TFT Issue 436!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
HiFK Helsinki vs SJK – away win at evens.
Today’s featured game is the Ykkonen game between HiFK Helsinki and SJK.
HiFK have the best support in the Ykkonen from their loud fans but that’s pretty much their only advantage. They’re not a particularly good side and the main problem that I have with them is that they don’t have a fixed tactical approach. For example, you’d expect Jippo Joensuu or KooTeePee Kotka to play defence first and then try and score counter-attacks. With SJK it’s a case of attacking and scoring as many goals as possible. With RoPS Rovaniemi it’s all about winning each game without giving anything away. HiFK Helsinki, though – it varies all the time and that can’t be positive. They occasionally score goals – when it suits them – but are far too easy to score against for my liking. They’ve kept one clean sheet in their current campaign and have already been beaten 3-1 at SJK so I don’t fancy their chances here if SJK turn up and play properly, even with HiFK’s intimidating supporters.
SJK are a goalscoring side; it’s as simple as that. They’ll concede daft goals too but what else would you expect from a side that has only just been promoted from the Kakkonen? Yeah, they’ve got money and a lot of good players because of it but they can’t just make their players experienced; they have to earn it. Subsequently, SJK have been conceding goals of late. Their record is phenomenal for a new side, though – the only times they’ve not won this season have been on the unenviable trip to Joensuu to take on Jippo on their tiny pitch and their games against the heavyweights of the division. Everyone else has been overcome by SJK with their superb attacking power and that’s precisely what I expect to occur today, too.
With Britschgi still out, HiFK’s attacking options are limited, especially as newbie Kibona is out too. SJK have a full compliment of players to choose from and really should make it count here; they’ve only got themselves to blame if they don’t because HiFK are not in the same league as SJK when it comes to scoring goals.
Verdict: SJK to win at evens.
Team news
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Sillamae Kalev – Naumov has left.
Tammeka – No absentees.
Nomme Kalju – Quinteri returns.
Kuressaare – No absentees.
Trans Narva – No absentees.
Levadia Tallinn – No absentees.
Flora Tallinn – No absentees.
Viljandi – No news.
Flora Paide – No news.
Tallinna Kalev – No news.
Finnish Ykkonen:
HiFK Helsinki – M.Halme, Kibona, and Britschgi are absent.
SJK – No absentees.