Latvia is turned upside down after reaching the semi-final: ‘We have achieved a small miracle’

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They sang, they laughed, they hugged, they cried. And all at once. The Latvian fans were happy after the sensational 3-1 win in the quarter-finals against Sweden in Riga, but were emotionally overwhelmed. It was exactly the same for the players on the ice. “I didn’t really understand what was happening there. But I’m just proud. I’ve never played in such a team,” explains Rodrigo Abols (27), who, together with the extremely strong keeper Arturs Silovs (22), is perhaps the best individual player is in this conspired whole.

Latvia, the Baltic country with 1.8 million inhabitants sandwiched between Estonia and Lithuania, has qualified for a World Cup semi-final for the first time. At the 18th attempt, it was only the second win against Sweden. It is a triumph for eternity. The co-hosts will play this weekend in Tampere (Fi) for the medals.

Numerous «Swiss» in the successful team

“Although it has never worked in recent years, we have always believed that we can do it,” says Captain Kaspars Daugavins (35). Just a year ago, the striker had to go through the bottom, was selected from SC Bern despite the current contract and was exchanged to the Iserlohn Roosters in the DEL.

He is not the only Latvian in the Wunder team with a connection to Switzerland. Miks Indrasis (32), who scored a dream goal against Sweden, was in Biel last spring as a last resort. Toms Andersons (29) failed at the SCL Tigers and is now the top scorer at La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss league. Deniss Smirnovs (24) has just become champion with Servette and will move to Kloten next season.

Vitolins began his coaching career at Oberthurgau

Ronalds Kenins (32) and Ivars Punnenovs (28), just like Andersons and Smirnovs, Latvians with a Swiss license have just had a difficult year at Lausanne. In the quarter-finals against Sweden, however, the two were supernumerary. And then there is trainer Harijs Vitolins (55), who played for Chur, Rappi and Thurgau. He then took his first steps as a coach from 2005 to 2008 at Pikes Oberthurgau (2nd division), before returning in December 2018 and succeeding Arno Del Curto in Davos until the end of the season.

“We have achieved a small miracle that will go down in Latvian history with golden letters,” said Vitolins, who is currently becoming a national hero in the country, overjoyed after the game. Despite all the ecstasy, he tries to keep both feet on the ground and warns: “It’s not over yet, the World Cup continues. This team is ready for the next step.”

This is the semi-final on Saturday at 1:20 PM against Canada (live on SRF2). In the group stage, the Latvians are still significantly inferior to the maple leaves with 0:6. But before this Thursday they didn’t have much to do against Sweden either. Will the next hockey fairy tale follow?

Source : Blick