Can’t believe it
That’s what everyone said after Belgrade stunned Budapest. The Vukovi Beograd are champions fo the 2007 SELAF season, after beating the Budapest Wolves 28:27 on Jovan Golušin’s touchdown run as time expires. Full Story by Goran Košutić
The Vukovi Belgrade overcame a 13 point deficit in the final minute and a half to beat the Budapest Wolves by a point in the CEFL Bowl, capturing the SELAF title for 2007 in the process. The comeback was complete with Jovan Golušin’s second touchdown run from the two yard line with three seconds on the play clock.
13 Punkte Vorsprung – weniger als eine Minute zu spielen
After Peter Cseperkalo ran over 30 yards for a touchdown to make it 27:14 it appeared that the Wolves managed to finally put the game away. Not so, said the Vukovi, though it looked on their sideline like even they didn’t believe in a comeback. Hard to blame them for that, but pretty soon it was clear there’s still football to be played when Briton Burge hit the future game MVP Pavle Tasić to cut the difference to six.
His brother Andrej was the one that executed the ensuing onside kick and it was recovered by Belgrade with 40 seconds to go. The Vukovi obviously had little time, but they could not be stopped at this point, and after interference was called on Andrej Tasić in the end zone, Golušin did his thing again, plowing through from the 2.
The Wolves have much to regret – not only they lost a game that was practically over and done with, but they also dropped a 20:0 lead from the first quarter and a half, to a team that appeared lost. Krisztian Papp intercepted Burge for the second time this season, and the only one to do so this year, after which Laszlo Csizmazia ran for the score subbing for the injured Istvan Demeter. Csanad Kiraly made it 13:0, and Krisztian Piros outran the whole Belgrade team on his 78 yard touchdown reception.
But Yordan’s performance fell off dramatically from that point on, as he was intercepted at the last play of the half by safety Ivan Ristić, and the other Belgrade safety, Ivan Nedeljković, twice in the second half.
The Vukovi scored after one of the interceptions when Andrej Tasić cought a 31 yard pass from Burge. They couldn’t score more, and it was back and forth for the rest of the game. Even before Cseperkalo’s run Budapest had a good chance to clinch it, but Gabor Sviatko missed a long field goal.
‚I can only thank the players for not giving up. Hat down for not quitting and fighting to the end”, said their coach Aleksandar Hadži-Pavlović, his first year on the job.
Indeed, not much more to say after an ending like this. The MVP award ultimately went to Pavle Tasić, though there were many deserving candidates – his late game heroics were too hard to overlook.
For the next year, Belgrade gets to hold the trophy.
CEFL-Bowl I
Vukovi Beograd vs. Budapest Wolves 28:27
(0:13/7:7/7:0/14:7)
27. Oktober 07 | 13:00
Ada Ciganlija, Belgrad
Officials: Ulicny / Lapcevic G. / Tadic Z. / Szerenyi / Steiner / Takac / Pavlovic
MVP: Pavle Tasic
Live-Bericht vom Spiel:
Wir melden uns hier zum ersten Mal aus Belgrad. Eine Stunde vor Spielbeginn schüttet es in Strömen auf der Asa Ciganlija. Die Wolves haben wieder den Regen aus Budapest mitgebracht. Trotzdem wird das Finale natürlich wie geplant stattfinden.
1. Quarter:
TD WOL (Rush Laszlo Csizmazia) 0:6 (PAT blocked)
Trotz heftigen Regens füllt sich das Stadion hier.
75-Yards-Kick-Return VUK Andrej Tasic.
FG-Versuch VUK no good.
Der Wolves Quarterback Vasyl Yordan spielt derzeit genial. Seine Pässe punktgenau auf die Receiver, die Wolves derzeit deutlich überlegen, die Vukovi-Offense konnte noch nichts zeigen.
TD WOL (Vasyl Jordan Pass to Csanad Kiraly) 0:13 (PAT good)
Die Fans machen gute Stimmung hier im nasskalten Stadion – trotzdem das Heimteam hier im Moment wenig zu bestellen hat. End of quarter.
2. Quarter:
Gabor Sviatko knallt einen 47-Yard-Fieldgoalversuch an den goal post – es schüttet nun in Strömen.
TD WOL (Vasyl Yordan 60-Yards-Pass to Krisztian Piros) 0:20.
TD VUK (Andrej Tasic) 7:20.
Halftime: 7:19
3. Quarter:
Interception VUK.
TD VUK (Briton Burge pass to Andrej Tasic) 14:20 (PAT good)
Interception VUK
End of quarter.
4. Quarter:
Gabor Sviatko vergibt sein zweites Fieldgoal.
Noch 3:50 – Vukovi in ballbesitz.
TD WOL Peter Cseperkalo 14:27 (PAT good)
TD VUK Pavle Tasic 21:27 (PAT good)
VUK Onside Kick recovered by VUK.
60 Yards Pass Briton Burge auf Pavle Tasic – noch drei Sekunden auf der Uhr.
TD VUK Jovan Golusin 28:27 (PAT good)
Unglaublich – Vukovi dreht das Finale der SELAF, nachdem sie kur vor Schluss mit zwei Scores hinten lagen um und gewinnen die CEFL Bowl mit 28:27.
Final: 28:27
