Archive | March, 2009
Finland in Norway = did you bring your boots?
After a lot of tut-tutting over Craig Bellamy’s idiotic comments, the Finnish squad is looking a little bit threadbare as they prepare for the vitally important friendly against Norway. Lillestrom keeper Otto Fredriksson will watch the game from the sidelines so as to avoid aggravating a troublesome knee. Niklas Moisander has decided he doesn’t want [...]
Continue reading...Norway v Finland Preview
31. March 2009
As another memeber of the NFN-staff so elegantly put it on facebook: “NFN-derby, Drillo v Baxter, killers of whales v glorious victors of Wales”, it’s Norway versus Finland. A meaningless friendly on paper but a Nordic derby none the less, and there are points of interest for both sides. After Norway’s desperately poor showing in [...]
Continue reading...Craig Bellamy in ‘petulant stupidity’ shocker
29. March 2009
This version of Bellamy’s post-match interview was mocked up by a Finland fan, as you can probably work out from the eagle owl and sheep-bothering montage at the end. I’ve seen it a couple of times now, and I still can’t quite believe that Craig Bellamy (international goals: 16) is criticising Jonatan Johansson (international goals: [...]
Continue reading...Depleted Norway Defeated in South Afrcia
28. March 2009
South Afrcia 2 – 1 Norway (goals) Siphiwe Tshabalala’s superb last-minute winner gave South Africa a thoroughly deserved win over Norway, after Morten Gamst Pedersen’s deflected free-kick equalized Bernard Parker’s opening goal. Even the most nationalistic of Norwegians would have to admit that the South Africans were well worth their win, having been quicker, sharper [...]
Continue reading...Wales 0 Finland 2
28. March 2009
HBL had a column from Christoffer Herberts this morning, riffing on the idea that Wales and Finland are so similar as to be almost mirror images of each other. They both have a lot of injuries, they’ve both struggled to qualify for a major tournament for over 50 years, they both sruggle with a dominant [...]
Continue reading...South Africa v Norway preview
27. March 2009
With first choice goalkeeper Rune Jarstein (Rosenborg) already out of the running, Norway has been further weakened by the withdrawals of Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Rosenborg), Torstein Helstad (Le Mans) and Kjetil Wæhler (Vålerenga). Martin Andresen (Vålerenga) has also pulled out of the squad. Håkon Opdal (Brann), Erik Huseklepp (Brann) and Jon Inge Høiland (Stabæk) have [...]
Continue reading...Wales v Finland preview
26. March 2009
Finland are suffering from the usual injury worries, with Teemu Tainio and Mika Väyrynen out, but Jari Litmanen’s fitness is a welcome boost for Stuart Baxter. The FC Lahti striker, who scored the first ever goal at the Millenium stadium in 2000, has recovered from a clash of heads that saw him withdraw midway through [...]
Continue reading...Tainio out of Wales clash, Eremenko glad to be back
26. March 2009
Alexei Eremenko Jr has spoken of his happiness at returning to the Finland squad after his exclusion last autumn. The FC Saturn striker has lost weight and improved his training habits, and is now once again talking with all the optimism and joie de vivre of a seasoned Finnish international. “The important thing is that [...]
Continue reading...Jarstein withdraws as Norway prepare for bizarre South Africa-friendly
24. March 2009
Having just put in one of his best performances in a while, Rosenborg-keeper Rune Jarstein withdrew from the national squad today, citing the impending birth if his first child. The decision won’t go down well with outspoken (which is just a polite word for “raving lunatic”) pundit Ivar Hoff, who once famously said that then [...]
Continue reading...Baxter calls up Nyman and Sparv, Pukki and Lampi injured
24. March 2009
Finland have called up FC Thun’s Ari Nyman and Halmstad BK’s Tim Sparv ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifier in Wales on Saturday. Nyman replaces Veli Lampi, who withdrew from the squad after suffering a concussion in FC Zurich’s match against Young Boys Bern. Baxter has previously stated that he does not want under-21 [...]
Continue reading...Sami Hyypiä
24. March 2009
This article is in the new ‘Oh Sami Sami’ brochure, published to celebrate Sami Hyypiä’s ten years at Liverpool. When Finns talk about their greatest footballers, Sami Hyypiä is always near the top of the list. Although he has won European trophies during his time at Liverpool, Finland have not reached the same heights. Hyypiä’s [...]
Continue reading...Rosenborg Walk In Winter Wonderland
24. March 2009
Tromsø 2 – 4 Rosenborg (highlights) Professional football inside the arctic cirle in mid-March. Think about that sentence for a while, say it out loud, taste it. Feel the intricate texture of its inherent dumbness, the kind of dumbness usually associated with Miss Teen USA contestants, particularly stupid animals or Bengt Eriksen. Of course this [...]
Continue reading...Veikkausliiga Haiku competition!
23. March 2009
The Finnish football season is starting in less than one month’s time, and we are pretty darn excited about it. To celebrate, we would like to tap into our readership’s creative energy to succinctly express what Veikkausliiga means to us all. And as the pinnacle of world sporting excellence that it is, Veikkausliiga means a [...]
Continue reading...Round 2: 1-1 Draws, Penalty shouts and Sympathy for David Nielsen
23. March 2009
With Tromsø and Rosenborg yet to play it’s fair to say that round 2 of the 2009 Tippeliga was richer in drama and talking points than it was in quality of football. After a week that’s been dominated by talk of just how doomed Mad Martin’s job at Vålerenga is and just how rubbish Brann [...]
Continue reading...8pm CET Tonight: Live updates from Brann – Stabæk
22. March 2009
Will Steinar Nilsen’s pampered pansies recover from Monday’s miserable mauling at the hands of Sandefjord? Or will Stabæk rediscover their free-flowing football stylings and batter the boys from Bergen in their own backyard? Follow NFN’s updates from this intriguing (seriously) Tippeliga encounter with over at www.twitter.com/fjordball (with the added subplot of yours truly struggling to come [...]
Continue reading...League Cup Quarter finals: King 23 Czar 45
22. March 2009
HJK Helsinki 2 Lahti 2 (HJK win 5-3 on penalties) Highlights Jari Litmanen and Valeri Popovitch played yesterday in the battle of the wily, legendary old boys, or ‘the king’ against ‘the czar’ as it was billed by various Finnish media. Litmanen is of course the king, having played at the highest level throughout his [...]
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31. March 2009
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