At first they didn't make a good impression as a group, but then one of them turned out to be a particularly bad loser.

When it was clear to everyone that the Germans wouldn't win anything here and now and that the Slovakians would advance one round, David Wolf showed himself to be an unfair sportsman.

The Adler Mannheim ice hockey player, 1.89 meters tall and weighing 98 kilos, drove up to the unsuspecting Libor Hudacek from behind and punched him down like a heavyweight boxer.

The referees imposed a match penalty on Wolf.

Marc Heinrich

sports editor.

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With only 86 seconds to play, the culprit stomped straight into the dressing room.

Shortly after he was followed by the rest of the team, not one of whom was in a better mood, but no one was equally abusive.

0:4 (0:1, 0:2, 0:1) defeated the selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) in the qualification for the Olympic quarter finals in all respects a more mature opponent.

It was their third defeat in their fourth appearance - so the tournament is over much earlier than originally planned.

This Wednesday, the vanquished are already on board a special plane that will take them back home.

In the coming week it will continue for everyone in the leagues.

The arrival in everyday life will be more uncomfortable than four years ago.

They left Pyeongchang with the silver medal in their luggage, were chanted by fans at the airport and were later honored numerous times for their heroic performance;

among other things as Germany's "Team of the Year".

Big frustration

Now the players' eyes went down as they trudged through the catacombs of the National Indoor Stadium, while in the background the monitors showed scenes of the game being replayed and Slovakian players could be seen raising their arms in celebration tore air.

Hudacek (12th minute), Peter Cehlarik (28th), Michael Kristof (29th) and Marek Hrivik (58th) scored their goals.

"The frustration is great, how we presented ourselves," said Patrick Hager.

The attacker from EHC Red Bull Munich, one of ten protagonists who were actually supposed to advance in China because of the lucky Korean experiences, admitted "that we didn't get access".

He called the experience a "low point" that hit the spirit: "We all worked hard to get here.

Now we have to let what happened sink in.”

Marcel Noebels, striker from the Eisbären Berlin and in the DEL recently one of the formative types, hardly managed a stitch against the strong sprinting East Europeans.

He spoke of being "cruelly punished".

The 29-year-old would have "liked to extend his stay in the Olympic village until Monday", the day after the final he wanted to reach: "We are disappointed, Germany is disappointed." It wasn't because of the pressure, which rightly prevailed .

Noebels made it clear that "we deliberately set ourselves high goals because we knew that we had the potential to do so".

However, fifth place in the world rankings means "nothing at all" if not every individual on the ice does what they can do.

"You only grow together with victories," added the Berliner, and now it must be important to analyze the mistakes "and learn from them".

For Korbinian Holzer "it is clear that we deserve to go home".

It was not possible to "play the game that makes us strong".

He criticized a lack of directness in offensive actions as well as wrong decisions when defending their own terrain.

"We didn't live up to our expectations," said the man from Mannheim.

After the first setback in Toni Söderholm’s term of office, which began in December 2018, team captain Moritz Müller emphasized “that there is nothing wrong with having dreams.

It is also clear that one is measured by it.

We have to be honest with ourselves that we didn't achieve our goals." Sporting director Christian Künast was the only one who said that "perhaps our own expectations were too high" after everyone, including the national coach, spoke about the medals wanting to fight, especially since no NHL stars could get in the way: "But it just wasn't our tournament."

Söderholm looked particularly saddened by this.

The failure caused him, who is otherwise never at a loss for a profound comment, to create emotionally.

He commented tight-lipped on the disillusioned performance of his team.

After Müller had just stood in the same place and said that it was "clear" that all players wanted "Toni to continue", the Finn avoided making a commitment to the DEB.

After the sensational result at the previous Winter Games, his predecessor Marco Sturm had the opportunity to switch to the NHL as an assistant coach.

Söderholm could also benefit from a similar career development.

As far as his professional future is concerned and whether he would extend the contract with the association, which would like to continue with him beyond this summer, Söderholm left open in the cabin aisle in Beijing: "I don't know," said the 43-year-old and worked as weak and powerless as his players on the ice before.