Belated congratulations to Tampere United...

...and to FC Honka among the ladies

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First an apology to the footballers and management of Tampere United, or TamU.
      Amidst all the brouhaha surrounding Kimi Räikkönen’s unexpected victory in Brazil, we quite forgot to note on Monday that Tampere United are this year’s Finnish Veikkausliiga Champions, having successfully defended the title they won this time last year.
     
To some extent the moment of winning the title was an anti-climax, as it took place 135 kilometres from Tampere and the TamU players celebrated on the sofa at home.
      The club’s closest rivals FC Haka of Valkeakoski failed to get more than a 1-1 draw out of their Sunday outing to Lahti, and by not winning their game in hand on the leaders they lost even a mathematical chance of creeping up and taking the title.
      TamU themselves could have wrapped things up with victory in their home game on Saturday against MyPa from Myllykoski, but they, too, could only get a point from a 1-1 draw.
      This of course saved on the champagne, but doubtless they will open a few bottles sooner or later.
     
After Haka and TamU had played those weekend games, TamU have two matches left and an ample eight-point cushion at the top of the table.
      There will be a round of matches today, Wednesday, and things are wound up on Saturday.
      Conveniently, TamU finish off their league campaign at home, so all the fans will presumably get to see the trophy held aloft.
      All credit to TamU, who kept their minds on the job despite having a crowded programme as they played several Champions League and UEFA Cup qualifiers in the early autumn.
     
Since things are still in flux apart from the name on the winners’ medals, we shall have to return to the football after the weekend to join up all the dots, but Haka are currently in the runner-up spot, just one point ahead of TPS Turku.
      FC Honka have an outside chance of getting among the medals, but are four points adrift of TPS.
      The team from Espoo also have to travel to Tampere for their last game, which will not be easy: even with the pressure off, TamU are unlikely to want to roll over in front of a large home crowd.
     
Down at the bottom, where the tail-end-charlie gets automatic relegation and the team above them has to play off with this year’s runners-up from the First Division (RoPS of Rovaniemi), it is last season’s promoted clubs AC Oulu and FC Viikingit who are in the greatest danger, though FF Jaro from Pietarsaari are only two points above them.
      Whichever team goes down automatically will be replaced by the First Division winners KuPS of Kuopio.
     
One outfit not mentioned at either end of the spectrum is HJK Helsinki, the country’s most successful club, with 21 championship titles and even an appearance in the 1998/99 European Champions League group stages.
      HJK have had a miserable season, especially since it is their centenary year, and sacked their coach Keith Armstrong in mid-term. The dismissal has made little difference, and the team are still down in 8th place, having managed to draw no fewer than 13 of their 24 matches so far.
      The only chance they have of honours this season is in the Finnish Cup, where they are the holders, and have reached the semi-final stages.
      However, even if they can overcome local rivals FC Honka in the semis, they will more than likely have to face TamU in the final, with TamU thirsting for a league and cup double.
     
Finally, lest we get accused of gender inequality, congratulations also go to FC Honka for taking the Women’s League trophy for the second time. Like TamU, the Espoo side were successful in defending the title they won last year.
      The final match of the season - between Honka and HJK - was a cracker and ended 3-3, with Honka getting the equaliser two minutes from time.
      The draw enabled them to stay two points ahead of runners-up HJK, who knew they had to win the encounter to take the title. And they very nearly did. The 700 or so who turned up got full value for money.
      A less encouraging sign for women’s football in Finland is perhaps that these two clubs are light-years ahead of the rest of the league: Honka took 59 points from 22 matches, HJK 57 points, and the third-placed team managed to scrape together just 31.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Tampere United take football league title in style (30.10.2006)

Links:
  Tampere United site (mostly in Finnish)
  Veikkausliiga (Wikipedia)

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