IFK Mariehamn - Haka preview; league cup Finland 1st round

Report

IFK - Haka 4-0 (2-0)
5. min 1-0 Okodugha Echiabhi ( Ingves Wilhelm)
8. min 2-0 Okodugha Echiabhi ( Paatelainen Mikko)
62. min 3-0 Amani Rezgar ( Strandvall Sebastian)
66. min 4-0 Okodugha Echiabhi (pen.)
Lineups :

IFK: Wicks Josh, Olofsson Marcus, Strandvall Sebastian, Bellisomo Luca, Trafford Mason, Nordström Johannes, Okodugha Echiabhi, Funicello Giuseppe, Ingves Wilhelm, Paatelainen Mikko, Helmke Hendrik

Subs: Cederroos Robin, Carlsson Johan, Mattsson John, Långbacka Gustav

Haka: Kauppinen Ville, Berg Jan, Latosaari Mikko-Petteri, Salonen Juuso, Weckström John, Metzger Obi, Juuti Jaakko, Yllaconza Benito, Multanen Kalle, Chavez Josef, Pirinen Juha

Subs: Nieminen Aleksi, Ojala Kasper, Mattila Jarno, Kuqi Albert, Heinä Erkka
The official preview in Finnish was written yesterday and in short it says that

• At least MIFK will field those 2 allowed test players Hendrik Helmke & Luca Bellisomo
• MIFK coach Lyyski was satisfied with the Kalev friendly (4-1)
• Haka coach Ristilä was satisfied with the Lahti friendly (0-0)
• Juha Pirinen will join Haka from TamU but is still being tested until end of Jan
• Impt mf Marco Matrone (Haka ) is in Italy at a Serie C club test
• Reg mf Xhevdet Gela (Haka) will not continue at Haka
• The Eckerö indoors arena has a new improved surface

Unoffficial and unconfirmed info talk about a few injuries and knocks at Haka camp. Last season MIFK were a big underachiever and Haka took so many surprise wins early in the season that finally they survived economically despite huge crisis and also kept their league status. The Haka team today is about 90 % different from the one that started the league last season, it is cheap, young and unexperienced and one of biggest relegation candidates.

MIFK have also changed significantly and several players have left, several new will be recruited and the process is going on as we speak.

I have not yet seen the new MIFK play and will not tonight either as there is no broadcast from League Cup matches. Haka are far more familiar, As Matrone is today unavailable the only players with league experience are mf John Weckström who spent most of the season on the bench of Honka and Juuti who started his league career last season. Chavez, Benito and Multanen did also earn some valuable minutes and the peruvian boys have grown up a bit and improved a lot, but still the team lacks a lot of quality.

The new striker Obi Metzger from Viikingit was in good form last season and looks like fullfilling some expectations set to him already at U-17 WC years ago with the sierraleonian national team – Obi was raising interest at Bundesliga teams back then – but he still has a lot to prove at this level. In the long term I believe in him, but the service upfront might be weak today.

Latest news tell us that IFK´s creative mf Petteri Forsell will be sidelined because of knee injury.

Asian odds now -0,5 @ 2.07 for IFK Mariehamn