Official Finnish National Team Thread

[Jaboldinho]

Suomi Finland

Head Coach: Roy Hodgson

Most Matches: Jari "Litti" Litmanen (106)

Most Goals: Jari "Litti" Litmanen (28)

FIFA Ranking ATM: 52

Federation: Suomen Palloliitto

Founded: 1907

FIFA Affiliation: 1908

UEFA Affiliation: 1954

Stadium: Olympiastadion

Capacity: 40682

The Finnish National Team has never taken part on the World Cup nor on the EURO Cup. This year will hopefully change it. The EURO Cup qualifying matches have been good for us. We're currently on the top of the table and hope to stay there and get to the tournament for the first time.

EURO Cup Qualifying Matches:

Poland - Finland 1-3
Finland - Portugal 1-1
Armenia - Finland 0-0
Kazakhstan - Finland 0-2
Finland - Armenia 1-0
Azerbaijan - Finland 28/03/2007
Finland - Serbia 02/06/2007
Finland - Belgium 06/06/2007
Finland - Kazakhstan 22/08/2007
Serbia - Finland 08/09/2007
Finland - Poland 12/09/2007
Belgium - Finland 13/10/2007
Finland - Azerbaijan 17/11/2007
Portugal - Finland 21/11/2007

History:

First Match:

Finland - Sweden 2-5
Helsinki, Finland; 22/10/1911

Biggest Win:

Finland - Estonia 10-2
Helsinki, Finland; 11/08/1922

Biggest Defeat:

Germany - Finland 13-0
Leipzig, Germany; 01/09/1940

Greatest Achievement:
Fourth place on the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden 1912.

Players That Have Played On The Qualifiers:

Goalkeepers:

* Peter Enckelman (Blackburn Rovers)
* Jussi Jääskeläinen (Bolton Wanderers)
* Mikko Kavén (Tampere United)

Defenders

* Sami Hyypiä (Liverpool) (Assistant Captain)
* Toni Kallio (Molde)
* Toni Kuivasto (Djurgården)
* Ari Nyman (Inter Turku)
* Petri Pasanen (Werder Bremen)
* Hannu Tihinen (Zürich)
* Juha Pasoja (Ham-Kam)

Midfielders:

* Alexei Eremenko Jr. (Saturn)
* Markus Heikkinen (Luton Town)
* Jari Ilola (Elfsborg)
* Joonas Kolkka (Feyenoord)
* Peter Kopteff (Utrecht)
* Pekka Lagerblom (Köln)
* Jari Litmanen (Malmö) (Captain)
* Mika Nurmela (HJK)
* Aki Riihilahti (Kaiserslautern)
* Teemu Tainio (Tottenham Hotspur)
* Jarkko Wiss (Tampere United)
* Mika Väyrynen (PSV)

Forwards:

* Mikael Forssell (Birmingham City)
* Jonatan Johansson (Malmö)
* Shefki Kuqi (Crystal Palace)
* Daniel Sjölund (Djurgården)

Jersey:

 

[Jaboldinho]

Scotland - Finland 2-2

3. Jari Ilola 0-1
11. Shaun Maloney 1-1
65. Alan Gow 2-1
83. Juho Mäkelä 2-2

 

[Internazionale]

The Finnish National Team has never taken part on the World Cup nor on the EURO Cup. This year will hopefully change it. The EURO Cup qualifying matches have been good for us. We're currently on the top of the table and hope to stay there and get to the tournament for the first time.

Good luck for Finland NT.

It'll be a tough qualification for Finland. With Serbia still have a game in hand & other likely good teams (Portugal & Poland) to finish the top too...

Yet, Finland could finish second in my opinion to go through.

Best of luck !

 

[AdidAs]

Yep good luck from me too but i doubt you have a big chances to keep that 1-st place,even might not 2-nd. Sorry

 

[thetrooper37]

It'd be cool to see you guys go through along with Serbia, good luck!

 

[adobe_sun]

I hope you do it up to the finals.
i'm crossing my fingers for you. U have 3 home games in a row to come, so if you win them all you will be even more likely to qualify.

 

[Jaboldinho]

The Finnish NT has just climbed up to 48 at the new FIFA ranking.
Thank you for your support guys!

 

[Hepoas]

I hope we'll see you in the Euro Cup 2008! I hope also my NT - Norway - be in Euro 2008!

 

[Bonzi]

I do hope Lokomotiv Moscow will buy Toni Kallio. He seems to be a solid central defender. That's exactly what we need.

 

[Hepoas]

Russian teams buys solid defenders from "norden"

Erik panzer Hagen and now Toni Kallio?

 

[Jaboldinho]

Yea, that trade has been talked about here for quite some time, but it hasn't been still made and I hope they can get to an understanding. I think it woul help his career. He's a great player.

 

[Hepoas]

I do hope Lokomotiv Moscow will buy Toni Kallio. He seems to be a solid central defender. That's exactly what we need.

Toni Kallio have signed for Young Boys!

 

[RobbieD_PL]

mad a Suomi NT thread ! Good luck to you guys, hope you make it thru along with us [Poland]










Oh btw, we will pwn you in Helsinki for that 3 - 1 opening defeat...

 

[Jaboldinho]

Well, we'll have to see about that and I doubt that. I hope that you get through with us too.

 

[Jaboldinho]

The Finnish NT played yesterday against AC Siena as a part of their plan.
It finished 1-1, with Jarkko Wiss scoring our only goal.

The team at the match:
Ville Iiskola (73. Tomi Maanoja)
Ville Jalasto (60. Toni Järvinen)
Jarkko Wiss
Janne Hietanen
Iiro Aalto (73. Ville Taulo)
Jussi Kujala (60. Sebastian Sorsa)
Keijo Huusko (73. Berat Sadiki)
Fredrik Nordback (73. Tim Sparv)
Tuomas Kansikas
Peter Sjölund (60. Henri Scheweleff)
Roni Porokara.

 

[Jaboldinho]

The Finnish NT has gained 15 places on the new FIFA ranking. MAD! We're now 33rd. Only Panama gained more places with their rise from 74th to 54th.

 

[Jaboldinho]

The team for the NT's training camp at Wienna:

Jussi Jääskeläinen, Bolton Wanderers FC
Peter Enckelman, Blackburn Rovers FC
Niki Mäenpää, FC Den Bosch
Petri Pasanen, Werder Bremen
Sami Hyypiä, Liverpool FC
Hannu Tihinen, FC Zürich
Toni Kallio, Young Boys
Toni Kuivasto, Djurgårdens IF
Joonas Kolkka, Feyenoord
Jari Ilola, IF Elfsborg
Markus Heikkinen, Luton Town
Mika Väyrynen, PSV Eindhoven
Peter Kopteff, FC Utrecht
Alexei Eremenko jr, FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast
Jari Litmanen, Malmö FF
Jonatan Johansson, Malmö FF
Shefki Kuqi, Crystal Palace
Mikael Forssell, Birmingham City FC
Jarkko Wiss, Tampere United
Mika Nurmela, HJK
Teemu Tainio, Tottenham Hotspur FC
Ari Nyman, FC Thun
Veli Lampi, FC Zürich
Roni Porokara, FC Honka
Iiro Aalto, HJK
Roman Eremenko, AC Siena

 

[Hepoas]

Are Finland better then Norway now?

 

[Jaboldinho]

I'm not sure, I didn't notice Norway on that list. There was maybe 20 best and the EURO qualifying Group's teams.

 

[Jaboldinho]

Thank you Kazakhstan! Now only Poland is ahead of us by 2 points, and they have played 1 match more than us. If we win wednesday, we'll be back at the top.