Nordic Football News

Hietalahti, Vaasa, 7 PM Finnish time
Live on Urheilukanava

Hermanni Vuorinen has been reminiscing about Honka’s 2005 promotion season ahead of tonight’s trip to Vaasa. Back then Honka won a crucial match at Hietalahti, with big Hermanni scoring two goals, and of course Vuorinen has fond memories of the place.

“It’s nice to go to Hietalahti, it’s a nice place,” Vuorinen told veikkausliiga.com. Which is nice.

I absolutely agree with the Pori-born striker. It’s a fantastic little stadium, with a fantastic, wooden main stand and some lovely little huts where they sell beer and sausages. Of course, it belongs in a museum and not Veikkausliiga, but then Honka’s home ground doesn’t even have that charm to compensate for the awful facilities.

Honka won last year’s Vaasa fixture 4-1, and on VPS’s recent form they might have chance to repeat that score. Against Haka last week they won 2 corners to Haka’s 4, had just 2 shots on goal, and lost a dismal game 1-0. All this after playing the majority of the game against ten men following Sami Ristilä’s red card.

They’ll be missing Aalto, Smith and Tuuri, while captain and keeper Henri Sillanpää is a doubt. The first two are newly signed strikers, and reports indicate that they need those guys back and in form soon. With the captain also possibly missing out, it may be an insipid performance from the Vaasa team. Honka will be without Paatelainen and Turunen, while Koskimaa is doubtful.