From: dvlkhh@cs.umu.se
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: WC qualifier: Finland-Sweden (report)
Date: 10 Sep 1992 07:20:00 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu
X-Unparseable-Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 13:29:02 MET DST


    WC 1994, Group 6 qualifier:
    Helsinki, Olympic Stadium, the 9th of September at 1600 UTC:

         FINLAND             0         SWEDEN              1 :-) :-)
                                         Klas Ingesson '77-p.k.
         Att.: 13613

         Referee: Vadim Zjuk (Russia)

                                   LINE-UPS:

    Finland:  Laukanen;
              Ukkonen;
              Holmgren - Kanerva - Remes;
              Litmanen - Hjelm - Myyry - Jaervinen;
              Tarkkio - Paatelainen.

         Subs: Vanhala and ? Taurianen (Not Vesa, I think)

    Sweden:   Ravelli (L. Eriksson '90);
              Erlingmark - P. "B" Andersson - Bjoerklund - Ljung;
              Pettersson (Ekstroem) - Ingesson - Thern - Schwarz - Limpar;
              Dahlin;

    (I hope I haven't made too many spelling mistakes! I made the mistake to
not write off the line-ups from the teletext before the game since I thought 
that the paper would give it - it didn't and the "big dragons" haven't come
out, yet. Therefore I don't know the exact times for substitutions or which of
the Finnish players left the pitch.)

    I watched the match live on TV3 (a satellite channel, so all Swedes 
couldn't see it) and listened to the radio commentary (of course!).
In the mean time my recorder was taking up the Bulgaria-France match from RFI.
    We all wanted to remember the 6-0 trashing in the last meeting at Raasunda
in May 1990 in a preparation for the Italia'90 match. Though, now we were
missing our two biggest Stars Thomas Brolin and Jan Eriksson (both injured)
and Finland had this new guy Jari Litmanen. The match started off with
Kanerva falling to allow Limpar to hit the upper side of the crossbar.
Otherwise, the first half wasn't memorable coz the Finns were dominating all
time. Kimmo Tarkkio (ex-Hammarby) went through on a Litmanen pass and was
taken down by Bjaerred just outside the box. Paatelainen shot just wide.
Myyry, from Lokeren had two half-chances, Limtanen was controlling the
midfield and showed his skills as playmaker and Jaervinen had fun on the left
making Erlingmark look like a Finn (no offense, just a joke :-)).
Young Ajax star Litmanen went clear in the area, but wasn't shelfish and passed
instead (thanks!). And late in the half, Paatelainen didn't hit the ball in
good position. Limpar had another shot just over the bar (or was it in the
start of the second half?). The same story in the second half with Litmanen,
Myyry, Jaervinen, Tarkkio and Paatelainen having the best. A combination 
between Myyry and Jaervinen resulting in a Ravelli touching the ball and it 
bounced off the post. Later, Paatelainen should have scored, but failed,
the Aberdeener can't score in Olympic Stadium, you see, so we were never
afraid when he had a chance :-)
    A freekick meters (!) wide by Patrik Andersson and then the goal a quarter
from the end. A beatiful free kick by Stefan Schwarz excellently saved
by Kari Laukanen. Martin Dahlin went on the rebound and Laukanen (may have)
touched him, he went down IMHO. And what happens? The Russian referee 
points at the spot! A gift if you ask me, but we aren't too sticky when _we_ 
got it :-) Mechelen star "Klabbe" took it and sent it home near the left post,
while Laukanen went the other way. Suomi pressed the remainder and Ravelli
got injured in the back with ten minutes to go, by mistake in a collision. He 
refused to leave the pitch and stayed until the 90th when he was ordered off 
the pitch by the doc, Lars Eriksson played the sixth minutes of injury time. 
Even Laukanen was injured for a moment after a challenge by Dahlin (in the 
first half).
    Overall, a very, _very_ lucky win for Sweden who played terrible and
the home side were the better side, but failed to win. I really feel with them.
That reminds me of a story they told us during the match, Pekka Uttriainen 
(sp?) (who played for IFK Holmsund in 67 when they were in Allsvenskan) had
said it, Finland were leading 1-0 at the break and when the players arrived
at the lockers they said "Ohh, we are leading 1-0! What are we doing wrong???"
    Bulgaria have moved up from third favourites to Huge favourites in my 
book! If they win in Stockholm they will be in the driving seat of the group
for the entire qualification.
    Sweden can't afford to be without Brolin and Eriksson, the squad is too
thin and France are, well, read the earlier article. 
Sweden are hosting Bulgaria on October the 7th at Raasunda, hopefully Brolin
can give us some attack to talk about!

Kent...
-- 
+---------------------------+-------------------------------------------------+
| Kent Hedlundh             | Les Girondins pour une place Europeenne en 1993 |
| Dept. of Computer Science | France and Sweden for the WC'94!                |
| University of Umea        | All the best for my friends teams!              |
| S-90187 UMEA     SWEDEN   | E-Mail: dvlkhh@cs.umu.se     IP: 130.239.96.17  |
+---------------------------+-------------------------------------------------+
               "It's always good to talk soccer!" - Marco Petroni
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer