Saturday 29th May 2021
Bitter bankruptcy against Finland
DEB team worries about the World Cup quarter-finals
After the defeat against Kazakhstan, the German team loses the second game in a row at the World Cup in Riga. After a brilliant start to the World Cup, coach Toni Söderholm’s team has to tremble more and more about making it to the quarter-finals.
Germany’s initially famous national ice hockey team has to tremble more and more about the quarter-finals at this world championship full of surprises. With the close 1: 2 (0: 1, 1: 0, 0: 1) in Riga against defending champions Finland and the second defeat in the preliminary round in a row, the selection comes under more pressure.
Germany showed a strong will against the home country of national coach Toni Söderholm, but there is now a threat of a preliminary round in the final duel with hosts Latvia for a place in the knockout round. On Monday, Germany will probably for the first time with the NHL striker Dominik Kahun, who has traveled, against the selection of the USA.
Without top talent Lukas Reichel and with a line-up that was changed for the first time in the course of the tournament, the Germans could not prevent the Finnish goals from Anton Lundell (7th minute) and Arttu Ruotsalainen (52nd). The goal of long-time NHL defender Korbinian Holzer (28th) was not enough for the renewed coup – and not for such an important point. At the last World Cup in 2019, when the Finns later became champion, and in 2018 Germany surprisingly won. This time the three-time world champion was too strong.
Exciting game to the end
After a two-day break, the Söderholm squad played a fast and exciting game with the world champions, in which Berlin goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger had no chance early on. When top defender Moritz Seider negotiated the first penalty time of the game, the Finns only needed eight seconds to convert the majority into a lead. The 2019 champion had the better start and was the more dangerous team. “The pace is four classes faster than normal,” said World Cup debutant Andreas Eder at Sport1 during the first break.
The 25-year-old from the Straubing Tigers, like the other World Cup newcomers Daniel Fischbuch and John-Jason Peterka, played for the first time at this tournament. Söderholm had indicated a change to bring a breath of fresh air into the German game and did not stop at a change due to the failure of Reichel. The 19-year-old striker had to be replaced after the check against his head from 2: 3 against Kazakhstan. For the first time, Germany acted with 13 instead of 12 strikers and with seven instead of eight defenders.
The Finns had more of the game, the underdogs barely managed to finish on goal. The Söderholm squad fought sacrificially – but the equalizer from veteran Holzer came as a surprise: When his defender colleague Holzer shot, captain Moritz Müller irritated the Finnish goalkeeper Jussi Olkinuora. “Thanks to Mo, the pane went in,” admitted Holzer and demanded: “We have to make sure that we play out the back with patience. We have to get off our heads quickly and get on our feet quickly.”
The draw before the final third gave the German cracks every opportunity. Unlike at the beginning, they survived the second outnumbered game in the final section without conceding, but were then defeated in a quick counterattack. Before the 1: 2, the Germans had not used their own two minutes in excess.
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