Join Mark (@explorefinland), Mark (@FCSuomi) and Keke (@kekemyllari) for regular episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football in Finland. In English.
We’ll preview this weekend’s final round of Veikkausliiga games and discuss who might get the European places and these new, European play-off spots.
We also have the regular features, “ja sillä sipuli” and “Following”. But. Surely. There’s only one place to start this week. And that is with last week’s games for the National team against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Armenia.
Add to that, the re-emergence of our old friend (and FFS founding co-host) Rich from Escape to Suomi and our regular features. It all adds up to refreshingly upbeat, Finnish Football Show.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Mark (@FCSuomi) and Keke (@kekemyllari) for regular episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football in Finland. In English.
In episode 24, we look back at the recent Euro 2020 qualifiers (and forward to the upcoming games), we try to explain what happens now that the 2019 Veikkausliiga has split into two ‘series’ and we discuss a few Finnish players, who are figuratively (not literally) on fire! season at the halfway stage.
Add-in some short news stories and our regular features and it’s another reassuringly average, Finnish Football Show.
As a supplement to the live recorded Finnish Football Show, Mark W & Mark H meet in person for the first time for a guided tour of SJK Seinäjoki’s OmaSp Stadion. Huge thanks (again) to Lari Paski, Supporters Liaison Officer, for organising the tour at very late notice, and to Tom Dunne for taking time out of the Academy training session to share his memories of the early days of SJK.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Mark (@FCSuomi) and Keke (@kekemyllari) for regular episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
In episode 23, we discuss the 2019 Veikkausliiga season at the halfway stage. We look back at the disgraceful scenes at the end of the Suomen Cup Final. We also hear Keke trying to remember his trip to Liechtenstein to watch the Finnish national team.
Add-in some short news stories and the new, regular features and it’s another high-standard Finnish Football Show.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Mark (@FCSuomi) and Keke (@kekemyllari) for regular episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
In episode 22, we look at Finnish players overseas, some reaching for the stars and some heading in the other direction. We allow Keke to bask in the glory of his Suomen Cup quarter final prdictions and look ahead to the semi-finals on 16.5.2019. We then review the first 6-8 rounds of the Veikkausliiga season 2019.
Add-in some news stories about protests, the new, regular features and Mark W’s tantalising tease for FFS23, and it asll adds up to another high-standard Finnish Football Show.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Mark (@FCSuomi) and new co-host Keke (@kekemyllari) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
In episode 21, we look back to late-2018 and Finland’s successful Nations League campaign. We discuss the 2020 qualifying competition which started last weekend (23rd and 26th March 2019).
We also cover the 2019 Suomen Cup competition, with the group games in February & March 2019, progressing onto the first knockout round in late-March. Add-in some short news stories and a few new, hopefully regular, features and it’s another high-standard Finnish Football Show.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
In episode 20, we look at how the Veikkausliiga season 2018 looks with 33% of games played, and we discuss the June 2018 friendlies for the Finnish national team. Add-in some short news stories, Finns Overseas and ramblings about Rich’s shirt, and it’s another high-standard Finnish Football Show.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
In episode 19, we preview the Veikkausliiga season 2018, marvel at the continuing impressive form of the Finnish national team and discuss the past week of Suomen Cup action (Quarter- and Semi-finals). We also dive into Academy teams in the lower divisions and an interesting closed-season transfer.
As a supplement to the live recorded Finnish Football Show, Mark W speaks to Lari Paski, Supporters Liaison Officer and leader of the Klopit; Seinäjoki FC’s supporters group. It was recorded on the coach to watch SJK vs KPV in the Suomen Cup in February 2018 – so there’s a little background noise.
As a supplement to the live recorded Finnish Football Show, Mark W and Mark H preview Huuhkajat’s upcoming training camp in Dubai including one (or two) friendlies
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
As a supplement to the live recorded Finnish Football Show, this is an interview with new SJK Manager, Sixten Boström, recorded at the SJK press conference on Monday 20.2.2017.
