Latvia overwhelmed Team Philippines, 14-3, in their playoff match at the 2024 Men’s World Floorball Championship on Wednesday night at the Malmo Arena in Sweden, ending the Filipino side’s hopes of advancing to the medal rounds of the tournament.
From the start, Latvia came out firing, netting three quick goals before Team Philippines’ Melvin All Mendoza managed to score from an assist by forward Lucas Werelius at the 14-minute mark.
This lone goal in the first two periods of the match would be one of the few bright spots for the Philippines during the game.
The second period was a one-sided affair, as Latvia added five more goals, taking a commanding 9-1 lead into the final break and effectively putting the match out of reach. Team Philippines struggled to contain the high-powered Latvian offense, and despite some valiant efforts, they couldn’t keep pace.
In the third period, Team Philippines managed two goals—one from Kim Varga Rosello and another from Fredrik Jeppsson Escabel—but Latvia continued its dominance, scoring five more goals to seal a very convincing victory.
Latvia outshot the Philippines 31-13, with Team Philippines goalkeeper making 17 saves to prevent the scoreline from being even more lopsided. Despite the loss, the Filipino team remained resilient, with no penalties called throughout the game.
With the defeat, Team Philippines now faces the loser of the Norway-Denmark match scheduled later Wednesday in a fight for 9th to 12th place. Regardless of the result, the team’s advancement to the playoffs marks its best performance ever at the World Floorball Championship.
