CANADA WINS FIRST GNC CUP
- Jim Mullin
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
BOCHUM, Germany — It wasn’t the thriller Canada staged a week earlier in Milan, but it was more than enough to bring home a championship.
Powered by tournament MVP Jamel Lyles and a suffocating defense, Canada ground out a 25–10 win over a short-handed Germany to clinch the inaugural Gridiron Nations Championship on a cold, wet Sunday night at Rhinestadion in Wattenscheid.
The contest lacked the late-game drama and flair of Canada’s 20–17 victory over Italy at the historic Velodromo Vigorelli, but head coach Jesse Maddox's staff will gladly trade style points for a 2–0 tournament sweep and a +18 point differential.
Germany, fielding only three offensive starters from the squad that finished fourth at the European Final Four three weeks earlier in nearby Krefeld, failed to find the end zone with possession. The hosts finished with just 102 total yards and a single net rushing yard, repeatedly overwhelmed by Canada’s front seven.
Still, the Germans struck first. Defensive back Felix Födinger jumped a Michael O’Connor pass for a 17-yard interception return touchdown midway through the first quarter, and Florian Finke’s convert gave Germany a 7–0 lead and an early spark for the estimated crowd of 4,700 braving intermittent showers and 4°C temperatures.
From there, Canada methodically took control.
Lyles, who finished with 124 yards from scrimmage, got Canada on the board late in the second quarter, slicing in from 11 yards out to cut the deficit to 7–6 at 4:56. Adam Preocanin’s point-after was blocked, and Germany clung to a one-point lead at halftime despite being out-gained and out-possessed.
Quarterback Chris Merchant sparked the turnaround after the break. At 8:56 of the third quarter, he pulled the ball on a keeper and weaved 23 yards to the end zone, giving Canada its first lead at 12–7 after a failed two-point try.
After recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, just 14 seconds later, Canada capitalized again. Merchant found Anthony Valavano on an 8-yard touchdown strike to extend the margin to 18–7. Preocanin missed the convert wide left, but Germany’s offence remained stuck in neutral.
The German quarterbacks, Nicklas Gorny and Hendrik Scharnbacher, combined to go 11-for-27 for 101 yards as Canada’s defense collapsed the pocket and closed running lanes. Linebacker Tommy Bringi led the charge with seven total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks, while linemen Jacob Spencer and Adrian Bertuzzi combined for multiple backfield stops as Canada piled up 12 tackles for loss.
Germany briefly revived hopes with Finke’s 38-yard field goal at 2:45 of the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to 18–10. But Lyles slammed the door with his second major of the night, bursting 30 yards down the right side at 9:30. Preocanin’s convert pushed the lead to 25–10, and the Canadian defense shut it down from there.
Lyles, the former BC Lion from Surrey, BC, finished with 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, adding 46 receiving yards. Merchant threw for 122 yards and a score on 11-of-20 passing and ran for 26 yards and a touchdown; O’Connor went 6-for-11 for 56 yards but threw both German interceptions, including Födinger’s early pick-six.
Canada outgained Germany 346–102, recorded 16 first downs to Germany’s 10 (five of those via penalty) and controlled the line of scrimmage despite being flagged 15 times for 164 yards.
Germany showed some resilience on defence at times in this game. In addition to two interceptions and a defensive TD, the "Men In Black" forced two turnovers on downs, taking Canadian points off the scoreboard.
With the win, Canada closed the 2025 GNC standings at 2–0, ahead of Italy (1–1) and Germany (0–2). It may not have matched the nerve-shredding finish in Milan, but on a slick natural surface in Bochum, Canada delivered exactly what it needed — a workmanlike win, a dominant defense, and a tournament MVP performance from Lyles to lift the first Gridiron Nations Championship crown.
CANADA (1-0) AT GERMANY (0-1)
NOVEMBER 16, 2025
GRIDIRON NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
AT BOCHUM, GERMANY
RHINESTADION - WATTENSCHIED
KICKOFF, 1800 CET
WEATHER: 4 DEGREES, INTERMITTENT SHOWERS
WIND: 5 KM/H NW
FIELD: NATURAL, WET
ATTENDANCE: 4,700 ESTIMATED
OFFICIALS:
R: MATS SCHWIEGER (GER)
U: TOMAS-JOSEF FOTSCU (GER)
L: CORNELIA ANGERMEIER (GER)
LJ: BJÖRN KLAIBER (GER)
BJ: BORIS PAUL (GER)
FJ: GUDRUN HILDEBRAND (GER)
SJ: BOMBI HENRICH (GER)
CJ: JESSICA RINGLESTEIN (GER)
FIRST QUARTER
TD – GER Felix FÖDINGER, 17 Interception Return (O’Connor) 10:11 6-0
Florian FINKE PAT GOOD 7-0
SECOND QUARTER
TD – CAN Jamel LYLES, 11 run 4:56 7-6
Adam PREOCANIN PAT BLOCKED 7-6
THIRD QUARTER
TD – CAN Chris MERCHANT, 23 run 8:56 7-12
Two-point conversion failed 7-12
TD – CAN Anthony VALAVANO 8 reception from MERCHANT 9:10 7-18
Adam PREOCANIN PAT WIDE LEFT 7-18
FOURTH QUARTER
GER - FG Florian FINKE 38 2:45 10-18
CAN – TD Jamel LYLES,30run 9:30 10-24
Adam PREOCANIN PAT GOOD 10-25
SCORING BY QUARTER 1 2 3 4 TOTAL
GERMANY 7 0 0 3 10
CANADA 0 6 12 7 25
GER CAN
SCORE 10 25
FIRST DOWNS 10 16
By Passing 2 9
By Rushing 3 6
By Penalty 5 1
YARDS PASSING 101 178
YARDS RUSHING 1 168
TOTAL YARDS 102 346
Passes made/tried 11-27 17-31
Yards per play 1.7 5.7
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS 7 6
Fumbles/Lost 2/1 1/0
Intercepted by 2 0
TO on downs 0 2
Penalties/Yards 12/85 15/164
Touchdowns
By Offence 0 4
By Defense 1 0
By Special Teams 0 0
PAT
1 pt 1/1 1/2
2 pt - 0/1
FG 1/1 0/0
Punts/Avg 7/34.9 3/34.0
Net Punting 34.9 32.6
Inside 20 1/8.0 0
Kickoffs 3/56.0 3/60.0
KOR 3/24 3/63
Net Kickoffs 3/35.0 3/52.0
Touchbacks 0 1
Tackles for loss 1 for -4 12 for -49
Canada offensive stats:
