Galaxy Hosts Champions

April 15, 2003 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release

After the first two weeks of the new campaign, just one team remains unbeaten and one team is winless. The other four clubs are neck and neck with 1-1 records.

Having opened the season with two straight losses, the defending champion Berlin Thunder will be hungry for a win as they face the undefeated Frankfurt Galaxy at the Waldstadion on Saturday April 26.

Teams with 1-1 records meet in Germany and Spain on Saturday as the F.C. Barcelona Dragons play host to the Amsterdam Admirals, and the Scottish Claymores visit the Rhein Fire.

The Admirals will be keen to exact revenge on the Dragons after suffering a home defeat at the hands of Jack Bicknell's club last weekend.

The Fire will be confident following last week's victory in Berlin, while the Claymores saw their free-scoring offense slowed during a loss to the Galaxy in Scotland.

When the Week 3 action begins, the Thunder will go in search of their first win against a confident Frankfurt team led by a tough defense that held the Scottish Claymores to just 13 points in Week 2.

Despite seeing his team start 0-2 for the second year in a row, Thunder head coach PETER VAAS is not reaching for the panic button.

Vaas says: "We need to learn how to win. You are not a team until you go through some things – that's what we need to do."

Galaxy head coach DOUG GRABER was pleased with his team's performance in Scotland, as he explained: "I'm thrilled that we somehow found a way to win the game in Scotland. Offensively, we knew how good they were and we knew we had to play way over our heads to hang in there with them. Defensively, we did that. But as I told our team, we can't get too excited as we have a tough game coming up against Berlin."

Seven days after their Week 2 meeting, the Admirals (1-1) and Dragons (1-1) will go head to head in Barcelona.

Dragons head coach JACK BICKNELL believes he and his coaching staff face a challenge this week as they prepare to face the same opposition for the second game in a row.

Bicknell says: "The problem next week is that both teams will have game tape from last week and we will both run 75 percent of our plays from this game. It is that other 25 percent that will be big in this upcoming game. It's the new things you find and how well you run them that will be critical."

Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS wants more consistency and fewer mistakes from his team as they travel south to meet the Dragons.

Andrus says: "Every time we got something going last week we would have a penalty. We made mistakes at critical times that took us off the field and we have to quit doing that.

"Next week is a different week and we will take advantage of some things they did this week. We are fairly healthy but we just need to be more consistent by looking at the mistakes we made in this game and correcting them."

After seeing his Fire record a crucial road victory over the Thunder last week, Rhein head coach PETE KUHARCHEK said: "We played considerably better than in Week 1 and our quarterbacks showed signs of definite improvement. When we needed to make plays on offense and defense, we made them."

Scottish Claymores head coach GENE DAHLQUIST is charged with picking his team up for the trip to Rhein following last week's loss.

Dahlquist says: "One positive is the way we stuck together as a team last week and we will move on."

Dragons head home to begin first full season in Mini-Estadi

AFTER opening the 2003 campaign with two games on the road, the F.C. Barcelona Dragons make a welcome return to Catalunya in Week 3 as they play host to the Amsterdam Admirals.

Saturday's contest marks the beginning of the Dragons' first full season in the Mini-Estadi, which is part of F.C. Barcelona's renowned Nou Camp complex.

After 10 seasons at the Estadi Olimpic De Montjuic, the Dragons move to their new home as part of their groundbreaking alliance with the world-famous F.C. Barcelona soccer club.

The Dragons played one game at the Mini-Estadi in 2002, falling to a 54-14 defeat at the hands of the Frankfurt Galaxy. Despite suffering such a heavy loss, the inaugural game at the Mini-Estadi was hailed a huge success as 11,722 fans packed into the 15,000-seat stadium.

Head coach JACK BICKNELL says: "I'm looking forward to us making our debut at the Mini-Estadi. I've not seen it yet this year but I'm sure the field will be in great shape as always. It should be a much better atmosphere because if we get 15,000 fans in there we will fill it up.

"There was a good atmosphere in the stadium last year but we got hammered by Frankfurt. I hope to have better memories there this year." Dragons general manager RAFA CERVERA is also excited about his club's permanent move to the Mini-Estadi.

He says: "We feel the Mini-Estadi will provide us with a better place to play football and in a better atmosphere. In the game we played there last year, people really got into it and that's going to be better for the team and give us some homefield advantage like Rhein and Frankfurt enjoy in this league."

"This move also strengthens our association with F.C. Barcelona – the greatest sporting club in Europe. Playing five games in one of their stadiums shows we are really together with the club and a part of their sporting establishment."

NFLEL FACT: Close encounters

THE 2003 NFL Europe League season looks set to offer many exciting finishes in the weeks and months ahead. Close games have long been a trademark of the league and already four of the six contests played to date have been decided by four points or fewer. Of those four games, all have been decided inside the final two minutes of the match.

We've been here before: this week's NFLEL history lesson

HOW ironic that Week Three's battle between the league's only unbeaten team and the last remaining club to record a victory should bring the Frankfurt Galaxy up against the Berlin Thunder.

Haven't we been here before?

In fact, it was only last year that the Galaxy started the season by winning their first two games – just as they have this season – but missed out on a World Bowl berth. Meanwhile, the Thunder recovered from an 0-2 start (although not before they had fallen to 0-3) to qualify for, and win, the championship game.

Thunder head coach PETER VAAS, whose team also won World Bowl in 2001 after a losing start to the season, is certainly not about to panic.

"You need to learn how to win," he says. "You are not a team until you go through some things - that's what we need to do. We played better on defense this week and not as well on offense. You have to balance the two and you learn how to win."

Meanwhile, Galaxy head coach DOUG GRABER heads into Saturday's game against the Thunder saying: "I told our team not to get too excited. We started off 4-0 last year and didn't get anything done with our season. A lot of things can happen and we are simply off to a good start – no more, no less.

"The team that improves the most during the course of the season is usually the team that wins World Bowl. We are just taking it game-by-game, week-by-week. We have a tough test coming up this week."

