July 8, 2023
Round 14 in the 2023 Finnish Veikkausliiga began with a fixture between HJK Helsinki and FC Lahti, although sides who had qualified for European competition had already played more games as their games during the period when the first rounds of European fixtures were scheduled had been brought forward and already played.
Consequently, HJK were in 2nd place in the table with a 7-7-1 record from their 15 games played, three points behind leaders KuPS, who had also played 15 games. By contrast FC Lahti were second from bottom in 11th place but had only played 12 matches with a 2-4-6 record.
HJK were on a good run, being unbeaten in 9 games since their only defeat, 1-2 at KuPS. Lahti’s only two wins had come against FC Haka ( 1-0 at home ) and 3-2 at Mariehamn but they had only taken 5 points from their last 9 matches.
Lahti is located just over 100km north of the capital Helsinki, which takes just over an hour by road. Their ground is perhaps most famous for being probably the only top flight stadium in the world with a ski-jump behind one end of the ground.
These diaries made regular reviews of the 2020 Veikkausliiga, when HJK finished as champions. Of their key players that season, 15 goal top scorer Roope Riski is still with the club, but striker Tim Vayrynen is now with Liechtenstein side Vaduz after playing for FK Tirana and KuPS, attacker Riku Riski ( brother of Roope ) is now with TPS, defender Nikolai Alho is with Greek side Volos after a spell with MTK Budapest, centre-back Daniel O’Shaughnessy is now at Karlsruhe and midfielder Rasmus Schuller has joined Swedish side Djurgardens.
Lahti had finished 6th and were the epitome of mid-table, having both the 6th best home and away records, not beating any of the top 4, but being unbeaten against all the sides that had finished below them. Of their key players that year, top scorer Jasin Assehnoun is now with Dutch side Emmen and fellow striker, Nigerian Dimitry Imbongo, is with Alemannia Aachen. Ex Brighton youth forward Vahid Hambo is now at Mariehamn, but Kosovan Altin Zeqiri is still with the club.
HJK won the title again in 2021, finishing one point ahead of KuPS, as Lahti finished in 7th place. HJK also retained their title in 2022, for their third in a row and 32nd in total. Lahti ended in 11th place and needed a goal in added on time from defender Teemu Penninkangas to overcome TPS 3-2 on aggregate in the promotion/relegation play-off.
By winning the 2022 title, HJK will play Northern Ireland side Larne in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, hosting the first leg next week. Last season, HJK had a lengthy run in Europe. After getting past RFS Latvia in the first CL qualifying round, Viktoria Plzen were too strong and sent HJK to the Europa League, where unexpected aggregate victories over Maribor and Silkeborg saw them reach the group stages. In a group featuring Roma, Real Betis and Ludogorets, they managed only to avoid defeat at home to the Bulgarian champions.
HJK are the best supported side in the league this season with an average of 4,634 and a best of 6,125 vs Honka. Lahti have an average of 2,133, but the highest attendance in the league so far is 6,588 for the Ilves vs HJK encounter.
When the two sides met in early June, HJK came away from Lahti with the three points after a 2-1 win.
HJK are known as Klubi ( The Club ) and play at the 10,770 capacity Bolt Arena. This is adjacent to the National Olympic Stadium, and has an artificial grass surface. The stadium is shared with HIFK, and is named after a local construction company rather than the record-breaking Jamaican sprinter.
I’ve not seen a game of football at the ground, but have been to one of the bar/restaurants at the stadium, arranging to meet a friend there prior to the Finland vs England match at the Olympic Stadium in October 2000, a game most notable for being Howard Wilkinson’s only game in charge of England, and which ended in a 0-0 draw.
HJK’s line up for their last match, a 1-1 draw at FC Honka, contained 10 full Finland internationals, with only keeper Jesse Ost still to win recognition. Ex-Brighton and Hove Albion U21 and AIK Stockholm Serbian striker Bojan Radulovic was on the bench despite 10 goals this season.
In comparison. Lahti’s only international in their 3-4 home loss to KuPS was centre-back Juho Pirttijoki ( 1 cap ), although Croatian keeper Marin Ljubic has played for Hajduk Split and veteran Brazilian journeyman striker Matheus Alves has played for K-League side Suwon and several sides in Malaysia and Thailand.
Today’s match was making Veikkausliiga history, with Heini Hyvönen running the line, as the first ever female match official in the league.
HJK made four charges from their last starting line-up, including Radulovic swopping places with Roope, and ex-Cerezo Osaka and Albirex Niigata Japanese midfielder Atomu Tanaka coming into the side. They still had 7 full Finland internationals in their line up.
Lahti had made three changes, with Kosovan defender Arian Kabashi returning from suspension and Portuguese defensive midfielder Boubacar Djalo and Eemeli Virta also starting.
The match was streamed live on Onefootball.com and on Bet365.com, who made HJK 3/10 favourites, with Lahti 13/2 outsiders and the draw at 4/1. The temperature at the 14.00 local kick-off time was 19 degrees, with showers expected later. Tickets for the game ranged between €20-40.
HJK were in their traditional blue and white stripes with blue shorts whilst Lahti were in an all-black kit.
The home fans were in good voice at the kick-off, although not particularly tuneful with the sound often resembling a bull in distress ! The away fans were packed into a small corner of the ground.
