Austria’s mission to stay in the league starts with a double: on Saturday it’s once morest eleven-time world champion Sweden, on Sunday once morest two-time world champion and bronze medalist from 2021, USA.
France vs. Slovakia in Helsinki and USA vs. Latvia in Tampere opened the 85th IIHF World Championship 2022 a few minutes ago. And the hosts Finland will be stepping onto the World Cup ice for the first time this Friday and their ambitions are high following their triumph at the Olympic Games. For our red-white-red cracks, the World Cup kicks off tomorrow, Saturday.
Sweden and USA, two nations that play for medals in all major events. The roles are clearly divided before the first puck drop. There has only been one win once morest Sweden in the international history so far and that was at the 1947 World Cup in Prague with 2:1. In addition to two draws from the 30s, there are 20 defeats. Most recently on April 28th at the start of the Euro Hockey Tour in Vienna. The Swedes were offered a hot fight, in the end they lost just under 0:1.
The record once morest the USA is similar: 2 wins, 2 draws, 27 defeats. Unforgettable, however, is the 3-0 win at the 2001 World Cup in Cologne. The last meeting was seven years ago, also took place on April 28th and also in Vienna and went 4-1 to the US boys.
The anticipation of the start of the World Cup is great in the red-white-red camp. “We are extremely proud to compete with these top nations. At an A-WM one expects the crème de la crème. We are ready and looking forward to the World Cup,” promises captain Thomas Raffl. The veteran sees a lot of potential in the team and knows what is important: “The mix in the team is very good. We have very talented young players and some established players with some experience. It is important to get that on the ice.”
Like Raffl, Manuel Ganahl already has a three-digit number of international matches and knows the conditions and processes at a World Cup: “We are clear outsiders once morest the top nations. We’re going into the World Cup as underdogs, we have to be compact as a team and implement our system perfectly.”
Ganahl sees the two top nations, Sweden and USA, right at the start as an advantage: “It will be important for us that we get used to the level as quickly as possible through these games and that we can find our game and sometimes once morest such opponents can play along. If we can do that and pick up the pace and the game, then we can make a difference once morest nations like Norway, Latvia or Great Britain.”
The overall starting position for Austria at this World Cup points to a final once morest Great Britain. The aim is to stay up in the league, the way there is not easy, head coach Roger Bader: “We want to show and prove that we belong in the A group and we want to establish ourselves there. We know that as Austria we have a key game and that will be Great Britain no matter what happens before because the direct duel counts. We are clear outsiders once morest the top nations, and Norway and Latvia are also favorites once morest us.”
After the doubles match at the weekend, the national team will have a day off on Monday, following which it will continue with the next doubles match once morest the Czech Republic and Norway.
IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
in Finland (Helsinki & Tampere)
Sweden vs. Austria
Saturday, May 14, 2022, 11:20 a.m., live on ORF Sport+
Austria vs USA
Sunday, May 15, 2022, 3:20 p.m., live on ORF Sport+
www.eishockey.at, Bild: fodo.at
