HJK - JJK preview

HJK(1st) – JJK (12th)

HJK: 3-3-1-1-1-1
JJK : 0-0-3-1-3-0

H2H: 2-1-0

Last game 17.05.09 JJK – HJK 1-1

HJK have drawn their last four games and are now sharing the top spot with TPS Turku. Against Honka they were outplayed by the home team despite the fact that they were playing most of the game against 10 men after an early red card for Honka. They have lost a grip of almost certain- looking championship, and the suspensions of important defender Jukka Sauso 17/0 and winger Dawda Bah 18/5 do not help at all. On the other hand the injury list is about to shorten as Ville Taulo and Paulus Roiha are regaining match-fitness, and also HJK legend Aki Riihilahti who returned to HJK after some 10 years abroad gets better match by match.

The most promising player of the team Jukka Raitala is rumoured to transfer to Hoffenheim, but he is likely to start as a left back against JJK.

Early season JJK managed to snap a draw from their visitors from Helsinki and since then JJK have strengthened their team with striker Georgi Hristov and defender Dejan Brankovic who is likely the feature in this game for the first time wearing JJK shirt. The current form of KuPS at the relegation battle leaves JJK no room for giving out any points, and they will until the bitter end for every ball in this David vs Goliath – game at a HJK reserve pitch of Pallokentta; HJK usual home ground Finnair Stadium is reserved for Women Euro 2009 starting next week in Helsinki, Turku, Lahti and Tampere.

No injury worries for JJK.

HJK: 1 Wille Wallén 18/0 – 3 Mikko Hauhia 17/0 – 4 Mohamed Kamara 16/3 – 19 Aki Riihilahti 2/0 – 6 Cheyne Fowler 9/1 – 9 Sebastian Sorsa 18/4 – 10 Juho Mäkelä 18/4 - 13 Pyry Kärkkäinen 18/2 – 14 Valeri Popovits 16/3 – 18 Juhani Ojala 2/0 – 20 Jukka Raitala 18/0

Bench: 2 Tuomas Kansikas 5/0, 12 Jani Viander (gk) 0/0, 21 Petri Oravainen 12/0, 26 Johannes Westö 2/0, 27 Mikko Sumusalo 1/0, 28 Nosh A Lody 0/0, 31 Akseli Pelvas 13/4, 32 Sami Salmi 0/0, 16 Jarno Parikka 17/3, 8 Ville Taulo 5/0, 15 Paulus Roiha 3/0

Unavailable: 7 Tuomas Haapala 6/0, 5 Jukka Sauso 17/0 & 17 Dawda Bah 18/5 suspended

Coach : Antti Muurinen

JJK: 30 Mihaly Szerovay 15/0 - Dejan Brankovic 0/0 - 5 Ik Kuyng Nam 16/6 – 7 Anssi Viren 17/1 – 9 Mika Lahtinen 17/3 – 10 Tommi Kari 17/4 – 14 Jukka Sinisalo 16/0 – 19 Christian Sund 15/1 – 13 Tuomas Latikka 16/0 - 6 Jukka-Pekka Tuomanen 9/0 – 11 Georgij Hristov 4/1

Bench: 31 Antti-Jussi Karnio (gk) 3/0, 12 Sami Myllymäki 0/0, 8 Matti Lähitie 13/0, 21 Toni Koskela 16/0, 4 Markus Paija 7/0, 18 Zakaria Abahassine 12/0, 16 Niko Markkula 7/0,, 3 Janne Hannula 10/0

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

Coach: Ville Priha

Prediction:Bah has been the best player of the league so far, and missing him might just be crucial as HJK is lacking creativity. The only player capable of killing the match for HJK is another winger Sebastian Sorsa, but it will easier for JJK now as they need to concentrate only in defending the right wing. No picks yet.