Switzerland has two chances for first World Cup medal

Switzerland will face Denmark in the semi-final at the 5th IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Championships in Sursee (Saturday, 4.15 pm, Stadthalle). The team of national coach Daniel Pulver now has two chances to win a World Championship medal for the first time. In the last group match against top favourite Netherlands, the locals conceded their first tournament defeat with 5:10 (2:5). The Netherlands will face Finland in the other World Cup semi-final.

The final group match between Switzerland and the Netherlands offered powerchair hockey at its best. The two teams, already qualified for the semi-finals, enchanted the audience in the Stadthalle with fantastic combinations and beautifully played goals.

Switzerland stayed in the game against the Netherlands for a long time. In the 30th minute, Jan Schäublin scored his 18th goal of the tournament after a brilliant pass from Manuel Melder to make it 5:7. The 300 spectators began to hope. However, a gross defensive error led to 5:8 a short time later. Tim Heere took advantage of the gift and steered the game in the usual direction. The multiple world champion finally celebrated an unchallenged victory.

A look at the history books shows how strong the Dutch are at this World Cup: the Kingdom is the only nation to have won a plaque at each of the four World Championships held so far – twice the golden one. Since their foundation in 1998, the Dutch powerchair hockey artists have lost just three games: the 2010 World Cup final against Germany (6:7 after overtime), the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Denmark (3:4) and the group match on the same occasion against Switzerland (4:5).

National coach Daniel Pulver was able to take some positives from the first defeat at the tournament: “We ran the ball well, showed nice combinations and took on the duels. If we don’t give away any gifts, we can also keep up against teams as strong as the Netherlands.” In the semi-final against the physically strong Danes, it is now a matter of preventing own mistakes, optimising the positional play and significantly increasing the efficiency in attack.

The record of both teams so far speaks for itself: Denmark won all three matches at World Cup and European Championship level.

Switzerland – Netherlands 5:10 (2:5)

Stadthalle. – 300 spectators. – Referees Matijasevic (Slo)/Laakso (Fi)/Stormark (Dä). – Goals: 2. Heere (Van der Heijden) 0:1. 2. Van der Heijden 0:2. 3. Zenhäusern 1:2. 7. Van der Heijden 1:3. 9. Van den Boomen 1:4. 17. Van den Boomen 1:5. 19. Schäublin 2:5. 25. Van den Boomen (Van der Heijden) 2:6. 25. Melder (Schäublin) 3:6. 26. Zenhäusern 4:6. 27. Van der Heijden (Van den Boomen) 4:7. 30. Schäublin (Melder) 5:7. 32. Heere 5:8. 35. Van den Boomen (Heere) 5:9. 36. Feller (Van den Boomen) 5:10.

Switzerland: Bachmann; Inhelder, Spirig, Zenhäusern, Melder; Schäublin, Braillard, Conceição.

Sursee (Sz). 5th IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Championship. Matchday 4. Group A: Italy – Canada 15:1 (7:0). Switzerland – Netherlands 5:10 (2:5). Canada – Belgium 0:3 (0:0). – The ranking (after 4 matches): 1. Netherlands 8 points. 2. Switzerland 6 points. Netherlands and Switzerland qualified for the World Cup semi-finals. 3. Italy 4. 4. Belgium 2. 5. Canada 0. – Group B: Spain – Germany 2:6 (1:1). Australia – Finland 0:32 (0:16). Denmark – Spain 11:1 (8:0). – The ranking (after 4 games): 1. Denmark 8 points. 2. Finland 6. – Denmark and Finland qualified for the World Cup semi-finals. 3. Germany 4. 4. Spain 2. 5. Australia 0.

World Cup semi-finals (Saturday, 13th August): Netherlands – Finland (2 p.m.). Switzerland – Denmark (4.15 p.m.).

Italy – Canada 15:1 (7:0)

Stadthalle. – 50 spectators. – Referees Käch (Sz)/Menz (De)/Rosche (Sz). – Goals: 1. Sciuva 1:0. 7. Ramina 2:0. 10. Sciuva (Ramina) 3:0. 16. Ramina 4:0. 16. Fierravanti 5:0. 17. Masoli (Fierravanti) 6:0. 20. Masoli 7:0. 21. Masoli 8:0. 21. Fierravanti 9:0. 28. Fierravanti 10:0. 30. Comino 11:0. 32. Masoli (Comino) 12:0. 33. Raunak 12:1. 37. Jignea (Comino) 13:1. 37. Masoli (Comino) 14:1. 38. Masoli 15:1.

Spain – Germany 2:6 (1:1)

Stadthalle. – 50 spectators. – Ref Siiki (Fi)/Vanhove (Bel)/Imparato (It). – Goals: 9. Sisik 0:1. 10. Sanchez 1:1. 25. Huber (Sisik) 1:2. 32. Badia Calm 2:2. 32. Huber 2:3. 34. Sisik 2:4. 36. Huber (Sisik) 2:5. 39. Huber 2:6.

Australia – Finland 0:32 (0:16)

Stadthalle. – 50 spectators. – Referees Iotti (It)/Borgers (Ho)/Imparato (It). – Goals: 4. Matikainen 0:1. 5. Mursu 0:2. 6. Mursu 0:3. 8. Palonen 0:4. 9. Palonen 0:5. 10. Palonen 0:6. 11. Palonen 0:7. 12. Palonen 0:8. 12. Palonen 0:9. 13. Palonen 0:10. 13. Ojala 0:11. 14. Ahonen 0:12. 14. Ahonen 0:13. 15. Palonen 0:14. 15. Ojala 0:15. 17. Palonen 0:16. 22. Vuorinen 0:17. 24. Ojala 0:18. 25. Vuorinen 0:19. 25. Ojala 0:20. 26. Ojala 0:21. 27. Vuorinen 0:22. 29. Mursu 0:23. 29. Mursu 0:24. 30. Palonen 0:25. 32. Mursu 0:26. 33. Mursu 0:27. 37. Palonen 0:28. 37. Vuorinen 0:29. 39. Vuorinen 0:30. 40. Mursu 0:31. 40. Mursu 0:32.

Canada – Belgium 0:3 (0:0)

Stadthalle. – 100 spectators. – Ref Rosche (Sz)/Stormark (Dä)/Käch (Sz). – Goals: 23. Kahya 0:1. 32. Van Nerum 0:2. 33. Kahya 0:3.

Denmark – Spain 11:1 (8:0)

Stadthalle. – 100 spectators. – Referees Virtanen (Fi)/Vanhove (Bel)/Siiki (Fi). – Goals: 1. Pedersen 1:0. 5. Pedersen 2:0. 7. Berenth 3:0. 7. Berenth (Pedersen) 4:0. 12. Pedersen 5:0. 13. Berenth (Richelsen) 6:0. 18. Berenth (Richelsen) 7:0. 20. Pedersen (penalty) 8:0. 23. Berenth 9:0. 26. Berenth (Richelsen) 10:0. 28. Rodriguez 10:1. 30. Berenth (Richelsen) 11:1.