker TONY ORTIZ recorded 4 tackles last week. Was held to just 1 tackle in Week 5 meeting with Berlin... Safety GLENN SUMTER (Houston Texans) recorded a team-leading 12 tackles and half a sack last week. Leads team with 45 tackles this year... Cornerback TROY GRANT recorded 2 tackles and recovered a fumble last week... Safety JORDAN YOUNGER made 3 tackles in first game against Berlin... Japanese linebacker MASAFUMI KAWAGUCHI recorded 3 tackles, forced a fumble and knocked down a pass last week. Has 18 stops this season. Made 5 tackles in Week 5 meeting in Berlin... Dutch kicker SILVIO DILIBERTO returned from injury last week to kick a 26-yard field goal and 1 extra point. JOE O'DONNELL (Oakland Raiders) also saw action, kicking 2 of 2 PATs and field goals of 39 and 26 yards.

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES

F.C. BARCELONA DRAGONS (5-3)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (59-49 inNFLEL, plus 2-4 postseason)Colours: Green, scarlet, yellow, white

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Vince Martino (5th season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (2nd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 59-49

MEDIA CONTACT: Scott Agulnek

Phone: 34-93-425-4949

Fax: 34-93-426-9618

Internet: www.dragons.es

LAST GAME: Lost 13-47 vs Frankfurt (5/24/03)

OFFENSE: 14.6 pts/game; 241.6 yds/game (rank 6); 116.6 rush yds/game (rank 5); 125 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Passing: Seth Burford, 843 yards

Rushing: Jeff Chaney, 278 yards

Receiving: Sean Morey, 26 rec, Kerwin Cook 354 yards

DEFENSE: 17.9 pts/game; 363.2 yds/game (rank 5); 140.5 rush yds/game (rank 5); 222.7 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Sacks: Kevin DeRonde, 4.0

Interceptions: Jason Waters, 3

· THIS WEEK: vs SCOTTISH CLAYMORES ·

Dragons looking to bounce back from pounding inflicted on them at home last week by the Frankfurt Galaxy... Head coach JACK BICKNELL says: "If we bounce back well, we'll be in World Bowl – it's as simple as that. Scotland is one of the most talented teams in the league so we need to be ready for next week."... SETH BURFORD (San Diego Chargers) has thrown 2 interceptions in the past two games after starting the season with no picks in his first six outings (see table). Threw for 114 yards and 1 touchdown during Week 5 defeat of Claymores and scrambled for team-high 63 yards ... Quarterback CHRIS FINLEN (New Orleans Saints) completed 5 of 6 passes for 33 yards last week.... Quarterback KYLE McCANN started the 2003 season in training camp with the Claymores. Completed 5 of 9 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown last week... Running back DAMEON HUNTER (Baltimore Ravens) rushed for a team-high 14 yards last week. Has scored in four of seven games played this season.... Running back JEFF CHANEY (Atlanta Falcons) is the team's leading rusher with 278 yards. Scored on a 2-yard run in first game in Scotland... Wide receiver ZEK PARKER (Arizona Cardinals) caught 1 pass for 16 yards last week and returned 3 kickoffs for 63 yards.... Receiver KERWIN COOK (New Orleans Saints) caught a team-high 5 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown last week and has 25 receptions for 354 yards and 1 touchdown on the season... Wide receiver SEAN MOREY (Philadelphia Eagles) leads the team in receptions (see table) and caught 2 passes for 58 yards in last meeting with Claymores... Mexican wide receiver MARCO MARTOS had 1 catch for 22 yards last week. Caught 9 TD passes in first three seasons of NFLEL career but none in the last four... Tight end GABE CRECION has 14 receptions for 118 yards and 1 TD on the season. Held without a catch in first game vs Scotland.... Tight end MATT CERCONE caught 1 pass for 5 yards against the Galaxy last week. Scored on a 7-yard reception in Scotland in Week 5... Defensive tackle JABARI ISSA posted 4 tackles last week... Linebacker DWAYNE LEVELS (Cincinnati Bengals) had 8 tackles last week and jointly leads team with 46 this season... Linebacker TITO RODRIGUEZ (Cincinnati Bengals) made 9 tackles last week and has 46 stops this season. Recorded 6 tackles, 1 interception and a pass defense in victory over Claymores... Defensive end JASON SHORT recorded 4

