Olympic ice hockey: Sweden 1-6 USA - as it happened!

Well, a crisp win by the USA against subpar competition, one where mostly everybody was involved. Hardly the tuneup you want going into an enormous match-up, but the good news is that Canada will hardly be tested themselves against Switzerland (that’s a guess), and that they’ll head into the gold medal game both ready to let loose against each other.

We’ll have coverage of the that other semifinal soon, but for now, thanks for reading.

Mercifully, this game is over.

Sweden fail to come within seven galaxies of replicating their 2006 theatrics, and the USA enjoy a comprehensive victory on the road to what they hope is their first ice hockey gold medal since 1998.

Kessel feeds Decker who whacks a shot off the crossbar, and the rebound goes off Andersson and in! That’s an own goal, which kind of takes the shine off what was a good few minutes from Sweden.

I suppose it had to end some time.

SWEDEN HAVE SCORED! They win the face off - Eliasson fires from point and Anna Borgqvist deflects it into the corner! Hurahh!!!

The USA have 37 scoring chances and the Swedes have none.

Could this be the period when Sweden almost score?

Eliasson, who scored the goal ahead goal vs Finland to get Sweden to a game they probably wish they weren’t playing right now looks great skating and shooting right, albeit at Vetter. Then she handles the puck on the ensuing sequence, looking almost as if she’s actually interested in playing. Nice one.

That’s it for the second period.

Wallner is out and Kim Martin Hasson is in, who doesn’t seem that keen on the idea actually. Can’t say I blame her.

Huge slap shot - a Bozek bazooka shot. Wallner never saw it.

Just an FYI, we will have live coverage of Switzerland vs Canada, which is the other women’s semifinal.

We’ll begin our blog at 1200PM EST, 5PM UK.

Monique Lamoureux is all alone in front of the net, and with that kind of time, not even a hot Wallner can make the stab, and so the puck flies past a host of Swedish onlookers and into the back of the net.

We’re back. USA are right back shooting, Stack nearly scoring off a rebound seconds in.

That will do it for period number one from the Shayba Arena where the USA has taken a decisive advantage and quite a few shots to boot - 29 to be precise. Sweden never did get a second shot, that despite to power plays in the period.

It’s not a power play goal, but a goal nonetheless! Martin puts it on net from point, and a persistent Kessel is there for the rebound, lifting the puck over Wallner and into the net! The blow out is on!

Gulp.

Matjes anyone?

USA hit the post, then control the puck - they’re relentless, Sweden chasing, but they’re a pass behind - Decker starts the sequence - she whips the puck cross ice for Bozek who slides it across from point to point - Bellamy shoots through everyone, and I do mean every Swedish player, and it’s in the net!!

Team USA with two bang-bang goals!

Kelli Stack, skating down the left side, wraps around the net and finds Carpenter - she’s all alone, so alone she can have stopped, baked a cake, and then score! A power play goal!

That’s the first power play goal Sweden have allowed in 17 kills. That will calm USA nerves for sure. Uncharacteristic weak Swedish defense there.

We’re off!

The USA are in blue, Sweden in yellow.

The United States may be heavy favorites in this upcoming women’s semifinal matchup at Shayba Arena, but Sweden have the edge when it comes to mojo. Following their upset, 4-2 defeat of Finland, the sky must at least feel like the limit.

Perhaps it is.

Yes, the world expects a Canada vs United States gold medal game, but it’s not like you have to go back very far to see that things don’t always fall into place logically. Just eight years ago, this Sweden side turned a nasty trick on Team USA in a drama laced shootout victory which sent the States chasing lessor medals. So we can in fact say, with at least a shred of confidence, that a win today by Sweden is indeed possible.

So if we all know it, Team USA certainly know it, and that must be the message being sent loud and clear by their head coach Katey Stone to her players...or perhaps not:

I remember that too. That’s in the past. It’s time to make the future.

Is this where we break out the old “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” from the cliché quote book? No, too cliché - we’ll save it for later and move on.

Even if you believe Sweden have no chance you can’t take away what they’ve achieved in this tournament, that being that whatever happens today, they will be playing for at least a bronze medal. Sweden’s defeat of Finland marks the first time in seven years that they’ve defeated their rivals, who Emma Eliasson, who in the Olympic spirit, calls “the worst enemies ever”, in a championship setting. When you consider that the victory follows a disastrous World Championships in which they finished in the basement of the group stages, and this marks quite the turnaround. Eliasson, who spent her summers working in the mine in Kiruna, a town north of the Arctic Circle, is one of the heros of the game, her go-ahead goal putting Sweden in position to win.

How do the Swedes pull off an upset here? By using a employing a philosophy similar to the one used in their Sunday outing. Assistant coach Leif Boork, who was brought in to help turn around the sagging Swedish program shortly after the World Championship, says:

We are not a fancy team. Finland is much more skilled than us. But as you all know you can win games in different ways. Good character and hard work can do that…

Fair enough, but let’s come down to earth just a little bit here. Team USA are a powerhouse, especially on offense, and a strong start by Hilary Knight, Amanda Kessel, Kendall Coyne could wipe all that away in quicker than you can say “matjes.” They rallied off the back of their 3-2 loss to Canada by trashing Slovakia 7-1, so there was no hangover despite that disappointing loss. We also can’t forget that Sweden were pounded by the USA twice since that big upset by a combined score of 18-2.

Still. we’re saying there’s a chance, and there’s only one way to find out. The puck drops at 730AM for those loyal to Eastern Standard Time, 1230PM over in the UK. Take off your jacket, stay a while, unless you’re in a cold location outside reading on a mobile, in which case feel free to dress in layers. Tweeting is encouraged here - my handle is @lengeldavid, or, if you prefer, you can write in david.lengel.freelance@theguardian.com. Write anything you like, seriously.

Standby for the women’s ice semifinals, Team USA, Sweden, coming your way.