Both the Swiss U18 Girls and the U18 Boys have continued their European Championship preparations with international test matches over the past few days. While the girls faced A-Division team France in Calais (FRA), the boys completed a series of tests lasting several days in Poland with matches against Poland and Austria. Both teams gained valuable competitive experience for the upcoming European Championships in July.
Intensive international match weekends for the Swiss U18 teams – valuable insights for the European Championship preparation
U18 Girls challenge France and collect wichtige Erfahrungen
For the U18 girls, the test series against France was a real acid test: France plays in the A Division of the EuroHockey Championship, while Switzerland is fighting to stay in the B Division. This made the three intense games at a high level all the more important.
Switzerland lost 2-0 in the opening game on Saturday, missing several chances that could have turned the game in a different direction despite some good phases. The picture was similar on Sunday: once again, the Swiss failed to capitalize on their opportunities, while France punished every defensive miscommunication with ice-cold precision and ultimately won 0:4.
The Swiss then put in their best performance of the series in the final game on Monday. After a strong first half, the team led 2:0 before a controversial long yellow card had a significant impact on the course of the game.
France took advantage of the superior numbers, equalized and finally won the game 4:3 with the final penalty corner.
Head coach Mathias Schaeben was satisfied despite the result: “The series was a success for us. The team improved from game to game, embraced the high tempo and showed that we can compete at this level.”
The test series also served to further develop processes and automatisms under competitive conditions.
“Now we need to become even more consistent and work hard in the run-up to the European Championship – both against the ball and in terms of taking our chances in front of goal,”
continued Schaeben. With important experience under their belts, the girls are now turning their attention to the final preparations for Glasgow.
U18 Boys with a mixed, but instructive test series in Poland
At the same time, the U18 Boys traveled to Poland, where they competed against hosts Poland and Austria. Even the journey there was complicated: After a long day of traveling with bus problems, the team started the first game against Austria with a slight delay. Despite a committed start, the team lacked the necessary consistency and were ultimately beaten 3-0.
The first clash with Poland followed on the same day. After a weak first half, the team managed to improve significantly in the second half. More concentration, more will and better tactical behavior ultimately led to a 3:1 victory thanks to goals from Sebastian Herzog, Matteo Spada and Maurizio Ribaudo.
Another match against Poland followed on Sunday. Once again, the team did not start consistently enough, but got into the game better after the break. Despite goals from Colin Zeis and Luc Huber, the game was lost 3:2.
Finally, the team faced Austria again on Whit Monday. This time, the Swiss showed a concentrated and aggressive performance right from the start. With a high level of physical tension, clear defensive moves and a strong performance in the final phase, Switzerland won the game 4:3 thanks to a late goal ten seconds before the end. The scorers: Flurin Lohm, Matteo Spada twice and Marius Rütishauser.
Head coach Thierry Grandchamp drew an overall positive conclusion: “The weekend was intensive and instructive. We were able to test different defensive systems and our playmaking under competitive conditions. Thanks to the video analysis, the players also received valuable input for their personal development.”
An interesting side aspect: both Poland and Austria will play in the same group as Switzerland at the European Championships in Alanya (TUR). The matches therefore already offered important insights into the upcoming opponents.