Finland v Belarus, World Cup qualifying squads

Finland continue their qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup with a double header against Belarus in June. The first match is on the 7th at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, with the second match four days later in Gomel.

Finland's record so far is a narrow defeat at home to France, a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Georgia, and the 'Miracle of Gijon', a 1-1 draw in Spain.

Villa thwarted again

While the chances of qualifying are extremely slim, all points are crucial if Finland are to improve their seeding before the draw is made for Euro 2016. As of April, Finland would still be highly likely to be in pot 4 for the qualification groups.

Belarus warmed up for the matches with a 0-2 win over Estonia on Monday night.

The Finland squad is:

Goalkeepers: Niki Mäenpää (VVV Venlo), Lukas Hradecky (Esbjerg fB), Henri Sillanpää (VPS)

Defenders: Niklas Moisander (Ajax), Jukka Raitala (Heerenveen), Markus Halsti (Malmö FF) , Petri Pasanen (AGF Århus), Jarkko Hurme (TPS), Mikko Sumusalo (HJK), Niklas Moisander - banned for the first match (Ajax), Paulus Arajuuri (Kalmar FF), Jukka Raitala (SC Heerenveen), Kari Arkivuo (BK Häcken)

Midfielders: Tim Sparv (Greuther Fürth), Alexander Ring (HJK, on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach), Roman Eremenko (Rubin Kazan), Perparim Hetemaj (Chievo Verona), Kasper Hämäläinen (Lech Poznan), Erfan Zeneli, Teemu Tainio, Sebastian Mannström (all HJK), Mika Ojala (BK Häcken)

Forwards: Teemu Pukki (Schalke 04), Mikael Forssell (HJK), Timo Furuholm (Hallescher FC)

The Belarus squad is:

Goalkeepers: Sergei Veremko (Samara), Alyaksandr Hutar (Dynamo Minsk), Sergei Chernik (Neman Grodno)

Defenders: Oleg Veretilo, Vitay Trubilo  (both Dynamo Minsk), Igor Shitov (Saransk), Alexander Martynovich (FC Krasnodar), Yegor Filipenko, Maxim Bordachev (both BATE Borisov), Dmitry Verkhovtsov (Samara)
  
Midfielders: Stanislav Dragun (Samara), Sergei Kislyak (Rubin Kazan), Yan Tigorev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Pavlov, Edgar Olekhnovich, Alexander Hleb, Pavel Nekhaichik (BATE Borisov), Anton Putilo (Volga Nizhny Novgorod), Pavel Sitko (Shakhter Soligorsk), Timofei Kalachev (Rostov)
         
Forwards: Renan Bressan (Alania Vladikavkaz), Vitaly Rodionov (BATE Borisov), Maxim Skavysh (Baltika Kaliningrad)

Former Gunner Hleb in action on Monday

I'll be attending the tie in Helsinki, hoping to see Finland's first win in the group. I'll be in Kuopio during the away tie, so if anyone can recommend a decent pub to watch it in, let me know...

Veikkausliiga week 9: HJK are pants, Honka truck on

A full Sunday schedule, here's the lowdown.

HJK 2-0 RoPS

The champions returned to the top of the table, and snapped away from two defeats in a row, with a routine win over RoPS, who'd only won one game in their last seventeen away Veikkausliiga matches.

Thank the maker he had pants on (photos via Ilta-Sanomat)

Goals in each half from Demba Savage (23mins) and Robin Lod (53mins) sealed the points, but yet again the weirder side of Finnish football has made it big on the World Wide Web. In the second half, while HJK were on the attack, a gent called Jussi Aalto decided it'd be a good time to strip to his pants and run onto the pitch.

Highlights of HJK 2-0 RoPS

Rasmus Schüller put the ball into the net, the goal was disallowed, but it was a splendid tackle by Mathias Lindström which brought the biggest cheer. Aalto had previously disrupted JJK's bronze medal celebration in 2011 - the oxygen of publicity. Hopefully he's not the next Jimmy Jump.