The facts back up Graber's caution about not reading too much into the standings after two weeks of the season:

Since the league re-formed in 1995, 12 previous teams have won their opening two games, with only three of them (Scottish Claymores 1996, Barcelona Dragons 1997, Rhein Fire 1998) going on to win World Bowl. Four World Bowls in that time have been won by teams that started out 1-1 and one (Berlin last year) winning after an 0-2 start. Of the 12 previous 2-0 teams, seven have qualified for World Bowl, but three have failed even to post a winning season.

Last year, the Amsterdam Admirals got off to their first 2-0 start since 1995, but then lost six straight games and posted a 4-6 record. The Galaxy extended their unbeaten start to 4-0 last year, before losing four of their last six games and losing out to the 6-4 Thunder in a tiebreaker to determine which team advanced to World Bowl.

Berlin's 0-2 start makes them the third World Bowl champion in NFLEL history to start the defence of their title by losing the first two games. On both previous occasions (Rhein 1999 and Berlin 2002), the champions rallied to post a winning season. They are the only teams in league history ever to post a winning season after beginning the year 0-2.

NFLEL FACT: League of their own

WITH the Frankfurt Galaxy being the only team to post a 2-0 start to the season, the NFLEL has not had a matchup of teams with 2-0 records since the Orlando Thunder and the London Monarchs met at Wembley Stadium in Week 3 of the league's inaugural season of 1991.

NFLEL coaches seeing double at the quarterback position

THE 2003 NFL Europe League season may only be two weeks old, but a familiar pattern is beginning to emerge as coaches around Europe are allowing their two quarterbacks to split playing time in games.

In the opening weeks of the season, each team has used at least two quarterbacks and a total of 13 passers – including nine allocated from the NFL – have gained valuable game experience in Europe. Amsterdam Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS has started both games with SHAUN HILL, of the Minnesota Vikings, at the helm but hands the offense to DAVID RIVERS, of the Atlanta Falcons, in the second quarter.

Andrus says: "When I was at the Rhein Fire we had a great quarterback in Danny Wuerffel but we played Matt Lytle in the second quarter of every game. It gives the starter a chance to view what is going on from the sidelines and then go back into the game with that knowledge. We are fortunate to have two good quarterbacks."

Scottish Claymores head coach GENE DAHLQUIST has followed a similar pattern to Andrus, starting with CRAIG NALL (Green Bay Packers) and going to SHANE STAFFORD (New England Patriots) in the second period. He hopes to stick to that plan throughout the season.

Dahlquist says: "I would like to be able to keep playing two quarterbacks if we can – both these men deserve a chance to play and hopefully we can provide them with that."

The Berlin Thunder have split the playing time equally between HENRY BURRIS (Chicago Bears) and free agent PHIL STAMBAUGH.

Thunder head coach PETER VAAS says: "I don't make the decision as to who is going to play – the quarterbacks do that for me. Both Henry and Phil have been excellent throughout training camp and have done a good job. Until one separates himself from the other, we will continue to play both of them."

Dragons head coach JACK BICKNELL is a regular user of two quarterbacks and has SETH BURFORD (San Diego Chargers) and CHRIS FINLEN (New Orleans Saints) sharing time under center. He also played KYLE McCANN against Amsterdam in Week 2. Bicknell says: "Seth is our starter but I will switch it around during games and find the guy with the hot hand. I will not hesitate to use all of our quarterbacks."

Frankfurt Galaxy head coach DOUG GRABER has used QUINN GRAY (Jacksonville Jaguars) and free agent JAMES BROWN in both wins this year, while NICK ROLOVICH (Denver Broncos) and CHRIS GREISEN have split playing time for the Rhein Fire. Claymores look forward to tackling Fire in new venue

SCOTTISH Claymores have yet to experience the stunning Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, but they are very happy to see the Rhein Fire in a new home.

The Claymores traditionally struggled in Düsseldorf's Rheinstadion and lost their last five games against the Fire at that venue - their last win coming in 1997.

Scotland may have opened the season with offensive fireworks against Berlin but they were kept in check by Frankfurt last week and face a stern test in Week 3 if they are to overcome Pete Kuharchek's defense and years of offensive struggles on the road against the Fire.

In five consecutive losses away from home against the Fire from 1998-2002, the Claymores scored just 39 points and 3 offensive touchdowns.

Claymores in last five road losses vs. Rhein Fire

· Scored 39 points (7.8 points per game)
· Never scored more than 10 points in a game
· Twice been held without offensive touchdown
· Scored 3 offensive touchdowns
· Thrown 12 interceptions
· Given up 7 sacks

Claymores head coach GENE DAHLQUIST says: "Rhein has always been a very formidable opponent and they play good defense.

"Defensively, they make you earn what you get and it is hard to get a big play against them. They force you to earn your way down the field. Historically, they are one of the top defensive teams in the league.

"One of the keys to the game will be turnovers. We turned the ball over four times last week and lost – no team is good enough to win with a 4-1 turnover ratio."

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK feels the Claymores have the offensive firepower to test his defense in Germany this weekend.

He says: "We are going to have to play a lot better than we did against Berlin if we are to beat the Claymores because they are a good football team, but I'm pleased with the improvements we are making."

Rosado heads for familiar surroundings in Week 3.

MEXICAN wide receiver CARLOS ROSADO could well be called into action as a tour guide this week as he and his Amsterdam Admirals teammates head south to take on the F.C. Barcelona Dragons. Rosado is in his first season with the Admirals after playing five years for the Dragons from 1998-2002. During that time with the Dragons, Rosado caught 23 passes for 302 yards but never found the end zone.

He played against his old team for the first time last week and caught 2 passes for 25 yards at the Amsterdam ArenA. However, it was the Dragons who came away with a much-needed victory. Rosado says: "It was weird because it was the first time I had faced the Dragons in a real game. I've gone up against the defense in practice many times but of course, never in a game. I feel good because I am playing with another team in another system and that is a good challenge for me. "It is a big challenge, not for me but for the team, to win when we go to Barcelona because of this week's loss. I'm excited to go back to Spain and to see the Dragons fans and we are going there to win."

