VPS joins in an incredible mood, and Peter Michael waves the goal net. Iltalehti asked the Nigerian striker ten questions about Finland.
Peter Godly Michael has hit 12 times this season and has already been selected as Veikkausliiga player of the month twice in a row. Emil Hansson / AOP
1. What did you know about Finland beforehand?
– To be honest, I didn’t really know anything – not about football or anything else. I quickly noticed that in Finland football is played very differently than in Norway, where I had played for several seasons.
2. What has surprised you the most in Finland?
– Maybe it’s how well I’ve settled in here and how well everything has gone. So is the level of the players. The game here is more tactical, while in Norway it is more physical and straightforward. However, it doesn’t matter to me. Whatever the game is, I’ll try to get you with it.
3. What do you like in Vaasa?
– Vaasa is really a small city, but very nice. The summer was really warm, which made me very happy. I come from a warm country. I spent a lot of time outside in the summer. The people of Vaasa are friendly and smile a lot. I spend a lot of time at beaches. Sometimes I read a book, sometimes I just hang out with my friends.
4. Who is the most famous local Finn?
– Our captain Seba (Sebastian Strandvall)! He is a club legend. All the locals talk about him.
5. What has been the most challenging in Finland?
– At first I had some challenges with the way I played, because I had played in Norway before. I had to understand how VPS wants to play and what is my role in it. I think I have adapted better all the time.
6. How is the Finnish language going?
– Morning.
– “Cake, cake, cake!” That’s what they sing when someone brings a cake to the team.
The story continues after the picture.
Peter Michael (on the left) got a brand new start to his career in the Veikkausliiga. Emil Hansson / AOP
7. What do you think of the sauna?
– It certainly surprised me. I had been to a sauna in Norway as well, but Finns take even more saunas. It’s relaxing to sit on the rafts with friends and just have a drink. At first it felt a bit strange, but over time I’ve come to enjoy it.
8. Which Finnish food or drink has surprised you the most?
– I have to admit that I haven’t even eaten any Finnish food yet. I try to make all the food at home. Maybe after the season I’ll get to taste something.
9. What trait have you noticed in Finnish people?
– Quite a few are probably reserved at first. When you get to know people, you notice that they are really open and nice. It might be the only one. I myself am a bit shy at first around new people.
10. What do you think about the price level in Finland?
– The difference to Norway is big, huge. That’s just a good thing. In Finland, the cost of living is so much lower. It’s also a good thing because I cook at home.
Sensation season
Before the start of the season, few would have believed that the Vaasa Bowling Club would fight for medals this season. And not many things pointed to it even from the beginning of summer, until everything changed.
On July 1st, it beat FC Inter at home. That started an incredible union, which has stretched into an 11-game winning streak. Right in the first match of the championship series, VPS overthrew KuPS. The medal is full of realism.
– There is nothing more special behind the winning streak. We didn’t play badly in the early season either, but we just couldn’t win. We have believed in the power of the process. I think we have been able to improve our playing the most in both boxes.
– We lost the Finnish Cup match to AC Oulu (June 22), but everyone had a good feeling. The loss was sad, but hope emanated from the team. Almost immediately after that, our results turned profitable, Peter Michael tells.
Peter Godly Michael, 25, arrived in Vaasa from Norway, where he moved after football already in 2018.
The times in Vålerenga, Skeid, Öygarden, Sogndal and Grorud were not easy. Only in Vaasa has the frame attacker blossomed.
Michael is third in the goal exchange, after the net has swung 12 times. He has been chosen twice in a row as Veikkausliiga player of the month.
– The season has been good, but I expect more from myself all the time. This has definitely been a new beginning for my career. In Norway I suffered a lot from injuries, but now I have been able to play healthy the whole season.
Vepsu’s head coach Jussi Nuorela has quickly become a hot name on the Finnish coaching map. He just signed an extension to Vaasa.
– Jussi has had a big impact on my season. He knows when I haven’t played as well as I can, but still encourages and motivates me to play better. He believes in our process.
What is VPS’s goal for the end of the season?
– You just have to go one game at a time. Now there are only difficult matches ahead, so there is no reason to get ahead of things.