Finns comfortable on world stage

By Mikael Erävuori

Finland, the host nation of the FIFA World Under-17 Championship, are looking forward to the finals with confidence and optimism.

Home advantage
Playing on home soil will undoubtedly be an advantage to the Finns, who have no particular pedigree in youth football, although they have produced several top players in recent years - notably Sami Hyypiä, Jari Litmanen and Mikael Forsell.

Man at the helm
The man at the helm for Finland is coach Jyrki Heliskoski, a 58-year-old former handball player and coach as well as footballer. Heliskoski's team are nicknamed 'Vintiöt' (the rascals), although he laughs off suggestions that it is anything other than an affectionate moniker. "It simply means positive thinking towards football," he explained. "The players give their all whenever they go on the pitch. They fear no one and never contemplate failure."

Well-matched group
Finland are in Group A alongside China, Mexico and Colombia - a collection of sides that seem extremely well matched. "None of the teams are clear favourites," Heliskoski said. "A win and two draws, possibly even a win and a draw, may be enough to finish in the top two [and qualify for the quarter-finals]."

Historic occasion
The tournament's opening match, between the Finns and Chinese on 13 August in Helsinki's Finnair Stadium, will be an historic occasion: the first time a match in a major tournament has been played on artificial turf. "We may have some advantage with the pitch," Heliskoski said. "We have been able to train on it and every player is used to the surface. Matches, however, are not decided on these kinds of things. We have to perform well and we know that."

Gustafsson back
Heliskoski's players seem to be looking forward to the tournament as much as their coach. Captain and FC Inter Turku centre-back Jermu Gustafsson is back from injury and raring to go. "As long as we play the way we can, we will reach the next stage," he said. "But we need support from the crowd."

'Tough group'
FC KooTeePee midfield player Marko Tyyskä is also optimistic. "It's a tough group, but it could have been tougher," he said. "I'm sure we will qualify. We will be able to do our best if the atmosphere in the stadiums is good and we get the backing of the fans." If team spirit is the decisive factor then the Finns really will thrive. "No one is more important than anyone else in this team," said goalkeeper Turo Simolin. "We are all good friends - this really is a team."

Finland squad for FIFA World Under-17 Championship:

Goalkeepers: Aapo Kiljunen (Myllykosken Pallo-47), Turo Simolin (Espoo FC), Jon Masalin (Aston Villa FC).
Defenders: Kristian Kojola (Espoo), Jermu Gustafsson (Inter Turku), Erik Westerholm (Tampere United), Sami Sanevuori (Inter Turku), Ville-Veikko Savolainen (FC Lahti).
Midfield players: Marko Tyyska (KooTeePee), Tommi Vesala (Espoo), Kasper Hamalainen (FC TPS Turku), Eetu Muinonen (MyPa), Jussi-Pekka Savolainen (P-Iirot), Umit Menekse (HJK) Helsinki), Tim Sparf (Norrvalla FF), Tuomo Turunen (KooTeePee).
Forwards: Tomi Petrescu (Leicester City FC), Jarno Parikka (HJK), Jami Puustinen (Espoo), Jarkko Hurme (OLS Oulu).