Latvian national team goalkeeper Kristers Gudlevskis stated after the victory over the USA at the World Championship that the Americans relied on physical and straightforward hockey. The goalie also admitted that the match turned out to be very tough despite the final success.
After Latvia's victory over the USA with a score of 4:2, one of the main heroes of the match was goalkeeper Kristers Gudlevskis, who saved 45 shots from the Americans.
After the game, the goalie noted that the opponent did not try to surprise with complex combinations and acted as straightforwardly as possible.
"The Americans didn’t come up with anything special and played simply. They did what they do best — went to the net and tried to force the puck in," Gudlevskis told reporters.
Despite the huge number of shots on Latvia's goal, the goalkeeper admitted that after such victories, fatigue is felt quite differently.
"After such sweet victories, it’s hard to say that the game was tough. I would be ready to play another match like that," the goalie said.
At the same time, he emphasized that the match could not be called easy.
"The tournament is like a roller coaster — there are good games and big victories, there are defeats. We found a way to regroup and give ourselves a chance in the next matches," Gudlevskis noted.
After the crushing defeat to Finland, the Latvian team managed to recover psychologically and beat one of the favorites of the group. This is now considered one of the key moments of the tournament for the Latvian team.
Gudlevskis specifically praised the performance of his teammates, emphasizing that the team helped him in the most difficult moments.
"The forwards scored when they needed to score, and the defenders blocked when they needed to block," the goalkeeper stated.
According to him, in several moments it was the actions of the defenders that saved the team, clearing the puck and not allowing the Americans to finish it into the net.
Latvia now has six points after five matches. The team continues to fight for a place in the quarter-finals of the World Championship.
The next game will be held on Sunday against Great Britain, followed by a match against Hungary.
