When: Wednesday, 20.30 Swedish time.
Where: Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, Canada.
TV/Radio:
+ The road to the semi-finals
Sweden, group stage: Austria 11–0, Germany 1–0, Czech Republic 3–2, Canada 1–5. Quarter-final: Finland 3–2.
Czech Republic, group stage: Canada 5–2, Austria 9–0, Sweden 2–3, Germany 8–1. Quarter-finals: Switzerland 9–1.
+ Previous meetings
Sweden won the group stage match against the Czech Republic 3–2 after extra time. Ludvig Jansson became a great match hero by scoring both the 2–1 goal and the decisive goal in extra time. And earlier last autumn, Sweden won three meetings with the Czech Republic. First in the bronze match in the JVM in August, 3–1, then in a four-nation tournament in Finland, 5–4, and in November it was 4–3 in a tournament in the Czech Republic.
+ That’s how it has gone before
It has been 13 years since Sweden took JVM gold. In 2018, the Junior crowns played in the final, but lost to Canada. And in 2020 and 2022 it was bronze. The Czech Republic has not won the WC since 2001. In last year’s postponed championship, which was played in August, the Czechs suffered a semi-final loss to Canada. They did not make it to the bronze medal match and lost to Sweden, 1–3.
+ Goalkeeper in great form
Sweden’s goalkeeper Carl Lindbom is the tournament’s best with a 94.19 save percentage. His great play has saved Sweden in several matches. Ludvig Jansson is Sweden’s best scorer with three goals and four assists and in the quarter-finals Leo Carlsson, who recently turned 18, stepped forward with his two goals and was the big giant of the match. Carlsson missed the group stage match against the Czech Republic as he was a bit crass.
+ Czech efficiency
The Czech Republic has impressed in the JVM and has only lost one match, against Sweden in the group stage, 2-3. And they have won big – have a whopping 33-7 in goal difference so far and are the best team in terms of goal efficiency. Jiri Kulich and Gabriel Szturc are both top scorers with five goals. And Stanislav Svozil has accounted for eight points in total, including seven assists.