The play-off round is over and we saw all four favorites advance to the quarterfinals. In the first match at the O2 Arena, Slovakia had to bow to the strong Latvian side. The same applies to the Estonians, who were within arm’s reach of victory for a long part of the match against Denmark, but in the end lost by a single goal. At Arena Sparta, Norway outclassed Australia and in the evening Germany beat Canada.
Latvia – Slovakia 6-1 (2-1, 0-0, 4-0)
The first match of the elimination stage came of better for the Latvians. Their patient floorball bore fruit and thanks to the contribution by the two-goal scorers Cerins and Jansons they will meet Sweden in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Slovaks definitely had some chances to turn the match into a drama. At 3-1 for Latvia, Dudovič had a penalty-shot opportunity after a foul on Gašparík, but the championship scoring leader (7+9) failed to score this time. And Slovakia didn’t capitalize on their power-plays either.
Denmark – Estonia 3-2 (1-0, 0-1, 2-1)
An attractive and evenly balanced game that was decided by the Danish captain Mikkel Skov Nielsen and his game-winning goal in the 52nd minute. The Estonians were the slightly better side from about halfway through the match, but due to the Danish goalie Trolle (40 saves) and sometimes due to bad luck they were not productive enough. The Danish forward Emil Odfeldt, who recorded two points in the game (1+1), was selected his team’s MVP. Denmark will face the home team of the Czech Republic in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Norway – Australia 10-0 (3-0, 4-0, 3-0)
The third play-off game and the first one taking place at the Arena Sparta featured the teams of Norway and Australia. The Aussies qualified for the play-offs at the last moment, following their high win over Japan. On the other hand, Norway was sent into the play-off round after losing only to the Nordic floorball powers. The difference in the teams’ qualities was significant, but the Australians presented themselves with a fearless offensive performance, which definitely won them favor of quite a few fans in the stands. Despite all this, Australia was outclassed 0-10 and will play for the 9th–12th place. Norway will take on Switzerland in the tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
Germany – Canada 7-2 (2-1, 3-1, 2-0)
In the last match of the day, Germany took on Canada but had a really poor start into the game. The Germans conceded in the first minute already and had to realize very quickly that the match won’t be easy at all. Canada defended lion-heartedly but still left some cracks in their defensive wall. Four and a half minutes before the end the North Americans pulled their goalie, but their final pressure was thwarted by two penalties with about ninety seconds left on the clock, in which they conceded their final goal.
DAY 4: Group Stage Culminating, Czech Republic to Face Switzerland – 4.12.2018
Germany Saves Czechs by Beating Latvia, Nordic Powers Post Convincing Wins – 4.12.2018
Sweden Dominates Norway to Get Easy 9-1 Win – 3.12.2018
Estonia Beats Thailand 11-4 to End Group Stage Unbeaten – 3.12.2018
Great First Period Secures First Victory for Finland – 3.12.2018
Great Defense Gives Australia First Tournament Win over Poland – 3.12.2018
Data Analysis: Latvia vs Czech Republic 4:3 – 3.12.2018
Impressive Third Period Pushes Germany to First Win in Prague – 3.12.2018
Zubir‘s Two Goals Help Singapore Beat Japan in Front of 6,341 Spectators – 3.12.2018
Data Analysis: Finland vs Sweden 4:5 – 3.12.2018
DAY 3: Program Starts with Asian Battle, Fans to See Two Nordic Derbies – 3.12.2018
Latvia Stuns the Hosts, Slovakia and Switzerland on Scoring Surge – 3.12.2018
Estonia Wins Evening Thriller in Arena Sparta – 2.12.2018
First Tournament Surprise as Latvia Beats Czech Republic 4-3 – 2.12.2018
Battle between Canada and Singapore Ends in First Tournament Draw – 2.12.2018
Switzerland Outclasses Germany 13-1, Känzig Scores Four Goals – 2.12.2018
Japan Enters Tournament with 1-15 Loss against Slovakia – 2.12.2018
Norway Turns Score to Get First Tournament Win – 2.12.2018
Data Analysis: Germany vs Czech Republic 5:10 – 2.12.2018
DAY 2: Twelve Teams in Action, Czechs to Face Latvia – 2.12.2018