As a supplement to the live recorded Finnish Football Show, here’s something slightly different, a selection of interviews from the SJK press conference to launch its new eSports team.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
As a supplement to the live recorded Finnish Football Show, here’s something slightly different, an interview with a current star of the Finnish national team…
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
As a supplement to the live recorded Finnish Football Show, here’s a selection of short articles, which were previously published online, now ‘performed’ in audio by the original authors.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for monthly episodes, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for the first episode of the Finnish Football Show series, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland.
Join Mark (@explorefinland), Rich (@escapetosuomi) and Mark (@MaHa_FCSuomi) for the first episode of a series, where 3 old blokes sit and talk about football. In Finland. Well, you have been warned!
Season 2, Episode 21 Lari returns to the pod to reveal his highlights from following Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho in 2015. Spoiler alert, it has a very happy ending!
Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho Team 2015. Photo courtesy of SJK.
The draw for the latest Europa League competition was made on Monday 22nd June, and Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho were drawn against Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar of Iceland.
In this episode, recorded 22.7.2015, you can hear me speak to Wayne Brown and Bahrudin Atajic about SJK’s defeat to FH and looking forward to the remainder of the 2015 season. Read the Show Notes here
Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho Team 2015. Photo courtesy of SJK.
The draw for the latest Europa League competition was made on Monday 22nd June, and Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho were drawn against Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar of Iceland.
In this episode, recorded 23.6.2015, you can hear me speak to Chris Cleaver, and Richie Dorman about the upcoming SJK vs FH fixtures. Read the Show Notes here
You can find all previous articles about Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (Seinäjoki FC, SJK) here
The season gets underway
The league season is now near the 33% stage, so it’s a good time to have a look at how things have played out so far.
For SJK it has been an effective, if unspectacular start to the campaign. Defensively they have been very solid, conceding only 4 goals in 11 league games, and they have lost only 2 matches so far. Following an impressive season in 2014, and the fact that 3 of the 12 teams are new to the Veikkausliiga in 2015, it has been noticeable that many opponents have tried to frustrate SJK by sitting back and playing a defensive game. This is assisted by a narrower-than-average pitch at Seinäjoki’s Keskuskenttä ground. Only RoPS from Rovaniemi, though, turned this into a dark art; their anti-football tactic of fouling and over-acting any physical challenge spoiled the season opener in Seinäjoki.
This has led to many scrappy first-halves, which have required SJK to play with patience before finally breaking down their opponents. They have scored many of their 16 goals in the second half, including 3 against Ilves, 2 against HIFK and 4 against KuPS. These three were all in the past two weeks. Away games have proven trickier for SJK with two draws, one defeat and a solitary win in the four games on the road, so far.
Another factor must be the incredible schedule in recent weeks. This has seen SJK play seven league games in the past three weeks. In May, SJK’s routine reads like this; Sunday – Friday – Monday – Thursday – Sunday – Wednesday – Sunday. This includes five home games, which is a strain on supporters’ budgets, as well as a physical strain on the players. This is made even more bizarre by the fact that there is not a single game scheduled for SJK on Saturday in 2015, the traditional match day in Finland, neither home nor away!
This probably works for the gambling business of Veikkaus, but doesn’t do the players any good, and isn’t helping the attendances at Keskuskenttä, which average at 2,066 in 2015 down on the 2014 average of 2,297.
League Table 26.5.2015. Courtesy of Veikkausliiga.
Richie Dorman – the Welsh Messi
04. Richie Dorman. Picture courtesy of SJK.
With the signing of new players in the close season, there seemed to be direct competition for Richie Dorman. He’s been at the club for four years and is a vital component of the spirit and heart of the team. It has been a pleasant surprise, therefore, to see that manager Simo Valakari has found a new position for Richie in centre midfield. Whether that is a free, roaming role is not clear, but that’s how Richie has been playing! He’s been winning tackles, playing incisive passes to create goals and, against Ilves, went on a mazy run from the halfway line before firing past the goalkeeper. A goal that will live long in the memory of those that saw it, in a game in which he also hit the crossbar from inside the centre circle!
