In the end, the victory over Sweden in the opening series was really important for Finland, writes Anssi Karjalainen from Malmö.
Finland saved its strength in the quarterfinals. There are two left of the three-match wrinkle. IFF / Per Wiklund
Before the start of the World Floorball Championships, Finland was the biggest enigma of the top four. During Esa Jussila’s tenure as head coach, the team has changed not only in terms of material but also in the way they play.
However, the project never really took off. For the final race team, you had to search for the missing pieces, such as the second platform of right’s dexterity. Also, the stated goals of the ball game did not materialize to the extent that was hoped for. In the end, the race team took shape very strongly so that the chain compositions can be put together with the help of club team connections.
Jussila said that in Malmö we will see Finland, whose three different courts may play very different indoor basketball.
However, in the final match of the preliminary series, the situation was completely turned upside down. Finland beat the big advance favorite Sweden. Finland dictated the tempo of the game with a ball and very tight defensive play in its own area. Sweden was frustrated.
It was by far Finland’s best game in Jussila’s two-year era. It came completely out of the blue, without any premonitions. It was a very confusing turn, the likes of which I don’t remember happening for a while.
To some extent, it could be compared to the Prague Games in 2018, when Petteri Nyky’s coaching team brought together Ville Lastika, Joonas Pylsy and Peter Kotilainen’s attacking genius in the semi-finals, who played a big role in deciding the world championship for Finland.
But now the development leap happened at the level of the whole team.
Justus Kainulainen bears great responsibility for the results in the final climax of the World Championships. Juha Hautakangas / Floorball Association
In the end, the victory over Sweden in the opening series was really important for Finland. Even if Jussila or anyone else from the Finnish team doesn’t say it out loud, meeting Switzerland in the World Cup semi-final would have been a considerable relief. Latvia, on the other hand, is a lottery win. Losing to Sweden would have been met by a clearly tougher Czech Republic.
Switzerland’s decline has been visible, and on Friday, Latvia was able to break the World Cup glass ceiling built by the top four countries. Of course, Latvia also put Finland in a tight spot in the opening series, but then Finland was right in the yard. It’s hard to see a similar slippage happening again.
At the same time, the situation is much more painful for Sweden. Malmö’s home crowd will really be excited to see if Sweden’s World Cup finals streak, which started in the first World Cup in history, since 1996, will be broken. The fear is real. The Czech Republic, under the leadership of its new generation, has risen to challenge the position of Sweden and Finland more and more.
Sweden was already close to disaster in the quarter-finals, when Germany crashed it. At the latest, it showed that Sweden has real problems, and the loss to Finland was not just an isolated accident.
Before the games in Sweden, no one dared to criticize the player choices. Based on what has been seen, for example, the selection of the hero department, especially Johan Samuelsson and Robin Nilsberth, can be questioned with good reason.
In this case, the mixture of experience and youth has not turned into Sweden’s strength.
In Friday’s quarter-final, Norway had time to startle the Finns with their 32-second quick goal. However, Finland responded quickly enough. With a 6–1 win, you could go confidently towards the medal games.
The final crunch is hard. Finland played on Friday and will also play on Saturday and Sunday. That’s why meeting Latvia is its luck.
You can’t leave with your jacket open, but the level difference shouldn’t be underestimated. If Finland reaches the level seen in the match against Sweden in the most important games of the tournament, it will be difficult to shake it.