Nordic Football News

In part three of our pictorial roundup of 2009, we focus on the senior men’s national team. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Photo by Tero Wester.

Baxter had an eventful 2009. Finland’s qualification efforts ran aground, and the introduction of younger players went more slowly than many Finland fans would have liked. The loss to Russia and draw in Liechtenstein were particular low points, but Finland’s two victories over Wales ensured they retained third spot in the group.

Baxter has always talked about an evolution in the national team, a strategy to ensure that players are ready when they make the step up. The 2-1 victory over Wales in Helsinki and 1-1 draw in Germany four days later provided some vindication for the Birmingham-born coach. Sparv, Porokara, Hämäläinen, Moisander and Eremenko all played vital roles in those games, the question is whether they could all have played earlier or whether Baxter got their development plans just right.

At this stage it’s hard not to give him the benefit of the doubt, as some players met expectations (Moisander, Eremenko), while others exceeded them (Sparv, Hämäläinen, Porokara). Baxter’s contract runs until the end of the 2012 European Championships, or at least Finland’s involvement in it.

Finland coaching staff singing the national anthem before Finland v Russia in Helsinki. Photo by Tero Wester.

Finland’s coaching staff. Olli Huttunen, to Baxter’s left, was fighting for his survival as Haka’s head coach at this time, a fight he eventually lost to almost universal sympathy – his then boss, Seppo ‘Sedu’ Koskinen, is not regarded as an easy man to work for. Next up is Jari-Pekka Keurulainen, who has been part of Finland’s coaching setup since Antti Muurinen’s arrival in 2000, Heikki Kinnunen, team doctor, Paavo Leiramo, physio, and Kai Kyntölä, kit man.

Jonatan Johansson scores the first goal for Finland in their 2-0 win against Wales in Cardiff. Phot by Anu Laitila.

Prior to this match Finland were not in an optimistic mood, having lost 3-0 in Moscow the previous October to make qualification quite a long shot. The calls for renewal and youth were gaining a little currency, and failure to win in cardiff could have tipped the balance, but in the end a brilliant performance from Jari Litmanen helped secure a Finland victory. He played a central role in setting up this goal for Jonatan Johansson.

The 33 year old (since turned 34) was criticised afterwards by Welsh captain Craig Bellamy, who said he wasn’t ‘good enough to score’. He played his 100th international against Germany in Hamburg on 14 October, receiving bouquets from the Finnish and German FA’s and scoring the Finland goal. He spent several months out of contract in the summer before eventually signing for St Johnstone.

Finland's young midfielder before kickoff in Cardiff. Photo by Anu Laitila.

Tim Sparv broke into the full national team in 2009, forming a formidable partnership in central midfield with Roman Eremenko. Making his debut in the bizarre February friendly against Japan in Tokyo, he was then called up to the squad for the game in Cardiff, despite also captaining the Under-21s who were at a training camp in Spain at the time. His maturity is valued by Baxter, who places a lot of emphasis on mental strength and tactical intelligence.

When he gave a press conference in October with the leaders of the previous ‘golden generation’, Sami Hyypiä and Jari Litmanen, it looked very much like an introduction to the team’s new leader. Sparv secured himself a move to Groningen in the wake of his performances in the Under-21 European Championships, and he will officially transfer to the Dutch club on 1 January 2010.

'The King' orchestrated Finland's play in Wales. Photo by Anu Laitila.

Litmanen’s performance against Wales was superb. He barely moved outside of the centre circle, but he controlled Finland’s play with a range of passing and an intelligence that almost no other Finnish player has ever displayed. At the age of 38, it is still possible he will be part of the Finland squad in the forthcoming European Championship campaign, indeed the new chairman of the Finnish FA, Sauli Niinistö, publicly asked him to stay on during his election campaign.

Tihinen, Kallio and Heikkinen thank the 2,000 Finland fans after victory in Cardiff gave them a glimmer of hope of qualification for the World Cup. Photo by Anu Laitila.

Jääskeläinen and Pasanen celebrate the Wales victory. Photo by Anu Laitila.

Finland’s 2,000-strong following in Cardiff brought admiring coverage in the press, and gratitude from the players. Fulham defender Toni Kallio started the year well, with a good performance in Wales. The 31 year old left back faced tough competition from AZ Alkmaar’s Niklas Moisander, and the Wales match was probably to prove his high point of the year in a Finland shirt.