Record crowd sees Thunder make Olympic Stadium debut

A RECORD crowd of 16,312 was on hand at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Sunday as the Thunder made their debut in the famous arena. It marks the second week in a row the NFL Europe League has been celebrating an attendance record. A total of 66,413 fans flocked to Week 1 games – a record combined attendance for opening weekend. In Berlin, the previous record was set in Week 10 of the 2002 regular season when the Thunder played host to the Frankfurt Galaxy in a World Bowl decider in front of 12,397 fans at the Jahnstadion. After seeing his team fall to a 21-10 loss against the Rhein Fire, Berlin Thunder head coach PETER VAAS said: "I'm very disappointed we didn't play better in front of a great crowd. I feel responsible for entertaining those people. It was a very positive crowd, so it was disappointing that we did not play better."

NFLEL FACT: Week of the wideout

A TOTAL of 10 touchdowns were scored in Week 2 with half of them (5) coming from wide receivers. Running backs accounted for 4 touchdowns with 1 score coming from a tight end. NFLEL FACT: Road trip joy

ALL three road teams proved victorious in Week 2 as F.C. Barcelona, Frankfurt and Rhein came up with crucial wins away from the comfort of home. The last time all three road teams won on the same weekend was in Week 8 of the 2000 season when Barcelona beat the Thunder 22-9 in Berlin, Scotland thrashed the Admirals 42-10 in Amsterdam and Rhein recorded a 53-14 victory over the Galaxy in Frankfurt. Four of the six games this season have been won by the road team, with the only home wins coming from Scotland and Frankfurt in Week 1.

NFLEL FACT: Another quick start

IN their first two games of the 2003 season, the Scottish Claymores have scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the contest. Week 1's first drive against the Berlin Thunder culminated with running back KEN SIMONTON finding the end zone from 11 yards out. Week 2 saw the Claymores begin against the Frankfurt Galaxy with a 9-play, 85-yard drive that culminated in a 22-yard touchdown pass from CRAIG NALL to ANTHONY BRIGHT. The Claymores are the only team to have achieved this feat in both weeks of the 2003 season.

NFLEL FACT: Flag-happy Galaxy

THE Frankfurt Galaxy made life difficult for themselves in Sunday's victory over the Scottish Claymores as they were flagged for a league record 18 penalties, surpassing the unwanted single-game mark of 17 set by the Amsterdam Admirals vs. Frankfurt in 1999 (4/24/99). The Claymores were penalised 9 times, meaning the two teams combined to break the league record for most penalties in a game with 27. The previous mark of 26 was set in three games, all featuring the Admirals (vs. Barcelona in 1997, Barcelona in 1996 and Berlin in 2000.

NFLEL FACT: Sack Attack

AFTER recording just 18 sacks in the entire 2002 campaign, the Rhein Fire defense has made a flying start in 2003, notching a league-leading 9 quarterback takedowns. At that pace, the Fire would end the season with 45 sacks, which would be good for second place in the all-time records behind the 1991 London Monarchs (54). By contrast, the Berlin Thunder have yet to record a sack this season.

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (1-1)
Head Coach: Bart Andrus (9-13 in NFLEL)
Colours: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jeff Lewis (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Larry Owens (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 43-39

LAST GAME: Lost 10-7 vs. F.C. Barcelona (4/12/03)
OFFENSE: 12 pts/game; 260.5 yds/game (rank 5); 90.5 yds rush/game (rank 6); 170 yds pass/game (rank 4)
Passing: Shaun Hill 227 yds
Rushing: Raymonn Adams 85 yards
Receiving: Kirk McMullen 9 recs, Matthew Hatchette 76 yds
DEFENSE: 12.5 pts/game; 216 yds/game (rank 1); 122.5 rush yds/game (rank 5); 93.5 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Dwan Epps , Josh Hotchkiss, 2
Interceptions: Jordan Younger, Jason Waters, 1

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

Admirals go back on the road after losing fourth game out of last five at the Amsterdam ArenA... After falling to the Dragons, head coach BART ANDRUS says: "We made mistakes at critical times that took us off the field. Our biggest problem right now is us, not what other teams are doing to us."... Quarterback SHAUN HILL (Minnesota Vikings) completed 9 of 21 passes for 99 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception last week... Quarterback DAVID RIVERS (Atlanta Falcons) played the second quarter vs. Barcelona and completed 11 of 14 passes for 94 yards... Running back JOHNATHAN REESE (New York Jets) rushed 3 times for 11 yards in Week 2 and caught 1 pass for 7 yards... Running back RAYMONN ADAMS (New York Jets) leads the Admirals with 85 rushing yards and gained 69 yards on 17 carries last week. Also led team in Week 2 with 8 catches for 56 yards.... Receiver JUSTIN SKAGGS (Washington Redskins) caught a 25-yard touchdown pass vs. Dragons last week and returned 1 kickoff for 22 yards... Free agent receiver MATTHEW HATCHETTE caught 3 passes for 23 yards last week and has 7 receptions for 76 yards on the season.... Tight end KIRK McMULLEN (Carolina Panthers) caught 2 passes for 25 yards last week and has 9 catches for 72 yards this year... Mexican wide receiver CARLOS ROSADO plays against his old team for the second week in a row. Caught 2 passes for 25 yards last week and has 3 receptions for 44 yards on the season.... Receiver TRAVIS WILLIAMS (Green Bay Packers) caught 2 passes for 27 yards last week.... Defensive end JONATHAN BROWN was named NFLEL Co-Defensive MVP in 2000 when he led the league with 10 sacks as a member of the Berlin Thunder but was held without a sack in two games against the Dragons, posting a total of 5 tackles. Added to his total against the Dragons last week when he recorded 5 tackles... For the second week in a row, safety THAN MERRILL plays against the team for whom he ranked second with 50 tackles in 2002. Made 3 tackles against his old team last

