The Germans maintained a close 2: 1 lead over Latvia and are advancing to the quarterfinals of the Riga Ice Hockey World Championships. The home team is crying, they have not reached the playoffs, but Canada can look forward to elimination fights, which would remain forbidden in the event of an expected draw between European rivals. In the quarterfinals on Thursday, the Germans will play against Switzerland, Canada against Russia.
German Markus Eisenschmid in front of Latvian goalkeeper Janis Kalninš.
Vít Šimánek, ČTK
The odds for the draw of the Germany-Latvia match failed brutally, few expected a different result, but to the delight of the Canadians, the match did not reach the overtime that would send them home.
The Germans led 2: 0 in the key duel in the 7th minute thanks to the goals of John Peterka and Marcel Noebels. At home, he only reduced in time at 25:55 Rodrigo Abols.
For the first time at the tournament, the Latvians were able to enjoy the support of fans in the auditorium, who were visited by 934 in the Riga Arena. But the Germans ruined their entertainment right at the beginning. In the 4th minute, Janis Kalninš from the left circle was overtaken by the nineteen-year-old striker Peterka, who scored the first goal and point in the third appearance at the tournament.
Ice Hockey World Championship 2021
The World Hockey Championship is in progress from May 21 to June 6 in Latvia. All group matches and playoffs are hosted by Riga. The Czech national team advanced from group A from third place and in the quarterfinals they play with Finland, which is defending gold. The Czechs will try to improve the fourth place.
Rihards Bukarts could equalize, but at 6:40 the team of Finnish coach Toni Söderholm struck again. Leonhard Pföderl hit Noebels from behind the goal, who sent the puck into the goal under the right concrete of the goalkeeper Jokerit Helsinki. Janis Jaks had the opportunity to reduce in a power play after penetrating from his own defensive line and before the first break he failed to beat Mathias Niederberger Mikelis Redlihs.
In the 26th minute, the Latvians rejoiced. In the renumbering, Rodrigo Abols exchanged the puck with Litvínov’s defender Uvis Janis Balinskis and scored. In the middle of the match, Niederberger dealt with Jaks’ dotted shot and the Germans held a close lead after the second half.
The Latvians won in vain the opponent’s defense in the third period. Not even two power games helped them with the exclusions of Jonas Müller and John Peterka. The home selection did not avert elimination even in the final power play.
| Hockey World Championship: |
| Group B (Arena Riga): |
| Latvia – Germany 1: 2 (0: 2, 1: 0, 0: 0) |
| Goals and recordings: 26. Abols (Balinskis) – 4. Peterka (Seider), 7. Noebels (Pföderl, L. Reichel). Judges: Heikkinen, Vikman – Nikulainen, Sormunen (all Fin.). Exclusion: 2: 4. No use. Attendance: 934. |
| Latvia: Kalnins – A. Kulda, Balinskis, Cibulskis, Sotnieks, Zile, Freibergs, Jaks – Kenins, Abols, Krastenbergs – Indrašis, Dzierkals, Darzins – Džerinš, M. Redlichs, Karsums – Roberts Bukarts, Batna, Rihards Bukarts – Marenis. Trainer: Bob Hartley. |
| Germany: Niederberger – Seider, M. Müller, Holzer, J. Müller, Nowak, Wagner, Gawanke – Rieder, Krämmer, Kühnhackl – Pföderl, Noebels, L. Reichel – Eisenschmid, Kahun, Plachta – Peterka, Loibl, Kastner – Bergmann. Trenér: Toni Söderholm. |
| 1. | USA | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:8 | 18 |
| 2. | Finland | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 19:10 | 17 |
| 3. | Germany | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22:14 | 12 |
| 4. | Canada | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19:18 | 10 |
| 5. | Kazakhstan | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 22:18 | 10 |
| 6. | Latvia | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15:16 | 9 |
| 7. | Norway | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 17:21 | 8 |
| 8. | Italy | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11:41 | 0 |
| Note: in case of a tie, the mutual match decides. |
| Quarter-final pair (played on Thursday): |
| Rusko – Canada |
| Switzerland – Germany |
| CR – Finland |
| Slovakia – USA |
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