Day 3 saw more action from the Men’s World Floorball Championships in Malmö, Sweden as the group stages start to finalise with teams staking their claim with decisive matches.

Australia – Canada

In Malmö Arena, it was a rather uneventful start between Australia and Canada. However, the latter stepped up a gear and were able to break the first deadlock of the match after 13th minutes through Alex Jette. The goal would also break the match’s sequence of events and the goals poured in one after the other. In the first period alone, the score was 2-3.

Despite being behind both in terms of results and play in the first period, it was Australia who took the lead in the second period. The twins Damian and Daniel Gardner were in a playful mood and contributed with both goals and assists. The first goals of the tournament. Damian, with three goals and an assist, was also the ‘Man of the Match’.

After falling behind, Canada picked up the pace and showed the good form they had in the beginning of the game. The Canadians managed to turn the game around and looked to be heading for a victory.

At the end of the game, Australia took out their goalkeeper. This in the hope of finding an equalizer. After a nice push in the offensive half, the ball went into the goal with one second left in the game! The goal was scored by Christian Newland, ending things at 7-7 when the final whistle came.

Slovenia – Thailand

The Baltic Hall opened with a match between Slovenia and Thailand. Both nations had had a challenging start to the tournament without any points, but it was clear that these were two fired-up, revenge-driven teams stepping onto the arena.

As predicted, both teams started off hungry, working hard to be the first to break the deadlock. But when the ball hit the net for the first time in the match, it was Slovenia who struck first. None other than the two Peklaj brothers who scored and assisted  each other on two separate occasions.

Thailand came to life, eager to join the goal party. After some hard work, their captain stepped up and reduced the score to 2-1. Later, a powerplay would also lead to the equalizer at 2-2, keeping the match tight. But Thailand would really show their intent to take the 3 points when they made it 3-2. The drums and horns were finally interrupted at the 20-minute mark as the first period horn whistle sounded. The second period was much more goal-shy, and the 2-3 scoreline from the first period stood as the teams headed into the third.

When the third period started, the match continued to reflect two teams thriving in a fast-paced game. The balance remained even, and the score was tied at 3-3 after Slovenia’s goal. If anyone thought the match intensity had peaked, they were mistaken—suddenly, the game shifted into another gear. With great tension, Slovenia scored 4-3, but Thailand quickly responded with a 4-4 equalizer. Then, out of nowhere, Slovenia took the lead again, 5-4, and the celebration was massive. For a while, it seemed like that would be the final act of the game, but in the closing seconds, Thailand stepped up and, with less than a second left, made it 5-5. The atmosphere could have blown the roof off, and the spectators had seen a match they would not forget in a long time. Final score 5-5.

Norway – Germany

When the starting signal sounds and the match got underway, Germany took the upper hand right from the start. After 30 seconds, they created their first scoring chance and shortly thereafter two more chances, one of which a shot against the post. Eleven minutes into the game, Germany scores their first goal from number 17, Flemming Kuhl. Not even a minute later comes the next goal, by number 10 Janos Broker making the score 2 – 0 to Germany.   

Norway gradually worked its way into the match and is incredibly fast in the counterattacks, which also pays off. Just over 20 minutes into the first period, their first goal is scored by number 8 by William Andersson. The period ending with the score 2-1 to Germany.   

The second period started relatively evenly between the teams. Germany quickly getting a goal and Norway then countered and pulled the match back to 2-3. Despite the Norwegians fighting on, Germany were the ones in control and pressing further forward Germany with three goals within a few minutes of each other. 

In the third and final period, Germany continues to dominate. Malmö make some valiant attempts to come back through. Among other things, they change the goalkeeper and bring in an extra player on offense, but after missing the only penalty of the match and conceding a few more goals, the result of the match cannot be changed. Germany cruising at the end to a 8-3 victory over Norway.

Philippines – Estonia

The fast-paced and closely contested match between Estonia and the Philippines turned into a real thriller, with both teams battling hard for the win. Estonia started strong with early goals, but the Philippines never gave up, responding quickly to every setback. The second match of the day at the Baltic Hall remained intense until the very last minute.

In the first period, Estonia was given the chance to play power play, which they took advantage of immediately, scoring 1-0. The team continued to dominate possession and establish play in the Philippines’ zone, but the Filipino players were quick and created numerous counterattacks. The Philippines’ goalkeeper also put in a valiant performance between the posts, making several key saves. Eventually, Estonia struck again with a volley, extending the lead to 2-0. With three minutes left in the first period, the Philippines finally got rewarded for their hard work. As the clock wound down in the final moments of the first half, Estonia showed their strength in front of goal, making it 3-1, which would stand after the first 20 minutes.

