Without Juuse Saros’s world -class tackles, Latvia would have corrected the score and the Lions’ horror scenario would have been close, writes Jussi Paasi.
Jussi Paaser Sports Editor
Stockholm.
Niula’s possible way to save.
It was a 2-1 victory over the Lions in Latvia.
The Latvian audience whipped its own with a crazy mocking. The roar at Stockholm Arena was crazy from start to finish.
But Finland lasted in the middle of a frustrating storm. Or actually one man lasted.
The most important piece of victory was found between the poles in Finland. Keeper Juuse Saros fought brilliantly. Without Saros’s stunning, world -class booths, Latvia would have corrected the score.
The importance of Saros’s fights is unimaginably high. If the Lions had not won Latvia, the horror scenario drawn by the experts before the World Cup would have been really close.
Latvia would have climbed past the Lions in the standings, and Finland’s chances of the next place would have been significantly reduced.
Now Saros saved the lions and probably guaranteed Finland to play in the quarterfinals.
The concern did not leave
– I’m not worried at all.
About the head coach of the lions Antti Pennanen He replied when asked after the Slovenia match, whether the team’s total inefficient power game was worried.
Maybe you might be.
Finland had not scored any overwhelming goals in the World Cup before Saturday. Now the lions were successful for the first time. Numerous opportunities were offered.
The Lions won, even though the overwhelming one, despite one hit, was unacceptably poor. Everything about Finland’s forced game tells us that Latvia created a number of great goals.
No, I don’t mean the match was wrong. The result is decisive. It is just the same and the same how the victory comes.
But if the overwhelming game does not produce a proper profit, there will be difficulties ahead at the latest when playing the World Cup solution games. Saros carries the team in a backpack, but he can’t expect goals.
Pennanen has been stubbornly stuck to the composition of the number one superpower, even though everyone sees that it has not worked. Opponents have cooled Teuvo Teräväinen and Eeli Tolvanen The five -built five -handed fifth is confusing.
Now came one success. It will certainly make it easier, but overall, the overwhelming game is still weak.
There are only two matches left in Finland in the opening series. First, Canada comes up, then Slovakia.
Exactly two matches time to get the power out of the game. Saros does take care of the rest.