VPS’s Cinderella story continued.
Miika Niemi hit between the goalposts and helped VPS get closer to a European place. Jaakko Stenroos / AOP
Vaasa Palloseura, which reached the end of the freezing season, did not give FC Inter any mercy when the teams met in the new Euro qualifying tournament.
In the regular season, VPS, which finally rose from the danger of qualifying to eighth place, arrived at Inter’s home turf and won by no less than 1–5. The Turku club’s season is now over, while VPS, which returned to the Veikkausliiga for this season, continues to Saturday’s second round.
Those from Vaasa were successful in scoring Samu Alanko, Kalle Multanen, Roni Hudd mixed Miika Niemi. One of the away team’s hits was marked as an own goal.
The early favorite also suffered a defeat in Seinäjoki when AC Oulu beat SJK Rasmus Karjalainen with a goal of 0–1. In a goal situation by Magnus Breitenmoser the shot was too hard for the goalkeeper Markus Uusitalo to control, and former national team player Karjalainen poked the return ball into the bag.
Next, the Euro qualifying tournament heads to Oulu. The winner of Saturday’s one-part playoff will play a two-part thriller next week with Valkeakoski’s Haka, who finished fourth in the Veikkausliiga.
The winner of the Euro qualifying tournament gets the last place in the summer Conference League qualifiers.