A scandalous situation happened in the Veikkausliiga of football today. In the match between Tampere Ilves and Turku Inter played on Tehtaa’s field in Valkeakoski, Turku players Timo Stavitski shot the ball through the top bar into the goal in the 20th minute of the game. However, the referee did not find that the ball had gone into the goal.
In the end, Ilves won the match 2–1 Petteri Pennanen with hits.
– It was a steady torque. The goal was robbed from us. I think we were the more dominant side. I haven’t checked the stats, but it felt like it. They were just more efficient, or Pennanen was efficient, Inter’s star player Petteri Forsell talks to Urheilu.
When Forsell, 32, is asked in more detail what he thinks about the stolen goal a few hours after the match, he is calm.
– No… yes, I can quickly get over something like this myself. However, I have come of age and I know how to move on, Forsell began, but continued:
– It’s an injustice. Mistakes happen. Those are just pretty fatal mistakes. If the ball is within a meter, you should see it. Everyone else saw it. Even the opponents knew immediately that the ball was in the goal when I asked them. Too bad, at least one point was lost.
Forsell was quite close to the assistant referee in the situation.
– I myself was far away, 20 meters away, but still I could clearly see that the ball went to the right side of the line. It doesn’t help to hang around here anymore.
– Yes, I immediately turned to see that he (assistant referee) saw it too. He was better placed than me though.
The goal was not noticed by the referee of the match Oliver Reitala or the assistant referee of that half Mikko Alakare. The Veikkausliiga does not use a video referee system (VAR) or goal line technology, which would have determined the fate of Inter’s goal situation immediately.
However, Forsell does not want to whip the assistant referee with his words any more. As an experienced player, he reminds us how difficult situations are.
– You have to remember that he is probably also upset a lot at the moment. No one intentionally misses seeing something like that. It will surely be annoying on the way home. Unpleasant things for everyone, except Ilves.
Naturally, the situation was also discussed in Inter’s dressing room during the break.
– We went through the fact that the goal was taken away from us and now we have to do more. The judges won’t give it to us at half time anymore. We didn’t succeed, but there were a few places there, we visited nearby.
VAR, goal line technology or something…
When asked about getting the VAR system to Finland, Forsell also knows that it’s about money.
– Such an example is still so clear in my opinion, when you can see it so clearly from the video… if there was some finish line technology. Or quite a lot of judges watch that game anyway. That there would be someone on the spot who would be able to say if there was a goal or not. It probably wouldn’t cost millions, Forsell reflects.
– It doesn’t slow down the game if a referee says there was a goal. Then the referee knows that we didn’t get involved, but could use the goal line technology or a person to say that there was a goal.
Forsell does not agree that the absence of VAR would eat away at the credibility of the Veikkausliiga.
– Futs haters, if there are any, it might make you laugh. But such a person would not be in our or Ilves’ next game, even if the situation was seen as a goal. You shouldn’t make mistakes like that often, you have to be careful that clear situations are seen. But as I said, no one intentionally misses it.
“It’s no use sticking your head in the bush”
Inter played their first match on Wednesday, April 5. Then it claimed a great 2–1 win over Kuopio by Darren Smith and Matias Tamminen with hits.
Now there was a defeat for Ilves. At the beginning of the Veikkausliga, there are few games. The next match is exactly two weeks from now. Forsell is a little surprised by the slow pace, but says that it has no effect on the game.
– We had a good training week. It was a good pace and a good feeling after the victory over KuPS. We got to the Ilves match with a good feeling, but a little left in the barrel.
He is in his first season as coach of Inter Jarkko Wiss, who previously piloted Ilve for a long time. Wiss did not want Urheilu to comment on today’s controversial situation.
Before the start of the season, it was predicted that Inter would fight for a medal. There is a dynamic and youthful group in Kasa.
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Forsell says Inter’s game was not bad today.
– You have to invest in efficiency and the operation of the last third. Then it will be good. The defensive game and unity work, everyone works hard and blows together. Three points from two games won’t be enough for a long time, but this is such a small sample that it’s pointless to poke your head in the bush.
Veikkausliiga Series table from this link.
The next Veikkausliiga match on ‘s channels is KuPS–HJK on Friday, May 5. at 18:00 (the match starts at 18:15).