Tag Archive | "Tim Sparv"
Finland 2009 in pictures, part three
In part three of our pictorial roundup of 2009, we focus on the senior men’s national team. Click on the photos to enlarge.
Continue reading...Johansson scores one and sets up another as Finland draw in Hamburg
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
It was billed as the day Finland’s young players would come of age, and those that played certainly did that. Roni Porokara was a constant threat to Beck on Finland’s left wing, Kasper Hämäläinen linked up on the other wingand was not overawed in front of a crowd 12 times larger than his club’s average [...]
Continue reading...Baxter goes for youth, looks to 2014
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Talking to Finnish football journalists always reminds me a little bit of the Four Yorkshiremen sketch. “I was there when we drew with Liechtenstein, that was an awful night.” “LIECHTENSTEIN? LUXURY! I’ve seen us draw 0-0 with Andorra!” “That’s nothing – I was there when Shefki missed that last minute chance in Prague and the Czechs went up [...]
Continue reading...New players pave the way for a more physical and dynamic Finland
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
It is a cruel world full of peril out there in international football and that is why, like a she-bear looking over her cubs, Stuart Baxter, the Finland coach, has been sheltering his young players before releasing them into the wild. However, on Saturday Baxter realised he was fighting a loosing battle against forces of [...]
Continue reading...The Stuart Baxter revolution: It is time for the Scotsman to show that he is not all talk
Thursday, September 3, 2009
It is going to be a crucial week for the Finland coach Stuart Baxter as his team travel to Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein. The week might even become to define his era as the coach of the Finnish national team in two respects. Firstly, even though again Finland can only fantasise about qualifying for the World [...]
Continue reading...Finland Under 21’s, class of 2009: a player-by-player assessment
Monday, July 27, 2009
Markus Kitunen is joining the NFN team to provide occasional insights on football in Finland and abroad. His blog is I went for the Ball, and he will provide some in-depth, thoughtful analysis on Nordic football. His first NFN piece is from IWFTB, and focuses on the not-quite-triumphant Euro 2009 squad and their chances of [...]
Continue reading...Finland in Norway = did you bring your boots?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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...Wales v Finland preview
Thursday, March 26, 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
Thursday, March 26, 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 we [...]
Continue reading...Baxter calls up Nyman and Sparv, Pukki and Lampi injured
Tuesday, March 24, 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...Japan 5 Finland 1
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Finland went down to a heavy defeat in Tokyo today. The winter training camp was intended to give a taste of international football to the younger players on the fringes of the full national team, and to see how they coped in a full international situation. Not all that well, as it turned out. The [...]
Continue reading...A message for Juha’s Dad: you didn’t miss much (Finland 2 Austria 1 Finland, won 4-2 on penalties)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
[youtube=http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=G5d17Sb7hLY] The Salminen household might not be that harmonious tomorrow. Juha’s Dad was at the game, until the 75th minute, when Juha’s sister had to go to dancing practice. Having not seen much to indicate it would be worthwhile staying, Salminen senior headed off to do his fatherly duty. Five minutes later, and Jussi Vasara made [...]
Continue reading...European Under 21 Championship Qualifying: Finland 2 Denmark 1
Saturday, September 6, 2008
So, FInland are in the play-offs. A good performance from everyone, with special mentions for Juha Hakola, Tim Sparv and substitute Jarno Parikka, and it was a good attendance too. The support from the Finland fans was mentioned in Niklas Hägen’s excellent report in HBL, in particular that there were songs to the tune of [...]
Continue reading...U21: Finland 1 Sweden 1
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The respective U21 sides of Finland and Sweden had nothing between them as their friendly match in Turku drew to a close, and the result – one goal for each – reflected the proceedings quite well. The hosts started the game well, with Tomi Petrescu, Perparim Hetemaj, Berat Sadik and Tim Sparv all causing trouble to [...]
Continue reading...Kakkonen News
Sunday, May 11, 2008
I went to see HIFK against FC Kontu last week. It was HIFK’s first game of the season, their first game back in Kakkonen and was expected to draw a big crowd. I can’t find a number, but it was definitely big for Kakkonen. Unfortunately, Helsinki parks department has decreed that football cannot be played [...]
Continue reading...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
5 Comments