Three power play goals from Dominique Heinrich (7th), Lukas Haudum (27th) and Peter Schneider (57th) were not enough to defeat Norway for the first time since 1999 at a World Cup. Twice Mats Rosseli Olsen (8th/SH, 48th/PP2), Andreas Martinsen (21st), Martin Roymark (32nd) and Martin Ronnild (60th/EN) secured three for the Norwegians, who have always played in Group A since 2006 Points and therefore good chances of staying up.
“I’m happy with the last third, but not how we started the game. We didn’t play our straight game,” said team boss Roger Bader, criticizing the initial phase. The intensive program also left its mark. “Four games in five days, no other team has had that before. There was a lack of energy of 10, 15 percent, that last bit of energy,” explained the Swiss.
Austria, this time again with David Kickert in goal and captain Thomas Raffl, who was rested against the Czech Republic, got off to a good start. In the first power play, Heinrich scored to make it 1-0. In the tight game that was expected, the shot backfired in the immediate majority game. After a poor Raffl pass, Rosseli Olsen completed the counterattack to equalize.
At the beginning of the middle period, Norway took the lead for the first time. Martinsen scored from an acute angle in an Austrian penalty that was about to end. After a video check, the goal counted as a possible goalkeeper obstruction.
Bader’s squad equalized through Haudum, but Norway quickly found an answer. With six outfield players and a penalty, Roymark scored to make it 3-2, not least because Kickert had lost his racquet. In the final third, Rosseli Olsen took advantage of a double advantage, Austria came back through Schneider and then had their best phase, but the equalizer was no longer possible. Ronnild got the final score into the empty goal.
After a day’s break, Austria is waiting for Austria in the third doubles game, Latvia (Friday, 7.20 p.m.) and Finland (Saturday, 3.20 p.m.), before the final match against Great Britain on (Monday, 7.20 p.m. / all ORF Sport +) is probably about the ticket for the 2023 World Cup goes.
“It was a brutally important game for us, we could have done a lot, but there’s no reason to bury your head in the sand,” said Manuel Ganahl. “We earned a small bonus in the first three games. We still have more chances, the mood is still right. Gather strength, draw the right conclusions and keep attacking,” demanded the striker.