Madrids Carrasco: "We’ve got to put our big boy pants on"
The Madrid Bravos head into this weekend with maybe the biggest game of their season on Saturday night at 20:00 CET.
In the Spanish capital the Bravos (6-3) will face off against the Raiders Tirol (5-4) in a highly anticipated South Division match up. Both teams are desperately fighting for the playoffs and need this win badly to secure a spot in the post season.
Bravos linebacker Javier Carrasco spoke on what it will take for them to get this crucial win:
“Honestly we just need to play football the way we know, we have got to bring our A game no matter what. We've already faced them and their all very talented teams but they ain't unbeatable. We will be ready for them”
Rematch of Week 5
These two teams met in Week 5 already as the Raiders won 35-34 in Austria in a game decided by a failed two point conversion in the final seconds. All those weeks ago it was the Raiders run game that drove them to victory, gashing the Bravos for 187 yards on the ground. This time Madrid hopes to slow down one of the league's top rushing attacks.
“To stop the Raiders run game we have to put on our big boy pants and fight harder. They are a talented team but so are we. Defenses will make a significant difference in this upcoming game.”
Different Bravos in 2025?
This year’s Bravos team with head coach Andrew Weidinger at the helm has a different feeling then last year’s squad. Stars such as QB Reid Sinnett, WR Aaron Cruickshank, and others have stepped into a culture of talented and hard working homegrowns. Carrasco a veteran of Spanish football feels the difference as well:
“We have the missing pieces that we needed, especially some of the best national talent. And also that we know what we are capable of as we showed last season and we are showing right now. We just gotta stick together and follow the plan, the rest will take care of itself.”