Rushing
8 Alexis, Jourdain 3-50
22 Lyles, Jamel 12-78-2
25 Charles, Patrick 2-6
12 Chris Merchant 2-26-1
11 O’Connor, Michael 4-8, Fumble
Passing
11 O’Connor, Michael 6-11-56, 0-2
12 Merchant, Chris 11-20-122-1-0
Receiving
8 Jourdain Alexis 1-3
19 Valvano, Anthony 3-24-1
22 Lyles, Jamel 4-46
81 Basalyga, James 1-8
84 Dixon, Dallas 1-3
85 Greaves, Jaylen 4-47
87 Hayden Amis 1-22
88 John, Rysen 2-29
YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE
22 Lyles, Jamel 16-124-2
Punting
16 Preocanin, Adam.
29/NR, 35/NR, 38/4,
Fumbles
11 O’Connor, Michael 1
Fumble Recoveries
18 Tobola, Cameron 2
Canada Defensive
T A TOT TFL SK PD INT. QBH FF
2 Johnson, Hakeem 1 - - - - 3 - - -
4 Onyeka, Ifenna 1 2 1/1 - - - - -
5 Odoom, Kojo - - - - - 1 - - -
7 Kevin Victome 1 - - - - - - - -
14 Anthony Tanguay 1 - 1 - - - - - -
18 Tobola, Cameron - - - - - - - - -
30 Bringi, Tommy 3 1 7 3/25 2/19 - - 1 -
31 Nixon, Max 2 - 3 1/1 - - - - 1
42 Morris, Drew 3 - 4 1/3 1/3 - - - -
44 Lawson, Jayden 2 1 3 - - - - - -
45 Onymenyam, Ife 2 - 2 - - 1 - - -
49 Fleurissant, James 1 - - - - - - - -
50 Gauthier-Jones, Tristan 3 - 3 - - - - 1 -
53 Wishart, Van - - - - - - - 1 -
55 Von Mueldorfer, Ben 1 - 1 - - - - - -
56 Marcoux, Alex 2 - 3 1/1 - - - - -
74 Henry, Makana 4 - 6 2/5 - - - 2 -
95 Hicks, Kent 1 - 1 - - - - - -
96 Spencer, Jacob 1 - 2.5 1.5/2 1/1 - - 1 1
99 Bertuzzi, Adrian 1 - 2.5 1.5/11 - - - - -
Germany offensive stats:
Rushing
2 Breuer, Paul 1-1
7 Gorny, Nicklas 9-(-17)
8 Scharnbacher, Hendrik 4-1
22 Rotermund, Lorenz 13-17
24 Opperman, Finn 2-(-1)
Passing
7 Gorny, Nicklas 7-16-78-0-0
8 Scharnbacher, Hendrik 4-11-23-0-0
Receiving
6 Schumm, Norman 2-21
10 Benjabou, Zinedan 2-49
16 Schumm, Nicklas 2-4
19 Beumer, Jonas 1-13
22 Rotermund, Lorenz 1-3
24 Opperman, Finn 1-1
30 Probst, Matti 1-8
85 Englemen, Ben 1-2
Fumbles
8 Scharnbacher, Hendrick 1
16 Schumm, Nicklas 1
Fumble Recoveries
76 Dürr, Pascal - 1, REC GER FUM.
Interceptions
42 Födinger, Felix - 11 yards, TD
1 Ipsen, Jonathan - No return
Punting
9 Finke, Florian
40/NR, 38/NR, 40/NR, 30/NR. 34/NR, 41/ NR, 31/NR
Germany Defensive
T A TOT TFL SK PD INT PB QBH
1 Ipsen, Jonathan - - - - - 1 1 - -
12 Bujok, Igor 1 - 1 - - - - - -
18 Schrotter, Lino 2 - 2 - - - - - -
21 NNOR 1 - 1 - - - - - -
25 Marton, Jann 1 - 1 - - 1 - - -
26 Muller, Niklas 3 - 3 - - - - - -
31 Fielder, Luis 2 - 2 - - - - - -
34 Chagoya, Enrico 2 1 3 - - 1 - - -
35 Schmid, Dominik 2 1 3 - - - - - -
38 zur Neiden, Florian 1 1 2 - - - - - -
42 Födinger, Felix 2 - 2 - - - 1* - -
44 Kensey, Marius 3 - 3 1/4 - - - - -
49 Steins, Timothy - 1 1 - - - - - -
52 Schultes, Jonas 1 - 1 - - - - - -
65 Diepenbroich, Ben 1 - 1 - - - - - -
90 Kraft, George - - - - - - - - 1
95 Mattassini, Leo - 1 1 - - - - - -
GNC 2025 FINAL STANDINGS
Canada 2 0 55 27 +18 6
Italy 1 1 37 37 E 3
Germany 0 2 27 45 -18 0
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