tackles and knocked down a pass last week. Has 27 stops and 2.5 sacks on the season. Made 2 tackles in first game between the teams... Defensive tackle TOBY GOLLIDAY registered 1 tackle last week. Made 5 stops and forced a fumble during win over the Claymores earlier this year... French safety SAMYR HAMOUDI is the all-time leader in interceptions among national players with 9 picks but is still waiting to make his first interception of the 2003 campaign. Recorded 6 tackles last week, taking his tally for the season to 21... Cornerback ANTUAN SIMMONS made 4 tackles last week. Recorded 4 tackles and knocked down 4 passes in first game against Claymores... Cornerback MARCUS SMITH recorded 2 tackles and a pass defense last week. Has 28 stops on the season... Cornerback JASON WATERS (Atlanta Falcons) leads the league with 3 interceptions and added 5 tackles last week... Cornerback JASON OLFORD (Jacksonville Jaguars) has recorded 33 tackles, 6 pass defenses and 1 interception after adding 2 tackles to his tally against Frankfurt last week... Safety JAMES LEWIS (Detroit Lions) recorded 5 tackles last week... Veteran national kicker and former F.C. Barcelona Dragons goalkeeper JESUS ANGOY added to his all-time leading points tally by kicking 1 PAT last week, taking his total to 326... Punter NICK MURPHY (Minnesota Vikings) leads NFL Europe with a 42.1 average on a league-high 52 punts.

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES

BERLIN THUNDER (2-6)Head Coach: Peter Vaas (18-20 inNFLEL, plus 2-0 in World Bowl)Colours: Black, green and gold

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bob Bicknell (4th season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: David Duggan (3rd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 21-27

MEDIA CONTACT: Maik Matischak

Phone: 49-30-300-644-00

Fax: 49-30-300-644-77

E-mail: maik.matischak@berlin-thunder.de

Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de

LAST GAME: Lost 21-28 at Rhein (5/25/03)

OFFENSE: 22.2 pts/game; 340.9 yds/game (rank 4); 121.5 rush yds/game (rank 4); 219.4 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Passing: Phil Stambaugh, 1,335 yds

Rushing: David Allen, 534 yds

Receiving: Elijah Thurmon, 28 rec, 320 yds

DEFENSE: 31.6 pts/game; 366.5 yds/game (rank 6); 170.7 rush yds/game (rank 6); 195.7 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Sacks: Lamanzer Williams, 8.0

Interceptions: Travis Coleman, Jeff Harris, 2

· THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS ·

Thunder travel to the Netherlands to face the Admirals knowing they are already out of the World Bowl race and playing for pride... Head coach PETER VAAS says: "The last time I checked this was still professional football. I am confident my players will prepare well and play hard against the Admirals next week and against Frankfurt the week after that. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks."... Quarterback PHIL STAMBAUGH played a whole game for the second week in a row (see table)... MIKE WATKINS continues to serve as the backup but has not seen any playing time since being reassigned from the Rhein Fire... Running back DAVID ALLEN gained 152 all-purpose yards last week and leads the Thunder in rushing (see table). Scored on a 15-yard run... Running back SEDRICK IRVIN (Miami Dolphins) rushed for 58 yards last week and has gained 580 total yards this season (339 rushing, 241 receiving). Rushed for 82 yards in previous meeting with Admirals... Wide receiver PIERRE BROWN (Detroit Lions) caught 3 passes for 44 yards last week.... Wide receiver ELIJAH THURMON (Chicago Bears), born in Heidelberg, Germany, caught 4 passes for 79 yards last week and leads team with 28 receptions for 320 yards and 4 touchdowns.... National wide receiver JOERG HECKENBACH has 13 catches for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season after adding 3 receptions for 30 yards last week. Won National Player of Week honours in previous game vs. Amsterdam after catching 3 passes for 57 yards... Receiver KIRK ROGERS (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 5 passes for 41 yards last week and has 23 receptions for 241 yards on the season... Tight end BRYAN FLETCHER (Chicago Bears) has 9 catches for 56 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season after adding a 5-yard reception last week. Scored twice against the Admirals in Week 5 victory... Tight end CHAD HAYES did not have a catch last week and has 10 for 110 yards on the season... Defensive end LAMANZER WILLIAMS (Miami Dolphins) recorded 4 tackles and 1 sack last week. Leads the league with 8 sacks, 7

