Luzerner SC - Grasshopper Club Zürich --- 2-2 (a.P. 4:2)
This Saturday, we played away against Luzern in what was the final match of the regular season before the Final Four. We came into the game with first place already secured, along with a confirmed semifinal matchup against the fourth-place team. Luzern, on the other hand, were tied in points with Servette and needed to earn as many points as possible to qualify for the Final Four, which will take place next week on their home turf.
The match began with a generally low level of intensity from both teams, partly due to the high temperatures. GCZ held more possession and dominated the flow of play, but Luzern created several clear scoring chances through defensive recoveries and quick counterattacks. One of these fast breaks resulted in the opening goal for the home team.
At halftime, Luzern led 1–0, and GCZ had delivered a rather underwhelming first-half performance.
In the second half, GCZ raised its level. The equalizer came from a well-executed penalty corner, finished with an excellent drag flick by Pascal. Shortly after, another strong play led to a second goal: following a scramble and a rebound off the goalkeeper, Ludovico found the net to put us ahead.
In the final quarter, Luzern managed to equalize from a penalty corner.
With the score tied at full time, the game was decided by a shootout. Knowing they had to win to qualify, Luzern rose to the occasion and delivered under pressure, winning the shootout and taking two points—enough to secure the fourth spot in the standings. GCZ came away with one point, which didn’t affect our ranking but left us with a sense of frustration, knowing we are capable of playing at a much higher level.
Next Saturday, GCZ will face Luzern again—this time in the semifinal—and we will need to show a stronger performance to reach our season goals.