Nordic Football News

Veikkausliiga already kicked off a few weeks ago so this season guide is way overdue. But let’s not allow that insignificant detail put us off since, despite the first rounds offering some surprises, there are still almost 30 matches to be played, which means that the league’s power balance will even itself out in the end. So, better late than even later, here we go for another season of Veikkausliiga football.

1. HJK: reconstruction begins after last season‘s dominance

Expect them to…be nowhere near as dominant and free-flowing as last season but still win the title due to the quality in the squad.

Strength: Variety in attack both in terms of numbers and player types should allow coach Antti Muurinen to pick the right players for the right occasion. Experienced defence that has been together for a long time.

Weakness: New centre-midfield with not enough penetration and dynamism. The use of one-dimensional Juho Mäkelä upfront will inevitably strip HJK off their attacking fluidity.

Expect great things from…the striking sensation Joel Pohjanpalo who scored 33 goals in 23 Finnish 2^nd division matches last season for HJK’s reserves. Also, he recently turned down a contract offer from Liverpool. The 17-year-old has a rare, insatiable hunger for goals (added with the actual skill and vision to score them).

Expect little from…returnee forward Juho Mäkelä who will score a few goals but still be more a hindrance than an actual asset to HJK.

2. FC Inter: will give HJK a proper run for their money

Expect them to…really challenge HJK this season but fall short due to a lack of depth in the squad.

Strength: Inter’s starting eleven is nearly as good as HJK’s, and their playing style is instilled in the DNA of the squad’s core.

Weakness: There remains a huge quality gap between the XI and bench. Especially if key members like Mika Ojala and Iraklis Siribladze get injured Inter will struggle. Job Dragtsma is undeniably a fine coach but his performance in the transfer market is less than impressive: for every find like Jos Hooiveld, the Dutchman has dragged in busloads of useless players (Guillano Grot or Daniel Osinachi, anyone?). The jury’s still out on the current lot, but Pim Bouwman does seem like the real deal (then again, Guy Gnabouyou doesn’t).

Expect great things from…dead-ball specialist Mika Ojala who will again score a tidy number of goals and assist (15+19 in 2011) and should get the next flight out of Turku if he is to further his career.

Expect little from…the strikers on the bench.

3. TPS: will to make a claim, but know own limitations

Expect them to…play balanced, safety-first football and keep the Turku title and European spot as priorities in the absence of any real chance of mounting on a championship challenge.

Strength: TPS can rely on their solid defence and having the best keeper in the league to get them through any forthcoming hard times. The Turku team are capable of playing through the middle with variety and in Toni Kolehmainen they have a clean, stylish deep-lying playmaker.

Weakness: Like their city rivals, TPS lack depth in the squad. The wide areas are another concern as, with Mika Ääritalo and Petteri Pennanen playing more centrally, only full-back Sami Rähmönen provides reliable penetration out wide.

Expect great things from…keeper Jukka Lehtovaara who would (and perhaps still should) be Finland’s No1 had he not suffered from constant injuries in the past.

Expect little from…coach Marko Rajamäki who has a decent enough XI in his hands, but may not have the required tactical ability to create a successful style for them.

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After half a decade spent going through the motions and hoping for a miracle with quick fix coaching appointments, the Finnish Football Association finally took the inevitable leap of faith in 2011 and set forth on a long-term project with the national team. The first step was taken in March with the appointment of Mixu Paatelainen as head coach in place of the largely unpopular and unsuccessful Stuart Baxter. This was a bold move, but bravery is always needed when striving to cast off reactionary tendencies and pave the way for the future.

The former Kilmarnock and TPS coach signed a five-year contract with an official goal of reaching the 2016 European Championships. Regardless of whether this objective is achieved or not, the actual significance of Paatelainen’s tenure is assessed in an even longer time span. The first task for the new coach has been to reconstruct a new tactical strategy and rejuvenate the squad not only in terms of age structure but with regards to the overall mentality as well. Paatelainen, therefore, ultimately took charge of laying out a sustainable structure for the development of the national team, and in order for Finland to have any chance of achieving the historical qualification in four years’ time (Finland have never featured in a major tournament), the development process needs to be balanced and meticulously planned.

Mixu looks forward as Finland coach

The early signs are encouraging. Paatelainen was never known for his pace when spearheading Finland attacks as a bulldozing centre-forward in the 90s, but the 45-year-old has been quick to lay the structural groundwork off it. He has instilled a new, progressive tactical strategy and tried out and got to know a host of new (and old) players, which is something few of his predecessors could be bothered to do properly. The first phase of the Paatelainen revolution has been about theory and its gradual implementation while the results have been of purely secondary interest. The second phase, the 2014 World Cup campaign kicking off next autumn, will concentrate on fine-tuning the established system to uncover more intricate details on how it functions against different playing styles and tactical approaches. Finland had the misfortune to be drawn in the toughest group in the whole draw (featuring Spain, France, Belarus and Georgia), but the silver lining is that the group offers a perfect tactical lesson as each team play a different brand of football. Then when the Euro 2016 campaign starts, the strategic platform should be set and the efforts to claim the actual cake by going for the results, and the results only, can begin. Now at the start of 2012, the curtain is effectively drawn on the first phase of the project and it is time to look at the implications of Paatelainen’s start as Finland coach. (more…)

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2011 was a season to remember for HJK. Not only did ‘Klubi’ won their third consecutive title and the Finnish Cup (overall their 24^th league championship and 11^th cup victory), but they did this in a swashbuckling fashion. The Helsinki team finished the season with a 24-point lead to second-place Inter and scored a whopping 86 goals in 33 matches while conceding only 23.

