Again, it turns out that successful preparation does not guarantee a successful tournament, or at least its very beginning. Czech hockey players fell at the World Championships in Tampere in a confrontation with the first strong opponent. It’s not a disaster, but at least a sobering up. Coach Kari Jalonen’s team has to catch a lot of flies.
Tampere (from our newsletter) – Like a year ago, the Czechs had a successful period of preparation before the World Cup. New coach Kari Jalonen prescribed a complete hockey concept for the team, in which bulls and forwards intertwine. And in which the emphasis is on defense.
There have been rumors that this style may not be completely appealing, but it’s a win. The Czechs dominated the Euro Hockey Tour tournaments in Ostrava and Stockholm. They have only scored seven goals in six matches.
At the World Cup, however, they seem to have completely retired from defensive play. Defenders rush into situations where they are unsecured. They fail and the Czech selection in defense often literally burns. So much refreshing energy is also gone.
Under the leadership of Filip Pešán, the national team has never lost a single time in preparation for the World Championships in Riga. At the tournament, it was a different coffee and a huge problem with the advancement of the group.
This year, the Czechs started the championship with a duel against Great Britain, aspiring to the downhill, thanks to a favorable draw. The 5:1 victory seemed cool in the end, but there were already many holes in the Czech defense in this game. Captain Roman Červenka also mentioned it.
If it hadn’t been for the excellent performance of goalkeeper Lukáš Dostál and the lower quality of the British in the end, the Czechs would have done much better on the obligatory three points.
Jalonen’s side approached the second game against Sweden with focus, but from midway through the first half they slid into similar frivolity. Tomáš Hertl also spoke about the wasted effort to find complicated solutions, the abandonment of simplicity.
He arrived at the World Cup after seven years, as the biggest Czech reinforcement in the NHL. But so far he and other foreign players are not doing well in Tampere. Jakub Vrána shoots himself, Dominika Simon’s effort fails in a formation with the indistinct Matěj Stránský and Michael Špaček.
The only point among Czech NHL hockey players is Radim Šimek, the second passer on the third shot against the Swedes. It is hopelessly little. Compared to the contribution of the “Europeans”, lamentably little.
Michal Jordán is worried at the back, 18-year-old David Jiříček always makes an awkward start.
It’s not even clear when it comes to goalkeepers. Most likely, the planned number one, Karel Vejmelka, was taken off in the middle of the game against Tre Kronor. He will certainly blame a “thermometer” sample for the Mathias Bromý shot.
Jalonen’s selection arrived in Finland on a positive wave, fresh from successful preparation. He has played two matches and is standing tall. You have to catch a lot of flies, but there are also enough.
The matches against Austria, Latvia and Norway are a good opportunity to clarify the right system, refine the composition of the attacks and secure the passage to the quarter-finals. Tougher tests with the United States and the Finns will come at the end of the group.
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