Head coach Jukka Jalonen stated that it is always exciting, but he does not remember the old trials very well.
Beijing
Lions head coach Jukka Jalonen remained familiarly calm, even though the team had cleared its way to the Olympic finals a moment earlier.
Jalonen has been to the Olympics before when he took the team to bronze in Vancouver in 2010. Erkka Westerlund led the team in Sochi in 2014 and Lauri Marjamäki In Pyeongchang in 2018.
There will be 12 long puck years between Vancouver and Beijing, but also two World Championship golds for A-national teams led by Jalonen.
To the World Cup finals the entries are great, but the olympic finals are completely different.
“It’s so hard to judge when I don’t remember those old ones so well. There is always excitement and feeling in the game when playing from the World Cup final or the Olympic final. I don’t think there was more. Similar to before, ”Jalonen tried to break down his feelings.
Slovakia tried, pushed and first applied for an opening paint and later a tie. Nothing came but the start of the bronze medal match.
“Just the kind of game they knew how to come. Very good team. Good to struggle with, very mobile. Nothing is free and you don’t get it. Fortunately, we were able to make it one goal and with the good defense and the goalkeeper game, it survived. ”
“There were no toppers.”
Jalonen praised Sakari Mannisen to make a hit as a good partner. The defenders played well and had enough players to continue the puck.
Preliminary series After the match in Sweden, it has been difficult for Finland to score goals. In the last seven installments, the puck has hit the Lions finish only once. Switzerland made one when it fell 5-1 in the semi-finals.
“The team is very committed, fighting, defending well and tenaciously. The attack is wise and there is a good goalkeeper game in the background. That’s probably pretty much it. ”
Read more: The lions fought for the finals, the Slovakian coach was amazed by one statistic: “I by no means blame the judges” – HS follows Beijing Day one by one
Lions winning or even playing was not very beautiful, and the same was noticed by Jalonen. The excitement weighed and was especially evident in the game of superiority, when Finland gained a few superiorities. I missed another tasty episode with five against three.
Jalonen thought that the upcoming final could become a different, perhaps even more open game.
“The setup was different than it will be in the finals. However, there was still a bit to lose here when playing from the Olympic final spot. Something has already been achieved in the final and I think the game is more relaxed. ”
“We were a little careful, plastered and able to play a little better offensive game. I think there will be a little more goals in the finals. In fact, there were quite a few of them today. ”
The Hockey Olympics final will be played on Sunday morning from 6:10 a.m.
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