AFP, Gangneung :
Nearly 40 years after the United States stunned the Soviet Union in the 1980 Miracle on Ice, a gritty German squad is trying for their own “Wunder auf Eis” at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
Germany will face the Olympic Athletes from Russia, trying to end a 26-year gold drought, in Sunday’s gold medal men’s hockey final after three shocking one-goal playoff upsets, including a 4-3 semi-final ouster of Canada.
“Half the team just cried on the ice because we just made history,” German forward Dominik Kahun said. “It’s unbelievable. It just shows what kind of team we have. We play for each other.”
It sets up a fairy-tale story not unlike the US collegians who dethroned the Soviet juggernaut in Lake Placid 38 years ago.
The unlikely German league all-star unit are into their first Olympic final and will face the top hockey talent outside the NHL, which unusually refused to release its players for the Olympics.
“Anything is possible,” Kahun said. “Russia is the favourite, everybody knows it, and if you lose the game, we got silver medal. We’re going to do everything to win gold, but we have no pressure so we can play our best.”
From the emotional high of the greatest victory in German hockey history, players must regroup to face the top talent from Russia’s two best clubs.
“For German hockey, this is unreal,” Marcel Goc said. “We’re in the final against the superstars from Russia.
“I’m still waiting to get poked and somebody wakes me up and tells me, ‘Hey, you’re late for the bus to the game.’ But we made it to the final.”
The Russians boast the most potent Olympic offence, including former NHLers and five-time Olympians Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk.
They are seeking their first gold since the 1992 Unified Team won at Albertville just weeks after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
“It would just mean everything to us,” said Russian forward Mikhail Grigorenko. “It’s huge for the players and the country.”
Russia are also waiting to see if officials will lift their suspension from the Olympics over mass doping in time for Sunday’s closing ceremony.
Germans took Olympic bronze in 1932 and 1976, the latter as West Germany. Germany’s top finish at the world championships was second, last achieved as West Germany in 1953. Just playing for gold is a shocker.
“We are super-happy and super-excited. We couldn’t even imagine this. It’s like a dream,” German forward Frank Mauer said. “We’re just going to enjoy the final, do our best and see what happens.”
It’s not like German sports don’t offer examples of shock wins. The 1954 FIFA World Cup final saw West Germany beat heavily favoured Hungary 3-2 in the Miracle of Bern.
Could there be a “Miracle von Pyeongchang” in the works?
“If we keep fighting like this, who knows?” said German goaltender Danny aus den Birken. “We have nothing to lose.”
And maybe hockey can put a small dent in the domination of football among German sports supporters.
“Back home we fight for every minute on TV and media and all the fans,” German coach Marco Sturm said. “(Football) is obviously number one and then there’s nothing, so hopefully this is going to help us in the future.”
