Honka unexpectedly fights for the Veikkausliiga championship with KuPS and HJK. The changes in the way of playing and the emergence of young players have sent the people of Espoo into a wild flight.
ESPOO. FC Honga’s home stadium in the Tapiola sports park has gained a cult reputation over the years, and not at all in a positive light. Tube stands, baja houses and low audience numbers are objects of ridicule from supporters of other clubs.
Despite the modest setting, Honka has produced results on the field during his years in the league, even though he had to find speed in the lower leagues for a few years. Three SM silvers and one bronze is a worthy catch.
The championship is missing, but now the team is at the top of the Veikkausliiga.
The GM who has been following for years Hexi Arteva is lounging on the edge of the field contentedly. He follows the exercises with a close eye and acknowledges the players at any time. He emphasizes that nothing is left to chance in Honga’s training. All activities on the training ground are planned so that there are no unnecessary breaks. The six-person coaching team present at every practice takes care of that.
You can sense from everything that even the smallest details are taken into account in everyday life in Hong Kong. The head coach Vesa Vasara has been piloting the team since 2017 and now everything seems to have fallen into place on the field. Even last season, the team struggled on the green and finished ninth.
Honka has always tried to keep the ball and even now. Now the ball control in Tapiola leads behind the opponents’ defensive lines and into goal-scoring situations with convincing efficiency. Honka has scored by far the most goals in the series, 41. Last season, Honka scored a total of 38 goals.
In the previous six matches alone, Honka has forged 19 hits.
Honka, who switched from the system of three defenders to a line of four defenders, presses from a higher position than before, that is, he tries to exploit as close as possible to the opponent’s goal.
– I’d say we’ve already tried it over the course of a couple of seasons, but for one reason or another we haven’t succeeded so well, captain Duarte Tammilehto says to Urheilu.
– This year, the types of players fit better with the way we want to play. The bottom line is that we have wanted to perform like this for a few years now.
Pressing from high is often risky in football. However, Honka has found a balance, as its own net has swung only 15 times – also the best number in the league together with KuPS.
– The risk levels have been high, which causes moments when we have to defend larger areas and man-on-man situations. We have coped surprisingly well in that. In general, we defend less low than in previous years, says head coach Vasara.
Will the players be taken out of control?
An important part of Honga’s success is also the successes of individual players. Honka has succeeded not only in the development of its young players but also in the winter transfer market.
With player deals, Honka tries to look further into the future.
– We have tried to find more players with sales potential who may take a while to adapt. Were they home grown or brought from abroad. At the moment, it feels like we have succeeded with enough people. After last year, there have been steppes for many, says Vasara.
Perhaps the biggest development leap in Honga has been taken by the Portuguese winger Rui Modesto, 22, who has become one of Veikkausliiga’s star players. Modesto, who previously played as a fullback, arrived in Espoo two years ago and has now moved up the field. There have already been five goals and nine assists from the right side.
– Last year, the last passes and goals were still a little off, but now they are starting to come. Rye has exceptional speed and durability properties. He sometimes reminded at the beginning of this season that his right playing position is left defender, that he could play there sometimes too, Vasara laughs.
A 19-year-old attacker captured from HJK Agon Sadiku hasn’t needed an adjustment period, at least in terms of performance, because he has already scored nine league goals and is struggling to win the goal exchange.
– I am really proud of myself. I wouldn’t have expected so many goals. It’s easy to get into the game and play well when there are quality players around, says Sadiku.
– We wanted a striker who also supports the defense. Agon has adapted to our style of play the best out of the forwards, thus gained responsibility and was able to seize it, says Vasara.
The sales potential is being realized, as Modesto and Sadiku will hardly be seen in the Veikkausliiga next season. There have already been offers from bigger leagues during the season, and Modesto and Sadiku are not the only Honga players who have aroused interest. According to Hexi Arteva, the club has decided not to sell important players in the middle of the season.
– I hope I can go abroad next season, but it’s not the end of the world if I can’t. I have been very satisfied with Honka so far, says Sadiku.
“We need the whole community to join”
Honka, KuPS and HJK are all tied with eight matches left in the league season. The mutual encounters in the final series will probably play a decisive role in the championship fight. HJK Honka will meet twice more, as the teams are facing each other in the last round of the regular season.
– We’re not really talking about the championship. We’re going one game at a time and we don’t want to overthink it, but I do say that winning the league looks really bright, Sadiku says confidently.
Captain Tammilehto played his first league games in Honga already in the 2011 season. He has accumulated a total of eight seasons in the yellow and black shirt, and now the big dream of a championship seems like a realistic goal.
– That would be everything. There aren’t too many meters left here. If you could lift the trophy in your arms, it would feel like a crowning achievement, says Tammilehto.
Vasara speaks most cautiously about championship possibilities. In his answers, he strongly emphasizes that the journey is still in progress. Regardless of Honga’s final ranking, the season will be a success in any case.
– Perhaps the biggest thing is that we could get the people of Espoo here behind us. We need the whole community on board. We have had great fans supporting us even in difficult times, but now we would need more atmosphere here in Tapiola. That way we have opportunities for anything, says Vasara.
The Veikkausliiga matches are followed live on Saturday in Puhe’s Sports Tour. Honka will face AC Oulu at home and KuPS will face Inter away. HJK will play a home match against SJK on Sunday.