Nuoret Leijonat, especially in the second period, got the game completely on Latvia’s end. Expert Topi Nättinen thought it was important that Joakim Kemell immediately succeeded in finishing.
Finland defeated Latvia 6–1 in its opening match at the Under-20 World Cup in Edmonton. Sports expert Top Nättinen in this article, open three selections about the playing of the Lions.
1. The first chain showed its high level
The famous first chain of the Finnish team answered the call already in the opening match, when it scored a total of 11 points in Latvia’s net. Joakim Kemell immediately waved the nets and scored 2+2. Center Aatu Räty (1+3) and Roni Hirvonen (1+2) also managed to score.
– Their game was actually all the time on the offensive end. The chain was certainly assembled with the idea that they are expected to perform well, and they succeeded perfectly in that. It was important that Kemell scored goals, Nättinen says.
Nättinen emphasizes that in addition to the power, the chain had the game under control all the time and also in the right end.
– Many times if we put our eggs in the same basket, it has a negative echo, that now we beat everyone and hope for the best. However, this is a low risk, high reward type of solution.
– Even though everyone is attack-oriented, they take care of the defensive game really well. The viewer does not have to be excited or afraid if there will be circus tricks at some point. It shows that you don’t skimp on the basics.
2. Fresh attacking game from Finland
Finland was already strong in the opening set, but especially in the second set, Nuoret Leijonat got the focus of the game completely on Latvia’s end. Many chains received longer attacks and were thus able to tire the Latvian defense.
– Of course, you always have to take the opponent into account, but as a whole, from the second set onwards, we saw quite a bit of offensive play.
According to Nättinen, in addition to the number one chain, other chains also had good blanks, even if the power of five against five was exhausted.
– Often, Finland numbs the opponents with steady play all over the field, but now they numbed it with long rotations of the attacking end. Especially the second batch was a good old washing machine. Latvia didn’t get anywhere, says Nättinen.
Finland took three two-minute ice-outs in the fight. Latvia vaccinated once, when Klavs Weinbergs shot the puck from the left side as seen from the goalkeeper Kasper Puutio through to the network.
According to Nättinen, Alivoima looked very passive, especially in the opening set.
– Finland gave a shot from the wing and with another understrength it was a goal. Be that as it may, it went through the elastic band.
– Underweight can play an even bigger role against big countries. Now we got through, even though there was one underpowered goal. It was certainly a rather marginal weakness.
Overall, Nättinen sees that the Young Lions performed even better than expected.
– Usually in the first games there are not that many goals scored, but the wins are picked up from there. I would think that this “ketchup bottle phenomenon” could have been a good and liberating factor. This bodes very well for the future, says Nättinen.