HJK got to celebrate a trophy in domestic women’s football after a long time, when it beat Honga in the final of the Finnish Cup in Tampere 2–1.
HJK has won 17 of its 19 matches in the National League this season and is on its way to the overwhelming Finnish championship. Instead, FC Honka remained in the lower end series and has only five wins out of 18 matches.
However, in the final of the Finnish Cup at the Tammela stadium in Tampere, Honka bullied HJK in a model way.
HJK took the lead from a corner kick in the 9th minute. Emmaliina Tulkki and defender of Honga Nanna Nyman fought for the ball at the back post. Did the ball go into the goal from Tulki’s or Nyman’s head, but it is marked as a hit by HJK’s midfielder in the statistical services.
Hongan Wilma Sjöholm ran through in the 30th minute and passed the HJK keeper Annika Laihanen. The assistant referee raised his flag to indicate offside. The finals of the Finnish Cup are among the matches where the video referee system (VAR) is introduced in Finland. After a VAR review, the goal was allowed.
In the 59th minute, HJK built a skillful attack from their own penalty area. Eventually Elli-Noora Kainulainen broke into the draw. Hongan’s guard Ella-Maria Ervasti saved the shot, but the loose ball was put in by HJK Sara Sievistö. It was also the winning goal of the match.
HJK earned a prize of 20,000 euros with its victory, Honka received 4,000 euros for its silver.
HJK won the Finnish Cup last time in 2017 and 2019. After that, Åland United lifted the Cup trophy three times and KuPS last year.
HJK had lost in the Cup final in the previous two seasons. And when the previous Finnish championship was from 2019, the importance of the trophy was visible in the boisterous fans.
– It’s hard to think about anything here. It’s a great feeling, of course, we got to celebrate the first championship this year, it makes me smile, said the HJK captain who was interviewed immediately after the match Maria Roth.
– Honka made this difficult, but we managed to do one more. There was really good energy the whole game.
Roth got to celebrate the championship in a familiar city. His league career started in Tampere.