After the German and Czech semi-finals, at least one Finnish coach will continue to the semi-finals.
Tampere
German head coach of the puck national team Toni Söderholm knows exactly what kind of coach Kari Jalonen is. Söderholm also knows what kind of puck Jalonen plays for his team.
They are very familiar to each other when Germany face off in the semi-finals of the Czech World Cup.
Jalonen became HIFK’s head coach at Stad in the summer of 2008. After years of success with the flies, IFK missed a new pulse, as it seems to miss year after year.
Söderholm played in all three of Jalonen’s seasons at IFK. The first two sank below the surface, but the third hit. HIFK won the Finnish championship in 2011, and Söderholm was chosen as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
Jalosen and Söderholm, 44, has a common history not limited to a coach-player relationship, but Jalonen served as a consultant and senior advisor to the German national team at the 2019 World Cup in Slovakia. Söderholm was already the head coach at the time.
Germany was the only country to overthrow Finland in Slovakia, and the story of the Lions hardly needs to be repeated very widely: the World Cup gold came.
Although Söderholm knows Jalonen, he takes nothing as an automation or as a matter of course.
“It’s such an experienced coach who knows you only have to prepare for the 60 minutes that lie ahead,” says Söderholm.
Söderholm considers the Czech Republic to be a team under Jalonen who is always prepared for the weaknesses and strengths of the opponent.
“It’s an extremely high standard, but it’s known to quite a few other coaches.”
“It’s worth listening to the coach.”
Söderholm be careful not to consciously raise themselves. At the moment of success, he directs all the glory to the team. Nor does Söderholm want to separately point out that the former coach and the player will meet or the teams they coach will meet.
“At the forefront is infinite respect for the person and his work,” says Söderholm of Jalosen.
“If we are lost, I will not be annoyed that I have lost to him, but if we win, I do not think I would have won him.”
“Personal missions are very far away. I haven’t done them and I won’t continue to do so. ”
Former top defender Söderholm speaks at the mouth of a modern coach. He directs the German national team, wants the commitment of the players and the agreed tactical issues. He’s like a player’s helper, like Henrik Dettmann launched a saying familiar in basketball.
It is absolutely of great importance how the coach takes the team forward, how to prepare for the matches. Equally, players ’appreciation rises when a coach doesn’t poke himself into the front row to tell how he won it and that country.
German the puck national team captured all the hearts at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics when it reached a few tens of seconds away from Olympic gold.
Four years ago Marco Sturm coached Germany, but since then Söderholm has pulled the national team. Germany has gradually grown into a credible team for the World Cup.
Despite the success stories, there is still room for improvement. In the German main league, the DEL League, three players under the age of 23 will have to be added to the line-up to give the young people time to play. There may be ten foreigners, and Söderholm considers this number to be too high.
“These are incomprehensible rules for Finns. There is still talk in Germany that the 24-year-old is a young player. There is a terrible difference to Finland. ”
“In Finland, 20-year-olds don’t just sit together, they play games.”
Söderholm about a month ago made a new deal with the German Hockey Association. The paper covers the events of the Olympics, which run until 2026.
There are clauses in the deal for a possible NHL career, but Söderholm acknowledges the matter very succinctly.
“I’ve said before that my most important job is to focus on our players, and that everyone is committed.”
Söderholm emphasizes that one cannot stay on call next to the phone if someone calls or wants something.
“It’s so awfully hard to get into the NHL that it’s not worth thinking about when it comes up every day. There are quite a few coaches in the world who want to go there and do their best to get there. ”
“I don’t deny that it wouldn’t interest me. Vice versa. It is definitely something that would interest and want to experience, but now we are realistic. ”
While in Germany, Söderholm lives in Munich, but emphasizes one thing.
“I am not Germanized. I’m into the sport I love and here [Saksassa] are my job. I don’t even want to be German, but a Finn who works in Germany. ”
Semi-finals of the World Hockey Tournament on Thursday: Tampere: Sweden-Canada at 4.20 pm, Finland-Slovakia at 8.20 pm. Helsinki: Germany-Czech Republic at 4.20 pm and Switzerland-USA at 8.20 pm MTV3 and Cmore show the matches live.
#Hockey #German #coach #Toni #Söderholm #long #contract #doesnt #rule #NHL #career #dont #deny #interest
