Finland take new approach
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Article summary
The UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier between Finland and Armenia will be played on artificial turf - "one of the cornerstones of efforts to improve the Finnish game".
Article body
The UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying encounter between Finland and Armenia on Wednesday is a rare match in that it will be played on artificial turf at the Finnair Stadium in Helsinki.
UEFA help
Finland has benefited from UEFA's help in recent years courtesy of the ambitious HatTrick assistance programme for national associations, with 19 artificial turf pitches having been laid in the country so far. "Within the next three years we will reach 100 new artificial pitches, most of which we hope will have heating systems," said Football Association of Finland president Pekka Hämäläinen. "These pitches are one of the cornerstones of our efforts to improve the level of Finnish football."
Much talk
There has been much talk about the pitch before the Group A match. Some players are not keen; others acknowledge it is the best choice of surface for late autumn in Finland. "At least it is not uneven like the pitch in Yerevan," said Finland centre-back Hannu Tihinen in the wake of last month's goalless draw in Armenia. "I have nothing against playing on artificial grass. When I was playing for HJK Helsinki, we trained indoors on a similar kind of pitch during the winter."
'Crucial'
Artificial pitches "are crucial for countries like Finland", according to national coach Roy Hodgson, because of the weather – long, cold winters with plenty of ice and snow. "These pitches are a key factor for our game's development," added the experienced Englishman.
Zero degrees
During the past week, temperatures in Helsinki have been around 0C, with a few centimetres of snow covering the ground. In such conditions, the artificial surface at the Finnair Stadium is probably the best place to play football outdoors in Finland. "At this time of the year, maybe we just have to accept that artificial turf is the best option," Hodgson continued.
Kavén setback
Finland's No2 goalkeeper Mikko Kavén injured a finger in training on Monday and is not available for Wednesday's game. "I'm sorry for him," said Hodgson. "However, we have three goalkeepers and two of them are fully prepared for the match. Apart from Mikko, the whole squad is fit and ready."
