It's the battle against the unknown for both teams. Both the Raiders Tirol and Hamburg Sea Devils will have to prepare for Saturday, September 10th, at 2:45 p.m. against an opponent they have only seen on TV and on tape.

While the Raiders' defensive coordinator Jag Bal already knows the Sea Devils from his time with Berlin Thunder, Herron is excited about the new challenge and clearly states the specifics: "[Kasim Edebali]. That's exactly the kind of player you have to focus on. The Hamburg front seven will probably be the biggest challenge of the season," Herron explained. A front seven full of players like Tim Hänni, Kasim Edebali, Evans Yeboah, Giovanni Nanguy, Hiswill Awuah, Miguel Boock, Daniel Laporte, Ambroise Mati and more...

Game plan for Herron against the Sea Devils

And the preparation started right after the game against Berlin Thunder. "As soon as we get on the bus, I'll start preparing," Herron said right after the game in Berlin. To prepare against the Hanseatic franchise, Herron takes a pragmatic approach, "It's important that we play our alignments and assignments correctly. The guys know how to play their technique, now they just need to be on one page and deliver."

"Find a good mix"

When asked what's harder, playing new opponents or playing an opponent for the third game, Herron says, "Playing the same opponent multiple times isn't as costly as pulling a completely new gameplan out of a hat." For the defense, the motto seems clear. "The outside receivers have to be neutralized.

Most teams are geared toward that, and are then accordingly light in the box. We have to find a good mix there." The U.S. native has already won five national titles in Austria, with four more international titles. All with the predecessor of the Raiders Tirol. Now the next title is to follow. The goal remains Klagenfurt on September 25th.

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