coming in the last three weeks... Defensive end REGGIE GRIMES made 4 tackles last week and has 28 tackles and 3 sacks on the season. Had 2 tackles and a sack in last meeting with Admirals... Defensive end RYAN WINGROVE recorded 5 tackles and a sack last week... Defensive end TETO SIMPSON recorded 5 tackles and a sack last week and has 29 stops this season... Linebacker JAMAL WHITE (Oakland Raiders) recorded 7 tackles last week and leads the team with 41 stops this season... Linebacker CHRIS BALL made 6 tackles last week... Linebacker JOSH SYMONETTE (Miami Dolphins) recorded 10 tackles last week and has 17 in the last two games since returning from injury... Defensive back TRAVIS COLEMAN (Chicago Bears) continues to srtart at safety due to Tim Carter's absence through injury... Cornerback CALVIN COLEMAN recorded 1 tackle last week. Led team with 9 tackles in first game against Admirals... Safety CLINT FINLEY recorded 4 tackles last weekend and ranks second on the team with 40 tackles this season... German safety LELAN BRICKUS recorded 6 tackles last week and has 24 tackles on the season – most among national players... German kicker AXEL KRUSE is in his fifth season and is the Thunder's all-time leading scorer with 161 points, after kicking two extra points last week... J.R. JENKINS (Baltimore Ravens) kicked his second four-point field goal in as many weeks – from 52 yards – and also added a 45-yard kick to earn Special Teams Player of the Week honours.

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES

FRANKFURT GALAXY (5-3)Head Coach: Doug Graber (14-14 inNFLEL)Colours: Purple, orange, red and white

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dwain Painter (3rd season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bob Valesente (3rd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 57-51

MEDIA CONTACT: Joachim Haas

Phone: 49-69-978-2790

Fax: 49-69-978-279099

E-mail: joachim.haas@frankfurt-galaxy.

Internet: www.frankfurt-galaxy.de

LAST GAME: Won 47-13 at Barcelona (5/24/03)

OFFENSE: 25 pts/game; 359.4 yds/game (rank 2); 138.5 rush yds/game (rank 3); 220.9 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Passing: James Brown 1,225 yds

Rushing: Jonas Lewis, 566 yds

Receiving: Marc Lester 33 rec, Robert Baker 474 yards

DEFENSE: 18.5 pts/game; 309.4 yds/game (rank 2); 88 rush yds/game (rank 1); 221.4 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Sacks: Joey Evans, 6

Ints: Rashidi Barnes 4

· THIS WEEK: at RHEIN FIRE ·

Galaxy know that victory at Rhein Fire will earn them a World Bowl berth and head coach DOUG GRABER takes his team into the game on the back of their biggest win of the season. He says: "I would have taken any kind of win, I certainly didn't expect the kind of win we had. It was an important result for us because of the tie-breakers and the points. This league is so crazy you never what will happen.".... Quarterback JAMES BROWN continues to lead the team in passing (see table) and posted a QB rating of 73.2 while throwing for 62 yards on 8 completions last week... Quarterback QUINN GRAY (Jacksonville Jaguars) has thrown 8 touchdown passes in the last three games. Last week he completed 12 of 21 passes against Barcelona for 3 TDs and 0 interceptions and has boosted his passer rating to 87.7. Coach Graber says: "I was very happy with Quinn's performance. He gave the team a spark.".... Running back JONAS LEWIS leads the Galaxy in rushing yards (see table) and ranks third in the league... Running back ROBERT GILLESPIE (Washington Redskins) had a season-high 89 rushing yards on 15 carries last week .... Wide receiver ROBERT BAKER (Miami Dolphins) has scored four receiving touchdowns in three games (see table) after starting the year with no scores in the opening five contests. Coach Graber says: "Robert has the potential to be an NFL starter. He is a big-time player."... Wide receiver MARC LESTER (Baltimore Ravens) leads the team with 33 catches (see table)... Wide receiver BRIAN MCDONALD ranks fourth on the team with 16 receptions, including 2 for 45 against Rhein in Week 5 ... French wide receiver MARC SOUMAH had a team-high 5 catches for 47 yards last week and ranks third on the team with 17 catches. Caught 4 passes for 68 yards against Rhein this year... Tight end JOSH WHITMAN caught 2 passes for 33 yards last week... Defensive end JOEY EVANS (Seattle Seahawks) recorded his first sack since Week 3 last week and now has a team-high 6 for the season, ranking third in the league.... Cornerback KALVIN PEARSON (Cleveland Browns) led the team with 5 tackles last week... Defensive tackle BUCK

