Veikkausliiga week 11 - Banzai in Helsinki, JJK finally win

Following quickly from Wednesday's matches comes another round of Veikkausliiga fixtures. No wonder people are moaning about the amount of games. I can barely keep up. This is the last round before the international break...

HJK 1-2 KuPS

Saturday's only match brought more pain for the champions. It was graduation day, but (bad pun alert) the only team to come out with full honours were the boys from Kuopio.

HJK had come into the match with some bad feeling, having nine players called up for internationals bringing the fixture congestion into focus (they'd asked for their next game against Inter to be postponed, but were turned down). But KuPS had other things to worry about - their recovery after a bad start was hitting the skids, but both came flying out of the blocks, both keepers making saves within the first two minutes.

Miikka Ilo opens the scoring

It was Miikka Ilo who put KuPS ahead just before half-time, beating Wallen. But with seventy minutes gone, Mikael Forssell pounced on a strange header from Omar Colley and levelled the scores at 1-1. Former HJK man Dawda Bah returned in a yellow jersey, and sealed the three points for KuPS with a beautifully curled shot from just outside the box. His celebration was limited to a small wave, nothing too inflammatory...

Forssell levels (photo via Jussi Nukari)

Eight minutes left, it was 1-2 to the visitors, and that's how it ended, despite a late effort from Sakari Mattila in Fergie Time, saved by Hilander.

The first shouts of (Sixten) "Boström Out" were heard from a small section of HJK fans, and his tenure is already looking shaky. While it's accepted that he'll be truly judged on his performance in Europe, he's in danger of slipping behind in the race for the title. They've lost three of their last four home games, having not lost at home in the league since 2010. KuPS meanwhile are frustrating and excellent in equal measure this year, but will take great pride in their second away win of the season.

Highlights of HJK 1-2 KuPS

MYPA 0-1 JJK

After ten games, JJK finally won a league match - and in the process stopped MYPA from closing the gap at the top to one point.

Babatunde's third goal in three games won it, scored after 55 minutes. MYPA have now lost two league games in a row, perhaps getting a nosebleed when so near the top.

Highlights of MYPA 0-1 JJK

MYPA have sixteen points from ten matches, while JJK are now eleventh with their six - after Lahti drop below them as their RoPS forfeit has been ratified.

IFK Mariehamn 0-1 VPS

VPS had never lost a league game at Mariehamn. With ten minutes remaining, they ensured that record continued with a goal from Jyrki Saranpää. It's hard to say too much, as the camera didn't zoom on the goal, or provide a replay, but there was a collision between Saranpää and IFK keeper Otso Virtanen.

VPS celebrate their goal (photo via Erkii Santamala)

Highlights of IFK Mariehamn 0-1 VPS

VPS are second now, equal on twenty points with HJK and Honka but with a goal difference of +3. IFK Mariehamn have only won two of their last eight, and they sit eighth with fifteen points from 11 games.

Inter 0-1 Honka

The live game on Urho wasn't much of an advert for Finnish football. There were few chances, some poor finishing, and a bit of a scrappy affair.

The Honka boys after the game (photo via Bo Stranden)

But it was a classy finish from Tim Väyrynen that sealed another win for Honka. After 65 minutes, the ball broke to the forward, he pushed into the area and chipped in over the advancing Inter keeper. It was his first start since coming back from injury, and his second goal. Inter meanwhile looked pretty clueless, their only decent chance was when Diallo headed against the crossbar.

Highlights of Inter 0-1 Honka

Honka are third in the table now, level on 20 points with HJK and VPS. This was their fourth league win in a row. Inter drop to seventh on fifteen points.

Jaro 2-1 RoPS

Another away Veikkausliiga game for RoPS, another defeat. This was their eighteenth defeat in nineteen.

Winchester fires again (photo via Markku Jokela)

Jaro took the lead just before half-time, in-form Trinidad striker Shahdon Winchester departs for international duty with his third in four games. A penalty from Jonas Emet midway through the second half gave the hosts some breathing space, while a last minute penalty from RoPS forward Kokko was merely a consolation.

Highlights of Jaro 2-1 RoPS

RoPS are currently tenth in the table, their thirteen points from eleven matches being inflated by their home form. Jaro are ninth, with fourteen points from ten matches.

Lahti 0-1 TPS

It perhaps wasn't too surprising that TPS were triumphant here. With only one win, against a nervous KuPS, they haven't shown many signs of improvement. Despite a heavy recruitment of young Finns, it was TPS who scored the only goal.

A second half corner was headed in (superbly) by Jani Tanska after 52 minutes. TPS lost Joonas Tursas to a second yellow card on 67 minutes, and he'll serve a one match ban.

The highlights are here, which takes you to the ESS website.

Lahti are currently twelth with five points, as their 1-1 draw with RoPS was confirmed as a 0-3 defeat. TPS are fifth, on sixteen points.

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We now have an international break, Finland will play Belarus home and away. The next domestic fixtures are on Thursday 13th June. I'll be in Finland, at Jaro v JJK on the 13th, and Honka v HJK on the 16th.