Tre Kronor is not impressed by its upcoming quarter-final opponents.
Now Finland is fighting back.
– He can think what he wants, says Patrik Puistola.
For a while it looked like Finland would be headed for a senseless fiasco and actually miss the Hockey World Cup playoffs. But on Tuesday, Great Britain pulled off a huge upset by defeating Austria, securing Finland’s place in the quarter-finals.
Swedish performance
The team’s final group stage match was lost 1-3 against Switzerland, and notable during the match was that only 16 shots were fired during the match. Finland has been generally seen hard at home during the championship, and in particular they have been criticized for their way of playing.
Now awaits a hot quarter-final meeting between Sweden and Finland, two teams that come in with two completely different feelings. Sweden has completely dominated so far, winning every game in the group. Finland barely advanced. And when Tre Kronor player Max Friberg was asked how he sees the upcoming opposition in Viaplay, he didn’t hold back.
– You can probably say that they play rather boring hockey, just waiting for mistakes from the opponents, says Max Friberg.
The Finnish answer
But Finland doesn’t have much for Friberg’s play. NHL player Jesse Puljujärvi sighs when he hears about what the Swede’s words.
– We don’t play boring. We play our system, he tells Expressen, and is supported by Oliwer Kaski.
– He can call it field hockey. We call it playing to win.
Finland’s national team captain Jukka Jalonen is leaving his job after this year’s World Cup, and he is clear that Sweden has everything to lose in the quarter-finals, which are coming up on Thursday.
– There is nothing I can do that can surprise Sweden. We know each other so well now, says Jalonen, and continues:
– But one thing is certain: All the pressure is on Sweden.
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