Finland dispose of Macedonia 3-0

New manager Roy Hodgson to take over from August 2006

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In Skopje last night, Finland's national team played and won its first match under new management, following the replacement - in the middle of the current World Cup qualifying campaign - of sacked coach Antti Muurinen by Jyrki Heliskoski. Muurinen's days were numbered after the 4-0 drubbing handed out by Holland in the Olympic Stadium in June.
      The Finns overcame hosts Macedonia 3-0, but there must be some questions about the manner in which they performed in the second half of a match that they initially dominated, and after going into half-time with a comfortable 2-0 cushion.
      Heliskoski shuffled the pack for the game somewhat, though it may be that certain changes were brought on by injuries: midfielder Aki Riihilahti and striker Jonatan Johansson were both ruled out in advance, and captain Jari Litmanen did not start because of an ankle knock picked up in practice on Tuesday.
     
The new look started brightly, however, with players like Toni Kallio, Pekka Lagerblom, and Markus Heikkinen all showing useful touches.
      The Finns played aggressively and also managed to score inside ten minutes, after Alexei Eremenko Jr., who was given a roving role, collected a smart through ball from Teemu Tainio and lifted it over the advancing Macedonian keeper from just outside the box.
      Without creating a hatful of chances thereafter, the Finnish team dominated proceedings for the first half, and deservedly went to the break two goals to the good. Eremenko Jr. was again responsible, hitting a sweet free-kick from about 20 metres after Mikael Forssell was brought down.
     
This should have been the prelude to a stroll in the second half and a few more goals, but for some reason the team appeared to lose its way and allowed the hosts to get back into the game.
      The Macedonians were unable to capitalise on the added possession they were given, thanks to solid defending at the back and the inadequacy of their own strikers, but the "going off the boil" phenomenon would not go unpunished against stronger sides.
      Forssell was scandalously underused, and in any event seemed slightly short of match fitness, and as the game wore on, the other side of the talented Eremenko Jr. came out, as he repeatedly tried to beat an extra man rather than giving decent crosses to the waiting strikers.
      The third goal came with a few minutes left on the clock, and emerged from another neat piece of work by Tainio, who freed subsititute Paulus Roiha, and the speedy youngster slid the ball between a defender and the goalkeeper.
     
Jari Litmanen had been brought on some minutes beforehand, and he was instrumental in stabilising the ship and keeping possession going forward.
      As Litmanen's career wanes - he is 34 and has 98 caps for his country - it is important for whoever coaches the Finnish team to find someone who can emulate his holding role: too often attacks break down rapidly and allow the opposition to build a head of steam. This was very much in evidence, for example, in the first match against Holland, where Finland led only to surrender eventually 3-1.
      Criticisms notwithstanding, Heliskoski can be well pleased with the first outing. Macedonia stole a point from the Dutch on this ground, and gave the Czechs a hard time, too.
     
Heliskoski is "caretaker head coach" in the sense that he will coach the national side for the remainder of their (now largely irrelevant) World Cup qualifiers, before handing over to a new man in August next year.
      The new man looks set to be Briton Roy Hodgson, the former Blackburn Rovers and Inter Milan manager. He is at present guiding Viking Stavanger in the Norwegian League, but a deal is to be formally announced shortly, perhaps on Friday of this week.
      Hodgson is no stranger to international management, as he led Switzerland to the World Cup Finals in 1994.
     
When Hodgson arrives, Heliskoski will continue as his assistant and right-hand man, and will doubtless be able to pass on the knowledge he picks up during the qualifiers still to come, which include home games against the Czech Republic and Romania. It is a sensible move in many ways: the current World Cup campaign is over in all but the most mathematical of terms, and eyes are now on building a side that will be competitive in the run-up to the 2008 UEFA European Championships.
      By then, it is also possible that a number of familiar faces will have withdrawn from international duty, and Heliskoski now has a chance to try out new legs, for example in the next encounter, away to lowly Andorra.


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