The Helsinki football club had to settle for a draw as a guest of the Scottish team Aberdeen late on Thursday evening. The people of Helsinki suffered from a wave of flu during the match.
Jaakko Servo,
Matti Lehtisaari
HJK took their first point in this season’s conference league when the match against the big Scottish club Aberdeen ended in a 1-1 draw. The people of Helsinki had a bit of bad luck when traveling to Scotland, when some of the players had caught the flu on the flight.
– Some kind of flu was picked up in the team on the way. There were players who were not at their best and had to be replaced due to minor injuries. However, don’t sulk and let’s move on, HJK’s head coach Toni Korkeakunnas commented to Urheilu after the match.
Korkeakunnas says that before the match it was already known that Aberdeen Kotikenttä is a difficult place to play. However, HJK took the lead in the 59th minute of the match, when the Serbian striker Bojan Radulovic shot the ball into the back top corner past the Aberdeen goalkeeper By Kelle Roos. Served the pass to the goal Try Soiriwho broke into the box from the right side and thus passed the ball to Radulovic.
However, after the goal, the picture of the match changed.
– We scored a goal a little too early. We went along with their game, which was a bit too straightforward for us, and it was a bit of chaos. We won’t be able to do that for that type of team, Korkeakunnas states.
The supporters of the home team Aberdeen had reason to celebrate in the 79th minute of the game, when the 24-year-old striker of the Scottish team Bojan Miovski a header tied the match.
– I had a bit of mixed feelings about the game. The opponent was very straightforward and aggressive, and they came on quickly. In the first half, we were able to create many situations and the game was well under control. Towards the end, we have to admit that the pressure grew in our heads. However, the boys persevered and we fought until the end. However, Finnish teams have not had too many of these points from away games, commented Korkeakunnas.
“Goalkeeper Jesse Öst was fantastic”
Saved by Helsinki’s goal Jesse Öst sparkled with HJK’s goal, when the Scots rushed straight towards the goal guarded by Veskar, especially in the second half of the match. Öst was one of those who got the flu. Korkeakunnas was glowing about his protégé.
– At half past five in the afternoon, he and the doctor made the final decision about playing. Yesterday there was a slight heat, and then he had slept all day. In other words, he hadn’t played in any way that threatened his life. Basically, he was nowhere near completely one hundred percent fit, but fantastically good despite that. A true fighter and team player.
– A really tough point anyway, but you have to remember that Aberdeen beat Rangers away in the Scottish league. We then asked them for a guest point, Korkeakunnas sums up.
Aberdeen pilot Barry Robson: “I think we deserved to win the game”
Head coach of the Scottish team Barry Robson for comments to the BBC it turns out that Aberdeen were not at all happy with the outcome of the match.
– I am frustrated. I think we deserved to win the game. They only had one shot on goal when we had 17. We needed to be more clinical and if we had done that we could have won by three or four goals,” commented Robson.
The exhausted coach was not satisfied with the actions of the match referees either.
– I don’t think the standard tonight was at the level it should have been. A lot of things happened on the field that weren’t right. I think we all saw it coming.
During the match, for example, the BBC’s live coverage demanded a red card for HJK For Geórgios Kanellópouloswhen he knocked Aberdeen Duke on his elbow.
The points situation in the G group of the conference league looks exciting for the people of Helsinki. HJK is third in the group, tied with Aberdeen. There are two points behind second-placed Frankfurt. The group is led by Greek PAOK, who visited Bolt-Arena in September with a clean game.
HJK’s matches in European games continue in three weeks in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt. Yesterday, Frankfurt suffered a 2-1 loss to PAOK. In their first match, the German team beat Aberdeen 2-1.