A great chapter in Finnish football history is being written in the German Bundesliga. Lukas from Hradecky can become the first Finnish captain to win a major European series.
Leverkusen showed again on Saturday the performance with which to win the German championship. For the second week in a row, it grabbed huge series points in the last moments, when Leipzig fell 3-2 away from home. Leverkusen lost twice in the match, but the Ecuadorian Piero Hincapie scored the winning goal from a corner kick in the first minute of extra time.
A week ago, Leverkusen’s winning goal against Augsburg came in the fourth minute of added time.
The weekend was perfect for Leverkusen, as Bayern Munich, the other side of the championship fight, unexpectedly lost to Werder Bremen at home 0-1. The difference in the standings is now seven points. Bayern have one less game to play, but have a back-to-back match against Union Berlin on Wednesday.
Hradecky, who had his first daughter last week, has played every minute in the Bundesliga and saved eight clean sheets in 18 matches. That’s the most in the entire series. Leverkusen has never lost in the league and is still the only undefeated team in Europe’s top five leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France).
Leverkusen has never won the German championship, so the current team, and especially the captain Hradecky, are among the true club icons.
– Hradecky has been one of the faces of the club’s growth. It’s a huge deal, Urheilu’s expert Antti Pohja says.
Before this season, during Hradecky’s tenure, Leverkusen reached third in the Bundesliga at its best. The Finn moved to Leverkusen in the summer of 2018. Pohja visited Leverkusen a few years ago and is convinced of the current state of the club.
– There was no feeling back then that they could challenge Bayern in the same way as they do now. Playing was not yet at the level it is today. It’s easy to see that progress has been made, says Pohja.
The biggest and perhaps the most significant factor in Leverkusen’s wonderful play and the development of the entire organization has been stepping into the coaching staff in the middle of last season Xabi Alonso. Already last season, the team advanced to the semi-finals of the Europa League, where Roma was, however, better.
– Doing things on the field has become even more uniform and consistent. Coaches have changed quickly in Leverkusen, as no one like Alonso has been found in recent history. Now it feels like the pieces are in place, Pohja thinks.
2) Could Marcus Forss be the Huhkaji’s Joker card in the spring?
The further qualifying matches that decide the fate of Huuhkaji’s place in the European Championships will be played at the end of March. When the head coach Markku Kanerva picks his squad for the game against Wales in Cardiff, he has a name to think about who was out of the national team for most of last year.
A striker who has recovered from injuries Marcus Forss is back with a bang in the lineup of Middlesbrough playing in the English Championship. In his comeback match the other week, he ran onto the field for two minutes and managed to finish the goal.
Last weekend, Forss already got more minutes against Rotherham. The Finn got on the field at 20 minutes by Isaiah Jones due to injury and thanked the head coach Michael Carrick of trust. Forss got the ball in the box ten minutes before the end and with this Final score 1–1 with power into the front corner.
Middlesbrough’s season has not gone as expected. The team is eleventh in the series, but on the other hand, there are only three points away from the sixth place, which entitles them to a promotion qualifying place.
Middlesbrough has a dozen matches before the national team break, so Forss has time to convince Markku Kanerva and be selected for Huuhkaji. Antti Pohja does not think that Forss could rise to the opening, but as a type of player he could very well be used in the group – even if on the wing. In Middlesbrough, Forssi’s place to play has usually been found specifically on the wing.
– If Finland happened to be leading and there was half an hour left, then you could put Forss there to run around and do the dirty work. He can run and press. It’s great that you’re starting to find the energy. Depending on the situation, he can be a good precision player, says Pohja.
– Even in a losing position, the fresh and self-confident Forss can be a tactical option. I already said in the fall that the most important thing is that all possible key players in Finland are healthy and fit. Forss is becoming that.
Forssi’s next possible screening is already on Tuesday – and it couldn’t be much bigger if the responsibility comes. Middlesbrough will visit Chelsea in the second part of the English League Cup semi-finals with a 1-0 lead. Injuries and goal streak can open a place for Forss even in the opening.
– The upcoming match means everything to us. I’m looking forward to it, but on the other hand I’m just enjoying every moment on the field, because the rehabilitation has been long, Forss said at the weekend For Teesside Live magazine.
3) Welcome news for Helmaris
The opening of Helmareite’s EC qualification is also approaching. The groups are drawn in March and the first matches are scheduled at the beginning of April. In the A-level qualifying group, the opponents are tough anyway, so the news about Sunday’s English Super League match between West Ham and Tottenham was Marko Saloranta pleasing to the coaching team of Helmareit.
The core of the midfield of both Helmarei and Tottenham is formed Eveliina from Summa and Olga from Ahtis, who have both struggled with injury. Now the two returned to the opening together for the first time in a long time.
Tottenham eventually defeated West Ham 4–3 away from home. Both Finns logged full minutes and Summanen provided the pass Grace Clinton to score the opening goal. At the end of the opening period, Summanen got a hard sliding tackle on his legs, but was able to continue the game after a little patching up. Tottenham is sixth in the league.
Sports expert Hanna Ruohomaa can see that Summanen’s and Ahtinen’s connection in the club team is an important advantage, especially in the upcoming European Championship qualifiers, where the level of opponents will rise significantly.
– You learn non-verbal communication and what the other person is like with the ball. Knows when to get close or leave to watch the game ahead, says Ruohomaa.
– This is emphasized in the A-League, when there is less space and time. For example, Summanen can hold the ball in tight spaces, while Ahtinen is the type of player who is good at playing with one touch. Then it is easier to know what kind of support to give in different situations.
Ruohomaa reminds us that there are many other players in Helmarei who play and have previously played a lot together in club teams and of course also in the national team shirt from the young age groups.
– There are not as many top clubs in women’s football as there are in men’s football, where the scale of clubs is much larger. There is no Europa League or Conference League. Women also have smaller circles when it comes to agents. That’s why there are many more players in Helmarei who play in the same club teams.
A new episode of the 11 friends soccer podcast is published every Tuesday. You can find all the episodes in this link!
What do you want to ask about football? Send your questions to the podcast from this link!