U12 European Championship: Day 2

Day Two of the U12 European championship in Mortsel, Belgium, saw the Czech Republic take command of Group A with victories over Italy and France. In Group B, Germany and the Netherlands both defeated the Belgian hosts by considerable margins to line up the group decider on Day Three.

The Czech Republic (3-0) booked its ticket to Friday’s semifinals with a 7-3 victory (box score) over the Italians and a 12-2 defeat (box score) of France. The Czechs take on Hungary on Day Three to wrap up group play, while France and Italy will meet at 12:15 (CEST) to determine the second semifinal qualifier out of Group A.

In Group B, the Netherlands (2-0) starts the Day Three action by taking on Lithuania, with the bigger challenge coming at 16:00 (CEST) when the Dutch and Germans meet to determine the group winner and thus Friday’s semifinal pairings.

The gold medal game is scheduled for 17:30 (CEST) on Saturday, August 14.

For a summary of the Day One action, go here, and for complete standings and statistics, visit the WBSC Europe competition page.

The tournament is the third European youth championship of the summer, with the Czech Republic having won the U15 title on home soil on July 25 and the Netherlands claiming the U18 gold medal in Macerata, Italy, on July 11.

RESULTS — DAY 2