The hat trick also crossed the news threshold in Norway, where he did his Käärijä airing for the first time. Håkans’ three goals against San Marino were the fastest in history for the Finnish men’s national team.
Daniel Håkans stirred on Monday, when the 22-year-old from Vaasa scored a hat-trick against San Marino. Three goals were scored in just nine minutes. It is the fastest hat trick in the history of the Finnish men’s national football team.
Håkans only had time to be on the field for less than fifteen minutes, when the hat trick was already done. The value of the performance is further enhanced by the fact that Håkans managed a hat trick only in his second international match of his career.
Before Håkans, seven players had done the hat trick in the Finnish men’s national team. Mikael Forssell, Mika-Matti “Mixu” Paatelainen, Mika Lipponen, Yrjö Kylmälä, Aatos Lehtonen, Lauri Lehtinen and Jarl Öhman.
Before Håkans, the previous hat-trick was almost thirteen years ago, when Mikael Forssell succeeded three times also against San Marino. Forrssell scored two hat-tricks in his career, as he scored his first in 2005 against Macedonia.
All in all, San Marino has been a great record destination, as Mixu Paatelainen managed to score four times against the Lilliput country in 1994.
Before Håkans, the fastest hat trick was Jarl Öhman’s in possession. In 1922, he scored no less than six goals in a national match against Estonia. Öhman had hit three times already after 14 minutes of play, but now Håkans did even better.
Håkans represents Norwegian Vålerenga. The hat trick also made headlines in Norway. For example Verdens Gang magazine and The Norwegian broadcasting company NRK reported on Håkans’ feat.
The 22-year-old Håkans has played in Vålerenga like a model. Three goals have been scored in nine games.
The Finnish player made headlines earlier this year when he danced Wrapper Cha Cha Chan to Vålerenga’s match. Now he danced the same way in the sold-out Olympic Stadium after his first national team goal.
– I was in the gym before the initial heat. Suddenly, our spiritual coach came to chat. He said that he had seen Eurovision and that Finland should have won. Then we joked that I could do that dance if I scored. The rest is history, Håkans gloated about his feat seen in Norway earlier this week.
– I had to do it today, when Stadikka is full, the attacker laughed instead on Friday.
1922: Jarl Öhman, Finland–Estonia, 6 goals
1930: Lauri Lehtinen, Finland–Sweden, 3 goals
1938: Aatos Lehtonen, Finland–Lithuania 3 goals
1939: Yrjö Kylmälä, Finland–Estonia, 3 goals
1988: Mika Lipponen, Finland–Tunisia, 3 goals
1994: Mixu Paatelainen, Finland–San Marino, 4 goals
2005: Mikael Forssell, Finland–North Macedonia, 3 goals
2010: Mikael Forssell, Finland–San Marino, 3 goals