looks like the opening round of the National League on Saturday 13 April. of the match FC Ilves–FC Honka. The live broadcast on TV2, Areenas and the application starts at 17:45.
The women’s main series of football, or the National League, starts on Friday with the match PK-35 Vantaa–PKKU.
The series reform changes the dynamics of the league and the stakes are high when no less than three teams are relegated directly.
We delved into the most significant topics of conversation at the start of the season.
Will HJK’s investments end KuPS’s rule?
The Helsinki Football Club has dominated the men’s game in the 21st century, but the dominance of the Veikkausliiga’s mighty club has not been reflected in the women’s success. Of the previous 20 championships in the women’s main series, only two have gone to Töölö, most recently in 2019.
The previous three years were KuPS’ sovereign reign, even though the final decisions of the championships stretched to the last rounds.
The player budget of the Kuopio players has been in a class of its own, and the club’s investment in the women’s representative team is unique. In Finland, only the women of KuPS have gotten under the same joint stock company as the men.
Before the 2023 season, player budgets were published for the first time in the women’s major league. Readings such as the huge difference between KuPS and the non-existent sums of several clubs even caused consternation.
In August, HJK announced that in the future the women’s representative team will operate as its own joint-stock company, and “two million” in funding had already been collected. HJK aims for an even more professional women’s league team.
This is also reflected in the budgets compared to last season.
Now KuPS’ reign is threatening to end, for several reasons.
In the training season, HJK was really convincing. It also defeated KuPS in both mutual training matches.
The KuPS team has been renewed on the field and in training. Ollipekka Ojalan and Pauliina Miettinen the successful period as the head coach is trying to continue, having moved from Pallloliitto’s bread Valtteri Kumpuniemi.
Several players from the Helmarit ring left KuPS, such as Emmi Siren and Oona Siren, Anni Hartikainen and Japanese Yuuka Kurosaki.
Among other things, replacements have been acquired from Finland Aada Nurmi and Wind Viinikkabut Urheilu’s football expert Hanna Ruohomaa sees that KuPS has not been able to make up for the departure of several of its key players. In addition, KuPS suffered from injuries during the training season.
– KuPS’ practice matches left a lot of question marks, says Ruohomaa.
Ruohomaa even considers HJK as early favourites.
– I would think that the championship fight will be tougher. If I had to guess at the moment, I would lean towards HJK. HJK’s game is better in the earlier phase.
Of course, HJK also experienced significant changes. To continue as head coach Arttu Heinonen for example, the captain left the group Mimmi Nurmela and winner of the goal exchange Lotta Lindström.
HJK added to their midfield Emmaliina Tulkin as well as experienced wing players from domestic fields Elli-Noora Kainulainen and Reetta Suomelan.
KuPS will continue to rely on its strong ball control game, while HJK’s number one weapon is a high, aggressive press.
The strongest candidate to challenge the top two is again Åland United, who have won bronze every season since their 2020 championship. The team is used to the fact that it changes a lot from season to season and relies on its foreign reinforcements.
After last season, the head coach changed when Steve Beeks left the islanders and someone transferred from HJK took over the responsibility Riku Remes.
On the other hand, this time the players stayed pretty well together, even if, for example, the attacking end Jacqui Handia and Dana from Leski is difficult to replace.
Handi was replaced by another New Zealand World Cup player from last summer, a striker Gabi Rennie.
In addition, the chance of a challenger must be given to HPS, which is starting its fourth season in the National League and aiming for its first SM medal.
The one who returned JyPK to the main league took over the coaching responsibility Antti Ruonalawhen Mari Savolainen moved to KuPS ry’s academy director. HPS was active in the transfer market and the team has enough experience and width.
All player transfers and players’ previous or new clubs can be found in the National League from the website listing.
Follow these players
Olivia Ulenius, Åland United
The winger, who turns 17 at the end of April, will make his debut in the main league already in autumn 2021. When Åland won the Finnish Cup 2022, 15-year-old Ulenius was chosen as the best player.
Read more: Olivia Ulenius was already being talked about in Åland when she was 7 years old – “Agents are knocking on the door”
– An absolutely phenomenal player, really good in 1v1 situations, really skilled. The pace is terrible, but the ball remains in possession. Unintelligent for a young player, says Ruohomaa.
Gentjana Rochi – Lavdije Begolli – Aino Kröger, KuPS
Despite the flurry of reforms, KuPS was able to keep its wild offensive streak.
Rochi from North Macedonia and Begolli from Albania came to Finland and Jyväskylä for the 2017 season. They already have several seasons behind them in KuPS.
Rochi has won the goal exchange three times, Begolli once. Last season, Rochi and Kröger shared second place after HJK’s Lindström.
– After all, KuPS still has an overwhelming attack. Their joint play and scoring is worth watching.
Aada Nurmi, KuPS
The 21-year-old Nurmi, who also made his debut in the A national team, moved to KuPS from Helsinki Palloseura and carries great responsibility in the midfield.
