USA vs. Korea game recap
The DAC Panthers kicked off the NFL Flag Football World Championship with a thrilling narrow 25-24 victory over Korea, dropping the Asian team to 0-2 after its 58-50 opening game loss to the Netherlands. The appropriately nicknamed ‘Playmaker’ Eddie Roscigno (below right) made a game-saving tackle as time expired having caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Yanni Gavalas moments earlier.
The US team went ahead on the game’s first drive as Anthony Libroia rushed for a touchdown and the Gavalas to Roscigno combination tagged on the extra point. Korea answered with a score of their own, but a Gavalas tackle on the extra point attempt kept the team from Queens and Long Island in the lead.
Nicky Athanasopoulos (below) reeled in a touchdown catch for a 13-6 USA lead and after a defiant defensive stand the Panthers might have added to the advantage, but Athanasopoulos was tackled at the goal line as the first half ended.
Nam-Hoon Kim twice pulled Korea back to within one point with two touchdown catches either side of another Athanasopoulos score, then earned Korea its first lead of the game at 24-19.
With only 34 seconds remaining the game looked out of reach of the Americans, but a pass interference call gave Gavalas the ball at the three-yard line and he found Playmaker for the victory.
