- The Swiss floorball national team beat Slovakia 9:3 in the last World Cup group game in Winterthur and secured victory in the group.
- A total of 8 different goal scorers provided the 9 Swiss goals.
- In the quarter-finals on Thursday (from 6:00 p.m. live on SRF), Switzerland will meet the winner of the duel between Latvia and Estonia.
One point would have been enough for the Swiss national team in the final preliminary round match against Slovakia to secure victory in Group A. However, it became clear early on that Switzerland was going for a win in Winterthur.
Against the Slovaks, who were overwhelmed at the beginning, 4 goals between the 5th and the 14th minute made the decisive difference. Tim Braillard set the starting point with a goal from a free kick – from close range he surprised with a direct shot into the corner. Then Jan Zaugg (7th), Tobias Heller (8th) and Michael Schiess (14th) quickly increased to 4:0.
Just trembled
Because the new keeper Patrick Eder had to be beaten by a power play hit by Michal Pazak (17th) and 30 seconds before the end of the third by Peter Nehila, the game was tight after 20 minutes, at least in terms of results.
A double strike from Claudio Laely around half of the game (29th/31st) – twice on an assist from Paolo Riedi – quickly ensured a reassuring lead again. The Swiss didn’t let themselves be unsettled by the next goal scored by Michal Dudovic in the 44th minute, but started the gala themselves.
Patrick Mendelin scored after 47 minutes to make it 7:3, Jan Bürki and Joel Rüegger made it 9:3 with a double within 8 seconds in the 58th minute. In front of the 2000 fans in the arena, the Nati even pressed for the 10th goal, but the Slovaks successfully defended their goal in the final phase.
Finland reacts to defeat
In the other Group A match, Finland beat Norway 7-2 after trailing 1-0. The Finns secured second place in the group behind Switzerland. For the Nati, winning the group is important in that they can only meet world champions Sweden in the final at the earliest.
Here’s how to proceed
The Swiss national team will play their quarter-finals on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. (live on SRF). The opponent is still open – Switzerland meets the winner of the round of 16 duel between Latvia (4th in group B) and Estonia (1st in group C).