DEB team suddenly unbeatable?: Sensational winners are planning the really big World Cup thing

DEB team suddenly unbeatable?
Sensational winners are planning the really big World Cup thing

With the next knockout victory against Switzerland, the German national ice hockey players have bought their Olympic ticket and are reaching for their first World Cup medal in 70 years. The winning streak has boosted the team with confidence. Now, they say, anything is possible. Also the title.

Nico Sturm, John-Jason Peterka and all the other German World Cup heroes stormed onto the ice with the final siren. Everyone on Mathias Niederberger, everyone on the goalie. In the stands in Riga, the fans sang, “oh how beautiful” – but one person was missing from the party: Moritz Seider had to watch the surprising and emotional semi-finals of the World Cup in the dressing room.

The top defender from the NHL had been put off the ice after a tough gang check in the 3-1 (1-0, 2-1, 0-0) against Switzerland. His teammates also fought self-sacrificingly for him and for the Olympic ticket. They threw themselves into every shot in the closing stages. With success. As in 2010 at the home World Cup and the title fights two years ago, Germany beat the Confederates and plays on Saturday (5:20 p.m./MagentaSport and in the live ticker on ntv.de) against the USA for the first World Cup medal in 70 years.

What’s in now? “Everything,” Nico Sturm replied: “Why shouldn’t we win two more games?” The Stanley Cup winner had gone well beyond the pain threshold with his teammates.

A victory for Moritz Seider

“I didn’t feel my legs at all for the last ten minutes. I’m incredibly proud of the team, how everyone fought for everyone else. Unbelievable,” said Sturm at Sport1. “I can only take my hat off again and again. We know that it’s only about unconditional support and togetherness,” said national coach Harold Kreis at MagentaSport.

“We all played for Moritz. You don’t have to give the penalty,” said Peterka. “Everyone for everyone” was the recipe for success. “It’s unbelievable how everyone threw themselves into it,” said the young star: “We don’t have to hide playfully, but in the end we’re distinguished by the way we fight for each other.”

The NHL players Peterka (38th) and Sturm (39th) paved the way to victory against the favorite with a double strike. Munich’s Maximilian Kastner (7th) also scored. For the Swiss, who had stormed through the group stage and dreamed of their first world title, only Jonas Siegenthaler (21st) was successful. They go home, for Germany it is up to the USA in Tampere on Saturday for a place in the final and the first World Cup medal since silver in 1953. Incidentally, the DEB team also managed to qualify for the 2026 Olympic Games. The second semi-final Canada and Latvia compete at this World Cup.

Always Switzerland

Once again it was Nico Sturm who led the way: Although he hobbled off the ice after a painful puck hit in the back of his knee, he continued playing shortly afterwards. Niederberger shone in goal with strong saves, in front of him Seider cleared – until he overdid it and received a game misconduct penalty (32nd).

Ten players were on the ice in the DEB team, who were already there in 2021 – when Marcel Noebels decided the penalty shootout to 3: 2 with a spectacular “one-handed”. In 2010 at the home World Cup, the German team triumphed 1-0 in Mannheim. On the way to the sensational Olympic silver medal in 2018, Germany had also knocked out their arch-rivals 2-1 after extra time in the play-off for the quarter-finals.

The Swiss were missing one of the six NHL professionals at the first face-off: Striker Denis Malgin fell ill, and, somewhat surprisingly, the goal was not the previously outstanding number one Leonardo Genoni, but Robert Mayer. Kreis hadn’t changed anything about his successful line-up and saw that Mayer promptly missed the opening goal when he let the disc slip through an actually harmless shot.

“With the goal, we took Switzerland’s rhythm,” said Kastner at Sport1. But the Swiss found it again at the beginning of the second half. However, the equalizer was preceded by a clear foul on Seider. But then the DEB team struck just when the top defender was already in the dressing room.

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