week... Defensive end SCOTT POSPISIL recorded 1 sack for 8 yards last week and now has 3 career sacks in games against the Dragons..... Linebacker LOUIS GREEN (Denver Broncos) posted a team-leading 7 tackles last week and has 11 for the season. Also knocked down 2 passes last weekend.... Linebacker JOSH HOTCHKISS (New York Giants) made 4 tackles last week and recorded his first 2 sacks in Admirals uniform.... Linebacker DWAN EPPS, an All-NFLEL selection in 2001 – heads to Barcelona having recorded sacks in each of the opening two weeks of the season. Recorded 2 tackles and 1 sack last week... Linebacker MAWUKO TUGBENYOH recorded 2 tackles last week.... Japanese linebacker MASAFUMI KAWAGUCHI is in his seventh season with the Admirals and ranked second on the team with 5 tackles last week, taking his career total to 125 tackles and 23 special teams tackles ... Kick return specialist JORDAN YOUNGER, a two-time All-NFLEL selection with the Fire, returned 2 kickoffs for 27 yards and 4 punts for 36 yards last week. Made biggest impact on defense where he recorded 3 tackles, 1 interception and 2 pass defenses... Dutch kicker SILVIO DILIBERTO has kicked a league record 19 field goals in a row, having not missed a since Week 8 of 1999. Scored one point last week.... Returning kicker JOE O'DONNELL (Oakland Raiders) kicked the first 4-point FG in team history in Week 1 when he connected from 50 yards but missed a 4-point effort from 51 yards last week vs. Dragons.

F.C. BARCELONA DRAGONS (1-1)
Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (55-47 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: 55-47

LAST GAME: Won 10-7 at Amsterdam (4/12/03)
OFFENSE: 11.5 pts/game; 197 yds/game (rank 6); 113.0 rush yds/game (rank 3); 84 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Seth Burford, 91 yards
Rushing: Seth Burford, 73 yards
Receiving: Kerwin Cook, 8 rec, 82 yds
DEFENSE: 11 pts/game; 285.5 yds/game (rank 4); 100.0 rush yds/game (rank 3); 185.5 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Merceda Perry, Kevin DeRonde, 2.0
Interceptions: Kenny Harney, Antuan Simmons, 1

· THIS WEEK: vs. AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS ·

Dragons kick off home schedule on back of morale-boosting win in Amsterdam... Head coach JACK BICKNELL was happy to get a victory in the Netherlands but wants more balance from his team, as he explained: "I thought we made a lot of plays on defense but we have to play better on offense. When we get our offense on track we will be a good football team."... SETH BURFORD (San Diego Chargers) completed 9 of 18 passes for 53 yards in Week 2 and led Dragons in rushing for the second week in a row with 34 rushing yards on 5 carries... Free agent KYLE McCANN completed 6 of 13 attempts for 80 yards and led the Dragons on a game-winning drive last week... Running back DAMEON HUNTER (Baltimore Ravens) rushed for 18 yards on 6 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run. Also caught 4 passes for 35 yards ... Running back JEFF CHANEY (Atlanta Falcons) rushed for 30 yards on 9 carries with a long of 10 yards last week... Wide receiver ZEK PARKER (Arizona Cardinals) did not catch a pass last week but ran for 12 yards on an end-around and returned 2 kickoffs for 47 yards... Receiver KERWIN COOK (New Orleans Saints) caught 5 passes for 60 yards last week and leads Dragons with 8 receptions for 82 yards on the season... Wide receiver SEAN MOREY (Philadelphia Eagles) has played five career games vs. Amsterdam, as receiver in 2000, a cornerback in 2001 and as a receiver last week. Has caught 8 passes for 81 yards and added 8 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pass defense on the other side of the ball. Caught 3 passes for 15 yards last week... Tight end GABE CRECION caught 2 passes for 14 yards vs. Admirals last week... Guard TROY ANDREW (Miami Dolphins) played in eight games for the Dolphins in 2001 and made second straight start last week... Tackle AKIL SMITH (Washington Redskins) twice earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a two-year starter at Clemson... Defensive end MERCEDA PERRY (Buffalo Bills) recorded 1 tackle last week... Defensive end JASON SHORT recorded 1 tackle in Week 2 after leading team with 7 stops on opening day... Defensive tackle JABARI ISSA recorded 3 tackles last week... Linebacker DWAYNE LEVELS (Cincinnati Bengals) led the Dragons with 8 tackles last week and added 2 special teams tackles... Linebacker TITO RODRIGUEZ (Cincinnati Bengals) made 4 tackles vs. Amsterdam last week... Linebacker KENNY HARNEY

recorded 4 tackles last week and has 10 defensive stops on the year... Linebacker RASHAD HARRIS recorded 2 tackles last week and has now made 10 stops in three career games against the Admirals... Cornerback ANTUAN SIMMONS recorded 3 tackles last week... Cornerback JASON OLFORD (Jacksonville Jaguars) recorded 5 tackles last week and knocked down 1 pass... Cornerback JASON WATERS (Atlanta Falcons) marked his Dragons debut with 3 tackles, 1 pass defense and 1 interception last week... French safety SAMYR HAMOUDI recorded 1 tackle last week... Cornerback RENARD COX recorded 5 tackles last weekend and has made 9 tackles in three career games vs. Amsterdam... National wide receiver and kick returner MARCO MARTOS did not record any statistics last week. Last season against Amsterdam, caught 2 passes for 31 yards and returned 7 kickoffs for 174 yards with a long of 56 yards... 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 311. Kicked 4 field goals against Amsterdam last season, including a game-winning 24-yard effort with 18 seconds remaining in Week 3 contest (4/27/02).

