On Friday, Finland will face Northern Ireland in the European Championship qualifying match in Helsinki. The live broadcast of the match starts on TV2 and Areena at 18:30.
The November national team window did not turn out to be what the Finnish football people had hoped for.
The qualifying frenzy four years ago is just a memory, because Huuhkajat will play on Friday at the Olympic Stadium against Northern Ireland just for glory.
At least in terms of results. From a game point of view, the matches that end the qualification are of great importance, because the next time the national team gathers with the best players already for the EC further qualification in March.
The Northern Ireland and San Marino matches are Markku Kanervan an opportunity for the group to get the game and atmosphere around the team back on track. As a new spice, Kanerva now has players at his disposal, which he has not yet been able to properly utilize in the qualifiers.
For example Robin Lod has recovered from his injury. Also returning to the team is a player who has been in perhaps the strongest mood on the greens of Europe lately.
Fredrik Jensen is the only one of Huuhkajie’s field players who plays in Europe’s so-called top 5 leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France). Jensen, 26, who represents Augsburg, has played the last four matches in the Bundesliga in the starting line-up and collected no less than four assists.
In the current qualifiers, Jensen has only been in the Huuhkajie group in March. Then he didn’t play a single minute. In the summer games, Jensen was on the sidelines due to injury, but Kanerva did not choose him for the earlier matches of the fall simply because of the lack of playing minutes.
Now the situation is different.
– I certainly have a slightly different feeling than the guys who have been here with me. I’m really happy that I was able to participate again, Jensen tells Urheilu.
Kanerva has traditionally emphasized club team responsibility in its selections. Jensen played only a handful of minutes in the early season in Augsburg. Everything changed when the head coach Enrico Maassen was fired at the beginning of October.
– I got into a strange situation and a doghouse with the old coach. No minutes came. When they don’t come, thoughts start going here and there, Jensen says.
In the previous EC qualifiers, Jensen scored two important hits in the Armenian net. The last time Jensen has been properly in the spotlight for the national team was in the fall of 2020. That was when he played a big role in the Nations League and managed to score three times, including two winning goals against Ireland.
The flight was interrupted due to injury, and since then there has been no real responsibility in the national team.
Right now, Jensen’s club team vibe is impossible to ignore. A lot has happened in just over a month.
The situation in Augsburg was changed by a new head coach Jess Thorup. Thorup, who previously coached in his home country of Denmark and Belgium, is a refreshing exception in Augsburg’s traditional coaching line.
– It was nice to get something new. I have been in Germany for many years, and it has seemed that there is always the same coach. Either a German or someone who has played in German football for many years. Now came Jess, who was not known in Germany, says Jensen.
Thorup immediately put Jensen in the starting line-up. Augsburg won the first game under the new command by no less than 5–2. Jensen assisted three of the goals, and has kept his place in the opener ever since.
Thorup also trusts Jensen in special situations. Jensen has flashed his skills in centering balls anyway. There has never been too much special situation and concentration skills in Huuhkaj.
– I have always liked to give concentration. We practice them a lot with Jess. During the game, it is suddenly difficult to throw good balls into the box, but if you make 30-40 crosses during the week, you have a strong feeling about how to give the balls, says Jensen.
– The team also gets a sense of security when everyone knows that the centering balls will come in well. I know too. If I say the ball will go to the front area, it will go there.
Confident speech from a confident player. Confidence is also visible on the field when the role is clear.
Last season, under Maassen’s command, Jensen was played with varying minutes in different positions. He even played a couple of games as a full-back, for the first time in his adult career.
– As a player, you will never get into a rhythm if you throw the playing field here and there. I discussed this with the old coach. I understand that I’m a smart player and I understand how to play in different positions, but if I want to improve and show my best, I need to know what my position is, says Jensen.
– With Thorup, I have a clear role. I will definitely have the opportunity to help the team in a better way when the position is clear.
In Huuhkaj, Jensen feels that his role has always been clear.
– Well, yes, I’m not playing a real fullback here! Here, the role is always attacking, be it on the left, right or center.
Does Jensen feel that he has received enough responsibility in the national team over the years? When asked, he takes a deep breath and thinks about his answer for a moment.
– Have I been given enough responsibility? If you ask me, I would have played 90 minutes in all the games. Of course, as a football player, you always want to play. If I’m not playing, of course I’m always a little angry. At the end of the day, “Rive” chooses who it wants and what it believes is the best lineup for each game. I can’t really influence that, Jensen thinks.
– My performance in the national team compared to the minutes have been good, but I could have scored more goals. The greatest honor during my career has always been to play in the national team.
Despite the difficulties, Jensen has remained in the world’s top league for more than five years. The time in Augsburg has been difficult, Jensen admits himself.
– After the second year, I could have said that it doesn’t matter, this won’t work. Despite the injuries, for a long time I had the feeling that this has not been patted down yet. For some reason, I was quite stubborn and still wanted to show myself and others that I could do this.
The time in Augsburg has been far from perfect, but right now Jensen is enjoying football in the top league to the fullest.
– Right now I have the best feeling during Augsburg. It mostly goes hand in hand with how the game plays. Of course we have to improve, but at the moment I and the team have a good feeling. It’s a good combo.
The feeling and, above all, the look of the game must be restored to its peak in Huuhkaj as well. Despite the disappointments in October, the place in the European Championships is still only two wins away in March.