The hockey players of Germany prepared a surprise at the world championship of the elite division. They eliminated Switzerland 3:1 in the quarter-finals in Riga and will meet the USA in Saturday’s semi-finals. The Americans eliminated the Czech Republic 3-0.
Switzerland played excellently in the first part of the World Cup and won a series of victories. They eliminated Slovenia 7-0 in the opening round, and in the last round they suffered their first defeat against Latvia, but they still took first place in Group B. The Germans had a very bad start to the championship and for a long time trembled for the elimination fights. After three defeats, they won four and placed fourth in Group A.
The Germans are hoping for their first medal since 1953In a hard and nervous match in Arena Riga, in front of 2,800 spectators, they showed their best performance and made it to the semi-finals. They hope to build on it with their first medal since the distant year of 1953, when they won silver.
The game penalty for Seider only fueled the GermansThey laid the foundation for the victory with a good defensive game, even though they played without their best defender Moritz Seider from the 32nd minute, who received a match penalty for a deliberate hit on a rival. Switzerland had the advantage of one more player for five minutes, but failed to score. It was a crucial moment of the match.
Sturm shocked the Swiss less with the playerThe Germans took a 2:1 lead with equal strength on the ice, Buffalo forward John-Jason Peterka scored in the 38th minute. The period in the last minutes of the second period was the key to the unfolding of the semi-final. After the German goal for 2:1, the Swiss had another numerical advantage, but instead of equalizing, they experienced cold feet, as Nico Strum ran away on the counterattack and scored for 3:1.
The last third passed in the superiority of the Swiss, but they were really ineffective. The fighting Germans, led by goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger, did not hesitate and looked forward to a great success. The final ratio of shots on goal was 30:23 for Switzerland.
The Czechs managed only 15 shots on goalIn the Nokia Arena in Tampere, the Americans proved that they will be a tough nut for all rivals at this World Cup, as the only team to finish the preliminaries undefeated (six wins after regular time and one after extra time), and they continued in this style in the first elimination match and beat the Czechs without any major problems.
The Czechs fell to fourth place after a loss to the Canadians and Latvia’s win against Switzerland in the last round, giving them the best team in the group in Finland.
The Americans were a much better competitor. The final ratio of shots on goal was 34:15. Goalie Casey Desmith was reliable but didn’t have much to do.
Matt Corontto gave the Americans the lead in the 13th minute. Midway through the second period, Tampa Bay defenseman Nick Perbix made it 2-0. The final result was set by 19-year-old Cutter Gauthier in the 50th minute. This was already his seventh goal at the WC.
The Czechs were not helped by two “power-plays” during American penalties, and they were also ineffective at the end, when they pulled goalkeeper Karl Vejmelka off the ice.
Americans want to end the “Bronze Age”The Americans thus indicated that they were ripe for a leap from the “Bronze Age”. They took third place in 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2021. After last year’s third place at the same venue, the Czechs were left empty-handed this time.
QUARTERFINALS, table: USA – Czech Republic 3:0 (1:0, 1:0, 1:0)7400; Coronato 13th, Perbix 29th, Gauthier 50th.
Switzerland – GERMANY1:3 (0:1, 1:2, 0:0)2800; Siegenthaler 21st; Kastner 7th, Peterka 38th, Sturm 39th.
At 19.20: SWEDEN – LATVIA (Riga)
CANADA – FINLAND (Tampere) Broadcast on TV SLO 2/MMC.
The semi-finals will be held on Saturday (1:20 p.m./5:20 p.m.), and the match for 3rd place (2:20 p.m.) and the final (7:20 p.m.) on Sunday.
Source: Rtvslo
