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The duels against Norway and the newly promoted Slovenia were not real trials for the Swiss. But in order to keep the zero, you have to do it first. The Nati did that with two different keepers. Leonardo Genoni (35) celebrated a shutout at the start of the World Cup against the Slovenians and against the Norwegians, the brand new champion of Geneva goalkeeper Robert Mayer (33).
A challenge can be against opponents so inferior to the keeper that they cannot get into their rhythm because they are hardly tested with shots. After the 3–0 win against Norway, Mayer was complimented by teammate Tanner Richard for working when the weather turned unpredictable. And Mayer himself? Will enough work not be a problem for him? “No,” he says cheerfully, “that’s easier. If I don’t have pictures, I can’t make mistakes.” He finds his rhythm by communicating a lot with the defenders and playing the checker.
Switzerland started the World Cup tournament with two shutouts – they last succeeded in 1939 at the World Cup at home in Zurich and Basel. At that point, the Nati even had four clean sheets in a row, with a blatant goal difference of 40:0 (see box). Sweden follows in the footsteps of Switzerland at this World Cup. The “Tre Kronor” are still without a goal after two games and have used two goalkeepers (Johansson, Wallstedt).
‘The most important thing is that we win’
Does our national coach Patrick Fischer now dare to take the step and place the number 3 in the penalty area with Joren van Pottelberghe (25) against Kazakhstan on Tuesday? If there were another shutout, it would certainly be monumental. But when it comes to choosing a keeper, he does not let his cards be looked at and he must first consult with goalkeeper coach Thomas Bäumle.
Mayer says about the competitive situation among the goalkeepers: “We are in the national team here. In every game you get as a goalkeeper, you have to play hockey at your best. We have a great time with the three of us. Whoever is in goal from us will try to help the team. I really don’t care how many games I play as long as we win.”
|
team
|
SP
|
TD
|
pt
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
2
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
3
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
4
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
5
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
6
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
7
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
8th
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
team
|
SP
|
TD
|
pt
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
2
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
3
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
4
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
5
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
6
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
7
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
8th
|
█ █ █ █
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
