BEIJING (Reuters) – Arch rivals Canada and United States face yet another hurdle earlier than their anticipated Olympic girls’s closing showdown, with semi-final challengers attempting to lower off their path to gold on Monday.
The perennial hockey powerhouses had been extensively tipped to contend for the championship in Beijing, however Switzerland and Finland hope to spoil the party, dealing with off towards Canada and the U.S. respectively.
For Finland, the pairing gives an opportunity of candy revenge after they misplaced to the Americans 5-0 within the Pyeongchang Olympic semifinal and 2-1 within the 2019 World Championship closing.
“We have nice reminiscences from enjoying towards them and we’re going to take the ability from there and hold going,” stated Finland head coach Juuso Toivola. “(There is) a way of revenge.”
Thrice bronze-medal winners Finland misplaced 5-2 to the Americans of their Beijing opener earlier than dropping two extra video games within the preliminary spherical however stated that they had discovered their footing after cruising previous Japan 7-1 of their quarter-final.
Sochi bronze winners Switzerland outgunned Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) 4-2 in a tense quarter-final on Saturday to arrange their assembly with Canada, having already achieved their Beijing goals.
“Our fundamental purpose was the quarter-finals however we aren’t executed but. We need to go on from right here and get that medal,” stated Pyeongchang Olympian Dominique Ruegg, who helped her group to get a fourth-place end on the World Championships final yr. “We simply need to hold going.”
They will cope with a Canadian squad bent on reclaiming the gold after the U.S. ended their run of 4 straight Olympic titles in 2018.
The Canadians have swatted apart each opponent of their path to date, scoring a jawdropping 44 factors in 5 video games.
“We have been by means of so much. The final Olympics we got here up in need of our purpose of profitable the gold medal. Stuff like that basically stings,” stated Blayre Turnbull, who has recorded three objectives and two assists for the Canadians.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Beijing; modifying by Clare Fallon)