Here to see highlights of SJK vs KuPS including Richie hitting the bar and scoring ‘that goal’
Toni Lehtinen, record-breaker
It has also been pleasing to see the regular appearance of Toni Lehtinen in the starting line-up. Having made his SJK debut in 2012, and helping the club to climb into the Veikkauliiga, he is heading towards ‘veteran’ status. Toni has now scored 68 Veikkauliiga goals, making him the 14th top scorer overall in Veikkausliiga history. He is also SJK’s joint top goalscorer with 33 goals, alongside Mikael Muurimaki. Seeing that Mikki has retired and is playing for Apollo FC, it looks like Toni will soon overtake him too.
Europa League campaign
No real news yet, but the countdown to the draw is now on and SJK will learn their opponents on 22nd June, when the draw will be made for the first two rounds. SJK’s first round fixtures will be on 2nd and 9th July and there is potential for a couple of large teams e.g. West Ham United or Everton. Of course, it will probably end up being somewhere Eastern and unpronounceable 🙂 I will look to get the next SJK Update published after that draw has been made, but before the two games take place.
You Want More?
Here are a couple more links if you still want to watch some Finnish football
Watch Veikkausliiga highlights on the Ilta Sanomat website ISTV
Many thanks to Lari Paski, Supporters Liaison Officer at SJK for his help on this article, and his contribution to my podcast episode on the history of SJK. Many thanks also to Antti Huhtamäki and SJK for the use of the photos.
Season 1 Episode 16 Mikael & Jarl Matti proclaim Finland’s
‘Pink Revolution’
There is something in the air in South Ostrobothnia. In this episode, I speak to two members of a new football club in Seinäjoki, which has the noble aim of raising money for charity, while also providing a destination for retired footballers.
Guests: Mikael Muurimäki and Jarl Matti Antilla, Apollo FC players
Guests: Mikael Muurimäki and Jarl Matti Antilla, Apollo FC players
There is something in the air in Seinäjoki. What started as a small idea among a group of friends is blooming into something altogether more touching, caring and beautiful – not words that you usually associate with the game of Association Football. That ‘something’ is named Apollo FC. It is the rebirth of a team that existed in Seinäjoki back in the 1980’s. Now with a purpose, a cause that has caught the imagination of everyone that hears about it.
It began when a group of former players from Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK), decided that they wanted to continue playing organised football with players of a similar standard. They cast around for team-mates, found that they had over 20 possible names, and so registered to play in the lower divisions of the football pyramid in Finland, securing a place in the 6th division.
This squad includes former fan favourites Mikael Muurimäki, SJK’s record goal scorer from it’s days in Kakkonen (Finland’s 3rd tier) and Luis Fernando, SJK’s oldest player who played in the 2014 Veikkausliiga aged 35. In fact, the age of the players in the squad ranges from 25 – 55 years.
Apollo FC club badge, resurrected from the 1980’s and now in pink
I spent some time discussing Apollo FC players Mikael Muurimäki and Jarl Matti Antilla. Jarl Matti is also managing the team’s media work around his busy day job. The fact that a new team, playing in the Finnish 6th division needs a media manager says a lot. The first hint that they may have hit on something special was when they attracted 1000 Facebook ‘likes’ within the first week. No mean achievement.
Jarl Matti explained that Apollo FC ‘manifesto’ has now has two aims;
to be a place for players of a certain standard (including some former professionals) to continue competing alongside old friends.
to use the interest in the team to raise money for charity.
Once they realised that there was interest in the team from around Finland, they decided to divert that coverage and exposure elsewhere. Somewhere it could do good. The charity they will support in 2015 is Roosanauha (http://oma.syopasaatio.fi/roosa-nauha/5-2013) the breast cancer charity that is identified by a Pink Ribbon. The team will play in bright pink shirts and have the nickname Pinkitkoirat, the Pink Dogs. In 2015, Apollo will also use the slogan ‘For All Womankind’.