GURLEY (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) had his second sack of the season last week.... German defensive end DANIEL BENETKA had 3 tackles last week and has 15 this year.... Linebacker IDRIS PRICE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) ranks third on the team for the season with 33 tackles after 2 last week. Made 7 stops against Rhein this year... Linebacker FRED JONES recorded 2 tackles last week and leads team with 37 this season... Safety RASHIDI BARNES had his league-high fourth interception of the season last week and is second ont eh team with 35 tackles.... Cornerback CALVIN SPEARS is tied for second in the league with 3 interceptions... Veteran national kicker RALF KLEINMANN was 2 of 2 on FGs last week, from 26 and 19 yards, and 5 of 5 on PATs. He ranks second among kickers with 44 points this season and has 278 career points, fourth in NFLEL history... Kicker JON HILBERT landed FGs of 39 and 43 yards last week.

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES 0

RHEIN FIRE (5-3)Head Coach: Pete Kuharchek (17-11 in NFLEL)Colours: Burgundy, black and white

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Mike Jones (2nd season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed O'Neil (3rd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 50-37

MEDIA CONTACT: Markus Müller

Phone: 49-211-478-730

Fax: 49-211-478-7329

E-mail: markus.mueller@rhein-fire.de

Internet: www.rhein-fire.de

LAST GAME: Won 28-21 vs Berlin (5/25/03)

OFFENSE: 18.6 pts/game; 311.1 yds/game (rank 5); 147.1 rush yds/game (rank 2); 164 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Passing: Nick Rolovich 708 yards

Rushing: Autry Denson 640 yards

Receiving: Charlie Adams, 31 rec, Kendall Newson, 399 yards

DEFENSE: 17.9 pts/game; 306.7 yds/game (rank 1); 112.2 rush yds/game (rank 2); 194.5 pass yds/game (rank 2)

Sacks: Bastian Lano 6.5

Interceptions: Four players, 2

· THIS WEEK: at FRANKFURT GALAXY ·

Fire head into this week's Deutschland Derby meeting with Frankfurt knowing a win, coupled with a Barcelona victory on Saturday, will see them reach World Bowl.... Head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: "I'm very pleased with the effort of my team. They are playing hard and came through with a big victory for us last week.".... Quarterbacks NICK ROLOVICH (Denver Broncos) and CHRIS GREISEN will continue to share time (see table). Kuharchek is happy with the rotation system, as he explained: "We will stick with our swapping of quarterbacks because it has gone well this season. I'm very happy with Nick starting and Chris coming in as the closer."... Running back AUTRY DENSON (Detroit Lions) ranks second in NFLEL in rushing (see table). Had his record-equalling streak of three 100-yard rushing games halted in previous meeting with Galaxy when held to season-low 17 yards. Has not rushed for 100 yards in past four contests... Running back FRANK MOREAU gained 68 yards on 9 carries, while making his second start last week and has rushed for 362 yards on the season... Fullback MATT STANLEY (San Francisco 49ers) gained 12 yards on 4 carries last week and caught 1 pass for 9 yards... Wide receiver KENDALL NEWSON (Miami Dolphins) caught 5 passes for 81 yards and scored game-winning touchdown on 17-yard catch with 6:06 remaining last week. Had 3 catches for 55 yards against Frankfurt in Week 5... Wide receiver EMMETT JOHNSON (Seattle Seahawks) caught 2 passes for 17 yards last week and had 3 for 24 yards against Galaxy this year... Wide receiver CHARLIE ADAMS (Denver Broncos) caught 4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown last week and leads the team with 31 catches this season. Scored on a 22-yard catch in Week 5 defeat of Frankfurt.... Tight end DWAYNE BLAKLEY (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 1 pass for 6 yards last week.... Tight end CHAD MUSTARD (Cleveland Browns) had 2 catches for 34 yards against Frankfurt this year. Caught a two-point conversion pass last week... Defensive tackle JOSH MCKIBBEN (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has 21 tackles and 2.5 sacks this season after

adding 2 tackles last week... German defensive lineman BASTIAN LANO leads the team with 6.5 sacks after adding 2 sacks last week. Is 1.5 sacks behind league leader Lamanzer Williams, of Berlin, who has 8 sacks. Lano could become the first national player in league history to end the season as leader of a major statistical category... Defensive end DERRICK HAM recorded 2 tackles last weekend. Has 12 career sacks,