BERLIN THUNDER (0-2)
Head Coach: Peter Vaas (16-16 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: 19-23

LAST GAME: Lost 10-21 vs Rhein (4/13/03)
OFFENSE: 20.5 pts/game; 368 yds/game (rank 2); 105 rush yds/game (rank 5); 263 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Passing: Phil Stambaugh, 338 yds
Rushing: Sedrick Irvin, David Allen 96 yds
Receiving: Sedrick Irvin 12 rec, Pierre Brown 166 yds
DEFENSE: 41.5 pts/game; 443.5 yds/game (rank 6); 212 rush yds/game (rank 6); 231.5 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: None.
Interceptions: Travis Coleman, Jamal White, 1

· THIS WEEK: at FRANKFURT GALAXY ·

Thunder off to 0-2 start for second straight season after loss at Rhein last week. Head coach PETER VAAS says: "Games are won by making big plays and we didn't make any against Rhein. We were also indisciplined and that disappointed me."... Quarterbacks HENRY BURRIS (Chicago Bears) and PHIL STAMBAUGH have split time during the first two weeks of the season (see table). In only two games and 46 pass attempts, Stambaugh has matched the total of touchdown passes (2) he threw in 10 games and 200 attempts for the Rhein Fire in 2001.... Running Back SEDRICK IRVIN (Miami Dolphins) leads the team in yards from scrimmage and has been the team's leading receiver (tied in Week 2) in both games (see table).... Running back DAVID ALLEN (Jacksonville Jaguars) is tied for the team lead in rushing after leading the team with 66 yards on 7 carries last week. He has also caught 3 passes in each game this year, including 3 for 33 yards last week... Wide receiver PIERRE BROWN (Detroit Lions) leads the team in receiving yardage (see table).... Wide receiver ELIJAH THURMON (Chicago Bears), born in Heidelberg, Germany, caught 3 passes for 33 yards last week and has 8 catches for the season.... National wide receiver JOERG HECKENBACH caught a 6-yard TD pass last week and is the only player in the league to have caught a TD pass in each of the first two weeks... Until this season his only 2 career TDs had been scored against the Galaxy, the team for whom he played in 1997 and 1998. Has caught 16 passes for 198 yards and 2 TDs in career vs Galaxy and has at least one catch in each of his eight games against them.... Receiver SEAN SCOTT (Philadelphia Eagles) caught 1 pass for 7 yards last week... Tight end BRYAN FLETCHER (Chicago Bears) caught 2 passes for 9 yards last week ... Cornerback TRAVIS COLEMAN (Chicago Bears) tied the team lead with 8 tackles last week and returned 4 kickoffs for 30.3-yard average..... Defensive end TETO SIMPSON posted team-high 8 tackles against Rhein last week and forced and recovered a fumble .... Linebacker JAMAL

WHITE (Oakland Raiders) posted 7 tackles last week.... Linebacker BYRON THWEATT had 6 tackles last week... Defensive end REGGIE GRIMES recorded 3 tackles last week... Linebacker JOSH SYMONETTE (Miami Dolphins) posted 3 tackles last week... Defensive end RYAN WINGROVE recorded 4 tackles last week.... Linebacker CHRIS BALL made 4 tackles against Rhein last week.... German safety LELAN BRICKUS made 4 tackles and returned an interception 63 yards last time these teams met (Week 10 last year), to win National Player of the Week honours.... German kicker AXEL KRUSE is in his fifth season and is the Thunder's all-time leading scorer with 131 points, after adding a PAT last week. His 79 straight PATs is the second longest streak in NFLEL history. He missed a 29-yard FG on his only attempt last week.... Kicker J.R. JENKINS (Baltimore Ravens) made a 48-yard FG last week but missed from 36 yards.

FRANKFURT GALAXY (2-0)
Head Coach: Doug Graber (11-11 inNFLEL)
Colours: Purple, orange, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dwain Painter (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bob Valesente (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 54-48

LAST GAME: Won 17-13 at Scotland (4/13/03)
OFFENSE: 16 pts/game; 290.5 yds/game (rank 3); 109.5 rush yds/game (rank 4); 181 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: James Brown, 271 yds
Rushing: Jonas Lewis, 154 yds
Receiving: Robert Baker, 8 rec, 170 yds
DEFENSE: 13 pts/game; 259 yds/game (rank 2); 87.5 rush yds/game (rank 1); 171.5 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Joey Evans, 4
Interceptions: Rashidi Barnes, 2

· THIS WEEK: vs. BERLIN THUNDER ·

Galaxy has started season 2-0 for second year in a row. Head coach DOUG GRABER says: "We can't get too excited because we started off 4-0 last year and did not really get anything done with our season. We are just taking it game by game."... Free agent and former Scottish Claymores quarterback JAMES BROWN faced his old team in Week 2 and completed 8 of 21 passes for 134 yards and 1 touchdown... Quarterback QUINN GRAY (Jacksonville Jaguars) also saw action last week and completed 3 of 4 passes for 57 yards... Running back JONAS LEWIS played 10 games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2000 and one game in 2001. Leads Galaxy in rushing with 154 yards, having registered 78 yards and 1 touchdown last week vs. Scotland ... Running back ROBERT GILLESPIE (Washington Redskins) gained 16 yards on 6 carries last week and returned 2 kickoffs for 34 yards... Wide receiver ROBERT BAKER (Miami Dolphins) led the Galaxy with 4 catches for 94 yards in Week 2 with a long of 35 yards... Wide receiver MARC LESTER (Baltimore Ravens) caught 1 pass for 25 yards and 1 touchdown last week... French wide receiver MARC SOUMAH did not catch a pass last week... Receiver BRIAN McDONALD caught 1 pass for 24 yards last week. Caught 4 passes for 48 yards vs. Berlin in 2002 and added 2 punt returns for 22 yards and 2 kickoff returns for 45 yards... Tight end KORI DICKERSON (Philadelphia Eagles) moved from linebacker to TE in his senior year at USC. Caught 1 pass for 10 yards last week... Tight end JOSH WHITMAN played in four games with the San Diego Chargers in 2001, starting one. Caught 2 passes for 21 yards last week... German tight end WERNER HIPPLER had an 18-yard reception last week and ranks second among nationals with 76 catches for 830 yards and 2 touchdowns. Has caught 7 passes for 79 yards during career vs. Thunder, including 2 receptions for 19 yards in 2002... Guard MICHAEL MOORE (Atlanta Falcons) was a fourth round pick of the Washington Redskins in the 2000 Draft. Played in five games in 2000. Has helped Galaxy rush for 219 yards this season... Defensive end JOEY EVANS