This is what has really grabbed the attention of people in the Etelä-Pohjanmaa region. Encouraged businesses to sponsor the team. Made people buy merchandise for a team that has hardly played a game. Look forward to seeing them play in the Regions Cup – like the non-league, FA Trophy in the UK! It is because ‘there is no good reason not to support the cause’. Everyone has a Mum, a Wife, a Daughter, everyone can relate to this cause.
SJK has worked hard over the past few years to build a real football culture in the town and Matti feels some of this is now reflecting on Apollo. This, and the fact that the Apollo squad also includes people in regular jobs, who have some ability but never played in the pro-game. That the squad includes a local bank manager, for example, helps build a connection with potential fans.
Pinkikoirat!
Jarl Matti Antill (left) and Mikael Muurimäki
At the start of the season, Apollo FC decided it would aim to raise 5,000€ for the Roosanauha charity. That is pretty ambitious for year one, but after just two practice games, it seems they might have to adjust their sights. By the middle of April, only two months since launching the club, Apollo has raised 3,700€ and it shows no sign of stopping. Jarl Matti and Mikael were, unsurprisingly, proud and humble at what had been achieved so quickly, but they still have a ‘hundred’ fundraising ideas. The only limit is the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day.
SJK has been supportive of Apollo, but it doesn’t stop there. It has already been announced that there will be an event in summer 2015 involving Apollo, SJK and HJK Helsinki. That’s HJK who will be playing in Champions League qualifiers and SJK, who will be playing in Europa League qualifiers, taking the time to support the efforts of this new team from Seinäjoki.
That said, it is not just Apollo that is trying to redefine what a football club should be. Aki Riihilahti, the current CEO of HJK Helsinki, is one of the founder members and honourary ‘captains’ of Peace United. The former Crystal Palace and Finland player founded the club following a visit to the Za’atr refugee camp in Jordan, where he was inspired by the work of Finn Church Aid.
Although Apollo FC and Peace United have different aims, they have a similar ethos, one of giving, one of doing things for others. A revolution? Well maybe not strictly speaking, but clearly there is something in the air, something rather refreshing in the era of £5 billion TV deals. You never know, there might even be a few good games of football as well.
If you want to learn more about Apollo FC or, better still, want to support the fund-raising efforts, you can contact them at any of the following places;
Article number two in the series of articles about Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (Seinäjoki FC, SJK). You can find all the articles in this series here
Cup campaigns
Several eyewitness accounts suggest that SJK were unfortunate to exit the Suomen Cup (Finnish FA Cup) to Kuopio Palloseura (KuPS) within weeks of being knocked out of the Liigacup. Popular consensus is that SJK dominated the game but, in failing to score more than one goal, they left themselves vulnerable, and KuPS took advantage with a penalty and a ‘worldie’ into the top corner, sending SJK out in the 6th round – SJK’s first game in this year’s competition.
This is a similar story to the Liigacup game against Rovaniemi Palloseura (RoPS), which RoPS won on penalties following a 2-2 draw. This is a habit that SJK will, clearly, be trying to get out of by the time the Veikkausliiga starts.
The video below shows highlights of the KuPS match, followed by an interview in English with Wayne Brown at 9mins 20.
Veikkausliiga season 2015
SJK’s new season kicks off on Sunday 12th April with an away game in Turku against FC Inter, with a good crowd expected as Inter have marketed the game with lots of free tickets. 2014 was a challenging season for FC Inter, as they languished in the bottom half of the table before finishing 4th from bottom. That said, they fared better than some others. Of the 12 teams in the Veikkausliiga last year, three of them dropped out at the end of the season;
TPS (Turku Palloseura) finished 12th and dropped down into the 2nd tier, Ykkönen.
FC Honka, managed by Shefti Kuqi in 2014, finished 11th, amid legal disputes and financial problems. At the end of the season they decided to drop down two divisions, to where their reserve team plays, presumably to start over.’
