In a conversation with the Latvian Floorball Union (LFS), Rīhimeki said that the coaching staff wanted better results, but this format of the world championship allowed the teams of groups A and B to develop their game in the first three matches and gradually run into it.
“If you can’t get one of the first two places in the subgroup, then it doesn’t matter – you’re third or fourth. We have some aspects of the game that we want to work on more. Now we will have a day off from matches, which we will use effectively to properly prepare for the decisive part of the championship.”
Looking back at the past three games, Rīhimeki admitted that the first period in the match against the Czech Republic was not as good as he would like, and the team was not active enough in defense. On the other hand, the match against Sweden started satisfactorily, and the Latvians played too little with the ball, but new solutions were tried in their game.
“In the match against Germany, we had every chance to win, but we couldn’t realize the moments we created. We started this game a bit heavy and slow, but as I said, the results in the subgroup no longer matter, the most important thing is what we learned in this phase of the tournament, because the championship will really start only now,” explained Rīhimeki.
Latvia’s opponents in the round of 16 will be Estonians, who defeated Thailand 16:4 in the second echelon group C match on Tuesday and secured the first place in the subgroup. Prior to that, the northern neighbors beat Singapore 12-4 and beat Canada 15-3.
Rīhimeki, while preparing for the next game, emphasized that the coaching staff of the national team has seen what nuances need to be paid attention to at the team level, especially at the level of individual shifts.
“During the first phase of the tournament, we were able to identify which players are currently in the best shape and “hot”. We will entrust them with bigger roles in the continuation of the championship. We will pay a lot of attention to standard situations and the game in different formations. In these elements, in the first games, we did not reveal completely all the cards. We need to improve in all aspects of the game, just like the other teams who will continue to fight in the knockout matches. Now only the best teams remain, and with each next round the opponents will be stronger and stronger.”
In the subgroup, the teams will play against each other. The owners of the first two places in groups A and B immediately entered the quarter-finals, while the owners of the third and fourth positions will have a duel with the two strongest teams of the second echelon of each group.
The Latvian men’s national team currently occupies the fifth position in the world ranking of the International Floorball Federation (IFF), and this position was also won in the previous two final tournaments in Prague and Helsinki.
Latvian floorball players have participated in all 13 world championships held so far, and the highest achievement is the fifth position obtained six times (2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2020).
The final tournament of the World Championship will take place in the Swiss cities of Zurich and Winterthur until November 13.
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