The performance of the Finnish men’s national football team at the Olympic Stadium against Kazakhstan ended in a shocking meltdown. The development of the Finnish game has stopped and self-confidence has melted, writes sports journalist Samu Saatsi.
This was supposed to be a comment first on how the Huuhkajat washed their face of last Saturday’s terrible loss to Slovenia. How Robert Taylor unprejudicedly came back to the national team jersey and showed a magic with his free kick goal, which has stuck with him From Lionel Messi.
Didn’t come.
Instead, the Finnish men’s national football team was subjected to humiliating meltdowns in October already for the second chapter in the second consecutive match. Kazakhstan came alongside and over at the Olympic Stadium, destroying all Finland’s dreams of a direct place in the European Championship.
Immediately after Kazakhstan’s lead goal, a message slipped into one of my friend groups in the messaging app.
“What year have we gone back to? Why is this happening to us again?”
When the final whistle blew, the entire full Olympic Stadium booed with disappointment. Some whistled for the Finnish players as well, when the players thanked the supporters after the match.
In the other end, the Kazakhstan supporters’ section celebrated. Their hope still lives.
A complete meltdown of confidence
Finland was good in the opening period of the game and the beginning of the second half. It created scoring chances and Taylor’s stunning free kick gave them the lead they needed.
In the second period, however, Finland did not start to make progress from their goal posts. Its grip on the game loosened and the tension started to show.
The self-confidence of the whiners melted away. Kazakhstan came into the game and managed to tie the game. And not for long, then it scored the lead goal. The Huuhkajat fell out of the special situations, although it has been good to defend the opponent’s special situations.
The shadows of Finland’s old days came to the fore in this national match window. All those who were supposed to have been banished far away with the “Rivelution”.
The echoes of the old “Via Dolorosa” ring louder now than in years.
The game looks bad. Finland failed in important games and did it spectacularly. Huahkaji’s game has not developed as desired, but has remained in a stagnant state.
The truth is also that Finland had taken more points from the EC qualifiers before this pair of international matches than its statistics would have predicted. Played above expectations.
How do you look in the mirror?
Huhkaji’s head coach Markku Kanervan it’s now time to look at the state of your team and think about what to apply for in the future. Finland no longer has the opportunity to advance directly to the European Championships. There is, on the other hand, the possibility of EC further qualifications for the Games. All attention must be focused on it.
Kanerva has two competitive matches and training matches in January to give Finland such a blow that it would go to the European Championships by winning two games in March.
It’s a challenging task.
The first step could be to finally include young and older players who are struggling in the national team. The youngsters have room to grow in the upcoming matches, where the contribution is only to the development of the game. Open-mindedness would at least do good for the self-confidence of the current group.
Medicines for everything are hard to find. But, there should be time to improve self-confidence and defensive play. Much depends on Kanerva, which means he wants to correct his group’s route.
If Kanerva can’t do that and Finland’s level continues to sink, you have to think about who is going to make the change.