Lackner Extends Scoring Lead / Kamms Falter / Diplomatic Immunity
Observations & Opinions
From Harold Abrahams – Special Correspondent for TSS
And from Zino Stiles-Johnson and Thill Brenner – Correspondents for TSS
Vaduz, Liechtenstein – By Harold Abrahams – Special Correspondent for TSS
Your Special Correspondent walked with a little more zip this week, dined with more relish, spoke with more excitement and boarded a train on Wednesday – a day earlier than usual – to travel to this week’s match destination. All of that because that train ride was going to deliver me to Vaduz, Liechtenstein, the enchanting capital of the miniature principality whose borders are formed by Austria, the Rhine River, and Switzerland. Your correspondent makes it to Vaduz at least once a year to watch the Diplomats play, sit down with old friends to talk about the current Wiesespiel season, dine on a heavenly dish of Käsknöpfle, and breathe the clean Alpine air of this unique sovereign nation.
And the talk this year in Liechtenstein about the current Wiesespiel season has been bubbly, optimistic, lively. I could barely turn around in the capital without one of its 6,000 inhabitants wanting to boast about their men in Red & White. I stepped into the Sportausrüstung, in the heart of the Städtle, wherein happy fans were in line to purchase Diplomat scarves, badges, sweaters and little stuffed Kestrels. Sophia Büchel, proprietor of the shop, said she can barely keep up with demand for Vaduz gear. “Liechtenstein is a proud country; Austrians divide their enthusiasm among 100 teams. We are rooting for ONE team … our Diplomats.”
And root they did on this snowy Saturday. Mayor Florian Meier was in attendance – but he is always there. But today, His Highness, Prince Hans–Adam II, came down from Vaduz Castle to take in a match for the first time this season, joining his countrymen and –women to watch their team play the lowly Interlaken Yodelers. This excitement – the souvenirs, the royals showing up – ratcheted up significantly last week, when the Diplomats smashed the red–hot Spittal Schuhplattlers 23–11 to declare themselves, at the half–way mark, contenders for Promotion into the Tyrol League, forming a three–team knot with heavyweights Villach and Matterhorn in second, three points behind the Schuhs.
For this Week 10 match, with the royals in attendance and snow making this picture–postcard town even more charming, fans were abuzz. Kiosks were selling coffee and hot cocoa, and more than a few fans were taking nips from other warming drinks in flasks. At the first bell, the snow was holding off, but the temperature on the field was 28o.
And from the onset, the Diplomats played like a very solid team that expects to beat struggling teams like Interlaken. And by onset, I mean Captain and Center Joel Klestil’s very first pass to Benjamin Fuchs freed the Farmhand – playing a wide position designed to stretch the Interlaken defense – down the right sideline and, when Yodeler defenders hemmed him in, he shoveled a clever lateral to Schliessman Günther Batliner, an unabashed attacking Wing who seemingly doesn’t know that some other practitioners of his position often play defense, who stumbled over the line after Interlaken Gate Basil Kirk’s late dive failed to bring down Batliner. After 15 seconds, Vaduz led 3—0.
82 minutes and 45 seconds later, Vaduz still led and never trailed, and their 14—3 victory brought them to 7—3—0 on the season and into a tie for the lead in the Alpine League at 21 points after Spittal’s surprise defeat at home to a poor Lucerne outfit.
This was not, in the hierarchy of great wins that have defined seasons or eras or decided championships, a memorable affair. But, let us remember the history of this venerable team. In 1932 and 1971, Vaduz claimed the Meadow Cup, and in 1900, they won their first and only Tyrol Cup. They once had, from 1902–1906, a five–year run in the Tyrol League, their longest ever such placement in the top division. Vaduz is a proud team from a loyal nation, but the paucity of their achievements has had the effect of making the club and its supporters feel terrible pride in those wins and accomplishments; the 1900 banner that flies over the team training facility can be seen, their Swiss neighbors like to jest, from the top of the Jungfrau.
So, here’s to lovely Vaduz and Liechtenstein, to the Red & White, and to selfless Gate Adler Rotthausen, my Player of the Week (see below). Here’s to the Prince, who tried to shake hands and speak to as many of the 7,000 fans in attendance as possible, and to the Mayor, who bought out the coffee and cocoa drinks at halftime for anyone who wanted to come claim a free hot beverage. And to the Diplomats.
[Editors’ note: While Frau Büchel was aiming for hyperbole, she actually understated her point about Austrian fans having a breadth of teams to endorse. In the quaintly–named Index Catalogue, Austria’s national sporting board lists 186 official Wiesespiel teams registered to play the Meadow Game in 2025–2026 in old Österreich].
Klagenfurt, Austria – By Zino Stiles-Johnson – Correspondent for TSS
Four teams in the Farm and Barrel Leagues have 8 wins: Chambéry, Sonthofen, Basel, and Mettmenstetten are all 8—3—0, but have played 11 matches each. Among teams in the top four leagues, only Klagenfurt has 8 wins. Their latest victory raised their record to 8—2—0 and saw them maintain their 3–point lead in the Wheat League over an Aggsbach team that seems equally difficult to beat. The Dragons’ claimed their 6th win in a row after a tremendous match that ended with a 20—19 decision over an equally engaged Innsbruck team. The atmosphere – a tight match played on a snowy Meadow (the oldest in the AL) before 13,000 of the most knowledgeable and loyal fans in the world of Wiesespiel – and the competition – two of the Original 8 teams battling for the 203rd time (!) represent the best this sport can offer.
