The superiority of the lions at the Olympics was dazzling. And it is thanks to Jukka Jalonen, writes Jussi Paasi.
Did Mörkö come in?
Hit Jukka Jalonen in?
The Lion King Jalonen has made the Finnish men’s hockey team an incomprehensible winning machine. Of course we have known that for a long time. The Lions always go to the World Championships every spring as a champion candidate. Twice Jalonen has returned from the World Cup with a gold medal around his neck. And gold has also come with the Young Lions.
Only the Olympic gold was missing. That is no longer missing.
Jalonen has repeatedly proven to be a superior expert in tournament-like play. Best in the world. In Beijing, this was again reflected in crystal clear light. In the final, Jalonen wiped the table with his Russian colleague Alexei Zhamnovilla. And in the first series, the Swedish head coach was rudely left under Jalonen’s roller Johan Garpenlöv.
Finland’s usual superiority at the Olympics was downright muting. Even with a slightly worse game, the Lions managed to win, as seen in the semi-final against Slovakia. In the finals, the Russians had virtually no weapons to destabilize Finland, even though the final numbers were flat.
Jalonen is not only a champion of the playing style but also of the team’s roles. The flat avalanche of four fields was once again poisoning opponents. Every piece of the team is precisely in place. And there are always the right players on the ice at the right time.
A handsome example of this was seen in the finals, when Finland’s nominal quadruple chain became the number one chain. Jalonen’s creditors Hannes Björninen, Marko Anttila, Saku Mäenalanen were responsible for the winning goal. The same trio also handled the freezing of the opponents ’number one players.
The best hockey players in the world were not present in Beijing. The NHL decided to opt out of the Olympics. Many would certainly speculate on what would have happened if NHL players had been involved. Would Jalonen’s golden recipe have worked? The lions piloted the Olympic silver in 2006 Erkka Westerlund This was stated in a broadcast broadcast by Puhe Olympic Radio immediately after Finland had won Olympic gold.
In Westerlund’s opinion, Finland’s strengths would have been exactly the same ones that now led to a historic victory. Westerlund saw that the blue-and-white winning machine built by Jalonen would have worked even if the world’s number one players had skated at the Beijing Olympics.
It is easy to agree with the view of an experienced puck wizard.
Jalonen generously shared his praise of Olympic gold with his coaching team. The players and the entire Jalonen team have, of course, written Finnish hockey history together, but I would argue that without Jalonen’s work this achievement would not have come.
Even in the western neighborhood, Jalonen’s golden touch was glowing profusely. The Swedes suggested a statue to Riihimäki.
Riihimäki Central Park is already named after Jalonen. Although statues will be built for sports heroes only after the end of their careers, an exception can be made for Jalonen without any worries. The Swedes are right.