As testament to their superiority, HJK, time and again, ripped the other title contenders apart. The season highlights included a 4-2 home victory over Inter (a result that flatters the visitors greatly), 2-0 win away to Honka and 6-2 and 6-0 demolitions at home to TPS and JJK respectively. HJK also exorcised any Honka demons they may have still harboured by collecting 7 points from three games (two away) against the Espoo team (as they did against Inter). The only flaws in the season’s makeup were the two defeats inflicted by TPS (both away).

HJK had the title in the bag already in late summer, but, despite a non-existent title race, HJK fans experienced a season’s worth of drama in Europe. (more…)

It has been a highly eventful start to the autumn for HJK. First, maintaining their devastating form in the league, the Helsinki club all but secured the Veikkausliiga title already in August. Then, ‘Klubi’ gave Schalke a proper run for their money in the Europa League play-offs, beating the Germans 2-0 at home until imploding in the second half of the away leg as the hosts ran rampage with a 6-1 victory. After being knocked out of Europe, and with only a few days to go in the transfer window, they sold three of their key players for a truckload of cash.

Euro-sensation Teemu Pukki (or “Euro-Pukki” as Bild dubbed him) transferred to Schalke on a Veikkausliiga transfer fee record of approximately 1,5 million euros while Dawda Bah and Rafinha found new homes from Augsburg and Gent respectively (Juhani Ojala had already transferred to Young Boys in mid-August). From the sale of the quartet, HJK got an estimated total of 3 million in transfer fees. This may not seem like much in the context of the mad modern football economics but the sum actually exceeds HJK’s annual budget (about 2, 2 million).

HJK show foresight in transfer policy

HJK’s dominance has been staggering this season in the Finnish league. With nine rounds left to play, the reigning champions have a 16 point lead to second-place FC Inter. Therefore, despite a quality dip in the squad caused by the sale of four leading players, it is safe to assume that HJK’s title claim will not be at stake during the rest of the season. A more relevant issue, however, is how the transfers will affect their overall playing and tactical strategy. (more…)

It was a night to remember at the Sonera Stadium last Thursday as HJK recorded a historical victory with a battling performance over the German giants Schalke in the Europa League play-off first leg. Teemu Pukki scored two fantastic goals to cap a magnificent team performance by the home side which put the Finns on the threshold of the group stages of the competition.

Despite their illustrious domestic history, the Helsinki club haven’t enjoyed too many European nights like this. After HJK made it to the Champions League in 1998, they have only beaten Celtic (2-0 at home in 2000) from the bigger European clubs. The Champions League adventure not only started a whole new period in the club’s history but also acted as the springboard (with players such as Mikael Forssell, Shefki Kuqi, Aki Riihilahti, Hannu Tihinen and Jarkko Wiss) for the emergence of the ‘golden generation’ in the Finnish national team. Today HJK have a similar, unique chance to start a new era in Finnish football if they manage to negotiate the away leg in Gelsenkirchen.   (more…)

It is a tedious cliché that Finnish football is small-time and insignificant, but it is unfortunately also kinda true. Precarious finances and a disinterested public make the professional game here seem lower profile than, say, crown green bowls in the UK, or cricket in the United States.

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HJK entertain Schalke tomorrow in the play-off round of the Europa League. Despite the undeniable fact that HJK are marching towards the Veikkausliiga title, the home tie against the German giants is an event that eclipses their whole season (unless they make it into the Europa League group phase of course).

The match created a huge buzz as the demand for match tickets caused a meltdown in the online ticket shop. The match is sold-out but it is an unfortunate affair that probably only half of the crowd come to the Sonera Stadium tomorrow to watch the home side, and that even fewer are audacious enough to dare to dream of HJK getting something more out of the game than another ‘respectable defeat’.

On the face of it, it does seem that HJK are without a prayer against Schalke who have the likes of Raul (who doesn’t play tomorrow), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Lewis Holtby and Christoph Metzelder on their books. But then again, who cares, HJK have Aki Riihilahti. As much as Schalke can be described as a near-world-class team that knocked Champions League holders Inter from the competition last season, they can be characterised as a bunch of over-paid has-beens and never-wasses (although they do have some interesting young players this year as well).

