Day 6 EuroHockey Championship II, m, Lousada
Day 5, 6 August 2021
Malta v Lithuania 1-0
Pool C here in Lousada (POR) started with the match Malta vs Lithuania.
Lithuania had won their Pool B match against Slovakia (2-1), hence they were already awarded 3 points in Pool C. A win for LTU would assure them of 5th place in the event.
The 1st half was mostly played in the midfield. A few small changes for LTU but no goals were scored. The same thing happened in the 3rd quarter. It was until 10 minutes before the end of the game when Keith BAJADA scored 1-0 to Malta, which was their 1st goal of the event. The Lithuanian side kept pressing and got a few more chances, but Malta was able to keep a clean sheet, winning 1-0. This meant all to play for on Saturday when Slovakia meets Malta.
Czech Republic v Turkey 3-2
Semi-Final 1 saw the Czech Republic taking on Turkey. Ali Akin ÖZKILIÇ was the first to hit the net in the 21st minute. An equal game was shown on the pitch by both squads. Just after half-time, it was time for Jan ŽELEZNÝ to equal the score and a few minutes later he put his team in front with his second goal of the game. He came in front of his defender and a long pass was deflected into the goal. The 1st minute of the last quarter of the game saw Ali Akin ÖZKILIÇ scoring his second of the game, putting the Turks back into the game. 7 minutes before the end a straight PC drag-flick in the top crossing of the goal by Tomas PROCHÁZKA meant the winning goal, advancing the Czechs into the Final on Saturday.
Belarus v Portugal 3-2
Belarus and Portugal were up next in Semi-Final 2. The first half showed hardly any chances for both teams, except for some PCs who were not executed well. In the 34th minute, Portugal took the lead via a field goal of Afonso CARAMALHO. Some minutes later a good penalty corner variant was scored by the Belarussian side via the stick of Aliaksandr HANCHAROU. Portuguese goalkeeper Andre ROMARIZ made some excellent saves during the 2nd half, but Uladzislau BELAVUSAU put Belarus in front just before the end of the 3rd quarter. 6 minutes before the end it seemed Belarus closed the game scoring 3-1 via Dzianis TSALUIKA, but Portugal fought back. With 3 minutes to go Philipp WENZEL made the 3-2. The home nation tried their best, but the final result stayed 3-2 advancing Belarus to Saturday’s final against the Czech Republic. Portugal and Turkey will fight for the bronze medal.
The final day of the event is tomorrow and here is the line-up:
You can follow the event live on www.eurohockeytv.org
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