Going one step better (worse?) was MyPa, they finished 8th but this wasn’t enough to stop them going bankrupt. There are two other teams from their area in Kakkonen, so they’ve decided not to continue. A sad demise for a the Veikkausliiga champions of 2005!
The three replacement teams in 2015 will be HIFK (Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors) from Helsinki, who have a large, rowdy fan base which necessitates them playing home games at HJK’s Sonera Stadium – which will be busy this year with SJK also using this venue for Europa League games. HIFK won the Ykkönen division on the final game of last year and will be a useful addition to the Veikkausliiga. The two other sides are KTP from Kotka (runners-up to HIFK last season were) and Ilves from Tampere (Tampereen Ilves) who are managed in 2015 by Geordie, Keith Armstrong.
SJK, by contrast has bigger targets for 2015. The club has stated it’s aim of winning the Veikkausliiga and ending HJK’s (Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi) 6 year stranglehold on the trophy. In fact, the club inserted a clause in manager Simo Valakari’s contract that the team will play to win every competition it enters, something that fans of many mid-table teams would surely endorse! This is, clearly, a high ambition but after last year’s impressive 2nd place finish, this shows the board’s desire to continue pushing the club onwards and upwards.
SJK captain, Pavle Milosavljevic, modelling the new 2015 kit
The club will also make it’s debut in the Europa League at the beginning of July. While this always seems too early for British clubs, it fits right into the middle of the Finnish season, when they players should be at their peak. Unfortunately, SJK’s stadium is not able to host UEFA matches, so there will be a 4+ hours commute to Helsinki to play the match(es?) at HJK’s Sonera Stadium.
The excellent Escape To Suomi blog has a good overview of each Veikkausliiga team in it’s 2015 Season Preview
Which leads us nicely to…
A New Stadium in Seinäjoki
“Seinäjoki Council has unanimously approved the contract for the construction of the football stadium with SJK.”
And so it was announced, by the Mayor of Seinäjoki, Jorma Rasinmäki, on 23rd April that SJK and the town of Seinäjoki had reached an agreement over the plans for a new football stadium. It is in a, slightly different location to the original plan, which would have been on the hillside near the Wallsport Areena, a tricky and more costly plan due to the need for explosives to make space for the stadium and building planning zones.
The new plan will see the stadium positioned closer to Wallsport and the Ice Hockey rinks, also closer to existing infrastructure. The area outside the main stand will be slightly lower than the level of the pitch, which should give the effect of the stand looming high above you when approaching the stadium. The stadium will be an all-enclosed design, with a capacity of 6-6,500 to fit in with UEFA requirements, at least for the qualifying rounds, and possibly the Europa group games (depending on the draw). The Champions League group games are have different requirements, and we shouldn’t try to run before we can crawl 🙂 It should, however, prove to be a great venue for all those future European matches (especially if the teams does succeed in winning the Veikkausliiga this season!)
Freddy Adu
When I heard that Freddy Adu, the former child prodigy of football from the USA, had been released from his team in Bosnia, I thought ‘why not the Veikkausliiga?’ SJK manager Simo Valakari, having steadily built his squad through the winter, clearly had other ideas and passed up the opportunity. Adu was signed, however, by the aforementioned KuPS, not in time to make his debut against SJK, but he did have an immediate impact on the club’s online following, adding over 300,000 Twitter followers to KuPS.
Whether things work out for him remains to be seen but, surely, most football fans wish him well, and will look forward to seeing him in actions in 2015. You can see an interview with Freddy, in English, on the YLE Areena website here
Escape To Suomi also has some more detailed musings on Freddy Adu
Coaching in English and English Training
Something that Fredy Adu mentioned in his interview was something I’d also noticed on some recent SJK videos, which is that the training sessions are held in English. Apparently, this is another sign that English is becoming the language of international communication. So many overseas players coming to Finland already speak English, that it’s the easier for everyone to speak in this second (or third) language they have in common. No, it’s not because Finnish is too difficult for the average footballer to learn – I’ve heard SJK’s first-team coach Chris Cleaver give interviews in excellent Finnish – it just allows the team to focus on football rather than trying to overcome language barriers.
