Last quarterfinals and two placement matches took place on Day 7. Latvia made history by qualifying for the semi-finals at World Floorball Championships and two more teams, being Latvia and Finland also qualified for The World Games 2025.

Philippines – Poland

Day seven of the WFC began at the Baltic Hall, where the Philippines and Poland were set to compete for 11th place. Despite this being their first meeting in the tournament, there were no signs of hesitation, and it quickly became an eventful match from the start. After just over a minute of play, the Philippines took the lead. However, Poland didn’t take long to respond, and 42 seconds later, the score was tied. A few minutes later, Poland would manage to find the net again, turning the game around and taking the lead.

After a somewhat chaotic situation, the Philippines were handed a penalty. The Polish team took advantage of the power play, and after a rebound, Kacper Szalanski scored to extend their lead to 1-3. However, the goal didn’t give Poland any breathing room, as it was now their turn to suffer a penalty. The Philippines applied pressure immediately, and a shot from Ludvig Hemmingberg Porra, sent in on chance, deflected off a Polish player and into the goal. Following the Philippines’ goal, the match swung back and forth. Before the break, however, Poland once again managed to create a two-goal lead, and the score at the end of the first period was 2-4.

In the second period, Poland extended their lead three times. When their goalkeeper, Maciej Bogdanski, then saved a penalty shot awarded to the Philippines, a Polish victory felt increasingly likely. But the Philippines had a different plan, and the first reduction came just past the halfway mark of the period. When Poland received a 2 + 2-minute penalty, the Philippines took full advantage by scoring twice in power play, making the score 5-7 going into the final period.
The Philippines’ captain, Lucas Oijvall Enaje, said the following about the team’s start to the match:
– We went off to a bad start, but then we said to each other ‘’this is the last game for this tournament so we’ll try to give it everything we can’’.

The Philippines made a strong start to the third period, and another reduction didn’t take long to arrive. The team had now turned a five-goal deficit into a single-goal difference. The Philippines, who had previously been on the back foot, were now in possession and did everything they could to force an equalizer. However, when they took a penalty after just over half the period, it was Poland who scored the next goal.

The Philippines managed to reduce the score again, and after that, they pulled their goalkeeper for a final push. With beautiful teamwork, as Simon Sicat Larano found Lucas Werelius on the far post, they achieved the incredible: after 53 minutes and 18 seconds of being behind, the Philippines had leveled the score, and the match would be decided in overtime. There, it took the Philippines no more than three seconds to secure an impressive comeback. Rhodell Esguerra took the ball directly from the face-off and made sure to seal the victory for the Philippines. A historic win for the team dressed in blue. Captain Oijvall Enaje continues:

– It’s an historic win for us in many ways. Now we qualified as the best team outside of Europe, and it was the first time ever an AOFC Team beat a European team.

Denmark – Estonia

The match for 11th place in the 2024 WFC was played between Denmark and Estonia. It was a clash that would be incredibly close from start to finish. The first period began somewhat cautiously, and despite both teams creating a number of dangerous chances, the score remained 0-0.

In the second period, Denmark was quickly handed a penalty, which allowed Estonia to take the lead in the match. However, as they scored to make it 0-1, they received a penalty for unsporting behavior, giving Denmark the opportunity to equalize. Although Estonia managed to withstand the pressure, it didn’t take long before Denmark eventually found the equalizer. Captain Frederik Kobberup took a shot from midfield that a screened Karl-Erik Kruusmaa in the Estonian goal couldn’t stop.
The tie on the scoreboard also reflected the game itself. Denmark showcased great passing and individual skills, but Estonia held strong defensively and won their battles. As a result, no further goals were scored in the second period.

The third period began the same way the second ended, with two evenly matched teams struggling to outsmart each other. Gradually, Estonia gained the upper hand, and after a dangerous counter-attack, followed by another chance where Denmark’s goalkeeper Mike Trolle made an incredible save, they got an even bigger opportunity in power play. Despite Trolle making another great save on a direct shot from Estonia, he couldn’t stop the rebound, and Gerdo Unga scored, giving Estonia the lead.

Denmark continued to play offensively, and after being set up by Frederik Kobberup, Kristoffer Handgaard scored the equalizer. The score remained 2-2 until the referee blew the final whistle, leading to overtime. The end of the game would turn out to be an intense one. At first, it seemed like Denmark would emerge as winners, but the goal was disallowed, and instead, Estonia countered. After Denmark illegally stopped the breakaway, the referee awarded a penalty to Estonia. Mathias Einamann took responsibility for the opportunity, and with impressive composure, he scored the decisive goal for Estonia.