0.5 behind the club record of 12.5 held by Dunstan Anderson... Defensive tackle JESSE WARREN posted 2 tackles, 1 sack and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, earning Defensive Player of the Week honours.... Linebacker JASON JOHNSON posted 7 tackles last week... Linebacker JAMEL SMITH made 6 tackles last week and has 47 on the season, ranking fourth on the Fire... Linebacker CHARLES BURTON (Arizona Cardinals) recorded a team-high 9 tackles and 1 sack last week and leads team with 58. Earned Defensive Player of the Week award in previous meeting with Galaxy after recording 10 tackles and 3 sacks.... Strong safety ABDUAL HOWARD (Jacksonville Jaguars) recorded 7 tackles last week. Recorded 8 tackles and an interception against Frankfurt in Week 5.... Cornerback TONY LUKINS (Oakland Raiders) knocked down 1 pass and made 8 tackles last week. Intercepted a pass in first meeting between the teams.... Veteran safety GREG BROWN recorded 8 tackles and an interception last week... INGO ANDERBRÜGGE has yet to miss a FG attempt in his short NFLEL career (6 of 6), after notching 19 and 25-yard field goals last week. Also added 2 PATs for a total of 8 points.

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES 1

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (4-4)Head Coach: GeneDahlquist (13-15 in NFLEL)Colours: Navy, white and silver

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ken Margerum (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ray Woodard (3rd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 39-49

MEDIA CONTACT: Gary Ralston

Phone: 44-141-222-3801

Fax: 44-141-222-3828

E-mail: gralston@claymores.co.uk

Internet: www.claymores.co.uk

LAST GAME: Won 31-20 at Amsterdam (5/24/03)

OFFENSE: 28.4 pts/game; 410.6 yds/game (rank 1); 160.25 rush yds/game(rank 1); 250.4 pass yds/game (rank 2)

Passing: Craig Nall 1,696 yds

Rushing: Ken Simonton 664 yds

Receiving: Ken Simonton 29 rec, Edell Shepherd 426 yds

DEFENSE: 21.1 pts/game; 343.4 yds/game (rank 4); 116.4 rush yds/game (rank 3); 227 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Sacks: Michael Landry 5.5

Interceptions: Robbie Robinson, Deveron Harper, 2

· THIS WEEK: at F.C. BARCELONA DRAGONS ·

Claymores travel to Spain still in the World Bowl hunt following last week's victory in Amsterdam.... Head coach GENE DAHLQUIST says: "Our dream is still alive. I thought we put in a heck of an effort in Amsterdam and it was a special day for us because we got our second win in a row."... Quarterback CRAIG NALL (Green Bay Packers) leads the league in touchdowns passes (see table) and earned Offensive Player of the Week honours after becoming first Claymores quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game since Dameyune Craig in 1999. Threw 2 interceptions in previous meeting with Dragons. Has a league-high 90.6 passer rating this season.... Quarterback SHANE STAFFORD (New England Patriots) did not see playing time at quarterback last week and has 4 TDs and 6 interceptions on the season.... Running back KEN SIMONTON (Buffalo Bills) continues to challenge for the NFLEL rushing title, and is currently leading the league (see table). Has 935 yards from scrimmage(664 rushing, 271 receiving) and is chasing single season record of 1,268 set by Barcelona's Lawrence Phillips in 1999. Named Player of the Week following Week 5 meeting with Dragons, when he gained 271 all-purpose yards... Running back MAURICE HICKS (Chicago Bears) ranks fifth in the league with 481 yards rushing after gaining 33 on 4 carries last week.... Claymores on pace to finish with 1,602 rushing yards, just outside the league record of 1,686 by Rhein in 1999.... Fullback MIKE MALAN (New England Patriots) caught 3 passes for 41 yards and 2 touchdowns last week... English wide receiver SCOTT McCREADY (New England Patriots) caught 2 passes for 17 yards last week and, with 327 yards, has already surpassed his yardage total for 2002. Was held without a catch in first game vs Barcelona... Wide receiver EDELL SHEPHERD (Chicago Bears) leads the team in receiving yardage with 426 after gaining 71 yards on 3 receptions last week... Wide receiver JOHN MINARDI (Houston Texans) grabbed 4 receptions for 49 yards last week and has 22 catches for 349 yards and

