A 3:1 defeat against Russia May 18 likely ended Latvia's hopes of progressing to the knock-out stages of the tournament, though there is a theoretical chance it could still happen if Latvia wins its remaining games against Sweden today and Norway tomorrow, and has other results in its group fall its way.
Nevertheless, Latvia has clearly already made an impact in Slovakia in other ways with a Canadian sports portal saying it has "the best fans in hockey".
"These aren’t just frat boys on a bender – they’re incredibly passionate and knowledgeable hockey fans. They love their team and support them unconditionally. And they do it in a manner that makes them impossible not to love," writes Kevin Pratt.
The match against Sweden starts at 17.15 Latvian time (14.15 GMT) and can be can watched live on LTV7 and LSM.lv.
The world championships in Bratislava and Kosice will run until May 26th.