Pants

Either way, HJK go top with seventeen points from nine games. RoPS made it one win in eighteen away games, and are tenth (they'd be seventh when taking their Lahti 'win' into account).

KuPS 1-2 Honka

Honka's good form continued with a good win against a KuPS side who were also on a decent run. A replay of the 2012 Suomen Cup final, the visitors got off to a great start with a second minute goal from Kastriot Kastrati. It was his fifth goal in five matches, and just as crucial.

Colley gets in the way (photo via Vartaloharhautus)

Poacher Ilja Venäläinen's fifth goal of the season after seventeen minutes gave KuPS hope of a comeback... But it was the returning Tim Väyrynen, making only his second sub appearance, who scored the winner with a clever volley, just seven minutes after coming on.

Highlights of KuPS 1-2 Honka

Honka are fifth now, recovering well from a rotten start, with thirteen points out of fifteen. KuPS are eighth with eleven points from nine games.

Jaro 1-1 TPS

TPS were still playing catch-up after a mixed start to the season, and their visit to Jaro started well - a terrific solo goal from Mika Ääritalo after 2 minutes was ideal. He was then sent off after seventy minutes, receiving his second yellow card.

Winchester keeps TPS at bay (photo via Vasabladet)

But Jaro had been playing well, despite some mixed results. It was young Trinidadian striker Shahdon Winchester who scored an equaliser with nine minutes left, turning and shooting from the edge of the area. He'd scored his first league goal in the win at Lahti in midweek, and he's making a difference after recovering from a hernia. Two terrific goals in two league games for the youngster.

Highlights of Jaro 1-1 TPS

Jaro are ninth with eleven points from eight games, but only six behind HJK with a game in hand. TPS are sixth, thirteen points from eight games.

Inter 3-1 JJK

Improving Inter stepped it up with a good win at home to JJK. Inter opened the scoring after six minutes, a neat finish from Tamas Gruborovics against his old club. As is often the trend, he didn't celebrate...

Fancy footwork (photo via Jari Laurikko)

Babatunde Wusu equalised against the run of play nine minutes later, Inter's defence slow to react to a hopeful through-ball. Another smart finish, by Guy Gnabouyou, put Inter back in front before half-time. JJK had chances to level, but the pick of the goals came in the final minute, Kalle Kauppi curling in from outside the box.

Highlights of Inter 3-1 JJK

JJK remain rock bottom, with three points from eight matches, while Inter are third with fourteen points from nine games.

IFK Mariehamn 2-2 Lahti

Lahti needed a late equaliser to salvage a valuable point - but they had to equalise twice. Kris Bright gave the Islanders the lead just before half-time. Jussi Länsitalo scored in the second game in a row to make it 1-1 just after an hour.

Phil Jones has serious competition (photo via ESS.fi)

Brazilian Diego Assis scored a cute goal with six minutes left, Mariehamn were 2-1 up, and looked set for the win. But a fellow Brazilian, substitute Vini Dantas, recovered from his midweek flu to score a second equaliser with four minutes left, and made it 2-0.

 

Highlights of IFK Mariehamn 2-2 Lahti

IFK Mariehamn are seventh in the table, with twelve points from nine matches. Lahti have six points from eight games, but that's likely to become five points.

MYPA 3-0 VPS

VPS, conquerors of HJK, fell to a MYPA side who moved into second place in the table.

 Sihvola celebrates again (photo via Vasabladet)

Pekka Sihvola (who else?) scored twice, the first on 23 minutes, followed two minutes later by a neatly flicked header from Tommi Vesala. Sihvola's second, slightly fortunate, rounded off the scoring with six minutes to go, taking him clear at the top of the scoring charts with six goals.

Highlights of MYPA 3-0 VPS

MYPA have sixteen points from eight matches, while VPS drop to fourth, with fourteen points from their eight matches.

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The next round of fixtures are played on Wednesday 29th May, and are as follows:

TPS v IFK Mariehamn

KuPS v Inter

RoPS v MYPA

JJK v HJK

Honka v Lahti

VPS v Jaro

The games all kick off at 1630 BST