Running back trio Vivaldi Tulysse, Luke Norrey and Davion Miller will be three of several names missing when the Falcons clash against the Belgrade All-Stars Saturday at Serbia’s Bask Stadium.
Equipped with a stripped-down roster of 15, the UAE side will have a tougher challenge than their past three international encounters this year if they’re to extend their record overseas to a perfect 4-0.
“We don’t have the depth I would ideally like to have and this is going to be the first action that a lot of guys are going to have in several months,” Falcons head coach Kyle Jordan said.
“Those are definitely disadvantages, but at the same time we’ve got a lot of really talented, athletic and experienced guys. Guys that have a whole lot of football intelligence and football smarts.
“The other thing is these guys will go until the last whistle.
“When you have those things, you always have a chance.”
Jordan pointed to his team’s 15-13 win over Kazakhstan’s Titans in June despite having limited numbers as an example of their resolve.
Where the Falcons will be affected most is in the running game, which will be devoid of Tulysse, Norrey and Miller. In their place, Moe Fouda and battering ram Quinton Collins are expected to carry the load, while Samer Omer – typically a defensive tackle – is expected to receive dives and dump-off passes at fullback.
The one constant, however, remains at quarterback where veteran Zavier Cobb will once again be under centre and in command.
“We have some guys that will run the ball that may not have the speed and elusiveness of the others, but they have experience back there and are tough runners. We’re not going to get away from the running game,” Jordan added.
“But we have Zavier and when you have a guy that can hurt you with his arm and with his feet and when he’s using both at the same time, you’ve got that threat that puts a lot of stress on defences.”
Though he’s not sure what to expect from an Xs and Os standpoint in Belgrade Saturday (kick-off: 14:30, UAE time), Jordan admits another victory won’t come easily.
“They’ve been playing football in Serbia for a while now and there are some athletic and tough individuals,” Jordan said. “We have Serbians in our league that are fundamentally-sound players. It’s going to be a fight.”