—The ending of today’s game was defiantly a highlight for us. The game was so even and it was great to win, said Estonian goalkeeper and player of the game, Karl-Erik Kruusmaa.

Switzerland – Latvia

The quarterfinal between Switzerland and Latvia provided a great atmosphere. The teams’ supporters were loud and cheered their teams on.

At the start of the match, both teams showed a desire to push forward. Latvia would soon begin to take control of the game, and they scored the first goal of the match. Rolands Kovalevskis found Janis Ragovskis, who placed the ball into the top corner. By that point, just over eight minutes had been played.

Latvia continued their offensive pressure, and when the match clock hit exactly 16 minutes, it was Gustavs Grizitis who extended their lead with a well-placed long-range shot. However, just 53 seconds later, Switzerland responded. A great combination between Claudio Mutter and Marco Louis, who was the last to touch the ball, led to a goal that reduced the deficit.

After the first break, Switzerland came out determined to take control of the match. Andrin Hollstein gained possession of the ball, found a gap, and fired in the equalizer just three minutes into the second period.

Latvia fought back, but Switzerland continued to dominate the play. This would pay off around ten minutes later when Marco Louis scored his second goal of the day, capitalizing on a rebound. Switzerland had now taken the lead.
The intense tension seemed never-ending. In the third period, Latvia regained control, playing with determination and creating many opportunities. There were chances at both ends, and a goal felt imminent. It wasn’t until 12 minutes into the period that Latvia got their revenge. They stopped an attack, quickly sent the ball up the field to Peteris Trekse, who scored the equalizer. The crowd remained loud and the tension at an all-time high. So much so that it took a sudden death overtime to decide the quarterfinal.

Latvia has now advanced to the semifinals, where they will face either Finland or Norway. The semifinal will be played on Saturday evening. This marks a historic achievement for Latvia, as they have secured their best-ever placement in the championship. They had previously finished in 5th place in the last three tournaments, which remains their best result. This achievement is something Janis Ragovskis looks upon with great pride.

– It’s amazing of course. I have been dreaming about this my entire career. A monumental moment for Latvian floorball.

Latvia’s advancement to the semifinals also means they have qualified for The World Games 2025.

Finland – Norway

The last quarterfinal of the day had a Nordic theme, as Finland faced off against Norway in a match that began with an early goal. Just 20 seconds in, the crowd was awakened when Terjesen made a swift move around the goal, spun past his opponents, and placed the ball in the top corner. A perfect start for the Norwegian forward. The Norwegian goalkeeper also had a strong start, making some impressive saves early in the game.

Finland then took control with a lot of ball possession and created several chances through intricate passing plays. However, in goal stood none other than Klungervik, who had no intention of making things easy for the Finns. Eventually, though, the skilled Justus Kainulainen managed to get on the scoresheet, first equalizing and then giving his team the lead with two quick goals. It took just 13 seconds for the Finnish shooter to make his mark on the match. The game continued to swing back and forth, but Finland would take the lead again when they scored less than a minute before the break. When the first period ended, it was 3-1 in Finland’s favor as both teams headed into the second period.

The second period began, much like the first, with a high tempo and both teams giving their all to secure the win and a spot in the semifinals. The leading team, dressed in blue, fired shots at goal at a furious pace, while the Norwegians threw themselves in front of the ball, much to the crowd’s delight. When Norway got a power play opportunity, the Finnish team showcased their defensive strength, blocking all of Norway’s attempts to reduce the score.

With just four minutes remaining in the second period, Finland extended their lead to 4-1, taking a solid advantage into the third period.

The advantage Finland carried into the final period was well managed by a calm and composed team that didn’t rush their decisions. Through patient play, the Finns continued to play in Norway’s zone. However, the Norwegians pushed hard, reacting quickly and pressing for a comeback. When Finland got a power play of their own, they kept the ball moving smoothly among the players, and it paid off with a 5-1 lead. With a semifinal spot in sight, Finland kept up the pressure, though never without Norwegian players on their tail. Fifteen minutes into the third, Finland completed a swift counterattack from their own corner and scored a 6-1 goal. That sealed the game and secured Finland’s place in the semifinals. The two-goal scorer Justus Kainulainen looks back on the game as a solid performance.

– It wasn’t an easy game at the start, but we improved and got better as the second and third periods went on. So, an acceptable performance by us in the end.

Norway will play a placement match on Saturday against Switzerland, with their final position still to be decided on Sunday. Finland’s advancement to the semifinals also means they have qualified for The World Games 2025.