Germany is out of the World Cup quarter-finals following an exciting match.
Switzerland ended the German national ice hockey team's dream of winning medals at the World Championships in the Czech Republic this year. After 32 years without a loss in a knockout game against Switzerland, Germany was defeated 3:1 (0:2, 1:0, 01:1). Harold Kreis' team was behind by two goals in the first quarter and couldn't catch up. Dominik Kahun from the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) managed to score a goal, but Switzerland's Christoph Bertschy (8th/60th) and Nico Hischier (17th) exploited the German defense's weaknesses.
The Swiss team is aiming for a golden medal, considering their strong squad. Last year, they had advanced to the quarter-finals and had two encounters with Germany: in 2021, Marcel Noebels secured a 3:2 win through penalties, and in 2018, the Germans won 2:1 after extra time in the play-off for the quarter-finals. Looking back at the past, between 1989 and 2020, the German team had won four consecutive games against Switzerland. The previous defeat was in the 1992 World Championship quarter-finals in Prague. DEB's Coach Harold Kreis appealed for discipline, but Germany faced numerical disadvantages - Kai Wissmann had to sit in the stands after only 13 seconds due to a penalty. Swiss player Lukas Kälble's broken stick led to an own goal from German defender Lukas Kälble for Switzerland's 3rd goal.
Germany's performance gradually improved during the match, with a power-play goal tying the score 1:1 in the second period, but they couldn't maintain this momentum. Kai Wissmann called for faster defensive play. Lukas Reichel had a final chance to equalize (58'), but the Swiss team successfully defended their victory. Bertschy converted a last-minute shot into an empty net.
Before the match, Kreis emphasized the importance of improving defensively, but his team failed on this target. He made a single change compared to the previous preliminary round games, replacing Tobias Fohrler with Daniel Fischbuch, but the game didn't go their way. NHL player Philipp Kurashev watched eagle-eyed as Switzerland outdiplayed Germany. The DEB team's loss is a significant setback for German fans eager to celebrate another win.
The second term in the game showed Germany's efforts to recover from the poor first half. They scored a goal during a powerplay, and they had one final attempt to level the score. However, the Swiss team's defense held strong, and they successfully retained their lead, resulting in them winning 3:1. This outcome marks a break from DEB's previous record and another defeat for the German team.
Read also:
- Prodigies of sport: Littler's predecessors
- Nagelsmann's announcement: A restless Christmas for national team players
- What sports fans prefer to watch on television
- The calm before the upheaval: Nagelsmann's European Championship plans
Source: www.ntv.de