(Seattle Seahawks) leads the league with 4 sacks after adding 4 tackles and 1 sack vs. Scotland last week... Defensive tackle LUIS ALMANZAR (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 1 tackle vs. Claymores last week and also knocked down 1 pass... Defensive end DARYL WHITTINGTON (Philadelphia Eagles) recorded 2 tackles last week... German defensive tackle DANIEL BENETKA recorded 2 tackles and 2 pass defenses in Week 2 and has 5 tackles on the season. Knocked down 2 passes in two games vs. Berlin last year... Linebacker IDRIS PRICE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 3 tackles last week and also added 1 sack for a 9-yard loss... Linebacker FRED JONES earned All-Big 12 honors at Colorado and played in 31 games for the Buffalo Bills in 2000-2001. Led the Galaxy with 7 tackles last week... Safety RASHIDI BARNES recorded 4 tackles and 2 interceptions last week. Registered 18 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defense vs. Thunder last season... Veteran defensive back CHRIS CUMMINGS is in his fourth NFLEL season and recorded 4 tackles and 1 pass defense last weekend. Made 6 stops and 1 pass defense in two meetings with Berlin in 2002... Cornerback JON PENDERGRASS (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 4 tackles and 1 pass defense last week and also recovered a fumbled punt on special teams... Veteran national kicker RALF KLEINMANN kicked 2 PATs last week and has 11 points on the year. Played four games against Berlin in 1999 and 2000, kicking 6 of 8 field goals with a career long of 52 yards. Added 8 of 10 PATs for 27 career points vs. Thunder.

RHEIN FIRE (1-1)
Head Coach: Pete Kuharchek (13-9 in NFLEL)
Colours: Burgundy, black and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Mike Jones (2nd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed O'Neil (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 47-35

LAST GAME: Won 21-10 at Berlin (4/13/03)
OFFENSE: 18 pts/game; 283.5 yds/game (rank 4); 143 rush yds/game (rank 2); 140.5 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Nick Rolovich 198 yards
Rushing: Autry Denson 186 yards
Receiving: Kendall Newson, 6 rec, 85 yards
DEFENSE: 13.5 pts/game; 273.5 yds/game (rank 3); 98.5 rush yds/game (rank 2); 175 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Josh McKibben 3
Interceptions: Lemual Ligon, 1

· THIS WEEK: vs SCOTTISH CLAYMORES ·

Fire looking for first win in new Arena AufSchalke home after posting first win of the season on the road last week.... Head coach PETE KUHARCHEK is looking for another fast start after saying: "One of the keys last week in Berlin was coming out and scoring on our first drive.".... Quarterbacks NICK ROLOVICH (Denver Broncos) and CHRIS GREISEN will continue to share time (see table) and Kuharchek adds: "The quarterbacks showed a definite improvement last week, although we still need to get better on some things... Running back AUTRY DENSON (Detroit Lions) leads the team in rushing and was named Offensive Player of the Week after his 2 TD performance last week (see table). Coach Kuharchek says: "It was a pretty good day's work. We have been counting on Autry coming through for us and he did." He also returned 3 kickoffs for 64 yards.... Running back FRANK MOREAU gained 18 yards on 10 carries last week... Wide receiver KENDALL NEWSON (Miami Dolphins)had 4 catches for 62 yards last week, including a 36-yard TD... Wide receiver EMMETT JOHNSON (Seattle Seahawks) was joint team leader with 4 catches for 49 yards last week.... Tight end DWAYNE BLAKEY (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 1 pass for 12 yards in Week 2... Tight end CHAD MUSTARD (Cleveland Browns) had a joint team-high 4 catches for 42 yards against Berlin last week.... Defensive tackle JOSH McKIBBEN (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) won Defensive Player of the Week honours after posting 10 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery against Berlin....Linebacker JASON JOHNSON posted 8 tackles last week.... Safety ABDUAL HOWARD (Jacksonville Jaguars) recorded 8 tackles last week and defended 2 passes.... Defensive tackle BRAD HARRIS (New York Giants) posted 5 tackles last week.... German defensive

lineman BASTIAN LANO recorded 5 tackles and 1 sack in last week's win, earning National Player of the Week honours.... Cornerback LEMUAL LIGON (San Diego Chargers) had a sack and an interception last week, as well as 3 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defended.... Defensive end ANDRE ARNOLD posted 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery last week.... Defensive end DERRICK HAM has 11 career sacks, 1.5 behind the team record of 12.5 held by Dunstan Anderson.... Veteran safety GREG BROWN made 4 tackles last week.... Former German soccer star INGO ANDERBRÜGGE was 3 of 3 on PAT attempts last week.

