The Helsinki Football Club stayed in a goal -free draw as an Inter guest. It was only three days from the Finnish Cup final.
HJK’s Alexander Ring criticizes the series program. Henrik Siiskonen/AOP
The Veikkausliiga is currently fighting a crazy championship battle.
Ilves rose to the tip of the league with Tuesday’s results when it overthrew Gnistan, and Inter fell second after playing a goalless draw in Turku against HJK.
Inter is from Ilves a point and HJK five points away with eight matches per team left.
Now we are fighting for championship, but HJK recently rejoiced in the Finnish Cup victory as KuPS crashed on Saturday.
The Inter match came quickly, and this sap was greatly at HJK camp. In practice, both the players and the coaching first raised the matter themselves.
Club Alexander Ring The matter seemed to be in an interview with Iltalehti.
– It’s okay to have a guest game that we had two days to recover. That’s what it was (in the schedules of the match days). It’s a good presentation, especially for us, in defense, Ring said after the game.
Iltalehti asked if the short recovery time in that case, in the opinion of HJK’s captain, was a crucial way to the match.
– I’m not saying it. I think the foot was moving well. Maybe the last sharpness was missing, but it is quite normal, no excuse. Still, you have to think a little about the health of the players when it comes to playing a couple of days after playing in the Cup final. After all, it is controversial at least, Ring criticizes.
“Miika decides”
FC Inter had more rest than HJK. Henrik Siiskonen/AOP
HJK switched to three players in the Finnish Cup opening lineup for the Inter match, so there was no new group.
There was no explosive presentation in Turku.
– Miikahan (HJK head coach Nuutinen) It decides who to rest. We probably needed a little fresh feet today, Ring said.
According to Ring, this game did not change much for the championship battle.
– Minimum result in the guests. At least the winnings must be done at home.
Like Ring, head coach Nuutinen criticized the match program. He took the matter at a press conference.
– With a short recovery time we came to the match. The second half had to defend more than we wanted. Inter put pressure, Nuutinen said.
Nuutinen said the result was “okay”, but it annoyed that Inter had more rest than the club.
– I don’t understand why after the Cup finals we will be played so early. How do you value these own competitions? Nuutinen wondered.
Nuutinen continued that he did not want to explain the defeat in a short rest, but nevertheless this was the top theme at HJK camp after the game.
Inter’s answer
According to Vesa Vasara, the differences in the match program did not appear at the beginning of the match. Juha Tamminen / AOP
Inter has clearly had more rest, as for over three weeks this was just another match for the team.
Iltalehti inquired from Inter’s 24-year-old midfielder John Yli-KokoDid the resting advantage influenced the game plans.
– There was really nothing about it, it didn’t work in any way. Normal preparation, Yli-Kokko said.
Inter’s head coach Vesa Vasara He stated that he understood Nuutinen’s criticism of a short rest, but said he had felt that this was not an unfair setup.
– It didn’t appear at 1 half. I didn’t see that it was a clear advantage. Usually players are able to perform two games well. Maybe towards the end we had a few seams, the hammer acknowledged.
According to the Turku pilot, there were many disappointed players in the locker room. Yli-Kokko confirmed the same for Iltalehti.
– Of course we are not happy. We started to make a profit and we did not get in the places.