Kuopio Palloseura’s trophy celebration started at the Olympic Stadium and will probably continue in two weeks.
Gentjana Rochi, who scored four goals, jumped into Pauliina Miettinen’s lap. Tomi Natri / All Over Press
The top teams of the National League KuPS and HJK met in the final match of the Women’s Finnish Cup at the Olympic Stadium. Helsinki’s championship chances in the main series are really slim, so the cup trophy was a more realistic goal for them and an opportunity to see off their rival again in the tournament match.
In the first season, HJK won the National Cup at the expense of KuPS.
No replay was seen. KuPS put on a show at the stadium and won the renewed cup trophy by a score of 5–0.
In the first half, KuPS scored goals and HJK created scoring opportunities. At the beginning of the match, the team from Helsinki created a couple of dangerous situations and got their opponents on their toes.
Then the net swung at HJK’s end. Defender of KuPS Anni Hartikainen rushed into the box from the left side and hit with his cross Lotta Kalski on. The ball bounced in from the front corner through the 17-year-old.
Hartikainen aired the opening goal of the final by laughing in front of the HJK fans.
At about half an hour, the North Macedonian striker and the captain of KuPS Gentjana Rochi was merciless. HJK’s defense completely forgot about the KuPS cannon all by themselves at the border of the penalty area and got to watch as the ball flew into the goal from a hard drive.
Rochi hit HJK with a bone in the throat even before the break and again with a handsome top corner move. The situation was preceded by the haste of the HJK defense in the defensive line.
A night of four goals
KuPS captain Rochi was incredible in the final match. Tomi Natri / All Over Press
In the 52nd minute of the game, HJK managed their misfortune. The 19-year-old national team promise leading the main league goal exchange Lotta Lindström made it through, but Satu Pitkänen managed to slow down the ball enough with his save that Emmi Siren managed to clean it off the goal through the top bar. On top of that, Siren stopped the ensuing shot at the goal line.
That was the end of HJK’s efforts in a way. In the last ten minutes of the game, Rochi scored two more goals. First from the aftermath of the corner kick and immediately in the next attack from the drive through. In the cup match, Rochi finished with no less than nine hits in three games.
In the 85th minute of the game, Rochi was substituted. Got on the field Pink Ariyo was to cause the tennis readings, but the striker’s shot missed a bit.
When he kept his card in his pocket Lina Lehtovaara blew his whistle for the last time, KuPS got to celebrate the first Finnish Cup championship. The Finnish championship can be decided next Wednesday at the earliest. The National League Championship Series ends on October 14th.
The number of spectators for the final match was announced as 1,382.
The men’s cup final was played on Saturday. Ilves beat Honga 2–1.