Scoutmania

Wiklöf Holding Arena (Mariehamn, Finland). IFK Mariehamn faced previous Veikkausliiga season (2024) champions KuPS – and defeated them in an exciting and tense clash by the final score of 1-0.

IFK Mariehamn, team from the beautiful Åland, secured its Veikkausliiga place in the last round of season 2024, by a 1-2 win over AC Oulu; KuPS on the away side, also achieved a success in the last matchday of the previous season – they defeated record champions HJK Helsinki at home (1-0), and won their number seventh championship in its 100-year history.

IFK Mariehamn, led by its English coach Gary Williams, started the game in 4-2-3-1 formation. They often operated with a 4-4-2 shape in defending / out of possession; despite of they practiced high pressing on the opposition team sometimes, they mostly had to focus on stopping the opposing attacks. The substitution players brought the same quality, with some changes in terms of the player positions (like left winger Anttoni Huttunen played on the right flank from the middle of the second half, as Jayden Reid arrived to his starting position).

KuPS, under the guidance of Jarkko Wiss, started this encounter in the same formation as the opposition team did (4-2-3-1). Worthy of a reigning champion team, they demonstrated significant dominance in terms of ball possession, and their build-up and offensive play were also convincing. Wing-play was prioritized through the offense; their right chain seemed more effective and more lively (mainly thanks to Ghanaian right-back Bob Nii Armah and Finnish-Congolese right winger Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba).

The game’s only one (and decisive) goal came up in the 79th minute, when IFK Mariehamn‘s Nigerian left centre-back Emmanuel Okereke found the opposition net by his header – attacking midfielder Niilo Kujasalo delivered the assist, by long free-kick (1-0).

(Emmanuel Okereke of IFK Mariehamn, with the decisive header)

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