Finland and the Netherlands will meet on Wednesday in the Futsal World Cup qualifiers in Vantaa. The winner goes to the World Cup.
Sakari Lund,
Pertti Lappalainen
Futsal World Cup further qualification Finland–Netherlands on Wednesday 17.4. at 6:30 p.m. Broadcast at 18:10 on TV2, Areena and Urheilu’s website.
The Finnish men’s national futsal team will play on Wednesday from a historic World Cup venue. Finland has never played in the World Cup, but now it is close.
The first part of the qualifying round against Holland ended 1–1. The second leg will be played in Vantaa. The winner will go to the World Championships in Uzbekistan in the fall.
Playing in the Croatian league Lassi Lintula26, is one of the important players of the national team and is aware of his role.
– It means a lot and brings such peace. Even if one game is a little worse, it doesn’t change the overall picture, but on the other hand, it also brings expectations, Lintula thought.
Lintula, who previously played in Ilves and Kampus Dynamo, moved to Poland in January 2023 and for this season to the top European league, the Croatian League. The steps seem logical to move the career forward.
– Especially in retrospect, it seems that way. Maybe it has gone that way a little unconsciously.
Lintula’s game has become more edgy and aggressive.
– In recent years, I have better understood how I can manage personally. One is being able to defend well and aggressively against anyone. Recently, I have paid more attention to being present in the game all the time, Lintula said.
The knee injury was treated with rehabilitation
Lintula injured his knee last spring in a national match against Denmark. The anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee broke while chasing the ball. There has been a lot of talk about similar injuries in futsal recently. In Lintula’s case, the rehabilitation started quickly.
– The game was on Wednesday and on Friday I was already doing physical training.
Unlike many other athletes, Lintula did not undergo surgery, but ended up choosing a rehabilitative treatment line, which worked well for her.
– I played the first game 77 days after the injury. I still made it to the last two Polish league bronze matches, which was very unlikely with the injury.
This season in Croatia and in the national team, Lintula has not had any problems with his knee.
– I haven’t had to skip any training or games because of it. A year ago, it would have seemed quite far away that I have played every World Cup qualifying game, excluding the one where I was suspended. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I want a good result tomorrow.
A place at the World Cup is a big dream for Lintula.
– I’ve wanted to go towards this game ever since I got the news that the playoffs will be played. Still, it’s just one game among others. It works better for me not to think too big about things.
Community spirit is “really good”
Finnish futsal has been on the rise. Finland played in the European Championship for the first time in 2022 and went all the way to the quarterfinals there. After that, the Croatian coach built success Mico Martic quit and was replaced by an Italian Sergio Gargelli.
The World Cup qualifiers took some strange turns when Gargelli left the Finnish captain out of the squad Jani Korpelan and a paint stick Miika Hosionbecause the duo “did not commit to the team’s values and principles”.
In the World Cup qualifying group, Finland won only one match, but still made it to the next round, after Armenia and Georgia had scared away unrepresentable Brazilian players. And now the second and decisive part of the further qualification is ahead.
According to Lintula, the team spirit is now “really good”.
– It’s even cooler after all these difficulties to win and achieve something so cool.
Futsal World Cup further qualification Finland–Netherlands on Wednesday 17.4. at 6:30 p.m. Broadcast at 18:10 on TV2, Areena and Urheilu’s website.