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Semi-finals against USA: ice hockey team wants first World Cup medal in 70 years

Semi-finals against USA: ice hockey team wants first World Cup medal in 70 years

Germany’s ice hockey team continues on Saturday in the World Cup semi-final against the USA. After the convincing quarter-final victory against Switzerland, the team expects a chance there as well.

After the quarter-final victory over Switzerland, the return journey of the German national ice hockey team to Finland was involuntarily delayed.

The plane with the convoy of the German Ice Hockey Federation took off from Riga in Latvia to Tampere in Finland about an hour late. The reason for the delay was a problem with the luggage.

The day before, the DEB team had made it into the World Cup semi-finals again with a 3-1 win against the favored Swiss. “I’m just proud. What the team did was outstanding,” said the best German World Cup player so far, NHL attacker Nico Sturm.

At the weekend, the selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation has the opportunity to win the first World Cup medal in 70 years for the third time after 2010 and 2021. “Then it’s about time again,” said national coach Harold Kreis. In 2010 and 2021, Germany defeated its arch-rival from Switzerland in the quarter-finals and ended up fourth in the World Cup.

World Cup already a success for national coach Kreis

“It’s great for us to have another chance. I think we’re going into the game with a lot of vigor and want to get something this time,” said captain Moritz Müller before the semifinals on Saturday against the USA (5:20 p.m. / Sport1 and MagentaSport) . “We just have to play like we did against Switzerland. With heart and soul, with passion and everyone for everyone,” said NHL striker John-Jason Peterka.

For the new national coach Kreis as the successor to Toni Söderholm, his first World Cup as head coach is already a great success. Targets set by the DEB Presidium for this World Cup were reaching the quarter-finals and direct qualification for the Olympic Winter Games in Milan 2026. This has also now been achieved after the quarter-final victory against Switzerland.

“I’m in incredibly good hands with this team. I’m not worried. The performance is right, the commitment is right. There’s nothing I have to get excited about,” said Kreis about his team, given the 15 injury-related cancellations before the World Cup hardly anyone believed anything.

On Friday, the DEB is also expecting another happy customer before the semi-finals. The 2027 World Cup, for which Germany has applied, will be awarded in Tampere. The only competitor is Kazakhstan. The contract for the DEB would be financially important in order to be able to implement planned sporting reforms.

Source: Stern

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