In addition to the Latvian team, Sweden will receive the loudest hockey audience in the world on Thursday.
Latvia pulled off a tough trick when they defeated Switzerland 4-3 in overtime in the last match of the regular season of the World Cup.
In this way, the second host country of the Games is pushing for the medal games and will face Sweden next.
– We played as planned. We were on the same page today. We took the puck to the head, the players sacrificed well. We were seriously on the move.
That’s how Petteri Nummel, who is part of the Latvian coaching team, cheered the Switzerland match.
– And a little luck was involved. It’s always needed.
Quiet start
In Riga, the pressure from the home crowd is enormous. Fanikatsomo is the loudest in Europe. EPA / AOP
Latvia won five of their seven preliminary series matches. Its tournament got off to a bit of a slow start when it lost its two games on the opening weekend.
After that, the statistics show only wins.
– We had a tough start. We faced Canada, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Hardly anyone expected that we would have nine points after those games, Nummelin, who participated in the World Cup 15 times as a player, reminded us.
– The arc of the tournament is built according to the games and opponents as well. Our game has improved all the time. It then culminated in the Switzerland match.
– The tournament is not over yet. Hunger grows when you eat.
Sweden is beatable
Petteri Nummelin has an interesting World Cup tournament going on in the Latvian coaching team. TIMO KUNNARI
Sweden also won five of their preliminary series matches and finished second in the Tampere group. As a reward for this, the team has to travel from Finland to Riga.
The western neighbor celebrated goose-like happiness when the easiest possible opponent happened to be in the quarter-finals.
However, Nummelin fully believes in Latvia’s chances against Tre Kronor.
– That’s why ice hockey is such a great sport. You never know what will happen in the games. All teams in this tournament are beatable.
How should Latvia play against Sweden?
– Yes, we have to play our own game. Of course, small changes and applications are always made according to the opponent. We are trying to prevent certain things from Sweden, said the 49-year-old from Turku.
– It seems that the team’s self-confidence is in good shape. It was already during the Switzerland game. Wins fuel confidence. And confidence helps turn those games around.
Sweden gets into a sauna
Rodrigo Abols has been one of Latvia’s number one players. The attacker’s father Artis is part of the team’s coaching staff. PDO
Latvia’s quarter-final place in the home tournament is a huge source of joy for hockey and sports fans in the country.
In the game that starts at 8:20 p.m. on Thursday evening, Sweden will have a tough time in front of the world’s loudest hockey stadium. Tre Kronor offers access to a real Latvian sauna.
– I think they’re going to have to run around quite a bit here. Children, grandmothers and grandfathers – the encouragement has been great so far and it seems that it is even louder in defeat situations. The public is there even in difficult moments, Nummelin thought.
Looks like there’s a party going on in Latvia?
– Well, it seems so. Pretty wild.