A frantic back and forth 2nd period made it hard for either side to become more dominant. Goals for both sides left things delicately poised after 40 minutes with the Estonians holding a slim 5-4 lead. Both teams gave everything in the third period to claim the three points, but once again, it was Estonia’s Ken Pähn who stepped up and gave his team a crucial goal with a cool finish. The Philippines pulled their goalkeeper in a last-ditch attempt to equalise, but Estonia held firm, ultimately securing the win and the three points with a final score of 6-5.

Czechia – Switzerland

On Monday afternoon, one of the tournament’s top matches was set to take place. It was time for the face off between Czechia and Switzerland, two nations known for going far in international tournaments. Initially, it was the Czechs who had more possession of the ball and created offensive pressure, but Switzerland held strong and was able to create a few dangerous chances of their own. A cagey first period look set to end all even until a late goal by Matej Havlas sent the Czechs happier after the first period break.

In the second period, the high tempo continued from the start. It didn’t take long before Switzerland equalized. Thanks to a fantastic assist from Manuel Maurer, Stefan Hutzli scored to make it 1-1. Later in the period, Czechia had the chance to regain the lead through two power plays, but Switzerland managed to clear the danger, and the score remained 1-1 until the end of the period. 

However, it only took Czechia one minute into the third period to take the lead. Just a couple of minutes later, it was 3-1. Slowly but surely, Czechia began to dominate the game, and Switzerland struggled to change the course of the match. They did get a chance with a power play, but the closest they came was hitting the post. They would manage to score at last, during a 6-0n-5 situation, but they couldnät get any closer than that. Czechia sealed the win with an empty-net goal and the match ended 5-2 in favor of Czechia. 

Slovakia – Latvia

From the moment the opening faceoff was won by Latvia, the red section of the crowd made its presence known. The blue supporter section also didn’t hold back on horns and cheers, especially when Slovakia took the lead in the first minute, with the score showing 1-0. After the game continued to provide chances for both teams, it was Latvia that ultimately capitalized on one of their opportunities, calmly scoring an equalizer,1-1. The goal gave the red-and-white team extra energy as they continued their high-pressure game. But Slovakia was alert, quickly blocking the Latvian shots. However, it was one of Latvia’s chances that found its way into the net and they had officially turned the game around to take the lead. As the first period came to an end, Slovakia made it 2-2, and both teams headed for the break.

Latvia continued to apply high pressure and disrupt Slovakia’s build-up play, but Slovakia made good use of their speed and created several scoring opportunities of their own. When the deadlock was broken, Latvia’s Kovalevskis was the one to score, placing a well-placed shot into the top corner. This was a performance that gave Latvia a narrow advantage going into the final period. The close game continued into the third period, with both teams exchanging chances. After a while, Latvia extended their lead with a well-placed shot that showcased their efficiency. The game was characterized by physical play and determined teams, with Slovakia doing everything they could to rewrite the scoreline.

Slovakia made an attempt to get back in the game by pulling their goalkeeper for an extra attacker, and this tactic paid off with a 4-3 goal. After a successful gamble, Slovakia continued with the extra player on the field, and they certainly wouldn’t regret it, as they managed to score the equaliser at 4-4 just as the buzzer sounded. The shot came with such a narrow margin that even VAR was involved in determining the final result of the match. After a tense moment, the referee pointed to the center circle, and the Slovak players erupted in a wild celebration. A crazy finish to the match with a final score being confirmed at 4-4.

Poland – Denmark

The last match of Day 3 at the Malmö Arena took place between Poland and Denmark. The Danes were perfect heading into the contest with 2 wins from 2 and also had the confidence of beating Poland at every previous WFC meeting between the two. The first 6 minutes perfectly playing out how the rest of the match would go with two quick fire goals within a short time frame of each other.

Despite Denmark having greater chances throughout the match Poland never were too far behind always stopping Danish momentum from building up too much. After more back and forth 40 minutes concluded with only a slim 4-3 Danish lead. Things fully came alive in the third with 7 goals scored and finally for the Danes some breathing room helped by the stellar performance of Eddie Nissen Sandberg who struck with 5 goals on the day. Ludvig Wu for the Poles came into the game in the third and was impressive scoring 2 goals but it wasn’t enough for Poland who eventually couldn’t claw back from 2 goals down with the final score ending at 8-6 for the Danes, who finish top of Group D and head into a much needed rest day. Poland return back on Tuesday for a crucial match against Slovenia to decide who will finish in the final playoff spot in Group D.