Today, October 17, Finnish the national team competes against Team Sweden in Stockholm just two weeks before Finland bronze medal EM competition in two weeks.

There will be as many as 19 fresh faces on Finnish side this weekend as head coach Mele Mosqueda gives the starters a rest before the decisive medal match on Saturday 30 October.

Although they are a sea of ​​fresh faces, Finland will also include players such as Tino Ndongo, Kimi Linnaainmaa and Filip Zacok who participated in NFL International Combine earlier this week – making it anything but an experimental team.

Team Finland @ Team Sweden, Sunday, October 17, 12:00 CET (12:00, 06:00 ET)

AFI sat down with Mosqueda to ask how the preparations have gone:

AFI: How is the atmosphere in the camp before the match on Sunday?

“As with all operations in the national team, there is always excitement; the main thing is that our players want to prove themselves because it is a diligent process for everyone. This is the ultimate honor, a chance to carry the Finnish flag at the international level of men. Not many can say that they have received the distinguished honor. This October period is a little different because it not only involves a rivalry game with the annual Finnkampen, but is also part of our three-step preparation for the end of the month; for the future of the men’s program. Having our biggest rival to start this process should ignite many individuals in what is to come. ”

AFI: How have you prepared and has the end of the Finnish season made a big difference?

We are starting a “hybrid” minicamp process to better ensure a platform where everyone involved can first and foremost charge the batteries after a long Maple League / Finnish football season that had to deal with the pandemic a second time, but at the same time be mental and physical locked in for the demands of ending our European Championship journey at a high level. It has definitely not been easy for any individual, and the focus is on making sure that everyone has their normal mindset during each step of managing our business. ”

AFI: What went wrong in the last match against Sweden?

To say that something went wrong would not give the game the respect it deserves. It is football and in the end the opportunities must be taken care of and taken advantage of. We started explosively in the semifinals and this within itself, for a young team like ours, says a lot. We just need to learn to finish because Sweden is a dominant (and very well coached) team and they took full advantage of their opportunities; they made us pay. This is a game where you have to finish and it is a learning process for our young team, which is even younger now. Putting teams together is the key and it is part of our learning process through tough lessons. ”

AFI: Have you started to feel any particular bond or rivalry between the two teams that seems to have played each other more than any other European team?

“Definitely! After the semi-final, including our training camp that led into it, it has been a beautiful process to witness what this game (Finnkampen) and Finland-Sweden Rivalry really means. This has a huge significance and great respect for every employee, player To be able to witness that process, especially after the national team has not had a game since 2019, you could see how much this means to everyone.I still get goosebumps from the first moment when I hear the national anthem and Finlandia play in the tunnel. “the exact moment it sank in and words simply can not explain how much of an honor and privilege it is to be a part of this program. It is truly a blessing to be able to represent Suomi because I did not dream so big!”

Watch the match live here. Team Finland @ Team Sweden, Sunday, October 17, 12:00 CET (12:00, 06:00 ET)