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The Tyresö Royal Crowns (1-0) will host the Carlstad Crusaders (1-0) in a pivotal Super Serien week 3 matchup. Both teams had convincing wins in their first game of the season, making this the most exciting matchup of the early Sweden season.
BACKGROUND
Both of these teams are considered contenders for the Super Serien title, but the Royal Crowns are expected to be THE contender. Their first game of the season could be used as evidence to that expectation. Scoring 56 points on their opponents makes Tyresö the highest scoring team in the league, and they have the offensive weapons to continue to score at a very high rate. Quarterback Jared Heywood leads one of the most talented offensive groups in the league, and he showed in week 1 how great he is at spreading the ball around to his teammates.
The Tyresö defense is also full of talented players who showed dominant moments in their previous matchup, despite giving up 37 points. Stats can be misleading, as the score was 42-21 heading into the fourth quarter, when Vikings scored 16 late points. For most of the game, the Royal Crowns defense put pressure on their opponents in all phases of the game, and never let the Vikings offense get comfortable. Led by a strong defensive line, the Tyresö Royal Crowns defense looks more than capable of being dominant when needed.
The Carlstad Crusaders also showed great offensive prowess, scoring 42 points in their season opener. Using a balanced attack of rushing and passing, the Crusaders overwhelmed the Kristianstad Predators defense last week. Running Back Young Kennedy led the offensive charge with 2 rushing touchdowns, and the entire receiving corps had no trouble contributing to the Crusaders offensive success.
The Crusaders defense was dominant for most of their first game against the Predators. An early score aside, the Carlstad defense did not give their opponents much hope that they could be successful against them. This defensive unit was not tested last week, and looks forward to actual competition this weekend.
Key Players to Watch
Here are a few key players to keep a look out for heading into this weekend’s matchup.
TYRESÖ ROYAL CROWNS
Jared Heywood (Quarterback)
17/24 (71%), 245 yds, 5 tds
Heywood showed a little bit of everything in his first professional game. He threw the ball on time, and spread the ball around according to the offensive scheme. Heywood has also shown his elusiveness and used his legs to extend plays. Most impressive about Jared Heywood is his deep ball throws, where he is extremely accurate and makes catching the ball very easy for his receivers. He will be looking to put up another great performance this week
Vilgot Valeskog (Running Back)
8 att, 111 yds, 2 tds / 1 rec, 9 yds, 1 td / 1 kr, 89 yds, 1 td (209 yds all-purpose yds)
Veleskog did EVERYTHING for the Royals Crowns in his Super Serien debut. His speed and explosiveness is among the best in the league, and will be on display against a better defensive unit in this game.
Kevin Börzsei (Wide Receiver)
4 rec, 68 yds, 1 td
Börzsei had a modest outing in week 1, according to his standards. The playmaker was still able to reach the endzone on only 4 receptions. The Royal Crowns spread the ball pretty evenly among receivers, but Kevin Börzsei seems to have a really good connection with his quarterback. Expect for him to receive a lot of targets this weekend.
Edvin Taborda (Wide Receiver)
6 rec, 82 yds, 2 tds
Taborda was the end zone target for the Royal Crowns in week 1. The speedster will look to do more of the same this week when the Tyresö offense calls his number.
Malcolm Engström (Defensive Lineman)
8 tkls, 1 sack
Malcolm Engström was able to make a huge impact in his team’s first game. Engström controlled the interior line of scrimmage all game, and was rewarded with opportunities for tackles. Despite requiring double teams, Malcolm Engström will be a major factor in the defensive success of the Royal Crowns in this matchup.
Joshua Hicks (Defensive Back)
4 tkls, 2 pbus, 1 int
Joshua Hicks is a ball hawk on the defense. Against the Vikings he did a really good job of identifying route combinations and making plays on the ball. He will have his hands full against the Carlstad receivers, but could end up making a lot of big plays if he has watched enough film.
CARLSTAD CRUSADERS
Young Kennedy (Running Back)
9 att, 125 yds, 2 tds
Kennedy is a playmaker for the Crusaders. Averaging almost 14 yards per carry last week, he allowed the Crusaders offense to be multifaceted. The predators defense didn’t do much to slow him down, so it will be interesting to see how much of his success he can replicate this week.
Slade Jarman (Quarterback)
19/34 (56%), 264 yds, 3 tds
Jarman did not have a great first impression, by quarterback standards. Fortunately, his teammates were able to make big plays to make his overall game successful. It could have been nerves, but the lefty was very inaccurate on a lot of his throws last week. If his nerves are calmed now, we should see a better version of Jarman against the Tyresö Royal Crowns.
Kristian Natunen (Wide Receiver)
6 rec, 79 yds, 1 td
Similar to his time in Finland, Natunen was dependable for his quarterback and made some great catches for the Crusaders offense. His sliding touchdown catch was evidence that Natunen will be the unexpected playmaker for this group. Kristian Natunen will play an integral role in their offensive success this weekend.
Willem Vancompernolle (Wide Receiver)
4 rec, 65 yds, 1 td / 1 rush, 43 yds, 1 td
Vancompernolle showed his elite speed, and position versatility in week 1. As a downfield threat he was able to male every catch count, and added to his resume with a 43-yard touchdown run. Look for Willem Vancomperbnolle to take the top off the defense this week, and find a way to get in the end zone.
Albin Forsman (Wide Receiver)
6 rec, 106 yds, 1 td
Forsman is quarterback turned receiver, and it shows. The playmaker has an uncanny skill of finding the perfect spacing on the field to get open. He also is a matchup nightmare and uses that to his advantage when attacking defenders with his speed and sure hands. Combined with his teammates, Albin Forsman is going to be hard to stop.
Mattias Eriksson (Linebacker)
9 tkls, 2 tfl, 0.5 sack
Eriksson is continuing from the 2023 season, making plays. #42 was active in his team’s week 1 victory, racking up tackles and finishing plays with authority. Expect nothing less this week, as he will have to be involved in run stopping and pass coverage against a balanced offense.
Matchup Analysis
On paper, this game is pretty evenly matched. Both of these teams have high scoring offense, and defense that can dominate in the right environment.
To call the Royal Crowns offense explosive is an understatement. Starting with the dynamic play of Jared Heywood, this unit should not have any issues scoring points in this matchup. The only question will be how many points will they need to score? The Crusaders defense is a step up from the Oslo Vikings unit, so a 50+ point performance seems unlikely. Despite that realization, the Crusaders secondary does not provide much confidence that they can compete with the Tyresö receivers.
The Crusaders offense is a similarly high-powered unit. Their quarterback did not look as efficient as the team would like in their last game, but his weapons looked as dangerous as any in the Super Serien. The trio of Vancompernolle, Forsman, and Natunen will provide ample opportunity for the Crusaders to score points in this game. Combined with Young Kennedy at the running back position, this offense is well-rounded and will be a stiffer test for the Tyresö defensive unit. The Royal Crowns defense was susceptible to big plays against the Vikings, when it seemed their unit took momentum for granted or players just weren’t focused. That could be their biggest issue against a unit that is ready to score every time they get the ball.
Who Will Win?
This game could be a shoot out or a defensive struggle. Either way, it will be a closely contested matchup between two equally talented teams. I would consider the Tyresö Royal Crowns the favorite in this game based on the amount of player talent they possess. The Tyresö team is built to score a lot of points and make big plays defensively. The Crusaders team is talented, but seem to need more time to get going offensively, and defensively their secondary is outmatched in this game. It should be close for most of the game, but at some point Tyresö Royal Crowns will make more plays than the Crusaders to get the win.
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