HJK Helsinki go down in final minutes in Tel Aviv

Finnish European football campaign over for another season

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HJK Helsinki battled for 90 minutes in the heat of Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, but their European Champions League qualifying match ended in a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
      Since the home leg had resulted in a goalless draw, HJK are out of the competition, and Maccabi go on to meet FAOK Salonika of Greece for the right to enter the lucrative group stages of the competition.
      HJK were not disgraced by any means. The goal came only in the 88th minute, volleyed home by Liran Cohen after a corner. The 7,000-strong crowd in Tel Aviv were clearly relieved.
     
Even after this setback, the Finns did not surrender, but went in search of a late equaliser that would have put them through on the away goals rule.
      They nearly got one, too. Late substitution Juho Mäkelä managed to break through and was brought down in the box, but the Croatian referee Ivan Bebek waved away Finnish claims for a penalty. Jukka Santala, another second-half substitute, also had a shot cleared off the line in the dying seconds.
      In fairness, Maccabi had had plenty of opportunities to wrap the game up earlier than they did, but HJK’s goalkeeper Andreas Vilnrotter kept the visitors in the match with a number of good saves.
     
The Helsinki squad also went out at this 2nd qualifying round stage last year, losing to MTK Hungaria. They remain the only Finnish club to have reached the group stages of the tournament, back in 1998.
      They must now concentrate on the Finnish League, where they are currently lying only 5th, eight points adrift of leaders FC Haka of Valkeakoski.


Links:
  HJK Helsinki
  UEFA

Helsingin Sanomat