The first title in the first year: Frankfurt Galaxy won the final of the newly founded European League of Football (ELF).

The team won against the Hamburg Sea Devils in the final after a very exciting final phase 32:30 (20:17).

Quarterback Jakeb Sullivan scored the decisive touchdown 23 seconds before the final whistle.

"It's unbelievable," said the American, who was also named the most valuable player in the game, later.

"I've even cried."

Jan Ehrhardt

Sports editor.

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The game in front of around 20,000 spectators in the Düsseldorf soccer stadium had anything but good started for the Frankfurters, who had often attracted attention in the past season with an extraordinary defensive performance.

Exactly this defense got off to a rather mixed start against Hamburg, and the otherwise variable and safe offensive of the Galaxy made several unusual mistakes in the first half.

Quarterback Jakeb Sullivan missed his teammates a few times with his throws, who in turn let other, well-thrown passes fall almost unhindered a few times. 

High-quality and balanced game

With a touchdown and a field goal, the Sea Devils, in which star player Kasim Edebali, formerly a professional in the National Football League (NFL), returned in time after a long injury break, initially deserved the lead.

Also because they repeatedly found the necessary gaps in the Frankfurt defense - or were even offered by positional errors.

Only in the second quarter did the game of the Galaxy stabilize.

And Gennadiy Adams was immediately on the spot during one of Frankfurt's first compelling offensive actions: The American passport recipient shortened with a touchdown.

Because the Galaxy defense found its way more and more into the game, a high-point - and above all balanced game developed up to half-time: First Nico Strahmann ensured the first Frankfurt final lead, before Hamburg managed another touchdown. Five seconds before the break, Anthony Mahoungou finally caught a pass from Sullivan in the end zone and put the Galaxy in front once more.

This high pace continued, at least in phases, even after the change, although the ELF final was generally on a lower level than not a few of the regular season games in recent months. One of the biggest weaknesses of all teams in the European league was shown again: Many fouls and lack of concentration on both sides of the ball delayed the flow of the game again and again and both teams lost important space. 

The first points of the third quarter were scored by Hamburg quarterback Jadrian Clark, one of the main pillars of his team in this game, who himself ran into the end zone. Sea Devils kicker Philipp Friis Andersen added a field goal a little later. In this phase, Frankfurt made some wrong decisions on the offensive, which is why Hamburg kept coming into the right to attack until the fourth quarter and was able to take time off the clock.

Kevin Mwamba then shortened after another Hamburg field goal before Sullivan led his team across the field one last time and scored a touchdown himself a few moments before the end of the game.

Hamburg got another chance of a field goal with only four seconds remaining, but Andersen missed from a long distance and Frankfurt Galaxy celebrated their first championship in the ELF.