World Hockey Championship Group B match: Czech Republic – Canada, May 23, 2023, Riga. Players of the Czech Republic after a lost match.
Riga/Tampere – The Czech hockey players will play in the quarter-finals of the World Championship against the United States of America on Thursday from 15:20 CET in Tampere, where they will move from Riga on Wednesday morning. After the victory of Latvia over Switzerland 4:3 in extra time, coach Kari Jalonen's team finished fourth in the basic group B and the winner “A” awaits them, who is the only undefeated participant in the tournament.
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Photo gallery: Ice Hockey World Cup 2023
In Tampere, the home Finns remained in third place and will face Canada at 19:20 CET. The Latvians, who have already taken away their hope for the Slovakian play-off by winning a point, will play against Sweden from 19:20 SELČ. Four hours earlier, Switzerland's duel with Germany will be played in Riga.
The last time the Czech team played against the Americans was last year at the championship in Tampere. First, he won 1:0 in the basic group, and then he succeeded in the duel for bronze, in which he won 8:4 and received his first medal at a major event in ten years.
The Czech hockey players had to wait until the conclusion of the duel between the Latvians and the Swiss in the evening to decide on the opponent and the venue of the quarter-final match. In case of defeat of the home team in normal playing time, they would stay in Riga and play the Swedes, in case of defeat of the Latvians in the setup, they would also face the Swedes, but in Tampere.
“It was interesting to watch the last match of the group, because until the last moment it was not clear who we would play in the quarter-finals. In the end it will be the United States of America, a very good team that has not lost in the tournament. Tomorrow morning we will travel to Tampere, where we know it well from last year, and we will do our best we will prepare for the knock-out part of the tournament,” said Jalonen.
World Championship play-off schedule in Tampere and Helsinki:
Thursday, May 25:
15 :20 quarter-finals: Czech Republic – USA (Tampere), quarter-finals: Switzerland – Germany (Riga),
19:20 quarter-finals: Finland – Canada (Tampere), quarter-finals: Latvia – Sweden (Riga).
Saturday 27 May (Tampere):
13:20 semi-final,
17:20 semi-final.
Sunday 28 May (Tampere):
14:20 for 3rd place,
19:20 final.