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (1-1)
Head Coach: GeneDahlquist (10-12 in NFLEL)
Colours: Navy, white and silver
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ken Margerum (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ray Woodard (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 36-46

LAST GAME: Lost 13-17 vs Frankfurt (4/13/03)
OFFENSE: 37.5 pts/game; 438 yds/game (rank 1); 166 rush yds/game(rank 1); 272 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Passing: Craig Nall, 425 yds
Rushing: Maurice Hicks, 170 yds
Receiving: Edell Shepherd, 8 rec 111 yds
DEFENSE: 24 pts/game; 360 yds/game (rank 5); 106.5 rush yds/game (rank 4); 253.5 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Radell Lockhart, 3.0
Interceptions: Robbie Robinson, 2

· THIS WEEK: at RHEIN FIRE ·

Claymores look to bounce back after suffering home defeat to Frankfurt in Week 2... Head coach GENE DAHLQUIST said: "It was a frustrating game and a disappointment, and the turnovers on offense were the key."... Quarterback CRAIG NALL (Green Bay Packers) leads the league with 425 passing yards. Completed 18 of 34 passes for 233 yards and 2 touchdowns last week... Quarterback SHANE STAFFORD (New England Patriots) completed 3 of 7 passes for 59 yards but threw a pair of second quarter interceptions for the second week in a row... Running back KEN SIMONTON (Buffalo Bills) rushed for 27 yards on 9 carries last week and was held to longest gain of 9 yards... Running back MAURICE HICKS (Chicago Bears) ranks second in league with 173 yards on 20 carries. Rushed for 21 yards last week... British wide receiver SCOTT McCREADY (New England Patriots) caught 4 passes for 78 yards last week. Caught 3 passes for 58 yards vs. Fire in 2002 ... Wide receiver EDELL SHEPHERD (Chicago Bears) caught 4 passes for 38 yards last week and leads team with 8 receptions for 111 yards on the season... Wide receiver JOHN MINARDI (Houston Texans) caught 3 passes for 45 yards last week... Wide receiver ANTHONY BRIGHT (Houston Texans) caught 3 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown last week and returned 1 kickoff for 21 yards... Veteran Scottish wide receiver SCOTT COUPER caught 1 pass for 5 yards last week and needs just four more receptions to become the seventh player in league history to record more than 100 catches in a career. Has caught 20 passes for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns in career vs. Fire and has won three Player of the Week awards in games against Rhein. Scored game-winning 14-yard touchdown in Scotland's last road victory against the Fire in 1997 season (5/25/97)... Guard JAMES BROYLES (St. Louis Rams) played in the final four games of the 2002 NFL season for the Rams... Defensive end ROBERT FLICKINGER missed last week's game through injury. Recorded 3 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pass defense vs.

Fire in 2002... Defensive end T.J. BINGHAM (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 6 tackles and 1 sack last week... Defensive end RADELL LOCKHART recorded 2 tackles, 1 sack, 3 pass defenses and 1 forced fumble in Week 2. Made 1 tackle against Rhein in 2002... Defensive tackle DEVONTE PETERSON made 6 tackles last week. Recorded 2 tackles against Fire last year... Defensive tackle NATE BOLLING (Baltimore Ravens) recorded 1 tackle last week... Defensive end MICHAEL LANDRY (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 5 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pass defense last week... Linebacker ISAAC KEYS (Green Bay Packers) made 2 tackles in Week 2... Linebacker JERMAINE PETTY (Green Bay Packers) recorded 1 tackle vs. Frankfurt... Linebacker DARNELL ROBINSON recorded 5 tackles and 1 fumble recovery last week... Linebacker YUBRENAL ISABELLE recorded 3 tackles and 1 pass defense in Week 2. Notched 3 tackles during two games vs. Rhein last season... Swedish linebacker JENS PETTERSSON recorded 3 tackles last week and has 6 stops on the season... Veteran JAMES ROOTHS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 6 tackles, 1 sack and 1 special teams tackle during loss to Frankfurt. In two games vs. Rhein Fire last term, made 1 tackle and returned 2 kickoffs 34 yards... Cornerback BOBBY JACKSON (Green Bay Packers) led Claymores with 8 tackles in Week 2... English kicker ROB HART has not missed an extra point in 130 attempts after adding 1 PAT last week. Has been perfect against the Fire in the past two seasons, kicking 5 of 5 field goals and 6 of 6 PATs. Since joining the Claymores in 1999, has kicked 7 of 9 field goals against the Fire and added 14 of 14 PATs for 35 points.

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (1-1) at F.C. BARCELONA DRAGONS (1-1)
Mini-Estadi, Saturday April 19, 5:30 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Barcelona leads 9-8
At Amsterdam: Amsterdam leads 6-3
At Barcelona: Barcelona leads 6-2
Streak: Barcelona 1
This season: Barcelona 10 at Amsterdam 7 (Week 2)

TELEVISION

Spain: HIGHLIGHTS/TV3 (Sunday p.m.)
Netherlands: HIGHLIGHTS/NOS Studio Sport (Sunday p.m.); SBS6 (Sunday 1:00 p.m.)
US: LIVE/DirecTV (11:30 a.m. ET)
Play-by-play announcer SPERO DEDES is joined in the booth by former San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers fullback WILLIAM HENDERSON.

COACHES

Admirals' BART ANDRUS has won two of past three games against the Dragons but lost at home vs. Barcelona for first time last week. Is in his third season as Amsterdam's coach having won a World Bowl ring as offensive coordinator of the Rhein Fire in 2000.... Dragons head coach JACK BICKNELL is in his eleventh season in charge of Barcelona and has more wins, 55, than any other coach in league history.

GAME NOTES

Teams meet with Dragons holding a 9-8 series lead following last week's victory in Amsterdam... Home teams have dominated much of the series and Dragons boast 6-2 record in Spain while going 3-6 on the road in the Netherlands... Amsterdam's last victory in Spain came in Week 3 of the 1998 season (4/18/98) when KURT WARNER threw for 387 yards and 5 touchdowns during a 41-28 win... Dragons' victory last week meant the Spanish team won for the first time since grabbing a road win at the Frankfurt Galaxy on May 25, 2002. Prior to Saturday's win, the Dragons had lost four straight games... Admirals will look to revert to their Week 1 form when they committed a league-low 3 penalties. Amsterdam was flagged 11 times for 100 yards in last week's loss... Dragons produced a late drive to win last week's meeting between the two teams. Running back DAMEON HUNTER scored the winning points on a 1-yard run. Barcelona's other points came from a 47-yard field goal by JASON WITZCAK. Amsterdam's only points of the game came when quarterback SHAUN HILL threw a 25-yard TD pass to receiver JUSTIN SKAGGS.

