Inter are not the luckiest team in Veikkausliiga, it has to be said. After losing Patrick Bantamoi to a red card in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to HJK at Pallokenttä (HJK’s usual Töölö home having it’s new grass rested for the Euro 2009 championships in late August), their second goalkeeper David Monsalve was sent off in the 57th minute at Ratina today after bringing down Tampere United’s Aleksei Kangaskolkka and preventing a goalscoring opportunity.
As the game’s defining moment it was pretty clearly signposted, and when Eemeli Reponen (not a girl) failed to stop Chris James’s penalty on his Veikkausliiga debut, the stage was set for TamU to complete the comeback. They had earlier gone 2-0 down through Furuholm and a superb strike from the Mexican midfielder Alberto Ramirez, at which point Inter looked in control of the game.
Their defensive frailties have been a problem this season, however, and after Kangaskolkka’s half time introduction TamU began to exploit them. The former MyPa striker is a very good striker, a poacher unlike most other Finnish forwards, and his pace and power unsettled Claudio Verino. At least 50% of the Kangaskolkka equation seems to be psychological, and he did get a booking for dissent in his 45 minutes (disciplinary problems have plagued him since pre-season), but overall his demotion to the bench paid dividends.
Job Dragtsma, always a pleasure to interview, explained the game in his usual eloquent way. The penalty decision changed the game, he couldn’t blame his keeper as the defence should have stopped Kangaskolkka and Monsalve was only trying to get to the ball, and Giullano Grot was at fault for the winner as he failed to impede the long ball forward to Rafinha.
Ah, Rafinha. signed as an attacker and converted by Ari Hjelm into a right back, the Brazilian was pretty jubilant to have got the winner. I asked him afterwards what his favourite position is, and of course he said he was a striker, ‘but I’ll play wherever Zico needs me’.
Talking to Dragtsma afterwards I was struck by his approach to criticising his team. Ramirez wasted a four on one break immediately after TamU had equalised, by electing to shoot rather than dribbling to the wings and spreading the play to make the defender commit himself. During the game I’d exclaimed just how stupid this was from ramirez, how Inter could have gone ahead again, and it was a terrible waste. Dragtsma merely shrugged and said that he’d been confident as he’d just scored a good goal. He was much more focused on what players do when they don’t have the ball, and I guess this is how creative players are developed: they’re allowed to express themselves relatively freely and without fear of criticism. It also shows why Dragtsma is reigning coach of the year, and I struggle on football management simulations on the computer.
Lastly, a word for 16 year old Jusu Karvonen: steady. He seems to have been in the gym since his league cup matches earlier this year, when he looked quite skinny and lightweight, and it is good to see young players blooded by Ari Hjelm.
On Sunday I went to see Haka v Jaro, and was absolutely astounded to see Jaro dominate the game but fail to get a goal. They hit the bar and the post, and Mikko Hyyrynen was guilty of some atrocious finishing, but Sebastian Mannström’s game was the highlight for me.
Overlooked for the Under-21 squad that went to Sweden, the former GBK man made some wonderful passes, created some excellent chances for his team mates, took a couple of potshots, won some unlikely headers, and even made a couple of pretty strong tackles. He’s a small guy but has toughened up considerably this year, and he has helped turn Jaro into an aesthetically pleasing, effective side. He will surely leave Jakobstad soon to sign for a bigger club, at home or abroad.
As for Haka, well. They were poor, and played nothing like champions. The best news for them seemed to be announced in the press conference afterwards, when we found out that Sebastian Strandvall will shortly leave to go on trial at Werder Bremen.
Jaro coach Mika Laurikainen announced today that he will leave the club at the end of the season, at the conclusion of his current contract. HBL repeats a rumour that he may be HJK-bound, but would they really sack Antti Muurinen? Not if they keep winning seven goal thrillers, surely. Akseli Pelvas was the big hero for HJK, and maybe now he’ll get some playing time? Not till he moves to Jaro, said the guy next to me at Ratina, but maybe that won’t now be necessary, if Laurikainen brings his developmental philosophy to HJK next year.
In today’s other game RoPS got a last minute winner against JJK, after having conceded two late goals on Sunday to lose to Honka. Please do click on the video, as it will make you feel good about your own footballing career. remember: the majority of the people playing in those conditions are full-time professionals. And you’ve (most likely) played on better grounds than that. Did you hang up your boots too soon, or is Susi Vouti (RoPS’s temporary home while their usual ground is renovated) a little bit ramshackle? I think it’s the latter, but in an endearing rather than pitiful way. It’s only one game, for only one season, so I’m sure the pampered southern pros will get over the poor facilities.
The result ‘plunged’ JJK into the relegation play-off spot, but they still have a game in hand on RoPS, who are one place and one point above them. At the top of the table just five points separate the top seven, with Jaro’s impressive performances not quite getting the reward they deserve, but keeping them in touching distance of the leaders.
Tomorrow Lahti take on Dinamo Tirana in the first of Finland’s European ties this year, which will also be the club’s first match in European competition. NFN wishes them luck, as we’re all big FK Tirana supporters round here.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:44 am
I’m not sure I’d call it bad luck if Inter defenders lose out to an opponent even though they have no less than three defenders to do the job. Bantamoi and Monsalve have probably done their best, although I don’t think Bantamoi’s best will do if all he could come up with was the kind of rugby challenge he displayed.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:29 am
Two games in a row, though? I think it’s fairly bad luck. They seem to be making bad decisions at crucial times, although they still have individuals capable of something special, and ironing out those inconsistencies will take some time. I really like their philosophy though – everybody knows where they’re going and what they’re trying to do, and they’ll get there eventually if they can keep the squad together.
I’m not sure they’ll ever win in Tampere, though.
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I dont know about the Tampere game, but pretty much the only thing Inter showed in Helsinki was atrocious tackles throughout the game. They really should have finished the game with 8 or 9 players on the field instead of 10.
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Pelvas was an animal yesterday. One minute in he scores and then 10 minutes later gets the gamewinner. HJK needs him in the starting lineup.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Egan, I don’t get it. That’s like saying KuPS are unlucky to be the last team in the table because they lose pretty much every game they play.
The mistakes that have led to Monsalve’s and Bantamoi’s red cards have been caused by poor anticipation, positioning, decisions, poor tackling and finally, the attackers’ skill. What matters in these aspects of the game is skill and understanding, not luck.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Come on. You watch enough Finnish football to know that every team makes a huge number of unpunished mistakes in every game.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:50 am
But I also watch enough football to know that very often it is an individual mistake or a mistake where a number of players are involved. Sure there’s lots of unpunished mistakes in every game, but there’s a huge difference between the usual giveaway in midfield and mistakes like the ones Inter have committed in their last two games. Inter have made the kind of mistakes that are almost always fatal and are punished more often than not. I can’t possibly see it as a question of luck.