Inter and Honka goalless in the rain: Finnish title goes down to final two rounds

HJK and Lahti contest third place

print this

Inter of Turku and FC Honka from Espoo could not find a goal between the two of them when they met in Turku on Sunday, and so the clubs remain locked together at the top of Finland’s premier football competition, the Veikkaus League, with two rounds of the season still to be played.
      Both teams have 50 points from 24 games played.
      If the two teams were unable to deliver a mortal blow to the other’s title hopes, the weather made a reasonable job of crippling the football on show, at least in the second half. The heavy rain that lashed Turku softened up an already slick playing surface and made control extremely difficult.
     
Inter will be happier with the 0-0 draw. They head the table on goal difference, and thus their title bid remains in their own hands: two wins from their remaining two fixtures should do the trick, unless Honka - currently seven goals worse off on goal difference - can run up a cricket score in their two matches.
      Inter must travel to Myllykoski to play MyPa (currently in 5th place) and they close the season with a home fixture against 9th place Jaro of Pietarsaari. Inter are unbeaten at home this season - the only side in the league to have managed that feat.
     
Honka are next in action at home to Tampere United (currently 7th), and on October 26th they will visit IFK Mariehamn in the Åland Islands. Mariehamn are currently in 12th place, just above the relegation zone.
     
Mathematically, Sunday’s draw in Turku means HJK of Helsinki are still not completely out of contention. Nevertheless, since they are six points and a hatful of goals adrift of the two leaders, it would require some quite spectacular results for them to overtake either of the front-runners, let alone both of them.
      HJK will have their hands full even to finish 3rd: FC Lahti, who welcomed back a certain Jari Litmanen to their ranks on Sunday, are only two points behind them on 42 points, and these two teams meet in Helsinki on the last day of the season.
     
Finishing in the medals is worth aspiring to: the Finnish champions will go into the qualifying rounds of next season’s European Champions League, while the runners-up and 3rd-placed sides will get a berth in the UEFA Cup, along with the winners of the Finnish FA Cup.
      Of the top clubs, HJK and FC Honka both still have an interest in that competition, which is currently at the semi-final stage. Inter were knocked out in the sixth round by HJK.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  FC Honka 0 Racing Santander 1: Early goal puts an end to Honka dreams (3.10.2008)

See also:
  Veikkausliiga league table as of October 6th, with two rounds to play.

Links:
  Veikkaus League (Wikipedia)

Helsingin Sanomat