Mens Worlds Update

**rinkrat15** · 07-01-2003, 04:15 AM

Hey guys hope all is well back home.
Hers a quick update from worlds,
Our team "Team Canada" are 2-1 Beat the Germans, France butlost a tough one yesterday to Italy. I think Darrell Interbartolo is smiling on that one....

The USA boys are playing great as well 3-0 and have yet to be tested.. all there guys look good. Taj Is playing the best i have seen him play and ziggy is playing strong as well, Ron Tracy is having a good tourney...

As far as the style of play here the first thing I can tell you is the nets are half the size of regular nets, I am hardly kidding. Leggett and the american boys Buffalino and Lauire look like giants in there, they have to be 12 inches shorter and 12 inches closes from side to side, When I first saw them I thought they were kidding...

Crowds have been great, when the czechs play theres around 2-3000 people in the crowd, all whistling and going crazy.

The sport is received over here alot different then at home. Much different atmosphere...

The chance of a USA vs Canada final took a blow yesterday with us losing, unless france beats italy we will get the Number 2 seed and probobly end up playing the USA in the Semis. But we will see, Lots of hockey left...

As far as the town of Pizek goes, pretty nice...and hats off to them, this town 4 months ago was under 14 feet of water from a flood, the water came up to the scoreboard at the rink which works out to half way to the roof if you could imagine. so they have done a wonderful job of getting it ready..

And 1 last note, Every women over here is of super model caliber and its not even funny, talk to the boys when they get home, this place is ridiculous...

That's it for now boys, More updates to come Rich....

National Inline manager for Rink Rat wheels.

**sactosaxons** · 07-01-2003, 07:08 AM

Life's tough..... I think not!!!!! Great start USA - keep it up!!!!

Edited by sactosaxons on 07/01/03 04:09 AM.

**MDE3** · 07-01-2003, 07:52 PM

Curious on todays' results - could it have something to do with the "supermodel" caliber of the local talent???

What's up with only beating Greece 10-1 when the Czech's pommelled them 32-0, Spain beat them 15 - 1, and Switzerland beat the same team 23 - 1 and then only beating Spain 6 - 0 when the Czech's beat them 9 - 1?

Not to demean these teams but..... when you look at the results from the first three games there seems to be a bit of a "tailing" off.....Hope the boy's are going to stay focussed.

**MDE3** · 07-01-2003, 07:54 PM

Probably the old USARS (in this country) specs of 42"H x 68" across.

**GoodNachos** · 07-02-2003, 01:03 AM

just in case this wasn't posted yet, heres where you can follow up on the world tournament.

http://www.inlinehokej.cz/eng

**MDE3** · 07-02-2003, 01:51 PM

Well Team USA made it past Switzerland - which you might not think was a big surprise, but the Swiss only lost to the Czech's 4-2 - the other powerhouse in the men's B division. Looks like team USA turned it up a notch in the second half outscoring the Swiss 4-1. Good thing because Team USA was trailing 3-2 at the half.

The big one is tomorrow night against team Czechoslovakia - whose team has posted significantly higher goal differentials than team USA when playing common opponents.

Both teams are 6-0 going into their game tomorrow.

Hopefully as we have seen some of these guys do before - they have still got that next level in reserve.

The other big surprise (to us anyway) is the play of Team Italy - knocking off team Canada in the preliminary rounds. That loss could well have Team USA and Team Canada playing each other in the semi's. with the Czech's playing Italy.

That assumes of course that Team USA will beat the Czech's tomorrow - which is far from a "given".

It's interesting to see how well teams from Spain and Switzerland are playing as well as France and Germany too.

The level of inline hockey being played in these countries must be pretty strong if their top players can come this close to the traditional powerhouses now.

Would love to see a tourney with all the majors in it, including the various Russian block teams and the Fins - notable in their absence from this FIRS tournament.

**MDE3** · 07-03-2003, 01:06 PM

FIRS world cup men's results: Team USA beats Czech Republic 3:1 looks like the boys stepped it up as needed. Jaimie Yoder 1 goal, CJ Yoder 2 goals. Team USA goes 7-0 in preliminary rounds giving them the first seed.

In a bit of a surprise result from group A - France defeated Italy - which should mean Team Canada has the first seed in group A for the 1/4 final round if they go on a goals against basis as first criteria. In group A there are three teams with identical 5-1 records.

This could set up another Team Canada/ Team USA finals for the gold medal, but there is a lot of great competition over there yet to beat

Great job Team USA as well as Team Canada