Rhein Fire is subject to Vienna Vikings 12: 7 when returning to Düsseldorf

Rhein Fire is subject to Vienna Vikings 12: 7 when returning to Düsseldorf

On June 1, 2025, Rhein Fire returned to the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, a historical moment for the fans and the team. In front of around 20,000 spectators, Rhein Fire celebrated a return that aroused great expectations. The team played against the Vienna Vikings, who had proven to be a serious opponent last season.

The game ended with a defeat for Rhein Fire, which had to be beaten with 12: 7. The Vikings dominated the action at the beginning of the game. The first kickoff was carried back from the Vikings to half from Rhein Fire, which was considered an early sign of their dominance. Kicker Sebastian van Santen could not continue playing due to injury after setting a tackle.

game course and crucial moments

The first touchdown was the quarterback of the Vikings, Ben Holmes, with a pass on Wide Receiver Noah Touré. The subsequent Two-Point Conversion failed because the passport was intercepted by Jannik Seibel. In the first half, Rhein Fire remained offensive and could only book a field goal attempt by Punter Maximilian Eisenhut. The Viking offensive, on the other hand, turned out to be more effective, especially in the running game, which caused Rhein Fire to heat its own attacks.

The Vikings shot two fields of goals, but Rhein Fire went into the cabin with a halftime score of 0: 6. The result remained unchanged in the third quarter, as both teams remained pointless. Rhein Fires Defensive was strong and allowed a few points, while the offensive continued to fight to find more successful moves.

In the final quarter, the Vikings achieved a second touchdown by Daniel Schwam, but this Two-Point conversion also fell into the water again. The stand was now at 0:12 before Rhein Fire could finally see a bright spot. Quarterback Chad Jeffries found Rory Starkey Jr. for a 68-YARDS touchdown. The extra point was successfully transformed, which shortened the game to 7:12.

The fans cheered their team loudly, which Rhein Fire drive. Omari Williams even achieved an interception. Despite a last chance, Rhein Fire failed on a fourth attempt, while the Vikings held the ball back and played down the time.

American football in Germany

This game falls into a greater context of the growing popularity of American football in Germany. The sport has long since become an integral part of German sport, with around 19 million fans and over 500 registered football teams that count more than 70,000 members, such as American Football 100 . In addition, the NFL in 2022 played its first regular game of the season in Germany, which had a significant economic impact and thus inspired the lowlands of sport in the region.

Rhein Fire has a remarkable past in American football and continues to strive for success after they have already won two titles in the European League of Football (Elf). The fight for the triple is still in the room for the team, even if today's defeat was a setback.

The fans not only saw an exciting game, but also the opportunity to be part of an upper flowering of American football in Germany. The event itself was part of the "American Football Madness", which took place on May 30th and 31st and continued to receive interest in the sport.