Schalke’s inconsistent start to the season has been nothing out of the ordinary. The perennial underachievers were demolished 3-0 at the hands of Stuttgart on the opening day of the season, but then bounced back with a 5-1 trashing of Köln last weekend, with Huntelaar bagging a hat-trick. The fact that the Dutch striker seems to have struck form doesn’t bode well for the injury-ridden HJK defence.

HJK beat FC Honka 2-1 at home with a make-shift squad on Friday with a performance that was far from spectacular. Injuries have started to plague the team at the worst possible time (while Valtteri Moren was just recently ruled out for the rest of the season, Rami Hakanpää has already been out for most of the season and one can rightfully question the decision to sell star centre-back Juhani Ojala before the European qualifiers are over) and because of this the hosts have no other choice but to start new signing and Finland U21 centre-back Timi Lahti alongside Mathias Lindström in the heart of the defence. Lahti arrived from FC Haka last week and is yet to make his debut in a HJK shirt. The home fans can only hope that the 21-year-old will showcase a can-do temperament and approaches the occasion as an once-in-a-lifetime chance to make his mark; the other choice would be to bottle it even before the match has started. Whatever the case, it is an unfortunate situation, but one that needs to be negotiated. (more…)

There was a real sense of expectation in the air at the Sonera Stadium last Wednesday as HJK took on Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg of the Champions League third round. Few HJK fans may have pinned their hopes on actual UCL qualification, but many regarded the home team having at least a solid chance of beating the Croatian champions in the two-legged tie.

HJK started the match brightly, testing the visitors’ defence with a couple of rapid counter-attacks. Then on the 14^th minute, the feeling of anticipation turned into euphoria in the stands and on the pitch as Alexander Ring slipped clear from the Dinamo defence, picked up Dawda Bah’s excellent through pass, and coolly lifted the ball over the hesitant keeper Ivan Kelava.

The bliss didn’t last for long, though. Five minutes later, the visitors countered through the right, Fatos Bećiraj drilled in a cross inside the penalty area that, for the puzzlement of all, Rafinha clipped into his own net. Obviously the situation came suddenly and the Brazilian was running flat-out towards the goal, but, nevertheless, the decision to try to clear the ball was blatantly the wrong one since the nearest opponent was a good few meters behind him. Rafinha, who was one of HJK’s stand out performers, failed to adhere to one of the most fundamental defensive lessons: always know where the nearest opponent is. (more…)

HJK made Champions League history trashing Bangor City 13-0 on aggregate in the second round of the competition. Both the second leg 10-0 victory at home and aggregate result are the biggest goal-fests ever celebrated in the Champions League. The result is a remarkable achievement in its own right, especially by a team from Finland, but, in truth, Bangor never represented a real test for HJK.

HJK’s second round victory may not have sent a storm warning through Europe, but it must have caused a few eyebrows to rise, and not least in Zagreb. The Veikkausliiga leaders face Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg of the third round in Helsinki on Wednesday and the Croatians will be wary of the hosts’ attacking quality. However, by looking at the evidence from the Bangor match alone, they also must have a pretty good idea where HJK’s weaknesses lie. (more…)

HJK entertain Inter tonight in one of the most highly anticipated matches of the current campaign. Inter, second in the table, chase the hosts by seven points with a game in hand, so if the Turku team manage a victory in Helsinki all the talk of handing the Veikkausliiga trophy to HJK may just turn out to be premature.

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The surprise Veikkausliiga leaders from Jyväskylä take on the reigning champions at the Sonera Stadium at 6:30pm tonight. JJK remain unbeaten with sixteen points after six matches while HJK sit third with twelve points. Therefore, even with a limited grasp of arithmetic, the hosts are in for a match they need to win. (more…)

HJK host Jaro at the Sonera Stadium tonight at 6:30pm. The home side have recorded three straight victories (KuPS (H), Inter (H), VPS (A)) after the opening day defeat against TPS in Turku and sit second in the table, a point behind JJK. Jaro have also recovered from their dodgy start to the season, that saw them get beaten by biggest relegation favourites RoPS (A) and Haka (H), by taking all three points at TPS and drawing at home to KuPS. Jaro are seventh in the table ahead of today’s fixtures.  (more…)

Did you miss NFN’s three-part Veikkausliiga preview? Don’t worry, you can find it here, just click on the linka. Part I -Part II - Part III.

Nordic Football News has once again brought you the most definitive Veikkausliiga preview concievable. Now for the final part, our standings prediction. After much debate and wrangling, NFN Editor Egan Richardson had to step in to adjudicate the dispute, and this is our best combined estimate of how the season will unfold.

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And so we move to the not-so-business end of the table, the rear. It promises to be quite a battle, since so many clubs have been forced to cut costs amid financial turmoil.

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The mid-table more than any other part of the league is defined by the financial nuclear winter and different ways to approach it. Let the carnage ensue!

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It’s time for the annual NFN Veikkausliiga preview. As with last year, a three part preview, starting with the title contenders. Want to guess who we think will win?

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