#goals #Bitman #floorball #players #easily #ensure #place #final #tournament
The Latvian national team had started the tournament with two convincing victories, while Iceland, after the defeat in the game with the Germans, managed to win a minimal 7:6 victory over Liechtenstein.
In order to get first place and a ticket to the final tournament, the Latvians could afford to lose by three goals in this game.
Objectively speaking, it was not possible, because already with the first contested play, Latvia controlled the course of events on the field, playing as if they had a numerical majority.
In the fourth minute, Gustavs Griezītis opened the score with an accurate long shot, but Toms Bitmanis and Ralfs Polis also scored in the next 50 seconds.
In the middle of the period, the guests remained outnumbered and after 27 seconds our team captain Pēteris Trekše scored his first goal in the tournament – 4:0.
Practically immediately after the goal scored by the player, his compatriot Krišjānis Tiltiņš stood out, correcting Bitmanis’ shot at the goal in front of the goal.
The next goal was organized by Toms Akmenlauks, who sent the ball into the goal for the second time to Polis.
Until the break, Bitmanis and Tiltiņš stood out once more, but Jānis Ragovskis, the most productive player of the Latvian national team in the tournament, also scored a goal.
Therefore, in the first 20 minutes, the intrigue in the game was completely extinguished – 9:0 for the Latvian national team.
The course of the game did not change even after the break, the number of goals scored by Latvia rounded up to ten in the 24th minute, when the Icelanders unsuccessfully went for a substitution when the corner was awarded to our team.
Ralf Matís Balodis passed to Kovalevski, who shot accurately. After a few seconds, Balodis received another pass, when Griezītis converted another long shot into a goal.
The play of our second shift allowed Ragovski to be effective from close range, but in the 33rd and 36th minutes, Polis and Bitmanis scored their third goals of the game, the latter scoring his 14th goal of the match, playing with number 14.
Thus, after only two periods, the Latvians had repeated what was possible in the mutual game in 2018, when the “Islanders” were beaten 14:0.
Also in the third period, the Latvian national team needed three minutes to score the first goal, when Artis Raitums took the initiative, breaking in front of the goal and making it 15-0 from close range.
Soon after that, the “islanders” also managed to get a goal of honor, when their leader Andreas Stefansson’s shot from a distance was saved by Makus Plūdums in front of him and Elvars Christensen scored one goal from close range.
The Latvians’ answer was three effective shots within two minutes, when Bitmanis and Tiltiņš scored once again, while Jorens Malkavs also scored the first goal of the evening.
When Latvia won the right to play in the majority, a great pass from Poland allowed Kovalevski to score from close range 19:1. In the last minute, Toms Bitmanis scored the 20th goal of the game, but Polis also managed to score the 60th goal in the tournament, which gave Latvia a convincing victory with 21:1.
With 6 (5+1) the top scorer was Toms Bitmanis, who also received the best player award. By winning, Latvia officially secured a ticket to the final tournament of the world championship.
Tomorrow at 19:00 Latvia will have the final match of the tournament, where they will have the opportunity to play against Finland, which has already secured a ticket to Sweden.
Qualification of the World Championship in floorball for men
Latvia – Iceland 21:1 (9:0; 5:0; 7:1)
Top scorers in the Latvian national team: Toms Bitmanis 6 (5+1), Krišjānis Tiltiņš 6 (3+3), Ralfs Polis 5 (4+1), Rolands Kovalevskis 4 (2+2), Gustavs Griezītis 3 (2+1), Jānis Ragovskis 3 (2+1), Artis Raitums 2 (1+2), Pēteris Trekše 2 (1+1), Ralfs Matīss Balodis 0 (0+2), Toms Akmenlauks 2 (0+2), Markuss Dumpis 1 (0 +2), Jēkabs Keišs 2 (0+2), Jorens Malkavs 1 (1+0), Matīss Celms 1 (0+1), Daniels Jānis Anis 1 (0+1),
