Another interesting fact is, that in 2012 both Ville Peltonen and Toni Söderholm actually played together in the national team under Jalonen at EHC.I didn't realize this, but fifteen years ago german head coach Söderholm and assistant Peltonen played in the world champs alongside Kontiola who still plays in the worlds.
Any germans left from that squad?Another interesting fact is, that in 2012 both Ville Peltonen and Toni Söderholm actually played together in the national team under Jalonen at EHC.I'm pretty sure they played against Germany back then also but I am not sure about that: Leijonien MM-ryhmä täydentyi - Anttila tippui
Hopefully Finland gets beaten to a pulp and it is quickly forgotten. So many of Finland's talents choose sport later than in Sweden between these two. Football success can screw ice hockey big time.The football euro starts in a week, Finland is playing its first tournament. How many people will watch this tournament and will something change in the perception of people around football? Will it be more popular?
Hopefully Finland gets beaten to a pulp and it is quickly forgotten. So many of Finland's talents choose sport later than in Sweden between these two. Football success can screw ice hockey big time.
Football is horrible. So boring, I would rather watch a librarian picking up books if it had commentary. The pitch is so big that the players forget that they should want to score goals.Jesus. Football is awesome.
The football euro starts in a week, Finland is playing its first tournament. How many people will watch this tournament and will something change in the perception of people around football? Will it be more popular?
I don’t want to be rude, but your chances is not 20 % more like 10 %.The viewership will be massive. Finland has about 20-25 percent chance to qualify into the round of 16. Their shots on target will probably be few and far between and they're likely to finish 4th in their group. If this happens, many people will cheekily say "see, I knew they're not any good at this".
But there are a lot of football fanatics in Finland who have zealously followed our national football team for years (or even decades) because they think it's more trendy and cosmopolitan than watching hockey. Many of these football aficionados always cheer for Finland's opponents during the IIHF worlds. They think people who get so excited about a second rate tournament of such a small sport are a bunch of rednecks who have no idea of what actually matters in sports.
These football hipsters have very mixed feelings about Finland's participation in the Euros. On the other hand they wouldn't mind the sport becoming more popular and Finland regularly qualifying for major tournaments, but they'd also like to keep the peasants away from the stands. They're very proud of their trendy clothes and hold utter contempt for hockey fans who treat the IIHF worlds as a yearly spring festival and dress something like this:
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The football euro starts in a week, Finland is playing its first tournament. How many people will watch this tournament and will something change in the perception of people around football? Will it be more popular?
I don’t want to be rude, but your chances is not 20 % more like 10 %.
Finland plays just about every year in the medal-games of hockey when as this good be once in a lifetime experience for Finland in a major football-tournament.
Maybe maybe not but Finland will never become a regular qualifier.
I started watching the IIHF worlds as a smallish boy in 1989. I still remember seeing Finland get eliminated by the USA in 1991. I was very angry and disappointed but my mom told me that I'd better get used to it. She said she knew from decades of experience that Finland will never medal in the world championships.
Her prediction wasn't entirely accurate. They've made it to the last 4 a few times since then.
Given what happened in 1992, your mom's statement didn't exactly age like fine wine.I started watching the IIHF worlds as a smallish boy in 1989. I still remember seeing Finland get eliminated by the USA in 1991. I was very angry and disappointed but my mom told me that I'd better get used to it. She said she knew from decades of experience that Finland will never medal in the world championships.