Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Suomen Cup quarter-final summary

It was quarter-final day this Monday, and as usual, it was a complete nightmare to try and keep up with what was happening. Excuse any assumptions made.

FC Jazz 0-3 RoPS 

The lowest ranked team left were FC Jazz, currently of the Kakkonen Länsilohko (west), hosted RoPS, conquerors of HJK in the previous round. The rule that lower division teams get home advantage kicked in again, and 812 people turned out for the tie.

Any notions of romance lasted eleven minutes, when Emenike scored the opening goal. He then doubled the lead on 38 minutes. RoPS waited until the 2nd minute of injury time for Aleksandr Kokko to make it 0-3. FC Jazz come back down to earth with a bump, with president Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki joking that he'd have to cancel his flights for the 2015 Europa League final…

Emenike does a Lee Sharpe (photo via Kari Mankonen)

RoPS progress to the semi-final, where they will host IFK Mariehamn in a repeat of the Veikkausliiga season opener (won 1-3 by Mariehamn).

Honka 1-2 IFK Mariehamn 

2012 cup winners Honka crashed out in a close game, witnessed by (just) 526 people. IFK Mariehamn rested star man Petteri Forsell, and after a goalless first half, things woke up.

Diego Assis opened the scoring after 51 minutes from the edge of the area (deflected), but that was equalised within six minutes as Honka's Kastriot Kastrati scored his fourth goal in three games after an impressive one-two. Jamaican striker Dever Orgill capitalised on his recent good form by heading in the winner, 11 minutes from the end.

There were six yellow cards in the match, but the Islanders won't mind. They've earned themselves another 1234km trip (one way) to Rovaniemi.

Highlights of Honka 1-2 IFK Mariehamn

VPS 0-2 JJK


Perhaps the most surprising result of the round was in Vaasa - VPS had made a good start to the season, sitting fourth in the Veikkausliiga and only three points off the top. JJK meanwhile are sat at the bottom, two points from six games, and only scoring in two of those.

Another goalless first half, but the visitors scored twice (on 75 and 84 minutes). Babatunde Wusu got the first from a huge punt upfield, and Patrick Poutiainen secured the win with a late counter-attack. 

Perhaps the cup is offering some relief for JJK. Either way, they have three months now to concentrate on the league, and in the semi-final they will host KuPS.

 
Highlights of VPS 0-2 JJK
 
Haka 1-2 KuPS

The only other non-Veikkausliiga side also perished in the last eight, recently relegated Haka pushed 2012 runners-up KuPS to extra time though. The highest attendance of the round (1354) in Valkeakoski saw 120 minutes between two of last year's bottom three.

KuPS started with the recently re-signed Chris James, but there were no goals in the first half. According to Haka's official Twitter feed, Dudu had been caught offside eight times in the first half, but it was he who scored the opener on 64 minutes. But Haka scored in the dying seconds, Venance Zeze with the goal.

Juha Pirinen hurdles Etchu Tabe (photo via Tomi Vuokola)

So to extra-time, but it was KuPS in-form striker Ilja Venäläinen who won it from the penalty spot with ten minutes of the second period remaining, after Dawda Bah was fouled. KuPS travel to JJK in the semi-final.

So the semi-final draw:

RoPS v IFK Mariehamn
JJK v KuPS

Matches take place August 17th 2013

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