Huhkajat will face Norway next. Goaltender Erling Haaland will probably also be on the pitch on Sunday.
In the football match between Finland and North Macedonia in Skopje, a rare treat was seen, when no less than five Huuhkajie players got to make their A national team debut. They were Tuomas Ollila, Anssi Suhonen, Arttu Hoskonen, Diogo Tomas mixed Niilo Mäenpää.
The young players were in the spotlight anyway. Oliver Antman Huuhkajat took the lead in the second half from a through drive. Enis Bardhin with a penalty kick goal, the match finally ended in a 1–1 draw.
– We could have scored many more goals, but on the other hand, so could North Macedonia. I think the end result is justified, Antman stated.
Antman has entered the A national team by rushing in. Two matches, two goals.
– It is easy to succeed when there are good players around. They are easy to play with. The good thing is that I can play freely. You can move freely, which is good.
Next, Norway, starred by Haaland
The head coach Markku Kanerva was pleased with the performance of the debutantes.
– The first international match is never an easy place. If you look at our lineup anyway, there were a lot of players who haven’t really played in the national team. I appreciate how bravely our debutants played.
On the whole, Kanerva was satisfied with the outcome of the game.
– It was an entertaining game. We had a total of 27 field goal attempts. There were a couple of post shots. It’s a shame, of course, that the lead was lost.
– We knew that North Macedonia is a good team. They had a big need to win the match, because the last games have not gone very well for them.
Based on the TV pictures, the field looked in poor condition. However, according to Kanerva, it was not a big problem.
– The field was not ready for a wedding. It was agreed in advance that neither of them will practice on the field before the match. I don’t know what it would have looked like if we had practiced there. However, it was in playable condition, Kanerva stated.
Huhkajat will face Norway on Sunday. Opposite is a superstar Erling Haaland.
– There is a much tougher opponent. Our lineup will change somewhat. Some players got cramps.
– According to preliminary information, one Haaland may come to play against us. It brings us more of a challenge, Kanerva said.