HJK were on top early on, but the first chance of the match fell to the visitors in the 4th minute as a long ball out of defence found Zeqiri in space on the left wing, and the Kosovan cut inside onto his right foot, but his shot from the angle of the penalty area was comfortably saved by Ost.
Lahti came close again in the 12th minute, but a header by Penninkangas from beyond the far post from Zeqiri’s free-kick was saved by Ost at the base of the post at the expense of a corner.
HJK’s first attempt on goal was a free-kick from close to the by-line but Radulovic’s attempt blazed across the face of the goal and off for a goal-kick. Keskinen had a half-chance in the 17th minute, but after the ball reached him on the edge of the area, his shot was weak and wide as two defenders closed in on him.
The game entered a lull, but the home fans were still singing despite having little to sing about. They were to continue for the full 90 minutes, perhaps the game is irrelevant to their enjoyment !
With 31 minutes gone, Raitala delivered a dangerous into the 6-yard box but it was headed away before keeper Ljubic could get a punch to it. Lingman was able to send a long-range effort goalwards but Ljubic made a straightforward save.
The game took a dramatic twist in the 33rd minute. Virta's long ball reached Zeqiri on the left. Again, he cut inside onto his right foot but this time he drilled his effort into the far bottom corner, giving Ost no chance. 1-0 to the strugglers !
HJK temporarily seem shell-shocked by falling behind, and when Jantti was found on the edge of the home area, the Klubi defenders backed off, but the Lahti midfielder’s shot was dragged well wide.
HJK got the ball into the net in the 37th minute. After Kabashi failed to intercept a mis-hit shot, the ball reached Radulovic, who took a touch to control before steering into the corner from just outside the 6-yard line. His joy was soon tempered by a raised flag for off-side.
Zeqiri was continuing to pose a threat and after being up-ended following a mazy run, Peltola and Tenho were both shown yellow cards. Zeqiri’s free-kick went through the defensive wall but was stopped by the player impersonating a draught excluder, the first time I have ever seen this defensive tactic work !
HJK’s main source of danger seemed to left-wing crosses from Raitala and in injury time another such delivery was met by Soiri beyond the far post, but his first-time shot was blocked by a Lahti defender.
At half-time, Lahti deserved to be in the lead, with Djalo impressing in both his defensive midfield role, but also finding time to pop up to make important contributions at both ends of the pitch, whilst Zeqiri was always a threat when he had the ball.
HJK had been poor, and had created very little, but their supporters were perhaps hoping their side would be inspired the Finnish language version of “Blue Is The Colour” that played as both sides waited to start the second half.
The half started with the previously anonymous Matheus Alves making a ponderous run into the HJK area and fall to the floor, but the referee ignored his appeals for a penalty.
Lingman then disposed Klinga and played in Olusanya, who after turning into space shot high and wide from 12 yards.
With 52 minutes played, Lahti butchered a glorious opportunity to double their lead. Zeqiri’s great pass put Jantti with a 2 on 1, but he badly overhit his pass to Matheus Alves, forcing the Brazilian wide, and although his low left footed shot was on target, it lacked power and was easily saved.
HJK started to apply some pressure, forcing three corners in a row. Tanaka’s backward glancing header was deflected wide, and Olusanya’s header from the edge of the area bounced towards Radulovic, who stretched and lifted the ball over the bar from a little over 6 yards, although off-side was awarded. Keskinen then showed good skill to beat his marker on the left but his shot was blocked by Pirttjoki for another corner.
With 66 minutes played, a scramble inside the Lahti area ended with Pirttjoki hoofing the ball clear of danger. Increasingly, HJK looked to be running out of ideas on how to breakdown a well-marshalled defence, and the diet of corners, crosses and free-kicks were meat and drink to keeper Ljubic, who confidently handled everything that came his way.
Lahti still packed a punch on the counter-attack and a raking pass from Klinga found Zeqiri again on the left-wing. However, good defending by Tenho forced him wide and the shot from a tight angle nestled into the side netting.
Then with three minutes remaining, Sadik ran from inside his own half, but rather than going alone, he decided to cut inside and attempt to find one of his supporting team-mates, but his pass was intercepted by the lone defender.
With a minute remaining, Hostikka’s hopeful long-range attempt hit his own player and deflected off for a goal kick, then Keskinen cut-back in from the left but the 20-year old’s powerful attempt sailed a few feet over the bar. In the last minute of the three minutes of added on time, a HJK corner was headed well wide under pressure.
At the final whistle, the Lahti fans celebrated their unexpected victory, only their third of the season, as their side moved up to 9th in the table.
Any scouts or officials watching the match from Larne would hardly have been quaking in their boots following this limp display from HJK.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fLmesBPtGU
HJK Helsinki : Ost – Tenho, Peltola, Raitala – Soiri ( Kousaaivi-Benissan ), Tanaka ( Ollila ), Lingman ( Hetemaj ), Olusanya ( Meriluotto ) – Hostikka, Radulovic, Keskinen
FC Lahti : Ljubic – Kabashi, Pirttijoki, Penninkangas – Koskipalo, Virta, Djalo, Pasanen ( Klinga ) – Jantti ( Ali ), Matheus Alves ( Sadik ), Zeqiri ( Puukko )
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