SJK feels this is an important life skill for young, Finnish players coming through the ranks at SJK. That learning English will prepare them for a future career overseas and it’s the duty of the club to help them develop as people, not just as players. That said, it does sound strange to hear that SJK has arranged for at least one overseas player to have English lessons, rather than Finnish, since they arrived in Seinäjoki, so as to better understand the training, tactics and match day instructions!
You Want More?
Here are a couple more links if you still want to learn more about Finnish football
The new, online magazine Ostrobothnia in English delves a little deeper down in the Finnish league, introducing teams for the Ostrobothnia region
You can see more videos on the SJK TV YouTube channel.
Many thanks to Lari Paski, Supporters Liaison Officer at SJK for his help on this article, and his contribution to my podcast episode on the history of SJK. Many thanks also to Antti Huhtamäki and SJK for the use of the photos.
This is the first in what I hope will be an ongoing series of articles on happenings at Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (Seinäjoki FC, or SJK to it’s friends).
New players
As mentioned in my previous post about the Liigacup, SJK has signed several new players, in the closed season, to strengthen the squad;
Mehmet Hetemaj midfield – Mehmet is well known to some of his new team-mates already, having played at FC Honka with Jussi Vasara. He’s a strong, intelligent central midfielder who is both an aggressive, strong tackler and has an eye for an intricate pass. He has experience of playing in Italy, and should prove a valuable presence in the Europa League campaign, while also bringing extra quality for the Veikkausliiga.
Ariel Ngueukam forward – Known as ‘Tuco’ to his team-mates and fans, this is another player that will make a difference to the team, adding quality to the existing squad. Having seen him play, he has a style similar to Diego Costa, maybe not so aggressive (and b****y annoying!) but he is a real nuisance to the opposition, always battling for the ball and never letting his opponent settle. You will see him dropping deeper to collect the ball, switching wings, as well as pushing further forward. He’s a clever player who reads what his team mates are doing and adapts his play to them.
Bahrudin Atajic forward – Firstly the pronunciation, which I’m advised is ‘Aa-ta-chik’, Bahrudin was signed from Glasgow Celtic, having been based in Scotland from age 16-21. He is Bosnian but was born and raised in Sweden, so should ease into into both Finnish football and the Finnish lifestyle. A skilful, creative player he offer speedy combinations of passes to bring others into a game. Initially joining on trial, a tally of 3 goals and 2 assists in 4 Liigacup games led to him being offered a 1+1 year contract. Despite this recent scoring record, Atajic is not first choice as a striker and is more likely to play wide or as a number 10.
Jussi Vasara midfield – Vasara = Hammer! Jussi is the former captain of FC Honka, a battling, utility midfielder, effective both in a holding position, or up-front playing off of the centre forward. He is known to pick off chances that fall from rebounds or loose balls at the box, and has scored two of goals during the Liigacup campaign.
Stop press!
As I’m writing this, it has been announced that SJK has signed Henri Aalto, vice captain of FC Honka. Aalto plays either at full-back (right or left) or centre-back. This gives SJK two good players in each position, and will provide competition and cover across the back four. He also managed to sign in time for the pre-season trip to Marbella – hopefully his tackles are as well timed as his signing!
Photo gallery (click on an image to enter slideshow)
Mehmet Hetemaj. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Ariel ‘Tuco’ Ngueukam (L) alongside Cedric Gogoua (R). Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Jussi Vasara. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Bahrudin Atajic. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Henri Aalto. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Simo Valakari. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Simo Valakari
As a player, Simo Valakari was an intelligent midfielder who spent several seasons overseas playing in Scotland for Motherwell, and in England for Derby County. As a coach, he displays similar intelligence and attention to detail.