– A player who is really sure of the ball, who is able to build the game, but to break it when necessary. Something the same Eveliina Summanen with. Able to be an annoying opponent and play on the borderlands of the rules.
Maria Roth, HJK
Born in 1997, Roth is an experienced player of HJK. Roth played in the main league in Ilves as early as 2015–2017 and in HJK from 2018–2021.
After that, the defender took a gap year and worked in the United States until he returned to the Club.
– With his experience and leadership, everything for HJK, when the team changed and experienced players, Linda Nyman and Iida Salmi, Lahti. It’s worth watching Roth’s dueling toughness and mature playing.
Lilli Halttunen, HJK
The 18-year-old striker was on a high scoring streak during the training season and became HJK’s clear top scorer.
Halttunen flashed before, but was unable to play much last season due to injuries. That’s why the wild comeback in the pre-season was even more extraordinary.
– HJK needed a goalscorer to replace Lotta Lindström and found it in their own circle. I think it’s really great, praises Ruohomaa.
The league is being revolutionized – the visions are ambitious
The quality of the matches, the huge level differences both in terms of games and between organizations, the lack of commercial opportunities and professionalism. Among other things, these issues have been a concern for a long time.
Read more: The level of the national league is worrying, behind only the real Lilliputs – a development proposal from HJK’s head coach, which not everyone swallows
Now there is a huge change ahead, which also creates wild stakes for the season.
In the starting season, as many as three teams will be relegated from the main league directly, and no qualifiers will be played. One team advances from First to the main league.
From 2025, the National League will continue as a series of eight teams instead of ten teams. Under the same brand name will be Kansallinen Ykkönen (current women’s Ykkönen), where ten teams play. Thus, the Kansallinen entity will contain 18 teams from 2025.
Started as development manager of the National League in November Minna Kauppinen admitted to STT that the number of players in Finland is not enough that there would be no real throwing bags in the ten-team league.
Kauppinen’s task is to find out how to get stronger professional activity from the main series in Finland as well.
– We are going to put the cards on the table and ask the clubs directly in the strategy survey when they see an opportunity to offer a professional contract to all players on the team, excluding young players, Kauppinen stated.
In the national league, the size of the professional contract is at least 2,000 euros per season, so there is no talk of large sums yet. In its previous strategy, the league had included “modern top sports” in its 2023 vision, but Kauppinen frankly admitted that he is not there at all.
More reforms and investments made by HJK would be needed, but it is more difficult to put beautiful visions into practice – you can take a look at what kind of losses are forged in the Veikkausliiga.
One relief is that Uefa has begun to distribute new development support, 150,000 euros annually, to Europe’s women’s major leagues.
Of course, the role of the National League will continue to be the breeders’ league.
Dramatic relegation ahead
Hanna Ruohomaa sees that the series reform will first of all kick the clubs to efforts and investments, if they want to remain in the series.
At the same time, it raises the level of Ykkönen and offers more young people a higher-quality intermediate step from B-juniors towards the main league.
This season’s relegation battle is going to be fierce anyway.
– Yes, this series renewal will forcefully change the dynamics of the season.
– You often hear that the goal of emerging teams is to survive. Then maybe you can be satisfied with the last instead of the last and the qualifiers.
Now the start of the season decides a lot. It is bad to lose three places from the jumbo place in the series, if the point difference at the beginning stretches.
– They are in an advantageous position, as they have the game together at the beginning of the season.
The pressures can be seen, for example, in the fact that the Helsinki-based PK-35 acquired a couple of foreign players, which it has never done before.
PK Keski-Uusimaa has the most difficult season in Ruohomaa, which rose from the first place by winning TPS in the qualifiers.
Many more experienced players from PKKU quit or moved elsewhere. Among those who quit was the captain Tessa Rinkinen. High scorer Sofia Jahnukainen transferred to HPS. The coach also changed at a late stage.
– Frankly speaking, they have been in a hurry. They have to surpass themselves to survive.
Last season, JyPK, who won the First Division, went directly to the main league. The level difference between the series is huge, but JyPK’s training season was promising.
Difficulties can also arise for PK-35 Vantaa, where many of the most experienced players in the series left, such as Sanna Saarinen and Rosa Bröijer.
The danger zone also includes PK-35 Helsinki, which changed a lot. Longtime head coach Rami Rantanen changed to other positions in the club and many important players have suffered from bad knee injuries.
is also showing the national football league and the Veikkausliiga this season.
will televise the opening round of the national league on Saturday, April 13. of the match FC Ilves–FC Honka. The live broadcast on TV2, Areenas and the application starts at 17:45.
Fri 12.4.
PK-35 Vantaa – PKKU at 7 p.m
Sat 13.4.
JyPK – HPS at 3 p.m
HJK – PK35 at 4 p.m
KuPS – Åland United at 7 p.m
Ilves – FC Honka at 7 p.m