The Downhillers scored a 4 on their first possession as Anton Trenker found fellow Farmhand Simon Braun with a pitch that somehow eluded the hands of a diving Gerd Roare, one of Klagenfurt’s powerful Gates. Four minutes later, the match stood at 4—4 after Erich Oennegger, a talented Schliessman playing an aggressive attack Wing, bolted through a gap in the Innsbruck defense and slid across the line. Then it was 7—7, then 8—8. As the 40 wound down, Trenker’s 3–point skot pushed the visitors into the lead, but Captain Allie Wurter’s long kick through gusty winds somehow wobbled through the posts at the bell to claim a point that, the cheering fans knew, would matter in this close contest. 11—9 at the Interval.
Innsbruck’s best Gate this season, Andreas Straub, sprained his shoulder halfway through that opening half and could not continue for the 43. Innsbruck’s defense has been stifling this season through 9 matches; they had yielded the fewest points (at 85) of any team in the top three Leagues. But the loss of Straub seemed to reduce the resolve of the entire Gate line, and when Wurter pushed across a 3 and the Dragons seized their first lead, at 16—15, the anxious home fans roared their heroes onward.
However, Innsbruck Schliessman Alan Noel – who had scored only 8 points this season – scooped up a live ball that has skittered free in the cold, wet conditions, and he had an unimpeded path to the 4 that propelled the Downhillers into a 19—16 lead with 5 minutes remaining.
And then, to reinforce my claim of the marvel of being in Klagenfurt on a home match day, those passionate fans burst into song, offering up a raspy “Klagenfurt am Wörthersee”and then offering a rendition of their old battle hymn, “Ford of Lament.” I can’t say for certain – because the snow had increased and players’ faces were obscured, but I believe that Wurter, Roare and Center Jonathan Kasper were singing along even as they attacked that formidable Innsbruck back line. Song, pride, tradition … something pushed the Wyrms downfield, and Farmhand Stefan Richter dove into a mass scramble, and then there he was … a mud–covered head emerging from the tangle … falling with the ball into the 4. 20—19 to Klagenfurt.
I may have breathed during those final 6 or 8 minutes of play, but I don’t recall it. I was mesmerized and awed. All 20 men, and their comrades on the sidelines, applauded each other, shook hands, and slipped their cloaks over their sodden shoulders on this chilling, moody day. Back in the town square, the Duke would be delighted, the Dragon decorated.
Thank you, Downhillers and Lindwyrms, for a day whose spectacle and endeavor were even more grand than I anticipated. After 10 matches, the top three teams in the Wheat League are members of the Original Eight. Lovers of Wiesespiel cannot ask for much more than that.
PLAYER of the WEEK:
Abrahams: Adler Rotthausen / Gate – Vaduz. You may have read above of my joyous day in Vaduz. And while that adorable town merits a visit whenever I can get there, the match – the game itself – is always the attraction. I understand from reports that Felix Moser was his usual masterful self in Bern’s 7—3 win in Zurich, and Zino Stiles–Johnson joins others at TSS who have found Hugo Thurner’s dominance at Gate to be what Salzburg missed last season. But Adler Rotthausen was a perfect model for how an advanced Gate can dictate a game’s outcome; when he went forward to bolster the Diplomats’ attack in the 9 v 10, he was savvy and always ready to sprint back into defense, where he was spotless and kept his mates organized. Gates all over the AL work diligently to keep their opponents at bay, and Rotthausen’s display on Saturday well earns him his first–ever TSS Player of the Week Award.
Stiles–Johnson: Hugo Thurner / Gate – Salzburg. Thurner’s massive strength and great height have always made the Edelweiss defender a presence on the field. But last season, observers noted the tactical awareness he was adding, threatening to make him into a man who combined the power of Bern’s Otto von Steiger with the nuance and command of, say, the Armed Bears’ Felix Moser or Cortina’s Marcello Rinaldi. This vote marks his third Award from TSS this year (Harold Abrahams and I each having selected him previously) and is probably no more than a fair recognition of the manner in which he has attacked the attackers this year. On Saturday, Thurner was the ideal companion to Paul Lackner; while the Field Mouse pinged around the middle and top third, Thurner insured Füssen that they were destined for another disappointing day in a season that seems to be pointing them toward relegation. Thurner’s emphatic tackles and careful attention he paid to the dangerous Triskelion Farmhand Bingo Allerspach are the primary reason that Füssen’s scoring total was as paltry as it was in their 16—4 defeat in Salzburg. A quick note: My choice came down to Thurner or Henri Tissier, my choice last week. Suddenly, La Comete is streaking across the AL skies as Grenoble has scored 23 and 24 points over the past two weeks, 9 more than Vienna’s 38 points, second–most prolific offense over the last two matches. His speed on a Meadow is a precursor to the speed with which he climbed the scoring table below in that fortnight.