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (1-1) at RHEIN FIRE (1-1)
Arena AufSchalke, Saturday April 19, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Rhein leads series 10-6 (Rhein leads 1-0 in postseason)
At Scotland: Scotland leads 5-3
At Rhein: Rhein leads 7-1
Streak: Scotland 1
Last season: Scotland 10 at Rhein 13; Rhein 7 at Scotland 17

TELEVISION

UK: LIVE/Sky Sports Extra (6:00 p.m.)
US: LIVE/Fox Sports Net (1:00 p.m. ET)
Joining English play-by-play announcer NICK HALLING in the booth is Dallas Cowboys tight end TONY McGEE.

COACHES

Scotland's GENE DAHLQUIST is in his third year as head coach of the Claymores and is still chasing first road win against the Fire... Rhein's PETE KUHARCHEK is also in his third season as a head coach after winning World Bowls in 1998 and 2000 as Rhein's defensive coordinator.

GAME NOTES

Teams meet at Arena AufSchalke for the first time in 16-game series, which the Fire leads 10-6... Rhein also won only postseason meeting between the two teams, recording a 13-10 victory over the Scots in World Bowl 2000... Claymores have not won on the road against the Fire since Week 7 of the 1997 season (5/25/97)... In subsequent five road losses to Fire since 1997, Claymores have averaged 7.8 points per game and have never scored more than 10 points in a single contest... Claymores have rushed for 338 yards in opening two games of 2003 season but only gained 50 on the ground in last week's loss to Frankfurt... Fire went 4-1 at home in 2002 but lost season opener against the Amsterdam Admirals this year... Teams last met in Week 6 of the 2002 campaign at Glasgow's Hampden Park... Claymores emerged as 17-7 winners with wide receivers JASON BYWORTH and DONDRE GILLIAM catching touchdown passes from SCOTT DREISBACH. British kicker ROB HART added a 24-yard field goal... Rhein's lone score came in the second quarter when ROMARO MILLER threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver ONOME OJO... Last meeting in Germany saw Rhein record a 13-10 victory with a 40-yard fourth quarter field goal by JASON WITZCAK proving to be the difference between the teams... Both teams managed just one touchdown in defensive affair with wide receiver JIMMY ROBINSON scoring for the Fire, while tight end STEVAN FONTANA found the end zone for the Claymores.

BERLIN THUNDER (0-2) at FRANKFURT GALAXY (2-0)
Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Saturday, April 19, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES
Overall: Frankfurt leads 5-3
At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 2-1
At Berlin: Frankfurt leads 3-2
Streak: Berlin 1
Last season: Berlin 24 at Frankfurt 27, Frankfurt 7 at Berlin 27.

TELEVISION

Germany: LIVE/DSF 7:45 p.m; DELAY/Premiere 1:00 a.m. (Sunday) US: LIVE/DirecTV (1:00 p.m. ET) Play-by-play commentator RICH CELLINI is alongside Detroit Lions offensive lineman RAY BROWN in the broadcast booth.

COACHES

Thunder head coach PETER VAAS has led Berlin to victory in past two World Bowls and is reigning Coach of the Year... DOUG GRABER is in his third season in charge of the Frankfurt Galaxy and has won just one of previous four meetings with Berlin.

GAME NOTES

League's only unbeaten team faces the only team yet to win.... Galaxy has led the league in defense for the past two years and ranks second this year .... First meeting of 2003 season for German rivals... Frankfurt leads all-time series 5-3 but Berlin has won three of the last four games, including Week 10 World Bowl decider at the Jahnstadion... In a contest Berlin needed to win by four points to reach the championship game, the Thunder rolled to a 27-7 victory with RB ANTHONY WHITE rushing for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns. Berlin's other touchdown came when QB TODD HUSAK threw a 13-yard scoring pass to WR KENNY CHRISTIAN. Frankfurt scored just one touchdown in the game when QB BART HENDRICKS found TE MARCUS WILLIAMS in the end zone from 2 yards out... First meeting between the teams in 2002 took place in Week 1 with the Galaxy grabbing an overtime win following a 29-yard field goal by Swedish K OLA KIMRIN. Christian scored twice for the Thunder while Frankfurt got touchdowns from WR RICKY HALL (2) and TE BEN STEELE... First game in Thunder history was against the Galaxy at the Waldstadion in Week 1 of the 1999 season (4/17/99)... Frankfurt ran out 21-20 winners in front of 30,127 fans... Clubs had a notable meeting in 2000 season opener in Berlin (4/15/00) when game was suspended for 90 minutes as lightning forced players from the field. It was the first such stoppage in league history. Frankfurt went on to win the game 32-7... Galaxy boast league sack leader (JOEY EVANS, 4) while Thunder defense has yet to post a sack in two games... Thunder offense has scored 1 TD in last six quarters, after scoring four in the first two quarters of Week 1.

· WEEK TWO RECAP ·

F.C. Barcelona Dragons 10, Amsterdam Admirals 7
(Amsterdam ArenA. Attendance: 11,368)

Raymonn Adams (Amsterdam) 125 total yards

Frankfurt Galaxy 17, Scottish Claymores 13
(Hampden Park. Attendance: 11,104)

Jonas Lewis (Frankfurt) 78 rushing yards, 1TD
Craig Nall (Scotland) 233 passing yards, 2 TD

Rhein Fire 21, Berlin Thunder 10
(Olympic Stadium. Attendance: 16,312)

Autry Denson (Rhein) 139 total yards, 2 TD
Josh McKibben (Rhein) 10 tackles, 3 sacks
Nick Rolovich (Rhein) 145 passing yards, 1 TD

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

National Football League Europa Stories from April 15, 2003

• Galaxy Hosts Champions - NFLE
• Fire return home to face Scottish Claymores - Rhein Fire
• Fire Trio Earn League Honors - NFLE

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