Medal chance burst: DEB team out in the quarterfinals

Created: 05/26/2022, 17:37

The DEB team was eliminated in the World Cup quarter-finals against the Czech Republic.

© Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva/dpa

The Ice Hockey World Championship is over for the German team.

Nothing will come of the desired revenge against the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.

Penalties rob the German team of the chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Helsinki – For Germany's ice hockey team, hopes for the first World Cup medal in 69 years have been dashed prematurely.

The 1:4 (0:2, 0:1, 1:1) against the Czech Republic was the end of the quarterfinals at the World Cup in Finland for the German team, who lost their chances with penalties.

A year after the semi-final coup in Riga, the selection of national coach Toni Söderholm could not use the tailwind of the strong preliminary round.

Like three years ago, the extremely efficient Czechs came to a dead end in the quarter-finals, Moritz Seider's goal in the 54th minute came too late and was not enough.

After all, the DEB selection had previously corrected the disappointing impression of the early failure at the Olympics with the best World Cup preliminary round of a German team.

After five victories in the seven group games, many spoke of the precious metal.

But an early penalty for the Munich striker Yasin Ehliz and the well-played number hit by the Czech NHL star David Pastrnak in the 3rd minute had an immediate dampening effect.

Coach Söderholm had suspected that the twelve-time world champion would be a difficult test despite an unconvincing preliminary round.

"You don't get anything for free, you have to work for everything.

Patience will be required, and the heart of a fighter,” said the national coach.

For the Finn, the game was a special reunion with his compatriot Kari Jalonen.

The new Czech national coach was once Söderholm's club coach in Helsinki and later something of a mentor.

"It's nothing personal for both of us," Söderholm assured.

And yet the 44-year-old would have loved to spoil his former teacher's tournament debut.

But the Czechs, reinforced with nine NHL professionals, also used the second majority coldly.

Roman Cervenka completed a fine combination to make it 2-0 (11th) when Düsseldorf striker Daniel Fischbuch was in the penalty box.

The Germans had previously had the fewest penalties of all teams in the tournament and thus rarely got themselves into trouble by being outnumbered.

Even in the middle of the first third there was little to suggest that the German team could improve on the previous record of only four wins in 31 World Cup games against the Czech selection.

The revenge for the bitter end three years ago at 1: 5 in the World Cup quarterfinals in Bratislava was a long way off.

Söderholm's protégés only had chances to score at the end of the first period, attacker Lukas Reichel from the second-rate North American professional league AHL hit the post (19th).

"We have to find our game, trust ourselves a bit more," warned captain Moritz Müller at Sport1.

Germany's Lukas Reichel fails with a shot on target.

© Martin Meissner/AP/dpa

But the Czechs wouldn't allow that.

Tactically well adjusted by coach Jalonen, the former ice hockey superpower constricted the German team in phases in its own third.

Even the first majority in the middle of the second part of the game was unsuccessful for the DEB selection.

Instead, the next penalty and the next blow to the neck followed.

Defender veteran Korbinian Holzer had to leave, David Krejci scored to make it 3-0 (33rd).

The fact that polar bear attacker Marcel Noebels failed again shortly afterwards at the post matched the used day of the Germans.

"We had too much respect," admitted young NHL star Seider before the final third.

Marcel Noebels claims the puck against Czech Republic's Michal Kempny.

© Martin Meissner/AP/dpa

Nine minutes before the end, Söderholm took a full risk, taking keeper Philipp Grubauer off the ice in favor of another attacker when he was outnumbered.

The reward was Seider's long-range goal to make it 1:3.

But the turning point was no longer successful.

Jiri Smejkal (59th) hit the empty goal.

dpa