Brenner: Tatton Brittain / Center – Bergamo. Brittain has worn the “C” on his jersey for the past 7 seasons, initially as a speedy, elusive Wing, and these past 4 years at Center. He has said many times, in the most humble of ways, that he believes he and his Citadel mates are worthy of playing in the Upper Divisions of the Austrian League. None could ever question his heart and desire, his talent and skill, during any moment of the 18 Saturdays he roams the Meadow. But for the entirety of his captaincy, the final scores have rarely reflected his faith in his squad, as they are 16 games below .500 during that span. But on this cold and sunny gameday, Tatton made sure his team, the better of the two, did not walk off that worn, brown field disappointed or dejected. He was splendid before the break and simply superb during the 43, leading his team back from a 5-point deficit to a 24-18 win, scoring 9 points on 3 consecutive skots while helping to hold Mulhouse to only 3 kicks after the half. He, along with his fellow spielers, looked the part of an Alpine team as they stormed back to win. Let’s see what the Captain can do next week against the first place Dragons.
ONE FINAL NOTE:
Abrahams: Paul Lackner has established a gap of 8 points between himself and the man, Leonhard Brunner, the Mule, who wrestled the Purtscheller and Klammer Awards from the Field Mouse last year. Eight points between those two men is inconsequential – both Brunner and Lackner can score 15 any Saturday … and Lackner suffered an ankle knock that cost him 126 minutes of play already this year. Many circumstances could turn the scoring race and, more vitally, the chase for the top three positions in the Tyrol League and a chance for the Tyrol Cup that the Armed Bears currently hold. But let’s speculate for a moment and project that Lackner stays healthy and that Salzburg continues to play well and aggressively. At this pace, Brunner will set a new career scoring total of 112 points, 7 more than during his mighty Season 153 performance when he led Bern to a 17—2—0 record and the Tyrol Cup. And, at this rate, he will finish 14 points behind Lackner. If Lackner were to garner the 126 points that his current average per game indicates, that would be the highest season total since the great Matterhorn Farmhand Graf Schuler tallied 128 in 2002 for that year’s Black Eagles Tyrol Cup champions. Schuler, remember, was an incandescent talent who ran wild for four seasons in Zermatt’s ebullient team that won titles in 2002 and again in 2005, but a knee injury ended his career in the Meadow Cup of 2006. And while I don’t believe that any one player will ever break Johan Klammer’s record of 144 points in 1951 (or his 141 in 1952 … or his record of 14 seasons with 100 or more points!), let us revel in the prowess of these two young marvels (sportsmen, gentlemen and AL standard–bearers that they are) and hope that they stay healthy, hungry and determined to out–do each other for another decade, at least.
Stiles–Johnson: Week Ten …! Of course, countless readers visit our website or buy the daily print edition of TSS (and we thank you for both of those endorsements of our efforts) and absorb and memorize the statistics that AL athletes produce each Saturday (or Wednesday, a few times a year in the Farm & Barrel Leagues). So the chart below, in which we present the top ten scorers in the Tyrol League through Week Ten, is no surprise to the millions of AL devotees. But … don’t forget … I love these statistics and numbers and trends, too! Reporters and researchers and editors and printers … all of us at TSS are, at heart, grown–up versions of the children who lived for these matches and, afterwards, for the team standings, scoring tables, and All-Star teams that the season’s battles and outcomes produced.
Brenner: The Bergamo Citadel have been firmly entrenched in and around the middle of the Wheat pack for seven consecutive seasons, often times slipping dangerously close to relegation while not ever threatening to be promoted. Just two seasons ago, they survived a three-way tie for the second relegation spot, enjoying with a huge, collective sigh of relief, along with Bad Ischl, the safe return for another season that the unfortunate Chamonix Chamois were not able to achieve. Last year, floundering amidst a 0-3-2 streak with the season winding down, they found what had been missing most of the winter and won their final 3 games to finish in 6th place at 8-8-2, their first non-losing season in five, and 6 points clear of Leoben. This week, they found themselves again precariously perched just north of 10th and hearing the beckoning calls from the Harvest League. On the plus side of the ledger, they were visiting the Meadow of their neighbors to the south in the standings, the Mulhouse Locomotives. But on the debit side, the next two weeks bring visits from league leaders Klagenfurt and Innsbruck. As mentioned in my Player of the Week segment, Center Tatton Brittain made sure the Citadel did not join Mulhouse at the bottom, accounting for half of the 24 Citadel points and providing at least some temporary relief for the challenging season so far. And, at the risk of sounding batty, I will say that Manager Tino Marsetti appeared to have found something during the 43 in his realignment of Gates Cecco Bonadonna and Ezio Colarossi and his subtle adjustment with Wing Golia Pizzi, outscoring the Railmen 14-3. I’m not sending a warning to the ‘Wyrms and Downhillers, but I do expect the Citadel to produce an effort these next two weeks more reflective of their 2016 Meadow Cup-winning performance.