The second weekend of the WFC is about to start. Four games will be played, including the two crucial semifinals!
Here’s a preview of what you can expect tomorrow:
10:00 CET Germany – Slovakia (5-8th place)
Behind the top 4, Germany and Slovakia are two of the four teams battling for 5th place. Slovakia has a huge advantage compared to Germany: the Slovaks have had more than one day extra of rest as there were 40 hours between their last game and this one – and only 13 between Germany’s quarterfinal battle against Sweden.
However, not only the lack of rest will be a trouble for Germany, as Slovakia itself will be a tough nut to crack anyway, even if they were to have more resting hours or days. The winner of this game will play for 5th place against the winner of Latvia – Poland, while the losers of these two games end up in the battle for 7th place.
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11:30 CET Latvia – Poland (5-8th place)
Latvia managed to score four times against Switzerland, but it wasn’t enough to reach the semifinals. This means they’ll continue their tournament with the 5-8th place games, starting off with Poland as their opponent.
After their loss against the Czech Republic, Poland now can strive for a higher spot in the World Ranking, as they’re currently in 7th place. Latvia seems to have the upper hand, located at the 5th spot, but at this specific moment in the tournament, fatigue can start to play a major role!
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14:30 CET Sweden – Finland (semifinal)
After Finland’s loss in the group stage, against Switzerland, the team almost knew it would end up like this: with a battle against its arch-enemy Sweden. Sweden is favorited to win this game, with four out of four so far, while Finland is struggling to dominate games, as could be seen in the 4-7 loss against Switzerland and the 8-6 won game against Slovakia. However, having full focus on the defense while patiently waiting for a few counters might exactly be what Finland’s hoping for, with the top scorers’ duo Veera and Oona Kauppi as its strongest weapons.
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17:45 CET Switzerland – Czech Republic (semifinal)
Home country Switzerland only has one more opponent left to beat before they can reach the final. But it’s not just any opponent: it’s the Czech Republic. Yesterday, the Czechs won their quarterfinal against Poland, despite a slow start. Switzerland beat Latvia 10-4 and has the advantage of having had one more day of rest.
Based on the previous results between Switzerland and the Czech Republic, this semifinal might become a very close one. The last six games between the teams have all been decided by a one-goal difference, with four victories for the Czechs and two for Switzerland.
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