Kaan Kairinen, who has played in Huuhkaj for a long time, wondered if there is a curse on the team that prevents them from scoring.
SpongeBob Forsberg,
Riku Salminen
Huhkaji’s dark sky in the Nations League continued with a 0–1 loss to Ireland. A fifth consecutive loss means that Finland will drop down the league ladder to the C-League.
Finland’s head coach Markku Kanerva regretted the end result and reminded that Huuhkaj had a greater goal expectation and ball control than Ireland. However, the ball was not received in good places.
– An even match as a whole, but I don’t know what’s wrong with not getting the ball in the bag. I’m not lucky at all, but overall I’m relatively satisfied with the performance, Kanerva said.
– More could have been taken. When this is a result sport, the loss hurts me and the whole team. We worked well and the guys put themselves into the game. But there was no victory and not even a point. Tough place.
Kanerva’s coaching team has set out to reform the way Finland plays, but the result is the national team’s longest losing streak in 30 years. The head coach still sees signs of a better future in the last matches. Points should still be scored.
– Self-confidence is always tested when there are losing streaks. Losing is of course not nice, but we will look for positive things from this game as well, look at the things that need to be fixed and move the process forward.
End of losing streak against Greece?
Kanerva admits that there is enough work to do, but he does not think that the players’ faith is running out.
– There are sometimes slightly longer losing streaks in sports. Hopefully it can be broken as quickly as possible on Sunday against Greece.
According to Kanerva, Huuhkajat will go to the match against Greece, which was left with no stakes, fully charged.
– When you put on the Suomi shirt and go to represent, it’s a matter of honor. You have to put the best on the counter. Each player plays for his own future, we play for ours. It is extremely important, probably the last preparatory game before the spring WC qualifiers.
Pohjanpalo bears its responsibility
Joel Pohjanpalo failed in the penalty kick and still missed the final moments of the actual game time Teemu Pukin from the served ball. The experienced center forward lamented his failures after the match.
– I don’t remember the last time I broke so many places. You have to take responsibility. You have to make a goal out of a dot. Of course, veska caught the dot well, but dots are black on white, it goes to the finish line or it doesn’t. This is about fut. This is raw, Pohjanpalo said.
– Even though the games are going in a better direction, the results are the ones that decide. Today came again to the jacket. You just have to keep believing that the victory will come.
As the captain of Venezia, Pohjanpalo plays a big role every week in Serie A, but the role in Huuhkaj has remained small due to the normal emphasis of the game. The goalscorer admits that starting from the bench is always disappointing.
– This is a team sport, it is a great honor for all of us to represent Finland, whatever the role. Today my role was to come in from the exchange and take responsibility for my own situations. Better solutions should have been obtained from them.
Cursed paint
Brilliant with Sparta Prague in the Champions League this season Kairinen too appeared for the first time in the autumn League of Nations.
According to Kairinen, Finland played a good match. Huuhkajat was able to control the ball in both halves and created good situations.
– We just don’t get the ball in. That is perhaps our biggest problem at the moment: we are not clinical enough in the opponent’s box, Kairinen analysed.
Finland has scored only two goals in five matches. According to Kairinen, attack models should be reviewed together in order to break the team’s plaster in the attacking third.
– It also affects the confidence of the players. I think we have a curse at the moment to get the ball in. Twice it was in the post and there was a spot where you couldn’t even get in from the rips.
Although in the final game against Greece there is no longer a game contribution for Finland, according to Kairinen, the national team will go to fight.
– We give everything, and we try to give back to the fans. They have managed to support us very well.