The match of the final round of the National Football League between KuPS and HJK starts at 18:00 on TV2 and Areena.
The National Football League ends today in a familiar atmosphere: in Kuopio, KuPS lifts the trophy for the second time in a row. The fate of the silver medals is also confirmed: HJK will return to the medal base after the 2019 championship.
The bronze medals will be decided today in Vantaa, when PK-35 Vantaa hosts Åland United, who are two points ahead in the standings.
Sports expert Pauliina Miettinen sum up the season’s successes, underperformers and surprises and answer the burning question: will there be a challenger for KuPS on the domestic fields next year?
PK-35 Vantaa and HPS are successful
In the 2010s, the women’s main league was dominated by one team: PK-35 Vantaa. Financial problems dropped the reigning champion to the 1st for the 2019 season, and the team hasn’t topped that comic’s medals – before this season. On Saturday, the people from Vantaa will have a chance to return to the medal base, when the team will decide the fate of the bronze medals in Myyrmäki with Åland United.
Miettinen elevates the Vantaa team to one of the biggest successes of the season.
– The head coach Jari Väisänen is surely the best to answer why the team has been so successful this season. My opinion is that the players are probably in better shape and can cope better. It was a bit of a struggle for a couple of years. The tempo is faster now. HPS has also improved their skills, they have already reached the upper final series. It’s been a cheerful surprise, an up-and-coming thing to do, Miettinen reflects.
Also in this season, many played their way into the consciousness of the general public. One of them is the KuPS midfielder, who has been named the league’s best in many reviews Emma Peuhkurinen.
– He is probably living his best football life at the moment. Good, sure, even grips in the league brought a place in the national team for a reason. Peihkurinen is a good, unyielding and versatile player.
Also another KuPS gambler, striker Lavdije Begolli has impressed Miettinen this season. Begolli leads the goal exchange with 25 hits before his forward colleague Gentian Rochia. The duo has scored more goals together than most teams in the National League.
– Begolli has incredibly improved what he does and has scored wild goals. You wouldn’t believe him to be the same player that was seen in JyPK a few years ago. He has improved his level nicely.
In addition to the KuPS players, Miettinen singles out Åland United as successful Kit Loferskin, a striker of only 15 years old Olivia Ulenius and PK-35 Helsinki Emilia Kupsanen.
Honka and Ilves underperformed
The season’s underperformers can be found in the lower final series: Honka, the silver medalist of the 2019 season, and Ilves, who last won medals in 2016.
– Yes, the older guard left Honga, it’s a little inoculating. Coaching changes, money is taken away, conditions are taken away, can the team be blamed for that? Miettinen thinks.
After last season, they ended their careers, among others Hanna Ruohomaa and Eveliina Parikka. Omar Adlani followed in turn Rosa Lappi-Seppälä to the position of head coach. Honga’s women’s team was operated under the same organization as the men’s last season, but the initially three-year experiment ended unexpectedly after two years and the women returned under the association.
– Espoo has a lot to improve. How is women’s football valued in the organization? Players may not want to go to the team the same way they used to. There is a question mark as to what is happening there, Miettinen says.
According to Miettinen, the relegation of NJS was expected. The team’s stretches at the end of the season, for example a draw and a win against Ilves, get a hat-trick from the expert – unlike the team from Tampere.
The club from Tampere has the most seasons in the main league right after HJK, but no championships.
– Why doesn’t a big city of 300,000 people get medals every year? With that player production and number of people, the team should compete for medals every year. Tampere is a university city, but the players go to other teams. Why? That’s a big question, Miettinen wonders.
One of the teams that performed below expectations may still be found in the medal trio.
– If Åland stays fourth, it will be a failure. Even the third place is close, when we talk about people, almost all of whom are professionals. Sure, winning the Cup was great, but Åland should fight for the championship every year with these players and the conditions they have, Miettinen begins.
According to Miettinen, the team has improved its grip as the season progresses.
– Åland couldn’t get the team to play collectively. Now it defends collectively, the defensive game has clearly improved and it works. It can be seen in the results, there was a big win over KuPS and in the Cup final. Åland is now going in the right direction, but in terms of attack, I wonder if the team can offer anything other than counter-attacks and special situations. When the attack is fixed, the team will surely win medals.
Will there be a stopper for KuPS next season?
Last year, the championship of the Kuopio team was decided in the previous round, but this autumn the gold medalist team was sealed two rounds before the end of the series. Of course, KuPS’s championship was almost certain earlier, and many were ready to bet their money for KuPS already in the summer.
The people of Kuopio have won 19 of the 22 matches they have played. The team has suffered only three losses in the season, the latest of which came after the championship had already been decided.
HJK, Åland United and PK-35 Vantaa have once succeeded in knocking down KuPS, but otherwise the Kuopio residents have made a huge difference to their opponents – the second meeting between KuPS and PK-35 Vantaa also ended with a 7–0 crushing victory for the Kuopio residents. Kuopio’s team has succeeded in scoring 91 times, while HJK and Åland United, who hit the next most goals, have scored more than 30 goals less.
In addition, the people of Kuopio were sensational to advance all the way to the group stage of the Champions League.
Mietti was not surprised by the superiority of KuPS on domestic pitches.
– KuPS already dominated the previous season and they still got top players there. A total disaster would have prevented them from winning the championship. There are goalscorers, midfield, defense, conditions, money, good coaching.. There was no doubt that they would not win the championship. The others don’t have as extensive a roster or scorers like Begoll and Roch. It is difficult to beat a team that has the whole palette together, says Miettinen.
But will there be an opponent for KuPS next season as well? Among the worst rivals, Åland United is tightening its purse strings for next season.
– It looks bad, nothing is possible. Of course, it depends on what the player situation of KuPS is like. How many go abroad? I know that many people want to, Miettinen reflects.
At HJK, the head coach changes when someone steps aside Jonne Kunnasen the position will be taken by HJK’s talent coach Arttu Heinonen.
– Does HJK have suction? The group is leaving, but that’s how it goes every year, one leaves and another comes.
– The top is probably here, but hopefully PK-35 Vantaa can shake it. I don’t see that the other teams could.
The level differences spoke volumes this season as well, but there is hardly any change for next season. NJS falls back to Ikkö, from which promotion was already secured by TPS. ONS is eliminated from its league position against PKKU.
Miettinen does not believe that the level differences will decrease next season.
– Even though we play in the top league, but when there is no money, some teams participate a little too hobby-minded. We go on vacations a little now and then. The best players navigate to where the best conditions are. I don’t see that change is visible for a couple of years.
The match of the final round of the National Football League between KuPS and HJK starts at 18:00 on TV2 and Areena. During the break of the match, the current situation and the future of the National League will be discussed.
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