“They must have read their homework”

The Finnish men’s national hockey team will face the United States in the semi-finals of Saturday afternoon. The duo are familiar from the first block, when Finland won the hot match 4-1.

The United States tried to confuse and incite Finns with hard quarrels and quarrels. The most talkative situation in the game was experienced when Austin Watson taklasi Teemu Hartikaista elbow to head. Watson flew into the shower but was not banned from playing.

Instead Saku from Mäenala was punished for his tackling with a one-match ban.

Sports Expert Juha Juujärvi believes the United States is a more mentally committed team than at the start of the tournament. In the last race, the team won convincingly in the semi-finals of Group A, Switzerland, 3–0.

According to Juujärvi, the United States is also more dangerous than before, as their process has developed by leaps and bounds in the right direction in the tournament.

– They fooled around Finland, and now they have a spirit of revenge and a lot to do. If at the beginning of the tournament they focused more on getting to know each other and having fun, now they are looking for strength by playing smarter and more disciplined. By focusing more on winning, their chances of improving will improve, Juujärvi says.

However, despite the game development, the team can still try to destabilize Finland.

– They must have read their homework, but they still have that Yankee mentality. Are they trying to put pressure on the home audience in Finland and are they trying to physically get under the skin in some way? I’d guess they’re trying to play physically hard, but cleverly so that the chills and excesses are left out.

Since the last encounter, many things have changed. The United States has made its team number one in the Minnesota Wild NHL stars Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldyn. Paint the Boston Bruins Jeremy Swaymanwho has scored just three goals in five matches.

On Saturday, the field will see a real duel between the goalkeepers, with Finland scoring three goals in eight matches. Jussi Olkinuora.

– We have a top goalkeeper in the goal and we have to remember that usually the game between the goalkeepers depends on how the top five play. I have strong credit for playing Finland against five to five and underestimating the goal, Juujärvi says.

The United States was a rather tattered group at the start of the tournament, but now the team has found ways to play more organized. According to Juujärvi, Finland will by no means be lulled into the fact that a performance like the first series match against the United States will suffice this time.

– Especially compared to the game in Slovakia, Finland must be much better prepared for the constant pressure on hockey. That’s when the mental readiness betrayed at the beginning of the game, Juujärvi says.

Slovakia got a dream start with two goals, but Finland rose Marko Anttilan goals to levels and eventually a 3–2 win. Juujärvi believes that Finland is more prepared to withstand the pressure of home competitions, both mentally and playfully.

– The beginning was catastrophically weak in terms of gameplay and results, and not even Olkinuora saved it this time. Finland mastered the stress test, showed its endurance, and did not panic. Experience is of great importance and it rose to an important role, Juujärvi says.

The way Finland and the United States play is significantly different. When Finland trusts the close five, the United States, on the other hand, stretches the five.

– The United States is trying to force the game so that we are constantly going end to end and their top hair is really active. They try to force the opponent’s attack to move and try to exploit in the middle. When they get exploited, they really stretch the game a lot in the depths and try to get behind the defenders, Juujärvi says.

Juujärvi is expecting a fast-paced match with a lot of skating and fighting games and one-on-one situations.

– That’s why personal performance sharpness and reliability are extremely important. Of course, a good five will get you close to support and you will be able to play co-operation using hockey, but I guess the game will go from end to end, Juujärvi says.