3 touchdowns this season.... Veteran Scottish wide receiver SCOTT COUPER was held without a catch last week and still needs one more grab to become the seventh player in league history to record 100 catches in his career. Scored his only touchdown of this season against Dragons... Wide receiver ANTHONY BRIGHT (Houston Texans) has caught only 11 passes this season but three have been for TDs... Tight end RODNEY TRAFFORD (New England Patriots check) caught 5 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown last week... English defensive end ROBERT FLICKINGER knocked down a pass last week and has 14 tackles for the season.... Defensive end RADELL LOCKHART ranks third on the team with 3 sacks... Defensive end T.J. BINGHAM (Kansas City Chiefs) ranks second on team with 4 sacks and notched 1 tackle last week. Recorded sack against Dragons in Scotland... Defensive tackle DEVONTE PETERSON has 22 tackles this year... Defensive end MICHAEL LANDRY (Kansas City Chiefs) leads the team with 5.5 sacks after adding 2 sacks among 5 tackles last week... Linebacker DARNELL ROBINSON recorded 6 tackles last week for 39 on the season... Linebacker YUBRENAL ISABELLE recorded 2 tackles last week for a team-high 39... English defensive back ROWELLE BLENMAN played his league record 83rd regular season game last week. He holds the NFLEL record with 55 special teams tackles (7 this season)... Cornerback DYSHOD CARTER (New England Patriots) led Claymores with 6 tackles and an interception last week... Cornerback DEVERON HARPER made 6 tackles last week and added an interception.... Safety ROBBIE ROBINSON (St Louis Rams) had 5 tackles last week... English kicker ROB HART leads all kickers with 48 points this year after making a 27-yard FG and 4 PATs last week. Became third player in NFLEL history to score 300 points (301) and needs four more points to overtake former Rhein kicker Manfred Burgsmüller (304) on the all-time scoring list.

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS 2

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (4-4) at

F.C. BARCELONA DRAGONS (5-3)

Mini-Estadi, Saturday May 31, 5:30 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Barcelona leads 11-6

At Barcelona: Barcelona leads 7-1

At Scotland: Scotland leads 5-4

Streak: Barcelona 1

This season: F.C. Barcelona 17 at Scotland 10 (Week 5)

TELEVISION

United Kingdom: DELAY/Sky Sports Extra (6:00 p.m. BST)

US: DELAY/Fox Sports Net (1:00 p.m. ET)

Play-by-play announcer RICH WALTZ is joined in the booth by former NFL defensive end SEAN JONES.

Spain: HIGHLIGHTS/TV3 (Sunday p.m.)

COACHES

JACK BICKNELL is in his 11th season in charge of the Dragons and has more career wins (59) than any other coach in league history. Is bidding to guide his team to a record fifth World Bowl appearance. Claymores head coach GENE DAHLQUIST is in his third season in NFLEL. Guided Scotland to first ever victory in Barcelona last year.

