The beginning of the dream for Finland – the defeated United States of America

© Sergei Grits / AP / TT
The world champion in Finland got off to a great start in the Ice Hockey World Cup.

Finland presented itself at the Ice Hockey World Cup in Riga.

The world champion won the first match against the United States 2-1.

“We have a chance to go to the end,” says Hill Tony Sound at SVTN

Judging by the World Cup premiere, there are some similarities between this year’s edition of the Finnish World Cup team and the team that won the exciting World Cup gold in 2019. It is a team without top stars, the golden champion Marco Antela is the captain of the team. And they continue to make life miserable for gold-seeking countries.

In the first game for Finland, it was the United States that felt it.

After the first half without goals, it took just over seven minutes into the second half before the first Finnish goal became a reality. Tall Atti Utama, 33, who won the gold medal two years ago, fired a shot through an American club into the goal.

It came 2-0 in the period 15.41 and even then they got some help from the opposing team. Eero Baccarinen made a comeback as USA goalkeeper Cal Petersen accidentally hit his team’s goal.

A good Finnish starting point

However, the US managed to cut before the end of the second period. Jason Robertson, one of the nominees to win the award as the junior of the season in the National Hockey League, received a difficult pass on a ball, advanced into the area and pushed the ball between the legs of Josie Ulknora against Finland.

There were no more goals for any of the teams and Finland won 2-1. A good start for Finland, which positioned itself early on to finish at the top of Group Two. Especially when Canada surprisingly lost to Latvia on Friday.

It’s just a matter of raising the hat for the entire team. Tony Sund says: We played for each other and it was clear.

Great Russian victory

In Group A, Russia, which is competing in the World Cup under the name ROC, and which represents the Russian Olympic Committee, made the process short with Great Britain.

Russia scored the first goal after 5.53 and continued at a furious pace. Five minutes after the main goal, they led 4-0.

Ultimately, Russia won 7-1, to top the group that also includes Sweden. Russia beat the Czech Republic at the premiere, 4–3.