The world’s leading concept of success against the overwhelmingly bold rise – here’s the big challenge for the Lions in the World Semifinal

The hockey world championships will start today, Thursday. The Lions won their own B-block, so it will face Slovakia, which finished fourth in the A-block. The semi-final match in Tampere will start at 8.20 pm.

Slovakia was not in for a big surprise in the first round: it beat Denmark, Italy, Kazakhstan and France, but lost to Switzerland, Germany and Canada.

Sports Expert Juha Juujärvi raises four picks from the World Cup “Fate Match.”

Slovakia, which once won World Cup gold in 2002, last won the World Cup in 2012, when it lost to Russia in the final in Helsinki. Now Slovakia is rushing back to the top of the fight under the leadership of its young top promises. As a sign of a budding rise, Slovakia won bronze medals at the Beijing Olympics in February.

Finland, on the other hand, is trying to break the curse of its home races. The Swedish championship 2013 is the only time since 1986 in the Soviet Union that the host country has won the championship. Finland has never even won a medal in its home competitions.

– Finland is a big pre-favorite and the expected value is that you have to go to the semi-finals. Slovak hockey, on the other hand, is experiencing a new arrival, a new golden generation is on the rise, Juujärvi begins.

– Slovakia is pulling with open-minded courage and a sense of nationalism, Juujärvi describes.

The promises of the front row involved in the World Cup have been made in 2004 Simon Nemec, Juraj Slafkovsky and Adam Sykora. Slafkovsky played in the Finnish Championship League at TPS last season. He scored seven goals in seven matches at the Olympics and now 3 + 6 have been achieved in seven matches at the World Championships. Defender Nemec is considered one of the most promising in his age in the world.

In the interviews, the Slovak players have not hidden that it would be tasty to take revenge from Finland. Finland won the semi-finals of the Beijing Olympic Games in Slovakia Sakari Mannisen and Harri Pesonen with paints. Slovakia was on the neck for a long time in the match. Pesonen’s facilitating 2-0 hit was only empty in the last minute.

– Now is the first real pressure game of this tournament. The importance of emotion is emphasized. Juujärvi ponders how it can be channeled so that common sense stays with it and withstands the state of stress brought about by the importance of the game, especially if one gets the lead.

The head coach of Slovakia has been a 71-year-old Canadian since 2017, Craig Ramsay. Ramsay’s game ideology, which has been coaching the NHL for 30 years, shows typical elements of a small trough: fast forward and constant pressure on the opponent’s puck.

– He wants to keep a fast pace, both on the puck and in the bitter game. Finland, on the other hand, has Jukka Jalosen led by the undisputed world-leading big trough concept to succeed. Finland is working harder to control the rhythm of the game and, if necessary, to slow it down with a delay.

However, Juujärvi reminds that Slovakia managed to surprise Finland a bit in the Olympic semifinals. At that time, Slovakia did exert a lot of pressure from time to time, but did not go out to fight, but knew how to malt.

Now playing in a large 28-foot-wide trough, the 26-foot-wide width in the Olympics was familiar from the NHL.

– I do not think that Slovakia is going to be stupid, especially in a bigger trough. It is like telling Finland to eat if Slovakia goes to fight. Then, with those packages and cents, Finland will be able to get the game off the ground and break the bitterness that comes late, Juujärvi is confident.

The starting blocks played in Helsinki and Tampere were very different. Juujärvi thinks that the top four in Helsinki’s A-block, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and Slovakia, thought about the game in much the same way.

– In Helsinki, the A-block prepared for a clearly faster game than the matches in the Finnish block. Finland, the Czech Republic and partly Sweden play in two stages and control the pace of play.

An interesting topic to follow is how Finland rhythms the game and is able to run through the bitterness of Slovakia.

– There will undoubtedly be steps for Slovakia to hit the puck at the end and get under a lot of pressure. There will be more play under pressure than before, and that pressure will come boldly, even with four players. How does Finland handle benign bitter situations?

If Slovakia’s bitterness comes late, it’s easy to skip, but Slovakia also knows how to press uniformly and wisely, as the team has practiced it a lot.

– How does Finland handle these situations and is Finland even able to turn them into attacks of superiority?

Another factor is how Finland will be able to stay on the puck in the attack zone. At the Olympics, Slovakia managed to freeze Lions ’offensive play by putting pressure on up to three players in the corners, the reed player.

– How to get the size of the attack area under pressure and play for width or blue line? In other words, breaking the first pressure and then utilizing the space and breaking into the finish line, Juujärvi opens and points out that Finland’s 1–0 hit at the Olympics was born in this type.

In the Olympic semi-finals, the Slovak players were in a small slump around the finish line when Finland got to play the loose blue To Sami Vatanen. Vatanen baited next to him To Petteri Lindbohm, who had the space to deliver the puck towards the goal. Manninen shoveled the defender’s shot into the loose-fitting backpack in front of the goal.

If the situation so requires, Slovakia will retreat to a close quay in the center. Slovakia is able to reverse the counter-attacks very sharply from these situations and possible loose discs, Juujärvi warns.

Slovakia has relied heavily on its leading chain: Slafkovsky–Michal Kristof–Tomas Tatar.

Kristof, 28, played at Vaasa Sport as a young man and later at Kärpi in 2018–21. Last season Kristofilla went to the Czech league Kometa in Brno. NHL Confirmation Tatar, 31 played last season in the New Jersey Devils at 15 + 15 = 30.

– The efficiency of Slovakia rests on the really good play of loose hockey by individuals and the creation of fast scoring situations. Individuals, especially Slafkovsky, have the skill to challenge.

– Finland’s efficiency is based more on the collective. With a good pentathlon, solvers have been found in every chain.

Effectiveness, of course, depends a lot on how good an opponent is in their goal-blocking game. In Juujärvi’s opinion, Finland has a clear advantage here, a goalkeeper who has played a great first block Jussi Olkinuoran and through 100% underpayment.

– However, Slovakia is able to play a varied offensive game. Finland’s strength in front of goals is measured, so we need, for example Atte Ohtamaa and Esa Lindellin skills and commitment and struggle in the top five.