Portugal defeated the Cayman Islands 7:2 (2:0, 3:2, 2:0) in the duel between the two neighbors from round robin in B Pool and will now play in the semi-finals of the B Pool. The Portuguese ultimately had the finer touch and gradually dominated the game.
The game got off to a brilliant start: Portugal's first attack could only be stopped by a foul. However, the ensuing powerplay did not yield any results. Team Portugal then tried to lure the Caribbean team out of its defensive stance, which resulted in a one-goal game. The Cayman Islands found it difficult to break out of their defensive shell and their attacks remained sparse. After losing the ball in the middle zone, Pires was able to run in alone on goalkeeper Gaudet and make it 1:0 for Portugal. A misplaced pass by the Cayman Islands in front of the Portuguese goal allowed Araujo to make a solo run halfway across the pitch, which he did not miss and made it 2:0.
The Cayman Islands team came out of the dressing room for the second period transformed. The game became more even, with the players from the Caribbean gradually dominating the Portuguese. An open transition game developed. It therefore came as no surprise when the Cayman Islands scored through Holzmann in powerplay and then Turner equalized. Shaken awake by these goals, the Portuguese increased their cadence and continued to score with regularity in the third period: Correia, Carreira, Chaven, Araujo and Pires increased the score to 7:2.
The Caymen Islands' comeback was more than just a flash in the pan, but they missed their chance by taking too many penalties, which the Portuguese exploited to the full.
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