Pre-match preparations include close analysis of the opposition using the InStat Scout programme, which allows his coaching team to focus on a particular opposition player, or passages of play from previous games. Simo will present video clips of the opponents and can select all the corner kicks of the opposition, or every key incident involving a certain player. Although he doesn’t tailor his tactics to the other team, he researches them and holds practice sessions with one team playing in the style of the opponents. During these sessions, he will regularly stop the game to discuss what certain players do during the game, and how SJK can counter this.
This is a feature of Simo’s sessions, he positions himself in the centre of the pitch (where he spent his time as a player) so he can see the whole game, and ‘conduct’ proceedings. He will regularly stop the session, getting the players to stop, close their eyes and point out where their team-mates are on the pitch. This helps the players understand, instinctively, where they should be and where their team-mates will be, Simo wants his players to be intelligent and adaptable in their thinking during different phases of the game.
Clearly, a manager on his way up in the football world, let’s just hope he’ll be in Seinäjoki for a few seasons yet.
Liigacup
Although it started with a set of impressive results in the group stage, SJK’s defence of their Liigacup title ended in the first knock-out round. A 2-2 draw at home to Rovaniemen Palloseura (Rovaniemi FC or RoPS) was decided with a penalty shoot-out, which RoPS won 4-3. Although they avoided a potential clash of dates for the next round match, which may have coincided with SJK’s trip to Marbella and would have made defending the title an even greater challenge. So all planning and training is now focused on the Veikkausliiga campaign which starts on Sunday 12th April.
Here are SJK’s stats from the five Liigacup games this season;
Played 5, Won 4, Drew 1 (lost on penalties)
Goals scored 14, goals conceded 5
Goalscorers:
Akseli Pelvas 6
Ariel ‘Tuco’ Ngueukam 2
Bahrudin Atajic 3
Jussi Vasara 2
Marco Matrone 1
You can read my previous article about the Finnish Liigacup here.
Pre-season training in Marbella
SJK’s Liigacup disappointment will be soothed by their pre-season training camp in Marbella, a week of warm weather training, on grass(!), which includes two friendlies, against Icelandic team FH on Monday 16.3 and then against Spanish third tier team, Marbella FC. After several months of indoor training, during the dark Finnish winter, this will be a welcome change of scenery and climate for the squad – the chance to warm the bones after the winter freeze sounds good to me.
This is a short video of day one of the training
You can see more videos on the SJK TV YouTube channel.
Many thanks to Lari Paski, Supporters Liaison Officer at SJK for his help on this article, and his contribution to my podcast episode on the history of SJK. Many thanks also to Antti Huhtamäki and SJK for the use of the photos.
The League Cup in Finland is a curious competition. Played as a competitive series of games, it serves as a pre-season competition for the 12 teams in the Veikkausliiga (Finland’s Premier League) but, as it kicks off in mid-February and Finland is mostly under a metre or two of snow, it is played indoors.
Th structure of the Liigacup is also unusual. The first round sees the teams divided into four groups each consisting of three teams, who all play each other twice in the group stage. At the end of this stage the top two from each group progress, providing eight teams for the quarter finals. From here it is a straight knock-out competition through to the final.
There’s one more quirk to this competition, though, as progression through the rounds of the Liigacup, also gains a better seeding in the Suomencup (Finland’s FA Cup), whereby those that get knocked out in the group stage of the Liigacup, start the Suomencup in the 3rd round, and those progressing to the Semi-final of the Liigacup, join the Suomencup in the 6th round – so there is an incentive to treat this as more than a pre-season warm-up series.
And so this weekend I found myself in Seinäjoki’s Wallsport Areena to watch the second of Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho’s Liigacup games. After a close victory against local rivals VPS Vaasa (1-0 on Wed 11.2), today’s match ws against the other team from the Pohjanmaa region, FF Jaro from Pietersaari.
A crowd of 504 saw a close first-half, Jaro played neat, passing football but lacked a creative spark to make any chances for their strikers. SJK looked more dangerous, with Richie Dorman & Akseli Pelvas creating chances down both wings, although it wasn’t until the 41st minute that the first goal was scored, with Pelvas rounding the Jaro goalkeeper, having latched onto a through ball from new striker Ariel ‘Tuco’ Ngueukam.
