Few players in the Finnish World Cup squad evoke as much emotion as Marko Anttila. The Lions captain had a rough start to the home tournament but hit the ground running against France and was named man of the match.
It was close but Finland took their second win of the tournament by defeating France 5–3. The effort left a lot to be desired, which the team captain was well aware of.
– This is nowhere near enough. We should develop all the time if we want to win something. We are working hard to be able to play and be at the top during the last weekend, says Anttila to Yle Sporten.
Cheered greatly over the finish
Marko Anttila has been Finland’s most questioned player during the start of the WC. He even looked more angular than before in Finland’s first three games.
Against France he rose. The high-water mark was the solo raid that ended in him scoring the 3–1 goal in the second period.
– I don’t net very often, but I enjoy playing here immensely. I try to contribute as much as I can, he says.
After the hit, he jumped towards the hem and cheered for everything the fabric held. He admits that the feeling was special.
– I got quite excited. It is a fantastic experience to succeed in front of the home crowd.
Was it easier to play after you scored?
– They usually say that you get goalscoring legs after a perfect hit. When you net, your body gets an adrenaline rush and you fly forward. It doesn’t matter if you score in the World Cup or in a match in the backyard.
France tormented the Lion
The match against France was considerably more even than Finnish ice hockey fans had expected. The fight stood and weighed right into the final minute when Sakari Manninen put the 5-3 goal into an empty cage.
Anttila was critical of the home team’s effort, they also took the opportunity to praise the opponents.
– We had to do an incredibly hard day’s work. France played great. They were fast on their skates and fought bravely.
– We didn’t have enough patience today. We did enough to win but not much more.
The lion captain still chooses to take the positive with him to the upcoming clashes.
– We had chances to score significantly more goals so the victory could have been bigger. We wanted to get our offense going and we did. Our development curve points in the right direction after all.
