Day 2 saw more action from the Men’s World Floorball Championships in Malmö, Sweden as all the teams have now played their first matches of the tournament

Estonia – Canada

Sunday’s first match in the Baltic Hall was played between Estonia and Canada. It was Canada’s first game in the championships and their supportive fans in the crowd with both hats and flags really contributed to the atmosphere in the arena.

After just three minutes, Estonia had already created a 2-0 lead, but the Canadian supporters kept cheering their team on and slowly but steady the Canadian team could build up their play. Despite the current score they kept playing great offense, which eventually paid off. The period was characterized by physical combat and quick turnovers and finally ended with a 3-1 lead in Estonia’s favor.  

The second period was initially even, but after five minutes played, Estonia got a power play and immediately scored 4–1. The Canadian crowd tried to cheer on their team with chants, but so did the Estonian crowd and there was a great atmosphere in the stands. As the period went on, Estonia gained more and more control of the game and could increase their lead to 6-1.  

Although Estonia now had a tight hold of the win, Canada refused to give in. During the third period they kept working hard and despite the disadvantage they never gave up hope. Additionally, the Canadian goalkeeper, Krystof Kasha, played great and offered several nice saves. Canada kept pushing forward to the very end of the game and managed to score both 9-2 and 9-3. This also became the final score when Estonia took their second victory in this World Championships.

Switzerland – Germany

The first game of the day at Malmö Arena was tailor-made for excitement. Switzerland, which had been part of the medal race on several occasions, faced Germany, who had just secured a strong sixth place in the previous championship. With several star players on both teams, the conditions were set for a match that few wanted to miss, and the audience certainly got their money’s worth.

The match started with both teams trying to maintain possession and find opportunities. But halfway through the first period, Paolo Riedi opened the scoring with a well-placed shot. Switzerland continued to look organized, playing patiently around Germany with a lot of ball possession. However, Germany looked dangerous in their counterattacks and created several chances through quick transitions. When the buzzer sounded to end the first period, the score stood at 1-0 in favor of Switzerland.

Switzerland continued to play as the ball-controlling team and, after four minutes into the second period, they turned the game around and made it 2-0. Shortly after, they scored again, making it 3-0 and 4-0. Meanwhile, Germany continued to create chances, but Genhart made a determined effort in goal. Eventually, Germany got their goal during a powerplay, where Heins sent a precise pass through to Broker. With a smart position at the far post, Broker calmly slotted the ball into the net. The period ended 7-1, after, among other things, a goal scored in a well-executed Boxplay. 

The third period began with a quick goal from Germany, a precise shot into the top corner, and the arena, along with the German supporters, erupted in celebration. Germany continued to create opportunities and tested the outstanding goalkeeper several times, but without success. The final score of the match at Malmö Arena was 8-2, with Switzerland demonstrating efficiency and being precise with their finishing.

Australia – Philippines

The second match of the day at the Baltic Hall was played between Australia and the Philippines, two teams that from the very first second offered a fast pace and high intensity game. In the first period, Australia was slightly sharper at taking advantage of their chances. Before the break, they had scored both 1-0 and 2-0, the latter coming from a power play. 

Liam Perry was named the player of the match in team Australia. He praised the team for their performance in the first period, but stated that it became difficult to stop the Philippines after that. 

-We got off to a very good start and were pleased with the first period. Then they got their game going, and we couldn’t really stop them in their momentum. 

In the second period, the tide turned completely, and it was now the Philippines that immediately shifted to a higher gear. Just a minute into the period, they scored a goal to reduce the deficit. Few minutes later, when Simon Andersson got his chance, he didn’t hesitate. The ball was sent straight into the top corner of the net, and the equalizer was a fact. The Philippines continued to push forward. After impressive play from Rhodell Esguerra, they were able to take the lead for the first time in the match after 37 minutes of play. The 3-2 goal would stand as the score until the end of the period. 

The third period also started with a fast-paced start from the Philippines, and after less than three minutes, they had scored both 2-4 and 2-5.  Australia continued with brave attempts, but the Philippines had grown into the better team of the match. Australia pulled their goalkeeper at the end but was unable to score a goal, and the match ended 2-6 in favor of the Philippines. 

Sweden – Latvia

Sweden were welcomed by a buzzing Malmö Arena. In advance, the match was expected to be an exciting one, with the home nation Sweden and a Latvia team that had impressed at the start of the tournament. With these high expectations set in advance, the match definitely lived up to them.

