Joel Pohjanpalo and Oliver Antman shouted to the audience of the sold-out Olympic Stadium. Finland will next face San Marino on Monday.
Finland’s exhilarating 2–0 home win over Slovenia was completed by Joel Pohjanpalo and Oliver Antman. Has recently become an ignition virtuoso Teemu Pukki prime both full hits.
For Huuhkaj, the victory in the EC qualifiers was the second in three matches. Having won their first two qualifying matches, Slovenia, who were considered to be Finland’s main opponent in the qualifiers, bowed to the Huuhkajs, even though they held the ball more in the match. The loss was Slovenia’s first in more than a year.
– Absolutely amazing feelings. Indescribable. A full house. Great atmosphere. A victory and a goal to top it all off, Oliver Antman beamed.
According to Antman, Finland stuck to its own game plan.
– There weren’t many chances in the first half, but we continued and eventually got the second goal. We sank too low in defense in some situations. No game is perfect. There is always improvement.
Markku Kanervan The biggest surprise of the starting line-up was that the midfielder Glen Kamara started the match as a substitute. Ilmari Niskanen was the Jokerikortti in the Finnish crew.
Finland’s greedy and sharp start in attacking play caught the eye from the first minute. The result came quickly. Joel Pohjanpalo was able to shoot the ball into the Slovenian net in front of the goal Teemu Pukin thanks to a low pass from the right wing in the 13th minute of the match.
Pukki has scored at least one goal in each match in the first three matches of the EC qualification. Pukki has been involved in no less than 10 of Huuhkajie’s last 12 goals.
The first half was divided into two parts, as the away team took control of the game, which led the period’s scoring situations 7–4. Slovenia took command before the half-hour mark and took advantage of Finland’s left lane.
Sandi Lovric shot from a good position past the goal in the 28th minute of Finland’s goal. Four minutes later, a goal scare Benjamin Sesko got the ball in the post.
In the 34th minute of the match, the team’s number one star, 20-year-old Sesko, who will be moving to RB Leipzig next season, was able to try to score twice in a row from a powerful position inside the penalty area, but both positions were selflessly covered Arttu Hoskonen.
– We had to defend for too long in the first half. You have to be more careful with the ball. Slovenia got into our defensive zone too easily. A really bad half, according to a member of Finland’s coaching staff Mika Nurmela.
Antman shut down Slovenia’s scrimmage phase
Slovenia came strongly from the break to the green. Andraz Sporar sneaked into the top spot at the beginning of the second half, but fortunately for Finland, his placement missed the mark at the back post in the 51st minute. Petar Stojanovic just five minutes later shot the ball accurately towards the back corner, but Lukas Hradecky stretched to the top save.
Huahkajat, however, got their game rolling and increased activity. The energetic and always dangerous Oliver Antman showed how the young rising star of Finland wanted to solve the match.
Pukki, with his last strength, passed to Antman, who, despite being blocked by the defender, scored the scorer’s 2-0 goal, making it easier for Suomen, in the 64th minute.
Oliver Antman has scored four goals in the five A national matches he has played.
Slovenia had better places at the end, but Finland’s hearty Alakerta lasted until the end. Tuhlaveikko Sesko headed the ball over the goal from close range in the 76th minute. The scoring attempts were marked 15–7 for the guests in the match.
Finland continues its qualifiers next Monday at the Olympic Stadium, where San Marino, found at the bottom of the group, will arrive.
BLOCK H, HELSINKI,
Finland – Slovenia 2-0 (1-0)
1–0 Pohjanpalo 13 min
2–0 Antman 64 min
Audience: 32,560
The crew of the swashbucklers:
1-Hradecky (c)
21-Neck
4- Ivanov
3-R Jensen -> 65. Field
2-Hoskonen
17-Alho -> 71. Uronen
8-Antman -> 78. Suhonen
11-Schüller -> 78. Chamber
14-Kairinen
10-Pukki -> 65. Håkans
20-Pohjanpalo