Finland started its World Cup campaign in Switzerland convincingly. Urheilu’s experts Toni Lötjönen and Perttu Kytöhonka were particularly satisfied with the press game.
Finland will face host Switzerland in their second World Cup preliminary group match on Sunday, November 6. Live broadcast on TV1, Areena, app and website from 14:45.
Finland convincingly returned to the floorball World Cup less than a year after the bitter final defeat on home court. Slovakia fell 8–1 in Winterthur, Switzerland.
Sports experts Toni Lötjönen and Perttu Kytöhonka highlighted three essential things about the match.
1) “Clock card team”
Finland’s reliability in the World Cup arenas has traditionally been top class, and the Slovakia match was no exception. According to the experts, the afternoon talk at the Winterthur rink was like a normal day at the office.
– We again saw the kind of Finland we have been used to seeing for years. The team shows up, gets the job done, is careful with the ball and defends well. There’s no need to be terribly flashy. “The clock card team” is back, Lötjönen characterizes.
Slovakia’s only goal came as a result of Finland’s rare loss of the ball. In addition to the goal situation, Kytöhonka remembers only one more ball loss from the match.
– I didn’t really see any craziness in the match. It says a lot that we remember two clear matches where the ball was lost. Every field did its job quite responsibly, says Kytöhonka.
2) Special situation play
A year ago at the home games, Finland did not succeed even once with superiority, although they managed to try six times. Now the superiority produced results in the first match.
– There was praiseworthy intimidation especially in the number one superiority, and success came. Justus Kainulainen was based on it and Ville Lastikka mixed Mikko Leikkanen the so-called wings, Lötjönen said.
Kytöhonka was especially pleased that Leikka, who plays on the right side of the bat, was able to be properly utilized.
– Sometimes one player on the right cannot be used. Leikkanen played quite deep, and Sami Johansson found after some small combos. It had a sense of danger and the game looked good.
The second superiority chain had a minute to try to score, but it didn’t succeed. Kytöhonka thinks that Joonas Pylsyn the absence from the line-up may have had its effect.
– We saw in practice on Friday that Pylsy was in the second lap, but he was not involved in the match. Superiority if someone is cooperative, so it might have had an effect. Making it was harder and slower compared to the first power.
3) Chain hierarchy
Overall, Lötjönen and Kytöhonka made the first and third courts the biggest successes of the match in Slovakia. As a power man, the center of the triple chain who scored two goals and collected an assist point Eetu Sikkinen.
– The first chain was really good, especially the press play was toxic. Kolmoskäntt was also successful in the same matters. The team played through work and defense. It looked like Finland, Kytöhonka praises.
Kainulainen, Lastika and Aaro Astalan experts expect more from the second court in Sunday’s Switzerland match.
– I myself hoped that Kainulainen and Lastikka would be seen together, but what looks good on paper, at least on the field, has not yet materialized, says Lötjönen.
– The platforms of the first and third chain are really strong in the press and cooperated well. For example, Lastika’s or Astala’s biggest strengths cannot be found there, Kytöhonka pointed out.
In its next match, Finland will face the host country Switzerland on Sunday, who tied the score with Norway 4–4 in their opening match. The live broadcast of the match starts on TV1 and Areena at 14:45.