GAME NOTES

Dragons victory will eliminate the Claymores from World Bowl contention... Claymores face the Dragons having won back-to-back games for the first time since Weeks 6 and 7 of the 2002 campaign. Need to win by more than seven points to take the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Dragons, which could become a factor in the World Bowl race... Scotland's top-ranked offense takes on Barcelona's fifth-ranked defense. Despite low defensive ranking, Dragons jointly lead the league in fewest points allowed, having given up just 143 points this season... Claymores have scored 30 points or more in four of their eight games this year, while the Dragons have averaged 14.6 points per game and have only scored more than 30 in one contest, when they racked up 35 against Amsterdam in Week 3... Claymores have won just once in eight previous trips to the Catalan city of Barcelona, with that victory coming in Week 10 of the 2002 campaign. QB JAMES BROWN spurred the Claymores to victory on that occasion by throwing for 274 yards and 1 touchdown, while RB HERBERT GOODMAN rushed for 72 yards and scored twice... Teams have already met once this season in Week 5 with Barcelona emerging as 17-10 winners at a rainy Hampden Park in Scotland. Tight end MATT CERCONE and RB JEFF CHANEY scored touchdowns for the Dragons, while Claymores RB KEN SIMONTON earned plaudits by racking up 271 all-purpose yards (108 rushing, 97 receiving, 66 on returns)... Game could be determined by each team's success in the red zone. Dragons have league's best offense inside the 20-yard line, scoring 93.3 percent of the time (12 touchdowns and 2 field goals from 15 visits into the red zone). Claymores have second-best red zone defense in the league, allowing teams to score 69.6 percent of the time (12 touchdowns and 4 field goals from 23 trips)... Dragons head into the game glad to see the back of the Frankfurt Galaxy at the Mini-Estadi. Barcelona has played five games at their new stadium, dating back to last year's home opener vs. Frankfurt. In games against the Galaxy in Mini-Estadi, the Dragons are 0-2, losing by a combined score of 101-27. In their other three contests at the Nou Camp complex, the Dragons have a 2-1 record... Dragons rank last in NFLEL in average time of possession (26:48 per game), while Claymores rank fourth with average of 29:41 per game... Dragons have traditionally fared well in odd-numbered years, reaching World Bowls in 1991, 1997, 1999 and 2001.

BERLIN THUNDER (2-6) at

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (3-5)

Amsterdam ArenA, Saturday May 31, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Berlin leads 6-3

At Amsterdam: Series tied 2-2

At Berlin: Berlin leads 4-1

Streak: Berlin 2

This season: Amsterdam 30 at Berlin 34 (Week 5)

TELEVISION

Germany: LIVE/DSF (7:45 p.m. CET)

Netherlands: HIGHLIGHTS/NOS Studio Sport (Sunday p.m.);

SBS6 (Sunday 1:00 p.m.)

US: LIVE/DirecTV (1:00 p.m. ET)

Joining play-by-play announcer MATT SHEPHARD in the booth is former Seattle Seahawks defensive back CURTIS BAHAM.

COACHES

BART ANDRUS is in his third season as Admirals coach and needs victories in the final two games of the year to avoid a third straight losing campaign. PETER VAAS is the reigning NFLEL Coach of the Year and winner of the past two World Bowls. Has a career record of 18-20.

GAME NOTES

Meeting between the first two teams to be eliminated from the race to reach World Bowl XI in Glasgow, Scotland, this season... Both teams still have plenty to play for aside from personal pride. Admirals need wins in final two games to avoid a league record-tying fifth losing season in a row (London/England Monarchs 1992 & 1995-98). Berlin needs one more win to avoid posting the worst record of any previous defending champion (London Monarchs went 2-7-1 in 1992)... Turnovers could play a key role in this game. Berlin has turned the ball over more times than any other team in the league (19 turnovers in eight games), while the Admirals rank second in NFLEL with a +4 turnover ratio (11 takeaways against 7 giveaways)... After winning two games in a row, Berlin's World Bowl challenge was halted by losses to Barcelona and Rhein, with both those contests being decided by one score or less... Thunder has given up a league-high 31 sacks this season and face an Admirals team that ranks second in NFLEL with 22 sacks this term... Admirals appear to have lost their once-renowned homefield advantage. Prior to the 2002 season, the Admirals had lost just six times in the Amsterdam ArenA dating back to 1997. In the past nine games at home, the Admirals have lost six times and have a 1-3 record on home turf this season... Berlin has won last two meetings between the teams, gaining first wins of the 2002 and 2003 seasons against the Admirals. In Week 5 meeting this year, the Thunder recorded a 34-30 victory in Berlin as quarterbacks PHIL STAMBAUGH and HENRY BURRIS each threw 2 touchdown passes. On the receiving end of those touchdown strikes were tight ends BRYAN FLETCHER (twice) and RYAN PRINCE, and WR ELIJAH THURMON... The Admirals have NFL Europe's top-ranked passing attack (266.7 yards per game) but their ground game is the league's poorest, averaging just 79.9 yards per contest. Thunder has NFL Europe's most generous run defense, giving up 170.7 yards per game on the ground... By missing out on a trip to Glasgow next month, the Admirals are destined to go another year as the only current NFLEL team never to win World Bowl.

