honka - HJK preview

FC Honka (3rd) – HJK (1st)

Honka :3-1-1-1-3-3 ------------ HJK: 3-3-3-1-1-1

H2H:5-5-3
Last game 14.05.2009 1-1

Fc Honka have been travelling to and from Azerbaidzan this week and were eliminated from the Europe league against Qarabag with a 3-1 aggregate. The result is a disappointment for their big european hopes and the trip has been a long one. They need be fresh wnd woken up already on Sunday when they meet HJK in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area derby.
”We played well in Azerbaidzan and had our chances, but as always, it the goals that decide,” says disappointed and tired Honka coach Mika Lehkosuo. ” All the credit for the Azeris for the good game and good luck to them, next we will give our 100 % against HJK at home.”

HJK defender and one of the most promising players of the country, Jukka Raitala knows the importance of the game,” we have rested and trained properly and of course, we have the advantage of travelling only 10 kilometres here when Honka are returning from Asia,” he says, ” but it is for certain that there will be tension and excitement and hunger in this derby, and we want a revenge from their last minute equalizer when we met last time in Helsinki.

Honka will miss only Aleksandr Kokko 13/0 and long-term absentees Paatelainen and Weckström. Jaakko Lepola 11/4 who missed the Qarabaq-game will return.
HJK are probably still without Medo 14/2, Ville Taulo 5/0, Paulus Roiha 3/0 and Tuomas Haapala 6/0, but Aki Riihilahti will be in better match-fitness after a long absence and having played at Mariehamn for the first time in months.

Honka: 1 Tuomas Peltonen 11/0 - 2 Sampo Koskinen 12/0 - 13 Ville Koskimaa 8/1 - 5 Henri Aalto 10/0 - 6 Hermanni Vuorinen 16/11 -14 Jussi Vasara 16/1 - 10 Jami Puustinen 15/4 - 26 Jaakko Lepola 11/4 - 17 Demba Savage 14/2 - 19 Rami Hakanpää 15/1 – 21 Joel Perovuo 16/2

Bench: 27 Konsta Rasimus 1/0, 12 Janne Henriksson (gk) 6/0, 15 Aleksandr Kokko 13/0? , 20 Nicolas Otaru 13/2, 11 Hannu Haarala 7/0, 3 Roope Heilala 11/0, 28 Rasmus 9/1?

Out: 8 Markus Paatelainen 0/0, 7 John Weckström 6/1, 22 Tuomo Turunen 11/1 transferred to IFK Göteborg

Coach: Mika Lehkosuo


HJK: 1 Wille Wallén 16/0 – 3 Mikko Hauhia 15/0 – 5 Jukka Sauso 15/0 - Aki Riihilahti – 6 Cheyne Fowler 7/1 – 9 Sebastian Sorsa 16/4 – 10 Juho Mäkelä 16/4 - 13 Pyry Kärkkäinen 16/2 – 14 Valeri Popovits 14/3 – 17 Dawda Bah 16/5 – 20 Jukka Raitala 16/0

Bench: 2 Tuomas Kansikas 5/0, 12 Jani Viander (gk) 0/0, 21 Petri Oravainen 11/0, 26 Johannes Westö 2/0, 27 Mikko Sumusalo 1/0, 28 Nosh A Lody 0/0, 31 Akseli Pelvas 11/4, 32 Sami Salmi 0/0, 16 Jarno Parikka 15/3,18 Juhani Ojala 2/0

Unavailable:15 Paulus Roiha 3/0, 4 Mohamed Kamara 14/2, 7 Tuomas Haapala 6/0, 8 Ville Taulo 5/0 ?

Coach : Antti Muurinen

Prediction: Bettingwise a tough one. I think the bookies are putting too much on the fact that Honka have travelled. They have enough fresh feet in the roster to challenge HJK seriously, and HJK have also almost 100 % new midfield. Probably no bet, looks like another 1-1 though.