Tuco attacks. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Klopit in action. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Bahrudin Atajic shoots at goal. Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Kiitos Kerho! Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
Ariel ‘Tuco’ Ngueukam (L) alongside Cedric Gogoua (R). Picture by Antti Huhtamäki.
The second-half was not easy for SJK, although the scoreline suggests differently. The second goal early on, Sarajärvi feeding Tuco, allowed us (the supporters) to relax, but it wasn’t until the final 10 minutes that the scoreline became overwhelming for Jaro. Firstly, a long, mazy run from fans’ favourite, Cedric Gogoua, saw the ball fall to Bahrudin Atajic, a former Celtic youth player, currently on trial at SJK). FF Jaro went down to 10 men after a sending off for a lunging challenge on SJK’s Wayne Brown, before the final goal was scored by captain Marco Matrone in the 88th minute.
An impressive final score, which is only enhanced when you consider that the SJK team was without regular goalkeeper Mikhel Aksalu, recent Finnish national team selection Johnny Laaksonen, & star striker Toni Lehtinen plus new signings Jussi Vasara and Mehmet Hetemaj. Next up are the away games against the same two teams, VPS on 18.2 and then FF Jaro on 28.2.
Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK) have a had a busy week, that culminated with the (now traditional) match between the first team and the supporters club (Klopit), who hold the honourary position of 12th man at SJK.
The match was played in a friendly, light-hearted atmosphere, indoors at the excellent Wallsport Areena in Seinäjoki, and although SJK are clearly the stronger team, the inclusion of a few SJK ‘old boys’ playing for Klopit evened things up and added a little frisson. The match ended 5-4 which was suspiciously close, and on investigation, it was discovered that the Klopit ended the game with 15 players on the pitch, a tactical innovation that Klopit ‘head coach’ Lari Paski should be proud of 🙂
This kind of activity only helps to cement the strong bond between the club and the supporters, so a big thank you from the Klopit to everyone at SJK.
Finland new-boy Johnny Laaksonen (right) and Mikael Muurimäki, SJKs record goalscorer Picture: Antti Huhtamäki
In other news, earlier this week SJK announced a partnership agreement with FC Jazz from Pori, which will involve structured loaning of players between the clubs from the youth development through to first team squads. This will give players at both clubs the opportunity to progress and find their level as SJK are in the Veikkausliiga (Premier), FC Jazz are in Ykkonen (1st Division) and SJK ’07, the reserve team, play in Kakkonen )2nd Division.) This will support SJK’s future policy to develop more Finnish players.
It was also announced that Johnny Laaksonen, SJK’s midfield playmaker has been selected to join the Finnish National sqaud that is travelling to the UAE next week to play Sweden in Abu Dhabi and Sudan in Dubai. This is a well deserved reward for Johnny who was voted the Players Player of the Year in the Veikkauliiga 2014.
SJK have also been busy in the transfer market signing Jussi Vasara, attacking midfielder and former captain at FC Honka in the Veikkausliiga, Cameroonian goalscorer Ariel “Tuco” Ngueukam and, announced today that, subject to a couple of contractual matters, Mehmet Hetemaj who is returining to Finland after several years playing in the Italian lower leagues for AlbinoLeffe, Reggina & Monza, he is a tough-tackling, defensive midfielder who has played for the Finnish National team and should fit in nicely alongside Laaksonen at SJK.
If you want to do some homework on the new players, then what better way than a YouTube highlights video;
The club has promised there will be additional, strong signings later in January, and based on their actions so far this winter, who would doubt them. SJK aims to offer a real challenge to HJK Helsinki in 2015 and give a decent account of themselves in their first Europa League campaign, in which SJK will play their home games in Helsinki, at HJK’s Sonera Stadium – a return trip of 710km, 8 hours, from Keskuskenttä, SJK’s home ground!
If you want to learn more about SJK, listen to my podcast episode 3 where Lari tells me about the history of the club and Finnish football culture.
