Finnish Clubs Dominate International Guests with Younger Players

VJS participated the Girls’ U17 football event in Eerikkilä.

Finnish clubs dominated their international guests, who traveled with slightly younger players, at the Girls’ U17 event in Eerikkilä. The head coach of Finland’s U17 girls’ national team, Akan Okomoh, sees that Finnish players particularly need to improve their dribbling and finishing skills.

Finnish teams impressively took the top three spots at the international Girls’ U17 event played in January. The event met the need for high-quality international matches for older juniors, as the main activities and international tournaments of the Huuhkaja and Helmaripolku pathways are aimed at under-15s. The corresponding boys’ event was held earlier in January.

Akan Okomoh, the head coach of Finland’s U17 girls’ national team, led the SPL United team, which was composed of players from different clubs. Okomoh says the event was rewarding.

“The matches were mostly even, and the Finnish teams and players performed well throughout the event. I want to thank all the players, coaches, support staff, and Eerikkilä organizers for an excellent tournament. There was intensity, noise, and emotion in the hall throughout the event, and as it should be, the matches were contested until the end,” Okomoh says.

All three foreign teams participated with slightly younger players, which, according to Okomoh, partly affected the results. He noticed that the top Finnish teams still performed well.

“They stood out, for example, with collective pressing in the non-possession phase, and our teams had a clear and recognizable structure in possession,” the head coach says and continues:

“We need even more Finnish players who can create scoring opportunities for themselves and their team. Players need to improve their dribbling and finishing skills on a larger scale. Additionally, daily training should focus even more on breaking through defenses and creating scoring opportunities.”

Among the international guests, Okomoh particularly highlights Hammarby.

“Hammarby stood out in possession with very high-quality passing play and quick advances between the lines. Their players’ individual skill level in possession and ability to perform under pressure also stood out clearly.”

Bröndby’s open presentation of their club’s operations and player development also received praise from Okomoh.

The Trophy Travels to Tampere

The event was ultimately won by Tampereen Ilves. According to Okomoh, the trophy deservedly traveled to Tampere.

“Ilves played a strong and consistent tournament. The team’s game improved day by day under their coach Mostafa Modabberian, and several players emerged as successful. Congratulations to the champions!”

Ilves coach Modabberian sees that his team’s tournament victory was particularly due to collective play.

“We practically played with players from two different teams in the event, and it was valuable to see that it was still easy for the players to play together. We were good as a team, defended together, and had a really good team spirit,” he summarizes.

Modabberian also recognizes that his players’ biggest areas for improvement are in dribbling and 1v1 play.

Valuable Information for National Matches

The event was also an excellent opportunity for Okomoh and the U15 girls’ national team head coach Pekko Söderström to see the performances of the age group’s players with future national matches in mind.

Each team had individual successes, and from a scouting perspective, it was valuable to see many national team candidates, especially from the U16 and U17 stages, under one roof.

“We again received important information about the players with Pekko. During the event, many new challengers also emerged for this year’s national team events.”

Akan Okomoh also sees the event as necessary for the future.

“With the leadership of the people at Eerikkilä, we will start planning next year’s event well in advance, and I believe this will provide a good foundation for next year.”

You can check the results and statistics of the event in the Finnish Football Association’s results service.