Haka - JJK preview

Haka (3rd) – JJK (12th)


Haka: 3-1-3-0-0-1 -------- JJK : 0-0-0-0-3-1

H2H:0-1-0

Last game 07.05.2009 JJK – Haka 0-0.

The teams have met so far only one in the history and no goals are yet to be seen as the first round match JJK was a goalless draw. Haka form at home has been lately worrying, in last 3 home matches Haka have not scored at all, and as JJK have scored only 4 away goals in the whole season there might be another dull encounter ahead. Haka was leading the table for some time, but the talks for a championship seemed to be premature.

Haka is still looking for striker to solve their goal-scoring problems, and the transfer window in Finland is open for the month of August.

”There are no weaknesses in JJK team and we have to be careful wíth the Korean striker Nam, ” says Haka coach Olli Huttunen, ” our last game away at HJK was excellent, and if we can keep that style and fight as much we should win, and we need to win if we want to be on the top.”

Haka ended their contract with Dutchman Hans Deniessen 5/0, Diego Corpache 15/1 will be unavailable for the rest of the season due to knee injury, Antti Hynynen 15/4 is doubtful because of flu, and Jari Nikkilä 14/0 has been busy with army duties and is doubtful. Jani Bäckman 8/1 returns to FC Honka after his loan time expired.

Monday night´s game against TPS last round showed that there is still fighting spirit in the JJK team and they managed to steal a late equalizer by a lucky goal, and that result has lifted the self-confidence of the club who have been doomed to get relegated in some media. They are not playing particularly well, but it is the points that count.

JJK new signing Georgij Hristov looks very much like an out-of-form player and is no fast solution for the attack problems. JJK have also signed another Macedonian player but he is probably not featuring against Haka yet.

JJK have no new injury worries.

Haka: 1 Janne Korhonen 16/0 – 20 Sami Ristilä 12/1 - 3 Petri Viljanen 10/0 - 21 Pietari Holopainen 12/5 - 22 Jarno Mattila 16/1 - 6 Sebastian Strandvall 16/4 - 7 Mikko Innanen 16/2 – 11 Antti Hynynen 15/4 - 10 Mika Mäkitalo 15/2 - 8 Jani Kauppila 16/0 - 9 Niko Ikävalko 13/2

Bench:12 Saku Pesonen (gk) 0/0, 18 Jari Nikkilä 14/0, 4 Markus Joenmäki 6/0, 14 Valeri Minkenen 4/0

Unavailable: 5 Kalle Parviainen 0/0, 15 Nicolas Kivistö 6/0, 28 Hans Denissen 5/0 (rest of season, freed from the contract), 2 Diego Corpache 15/1 (injured for rest of the season), 16 Jani Bäckman 8/1 (back to Honka after loan time)


Coach : Olli Huttunen

JJK: 30 Mihaly Szerovay 13/0 - 3 Janne Hannula 8/0 - 5 Ik Kuyng Nam 14/4 – 7 Anssi Viren 15/1 – 9 Mika Lahtinen 15/3 – 10 Tommi Kari 15/4 – 14 Jukka Sinisalo 14/0 – 19 Christian Sund 13/0 – 13 Tuomas Latikka 14/0 - 6 Jukka-Pekka Tuomanen 9/0 – 11 Georgij Hristov 2/0

Bench: 31 Antti-Jussi Karnio (gk) 3/0, 12 Sami Myllymäki 0/0, 8 Matti Lähitie 11/0, 21 Toni Koskela 14/0, 4 Markus Paija 7/0, 18 Zakaria Abahassine 10/0, 16 Niko Markkula 7/0

Out: 15 Antto Tapaninen 0/0, 24 Niko Kautto 0/0, 17 Hyun-Kwan Kim 4/0 left the team

Coach : Ville Priha


Prediction: Looks like a narrow home win, 1-0 is on the cards. Personally I do not rate either of the teams too highly, but Haka is a 65-70 % favourite in this match. Perhaps there is value in JJK + 1.5 or other handicaps? I will look at them later.