Match penalty after a hard tackle on the Finland star.
But Austin Watson will not be suspended further.
– Then the players do not know where the border goes, says Finland’s general manager Jere Lehtinen.
The match between Finland and the USA earlier this week was a tough one. A total of 55 (!) Minutes of suspension were handed out, spiced with a match penalty on USA’s Austin Watson.
Tough tackle
It was a real chaos match before the eyes of the home crowd in Finland, who eventually won 4-1. But the hot atmosphere on the ice overshadowed Finland’s victory, and above all the situation between Watson and Teemu Hartikainens.
The American came in late with a high elbow, and after a video review, Watson was awarded a match penalty. But it stays there. The World Cup’s organizing committee does not believe that the tackle will result in any further suspension – which will make Finland furious.
– It feels strange. You should ask those who decide what the line looks like. It will be sad for the players as they do not know where the boundaries go, says Jere Lehtinen to EPN Sports.
“Puts players in uncertainty”
The main criticism of the decision is based on the fact that Finland’s Saku Mäenalanen is suspended after two minutes from the meeting against the USA, and misses the match against Sweden.
Lehtinen buys that Mäenalanen will be suspended afterwards, but says that it will be fuzzy considering that Austin Watson will play against Great Britain tomorrow Thursday.
– If you have to tackle with your elbow to your head, they put the players in uncertainty. It would be welcome to hear the reasons why this happened. When a suspension is handed out, clear messages will come so that everyone understands the background, he says.
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