Huhkajak was rudely knocked out in the European Championship play-off. Threats came true again against Wales, writes Urheilu’s Jussi Vainikka from Cardiff.
CARDIFF.
Barely three minutes have passed since the EC qualifying match when the Huuhkajie’s head coach Markku Kanerva stands on the edge of the field already worried and thoughtful.
The game plan, the result of almost four months of preparation, was immediately changed when Wales scored the opening goal after just two minutes of play.
When Teemu Pukin at the perfect time before the half-time whistle, the equalizer went down the drain at the beginning of the second period, one more ugly away defeat in an important place from Cardiff’s night in Finnish football history.
It was especially frustrating for the 1,700 Finnish supporters who traveled to the venue. The deciding game of October’s EC qualifying group in Slovenia is still fresh in my memory, which was also a cakewalk. In both matches, Huuhkajat did not really fight for victory for even a minute. It was particularly humiliating for Huuhkaj to concede quick goals at the beginning of both periods in Cardiff.
Many of the threats that were discussed during the match came true for Huuhkajie. Two of Wales’ goals came from special situations known to be dangerous. Even in the counter-attacks, which are known to be strong, Wales broke Finland’s lines easily, and could have scored more goals from them.
Kanerva pawned the exchanges for an amazingly long time. Although the third comeback goal rattled in at the beginning of the second period, the first changes did not see the light of day until the 73rd minute. If By Daniel Håkans the opening slot was a surprise, even more surprising was that he played the entire match.
Among Kanerva’s player selections, especially the top player who previously only played a little in Huuhkaj Miro Tenhon the evening was terrible. Both of Wales’ special situation goals came from his fouls, and the knock-down of the fourth goal was the icing on the cake.
There is still no point in looking for a single scapegoat. The Wales match was a collective failure for the coaching staff and the players.
The journey towards the 2026 World Cup starts in September in the Nations League. Kanerva’s contract continues until the end of the year, but Palloliito now has a place for a report. After the Wales match, Kanerva himself expressed his desire to continue in the position until the end of his contract and, when asked about the extension, turned his eyes to Tuesday’s training match against Estonia.
It hardly motivates the players terribly after the giant disappointment, although of course no one says so out loud. Let it be that there will be playing time for those who rarely get it. Something about the non-existent significance of the match is said by the fact that a Welsh journalist asked Kanerva at the press conference if the match was going to be played at all.
The big question is, what is the future plan of the Finnish Football Association from now on? Even in the previous EC qualifiers, Finland played in a recognizable way. The roles were clear to the players, and there weren’t such big differences between the games in the groupings and match plans. With his goals, Pukki, who was in top form, was the last decisive factor in the fact that the necessary wins to reach the competition place came to the fore.
Right now, it’s hard to identify the team’s strengths, and the field players no longer have the spearhead like Puki did a few years ago. Tight defending in important moments has recently been a thing of the past. Sometimes, watching the current Huuhkajie play, one wonders if the players on the field fully know what to do.
Markku Kanerva will forever remain in Huuhkajie’s history as the first head coach to reach a place in the prestigious competition, but his time is inevitably coming to an end. An extension contract for him can no longer be turned, when the dreams of the European Championships in Germany were dashed once and for all. That’s why it seems strange if Kanerva is still coaching in September, when the new prize competition project starts.
Coaching or not, the mapping of the next head coach should be started in Pallioliito at the latest now, if it is not already underway.