SPORT1 broadcasts Latvia against Germany live / Sturm rotates with six players
For the first time with NHL star Leon Draisaitl from the Edmonton Oilers in the squad, the German national ice hockey team will face Latvia this Friday as part of the Euro Hockey Challenge (18.30:1 p.m., live on SPORT16). "I'm expecting two close games against an opponent who is strong both technically and in terms of running," said Draisaitl before his national team debut of the current season. The second match will take place in Riga on Saturday (1 p.m., live on SPORTXNUMX).
“We want to take the next step and improve further,” said national coach Marco Sturm before the two games. The German selection has been in the Latvian capital since last Wednesday and, including the morning session, completed three ice training sessions and additional off-ice exercises.
“The training was good, we were able to work on a few details,” said Sturm. Meanwhile, captain Marcel Goc looked ahead to the duel against Latvia. “The point is that we now implement the content of our training in the game. Latvia is a team that will demand everything from us in front of their own crowd. We will be challenged a lot again, but that’s exactly what we want at this point in the preparation.”
The national coach is spoiled for choice with his 28-man squad. Half a dozen players rotate in and out of both games. Including well-known cracks. Captain Goc will be spared today, as will Tobias Rieder, Patrick Reimer, Andreas Jenike and the two Düsseldorfers Marcel Brandt and Bernhard Ebner. Sturm will probably use these six players in the second game.
This is how they want to play: Pielmeier (Niederberger) – M. Müller, Ankert; Gogulla, Schütz, Macek – Braun, Akdag; Noebels, Draisaitl, Pföderl – N. Goc, Reul; Ullmann, Hager, Flaake – Brückner, Kohl; Krämmer, Danner, Kink.