34 year-old Hannu Tihinen recovered well from a horror show against Russia in the previous qualifier. He was to suffer again in Helsinki against Guus Hiddink’s rapid counter-attacking side, but against Wales ‘Rautavuori’, or ‘Steel mountain’, looked solid and dependable. Markus Heikkinen had a role in every Finland game this year except Wales at home, and his tenacity and versatility are very useful in a squad like Finland’s.

Petri Pasanen’s versatility ensures that he is part of most Finland teams. He can play anywhere across the back line, and has done so for Finland, while Jussi Jääskeläinen announced his retirement from international football in October.

Finland fans let off a flare in Kamppi before marching to the Russia match. Photo by Tero Wester.

Finland’s supporter group, SMJK, has brought a hint of European football culture to international matches. Whereas most Finnish sporting events are accompanied by rhythmic clapping and shouts of ‘hei! hei! hei! hei!’, or ‘maali’, at Finland matches there is a ‘curva’, and a capo, and often excellent choreography.

They had been looking forward to this game against the Eastern neighbour, and they warmed up in their usual spot in the centre of town before marching along Mannerheimintie towards the Olympic Stadium. The footballers failed to heed the ‘time for heroes’ flag, unfortunately.

Finnish and Russian fans clash on Mannerheimintie before the match. Photo by Tero Wester.

SMJK’s march to the stadium was met near the National Museum by a large group of Russian fans also wanting to get to the ground. The resulting clash between the two groups, on one of Finland’s busiest streets during rush hour, was pretty much unprecedented.

“Finland has many presidents, but only one King”. The slogan sums up Litmanen’s position in society, and indeed the “king” moniker has spread beyond internet forums and into the mainstream media. He is pretty much a living deity.

Finland fans invoke the fight against Russification from the early part of the 20th century. Photo by Tero Wester.

Isto’s maiden is intended to represent Finland’s fight against Russian domination. In the original version the eagle – representing Russia – is attempting to take away Finland’s book of laws, when its autonomous Grand Duchy status and separate legal code within the Russian Empire was under threat in the last years of Tsarist rule. In June, SMJK replaced the book with a football for their choreography.

Finland's team photo before kick-off against Russia in Helsinki. Photo by Tero Wester.

This starting team had an average age of 30.5.

Arshavin in possession, as he seemed to be for much of the game. Photo by Tero Wester.

Litmanen struggled to recreate his Cardiff form against Russia, and the fast-moving, modern Russia side showed the limitations of a team reliant on experience rather than mobility. Litmanen himself has the vision and creativity to involve younger water carriers, but they were not in evidence against Russia, and after the Russia game renewal of the side began in earnest. Arshavin seemed to be a quicker, more inventive, sharper version of Litmanen, prompting comparisons with the King’s earlier years. The Arsenal man dominated Finland in Moscow and Helsinki, and the failure to deal with Russian movement on and off the ball was a big failing for Finland.

Eremenko under pressure from Zurianov. Photo by Tero Wester.

Eremenko was one of the few to emerge from the Russia game with any credit, as William Moore pointed out at the time. He was under some pressure beforehand, with the Russian media playing on his and his brother’s roots (both were born in Russia), but he responded well to the challenge. Although he has been playing at right-back for Dinamo Kiev, his is probably the first midfielder’s name on the teamsheet.

Alexei Jr in his second game back. Photo by Tero Wester.

The other Eremenko brother also had a decent 2009. After going incommunicado and getting dropped from the squad for the autumn 2008 qualifiers by text message, drink-driving issues and fitness difficulties, Eremenko was recalled to the squad for the wales match and has stayed there ever since. Now playing for Metalist Kharkiv in the Ukraine, his next challenge in the national team is holding down a place in a settled side.

Finland fans show their colours. Photo by Tero Wester.

The North Curve was the only section of the stadium without Russian fans, and even there a few flags appeared around the edges. It seemed as though half of Northwest Russia had arrived in Helsinki that day, but SMJK did their best to support their team anyway.

These fans went on to suffer their own heartbreak in the play-off against Slovenia. Photo by Tero Wester.

Russian fans and players celebrate their third goal against Finland in Helsinki. Photo by Tero Wester.

Some of the estimated 30,000 Russian fans celebrate their victory, which ensured that Finland’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup disappeared.

