Important information was revealed about Leijon – Pekka Virta: “There are always home problems”

The balance of the lions in the Swiss EHT tournament was a loss to the Czech Republic and Switzerland and a win against Sweden.

Iltalehti hockey expert, master coach Pekka Virta drew the attention of the head coach of the Lions before Sunday’s Switzerland match Antti Pennanen to an interview given to TV5, where Pennanen emphasized the importance of emotional state.

The Lions had lost their opening game of the tournament in Pardubice, Czech Republic, to the home team 1–3, and then beat Sweden clearly 3–0 in the match played in Switzerland.

– Pennanen’s interview was interesting. He said that the emotional level changed from the Czech game to the Sweden game, Virta noted.

Leijonat was in a difficult position before the game against Switzerland, because Finland was waiting for a team that had played in front of its home crowd.

– Switzerland’s Home Audience welcomed the team to an energetic performance. Finland was unable to respond to Switzerland’s grudge with opening play and control of the game in any way.

The result was a 0–1 loss. It was worth noting that Finland had few good goal posts and Switzerland had several other great spots.

Change to EHT?

Under Pennanen, Leijonat has changed its way of playing in a more active direction. The Swiss tournament was the second for Leijon under the new coaching management, and there were again new players for the coaches.

Based on these starting points, according to Virra’s assessment, Leijonat was in difficult positions in the third game against Switzerland.

– It is difficult to beat Switzerland in terms of enthusiasm, enthusiasm or energy in a full Swiss hall, says Virta.

– There is a reason why Finland Jukka Jalonen created a way of playing in which you can beat better and worse countries by playing your own hockey, which unfortunately some have condemned afterwards.

In addition to all that, countries often also invest the most in terms of players in their home tournament.

– The World Cup is no longer about feeling, and that’s why the Euro Tour games have to be put into perspective.

Thus, according to Virtra, Pennanen Leijonat gets a certain kind of absolution.

The expert suggests whether the EHT tour could be updated. On Sunday, how many Finns watched the Switzerland-Finland match, for example the floorball World Cup final?

– The tour could be condensed so that we would play in two countries or so that there would be more time. Currently, tournaments are interesting where they are played.

At the same cost of life, Virta recognizes the problem in the fact that it is difficult to tell one of the four countries that its home tournament will be taken away.

– It means that someone will lose some euros.

“They know”

In the Lions’ matches, confusion has been caused by the fact that Finland has seemed to play very differently in different games. In the match against Sweden, the familiar rhythms of the game were most clearly visible.

However, Virta does not believe that it was the choice of the coaching staff, but rather that the situation has drifted into the situation.

– In any case, I don’t think it was a choice. There is definitely a playbook and method in mind, but it is different from what we are used to, players are changed and the tournaments are short, says Virta.

– They know that they have to find their own game before the World Cup comes. Mikko Manner (assistant coach) knows exactly the old way and Jussi Tapola (assistant coach) had a really strong own game in Tappara, which was played year after year.

Virta has also drawn attention to the fact that it has been difficult to find repetition in the game.

– But I emphasize that the Sweden game is now probably the one from which videos are requested for new players for the next event.

– I think the goal is that they don’t change the game for every new game. If they switch, it’s an impossible equation. Or at least that’s not how I think about hockey.

If and when Leijonat tries to find its own, clearer identity than seen, it will require patience and understanding from the coaching staff, according to the expert.

– At the World Championships and the Olympics, the feeling will always be in the doldrums. With the opponent, they always go even, and what remains is the game and common knowledge – without taking a stand on what is the best game.

Home shortages

In addition to the Sweden match, the best gift for the coaching staff from the EHT games in dark December could have been how each player performed, for example, after traveling in the Switzerland match.

– The old wisdom is that if you are scouting a player, always watch more away games than home games. Away games show a player’s true toughness. On Saturdays, there are always home shortages in full halls. Then there are players whose level remains high even in the fourth game of the week away from home, Virta says.

According to Virra, they are “super players” with a small difference between a good and a bad game.

– One match ending in video summaries will not save the three-week World Cup.