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / RECAP OF WEEK 8 3

RHEIN FIRE (5-3) at

FRANKFURT GALAXY (5-3)

Waldstadion, Sunday, June 1, 4:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Rhein leads 13-4 (plus 1-0 in postseason)

At Frankfurt: Rhein leads 7-1

At Rhein: Rhein leads 6-3

Streak: Rhein 7

This season: Frankfurt 7 at Rhein 14 (Week 5)

TELEVISION

Germany: LIVE/Premiere (4:00 p.m. CET)

US: DELAY/FOX (1:00 p.m. ET)

FOX network continues coverage of 2003 season with play-by-play announcer CURT MENEFEE being joined in the booth by former NFL offensive lineman and current FOX NFL Sunday analyst BRIAN BALDINGER.

COACHES

PETE KUHARCHEK is aiming for a third World Bowl ring this season and his first as a head coach. Took Rhein to World Bowl in 2002 but lost to Berlin. DOUG GRABER is in his third year with the Galaxy and is still looking for his first win against Frankfurt's German rivals (0-5).

GAME NOTES

Frankfurt can book a berth in World Bowl XI by ending a seven-game losing streak against their Deutschland Derby rivals and winning Sunday's contest at the Waldstadion. Rhein can become the first team to reach World Bowl if the F.C. Barcelona Dragons defeat the Scottish Claymores on Saturday and the Fire defeats the Galaxy a day later... Frankfurt's last victory against the Fire came in Week 7 of the 1999 season... Deutschland Derby games are traditionally well-attended games and a sellout crowd is expected at the Waldstadion this week. Ten of the past 12 games, including World Bowl '98, have been played in front of crowds of 40,000-plus... In this game last year, Rhein Fire booked a place in World Bowl by recording a 3-0 victory over the Galaxy in front of a league record crowd of 58,572. German kicker MANFRED BURGSMÛLLER provided the only points of the game with a 21-yard field goal... In first game between the teams this season – played before 42,324 fans in Gelsenkirchen – Fire emerged as 14-7 winners, scoring on field goals of 27 and 53 yards by INGO ANDERBRÛGGE and TODD FRANCE, and on a 22-yard touchdown pass from CHRIS GREISEN to CHARLIE ADAMS... Fire head into Frankfurt boasting NFLEL's top-ranked defense and that unit could be on the field for a long time as the Galaxy leads NFL Europe in average time of possession (33:34 per game) and has shown penchant for keeping drives alive with a league-high third down conversion rate (49.2 percent)... Both teams like to run the ball. Frankfurt has a league-high 263 rushing attempts this season, while Rhein ranks second with 242 rushes... Opponents have found it tough to score on the Fire inside the 20-yard line this season and Rhein has top-ranked red zone defense (allowing opponents to score 65.2 percent of the time on 23 visits). Frankfurt has worst red zone attack, scoring on 71.4 percent of 35 visits.

· WEEK EIGHT RECAP ·

Frankfurt Galaxy 47, F.C. Barcelona Dragons 13

Mini-Estadi, Barcelona. Attendance: 7,597

Quinn Gray (Fra) 194 passing yards, 3 TD

Robert Baker (Fra) 4 receptions for 66 yards, 2 TD

Scottish Claymores 31, Amsterdam Admirals 20

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Attendance: 11,259

Craig Nall (Sco) 313 passing yards, 3 TD

Shaun Hill (Ams) 313 passing yards, 2 TD

Berlin Thunder 21, Rhein Fire 28

Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen. Attendance: 27,895

Kendall Newson (Rhe) 5 receptions for 81 yards, 1 TD

David Allen (Ber) 152 all-purpose yards, 1 TD

• Discuss this story on the National Football League Europa message board...

National Football League Europa Stories from May 27, 2003

• F.C. Barcelona Dragons Game Notes - F.C. Barcelona Dragons
• Fire travel to rival Frankfurt for Deutchland Derby with much at stake - Rhein Fire
• Frankfurt Galaxy Game Notes - Frankfurt Galaxy
• Four Contenders Remain in Bowl Hunt - NFLE
• Nall's 300-Yard Day Earns Award - NFLE

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