Finland's captain makes a clearance. He was a busy man in the Russia game. Photo by Tero Wester.

Finland's captain with his eye on the ball. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Hyypiä had an eventful year. He was left out of Liverpool’s 2008-09 Champions League squad by Rafael Benitez, and the news broke in the build-up to Finland’s opening World Cup qualifier against Germany. He spoke of his hurt and shock at the decision, and his eventual departure from Liverpool began to look inevitable.

His form in a Finland shirt was mediocre, with Russia in particular giving the rather static Finnish defence nightmares, but the two games against Wales were cathartic for everyone involved. Hyypiä just about managed to keep his former team-mate Craig Bellamy in check, which did not make the Welshman happy, and is likely to continue in a Finland shirt until he decides he has had enough. He is ever-present for his new side, Bayer Leverkusen, who are challenging at the top of the Bundesliga, while his old club Liverpool look defensively weak and in danger of missing out on the Champions League.

In between the Russia match and the Wales game Finland scraped a victory in Lankaran, Azerbaijan, and drew 1-1 with Liechtenstein, which forced even Baxter to admit that qualification was ‘now very unlikely’. You can see pictures from the Liechtenstein debacle here, if you really want to.

Despite Everything, we're always here. Photo by Lauri Ouvinen.

The Azeris have been a bogey side for Finland, and a 2-1 win away from home is not to be sniffed at, but the Vaduz result was awful and the fans felt it necessary to make their views known with a banner before the Wales game. The text was ‘Kaikesta huolimatta, Me ollemme aina täällä’, which translates as ‘despite everything, we are always here’. The question was how many of the players from the older generation would also remain in the squad.

One of Finland's younger talents, Roni Porokara. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Porokara has taken a typical route for Finnish footballers, following his Veikkausliiga career with a spell in Allsvenskan. He joined Sixten Böström’s Finnish colony at Örebro when he left Honka, and has impressed so much he is unlikely to remain there in 2010. Rumours suggest he could take a very untypical route to Israel, with Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv possible destinations for the winger. Having started both the Wales and Germany games and scored the opening goal against Wales, he looks likely to remain in Stuart Baxter’s plans.

Bellamy shushes the Finland fans after equalising for Wales. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Bellamy was prominent in the Finnish football year, after declaring that Finland and Wales were ‘two poor teams that haven’t got a hope in hell of qualifying’. Subsequent events arguably proved him right, with the Finns dropping points against a tax haven and failing to even nearly trouble Russia, but due to his tactless and provocative delivery, he still received near-constant abuse – in English – from the Finland fans, who alleged that he is a ‘homo’. This Wildean wit failed to put him off his game, and he scored Wales’s equalising goal.

Kasper Hämäläinen, Chris Gunter, and a ballboy. Photo by Krevis from ff2.

Hämäläinen got his first run-out (not counting the Japan match in February) as a substitute against Wales, replacing Joonas Kolkka in the 68th minute. he did well enough to get a starting spot against Germany, and played well again, but his club season ended in disappointment as TPS Turku missed out on the title. Expected to move abroad this winter, he will need regular playing time to ensure he retains his spot in the national side.

Niklas Moisander's goal against Wales. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Niklas Moisander's goal against Wales. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Niklas Moisander's goal against Wales. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Niklas Moisander's goal against Wales. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Niklas Moisander celebrates his goal against Wales. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

Celebrations after Niklas Moisander's goal against Wales. Photo by Olli Jantunen.

This goal meant a lot to Moisander. In 2009 he won the Dutch league with Alkmaar, lost his coach Louis Van Gaal to Bayern Munich, and struggled to retain his position under new boss Ronald Koeman. His (some would say long overdue) establishment as a national team player was marked by this late winner in the Wales match, where he turned inside the defender and leathered the ball home from a tight angle. He spoke afterwards about the recent death of his grandfather, and his difficulties at club level, that ensured this goal – in his first Finland start at the Olympic Stadium – was important on a personal level.

Mutual applause for Finnish team, fans. Photo by, erm, 'Juustonacksu' from ff2.

You can see more pictures from Finland’s excellent yet slightly unlucky 1-1 draw in Hamburg at UEFA’s site.

Thanks, as ever, to Finns Worldwide, FutisForum2, Petteri Lehtonen, Olli Jantunen and Tero Wester.