Yesterday’s loss in Helsinki dropped KooKoo to the bottom of the league standings.
Olli Salo had more to think about from the trip to Helsinki. Tomi Natri / AOP
KooKoo has only two points from four matches, which it got with an overtime win over SaiPa last Friday.
The very next day, the people of Lappeenranta responded by taking the entire pot from Kouvola, and after yesterday’s loss to HIFK, KooKoo occupies the 15th, or last place.
Of course, it’s not worth staring too much at the table at such an early stage – it’s like the reaction time in the starting stands – but KooKoo’s situation is still somewhat surprising.
After all, it has developed into the most successful of the last three clubs promoted to the League (Sport, KooKoo, Jukurit) – both athletically and financially.
Head coach in his two previous KooKoo seasons Olli Salo has piloted the team to at least the quarterfinals.
– At the beginning, the game went a little as we wanted. After that, we lost struggles with goals, and that’s when it started to crumble, Salo recounted the events at the press conference.
– There was simply a big, big difference in fighting games. The first blow was not strong enough for us to be able to stop IFK’s attacks.
Salo gave the people of Helsinki full credit for the win and didn’t completely sneer at his own performance.
– We fought in some way, and in the second set we should have been able to use those few places.
– But there is no question that Hifki deserved his victory.
Winged team
Salo did not explain the result with the raggedness of the lineup, but answered when asked about it.
– We’ve had some bad things, but we have to fight through this now. We can’t complain about those things.
Fresh acquisitions from KooKoo were on the sidelines Ville Leskinen and Arttu Ilomäki mixed Toni Suuronen, Emil Molin and defender Charle-Edouard D’Astous.
– At the same time, it is a place to show off to many. That’s what I’m calling for, Salo emphasized.