At the beginning of the match, Sweden’s Johan Samuelsson received an honorable recognition in the form of a gold merit badge for his loyal contributions to the Swedish national team. And none other than Samuelsson himself opened the scoring after just three minutes of play, an excellent example of perfect timing. Both teams continued at a high tempo, but it was Sweden who stepped up and made it 2-0. Those were the scores on the board when the first period came to a close.

The second period continued in the same vein, with Gabriel Kohonen stepping up to make it 3-0 with a well-placed shot in the top corner. The next goal came when Sweden got a chance to play with the man advantage, and during their power play, they made it 4-0, much to the delight of the home crowd. Both teams kept finding creative solutions and created several chances against two skilled goalkeepers. Latvia’s hard work was soon rewarded when Greizitis received the ball in front of the goal and made no mistake. The goal was followed by a roar of cheers from the Latvian supporters in the arena. After a while, Sweden struck again, putting the ball in the net twice. When the loud buzzer tried valiantly to outshout the crowd, the scoreboard read 6-1 as the first period came to an end.

The third period remained scoreless for a long time until Latvia’s Markus Dumpis decided to change that after a nice ball-steal followed by a low shot that grazed the post and went in. Both teams continued to create many chances, but the next goal came from Sweden during a power play. Sweden would also score the next two goals when Latvia, in an attempt to reduce the deficit, pulled their goalkeeper. Just as he had scored first, Johan Samuelsson also got the final word, as he sent the ball into the net with a precise shot. After an entertaining match and an eventful third period, the final whistle blew with the score showing 13-2.

Denmark – Thailand

It was two fan-packed teams that met in the final match of the day at Malmö Arena. The expectations for the atmosphere were nothing but high. The only way to distinguish between the two enthusiastic fan sections was by the noise level every time their respective teams scored, as both were dressed in the same colors, forming a red, loud mass.

The first period began with chances at both ends, and it was expected to be a close game. However, it was Denmark that struck first, taking a 1-0 lead. As a result, half of the red mass stood up and cheered loudly. What followed was a back-and-forth game, with two attack-minded teams not taking any shortcuts on their way to the goal. Both teams’ goalkeepers were tested multiple times, but the next goal came in the 17th minute when Denmark extended their lead to 2-0. 

In the second period, the game continued to swing back and forth with plenty of transitions and counterattacks. Denmark often looked for shots, but the Thai players were quick to get in front of the ball. The match was characterized by immense determination from both sides, with two teams working hard to please their fans. In the 8th minute, however, Denmark managed to find the net again as a shot slipped through the Thai defense, making it 3-0. With great efficiency, the Danes then scored three more goals, gaining significant confidence as they headed into the final period.

Despite the deficit, there was no sign of hesitation from the Thai team, who, if they had been wearing pedometers, would likely have recorded impressive running distances. Thailand had previously mentioned their stamina as one of their strengths, and all their hard running finally paid off when they managed to reduce the score to 6-1. But Denmark continued to patiently play the ball, and later added a seventh goal.

Denmark extended their lead to 8-1, but Thailand responded with a goal from Simon Johansson, making it 8-2. While many might have thought that was the final sequence of the match, they were far from right. As the clock wound down toward the final buzzer, four goals were scored in just 30 seconds.

Slovakia – Finland

The last match of the day at the Baltic Hall was played between Finland and Slovakia. The game started cautiously, with both teams feeling each other out. At times, Finland raised the tempo, but Slovakia kept up and resisted. Despite Finland’s high pressure, Slovakia took advantage of the opportunities that came their way, although they were unable to convert them into goals. It was only in the final minute that the first goal of the match came. Team Finland’s Aaro Astala received a great pass from Ville Lastikka and scored the opening goal. 

The second period remained evenly matched, with both teams creating chances. Although Slovakia managed to reduce the deficit, Finland was able to extend their lead again and made it 1-3. This score remained until the end of the period. Largely thanks to a brilliant performance from Slovakia’s goalkeeper, Maros Giba, who was named the best player of the match for his team. After the game, he was satisfied with his performance but felt the team needed to improve their offensive play. “It was a tough game but I made some good saves for the team. Until the next game I think we need to improve our shooting“

In the third period, Finland started with high pressure and good chances going forward. However, it would take a power play before they were able to extend their lead again. Finland then maintained their dominance and scored a 1-5 goal after a nice assist. The goals continued, and the match ended with a final score of 1-7 in favor of Finland. After the match, Aaro Astala, Finland’s best player, was happy with the team’s performance but acknowledged that Slovakia provided a tough challenge.