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Hiddink's modernity slays Finland's golden generation
By Egan Richardson
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Alexander Kerzhakov celebrates his goal. Photo
GettyImages
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Guus Hiddink is a man used to rapturous welcomes. Fresh
from his stint as Chelsea's saviour, the former South Korea and Australia
manager returned to the international stage to effectively end Finland's
hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, and the applause he received at
the post-match press conference was indicative of the importance Russians
attach to his role with their national team.
The last time I covered a Russia match for Soccernet, when they played
Estonia in March 2007, the themes were similar. Alexandr Kerzhakov scored
two goals, Russia won, and Hiddink talked a lot about modern football
afterwards. It went much the same way this time, although the victory
was much more impressive, and Hiddink's invocation of modernity had a
touch more authority as a result.
One major difference is Kerzhakov's position in the team. He has had a
spell in the wilderness, excluded from Russia's successful Euro 2008 campaign,
but Hiddink brought him back for this match and afterwards lauded his
modern style of play, which seems to be the highest praise Hiddink can
bestow on any player or team. The Russian press were naturally curious
as to what sparked his recall.
"He was indeed out a long time, because he was at Sevilla and he
didn't play a lot there," explained Hiddink. "Later on he went
to Dinamo (Moscow) and to be honest he was not performing well, and we
had other strikers who were. He has big qualities but he should also work
for the team."
"What he's doing now is working defensively, and in modern football
you must work hard defensively, you must encourage each other and you
must be committed to the team, and he's showing that perfectly this season.
I'm happy with his change - not a complete change, but some change of
commitment and attitude towards the national team and towards his companeros,
his colleagues. And that's the way it should be."
Hiddink also mentioned Vladimir Bystrov's improvement, and consequent
return after a spell out of the team, and it showed in Russia's second
goal. The Spartak Moscow man bustled in between Toni Kallio and Roman
Eremenko to go through on goal, with the two Finland players static and
passive. They had completely contrasting games, with Eremenko easily Finland's
most impressive player, and Kallio left wondering whether he will play
for his country again after a disappointing performance against the pace
of Bystrov.
Kallio has been the weakest link in the old guard of the Finnish national
team, especially as his direct replacement, Niklas Moisander, won the
Dutch championship with AZ Alkmaar this season while Kallio has rarely
played for Fulham's first team. The choice reflects a wider dilemma in
Finnish football, the choice between deference and respect for experienced
and established players and the development of a younger generation.
"I don't want to give any knee-jerk reactions when I'm unhappy about
losing," Finland coach Stuart Baxter said after the game when asked
about any likely changes in the squad he will select for future qualifiers.
He went on to criticise his players for lacking bravery, and claimed that
Moisander could not be given his debut in a match as important as this
because he is inexperienced.
More than one observer muttered about Baxter's lack of bravery in failing
to give Moisander a debut before this crucial juncture, but Finland-watchers
will be astonished if Moisander is not a first choice in the autumn.
In the build-up to the game Finland's two Champions League winners were
seen as evidence that Finland should not be overawed by Russia's star
players, but after the game neither Sami HyypiÄ nor Jari Litmanen would
give assurances about their future participation with the national team.
Their generation is Finland's best ever crop of footballers, having moved
abroad young and achieved some success with their clubs, but it now looks
like they will never play in a major tournament.
Some Finns blame the five year reign of Antti Muurinen for that, as the
former HJK coach was widely believed to be out of his depth. A trained
electrician from the part-time Finnish football tradition, he was often
subdued and maybe even subordinate to his star players.
By the time he went, HyypiÄ was 31 and Litmanen 34, and the fact that
both have clung tenaciously on to the dream, performing well in successive
qualifying campaigns even with occasional blips, is testament to their
professionalism. Under Roy Hodgson and Baxter, the well-travelled and
well educated British coaches that followed, Finland's performances improved
but their development programme stalled as the 'golden generation' was
allowed one more crack at it.
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Roman Eremenko chases Andrei Arshavin. Photo
GettyImages
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That is likely to change now, and maybe a Finnish team
not haunted by past failures will be able to build a new foundation. The
footballing no-show on Wednesday night was compounded by the largest contingent
of visiting fans ever to watch a football match in Helsinki.
The Finnish FA estimated that there were 13,000 Russian fans in the ground,
some drawn from the Russian community living in Finland and some crossing
the border to support their team.
The Finnish FA felt moved to explain the reasons for this after the game,
which amounted to a combination of Russians buying them directly and Finns
selling them on. Sanctions may follow for the flares that were thrown
from the Russian stands, but the biggest security operation for a sporting
event held in Finland was largely successful, despite some minor scuffling
outside the ground before the game.
Games against Russia carry a special meaning for Finland, and former Crystal
Palace midfielder turned scribe Aki Riihilahti tried to calm the mood
in his newspaper column on the day of the game.
"Today we are not fighting the Winter War against the almighty Soviet
Union, we're playing 11-a-side football with our eastern neighbour,"
wrote the Iltalehti columnist and DjurgÅrden player.
Rival tabloid Iltasanomat did little to assist in this regard, mocking
up a montage of Isto's maiden - a painting that dates from the period
of tsarist rule in Finland and criticises the government's policy of russification
- with the somewhat unmaidenlike Jonatan Johansson representing Finland
as the double headed eagle attacks above his head.
In the original painting the maiden is holding a law book, representing
Finland's privileges and autonomy as a Grand Duchy under the tsar, whereas
in the newspaper and the Finland fans' banner displayed before the game,
the book was replaced by a football.
The Russia fans themselves held aloft an image of a mythical warrior before
the match, but their players needed little extra inspiration. The team
Hiddink has moulded now has every chance of wresting first place in the
group from current leaders Germany, with the match between the two sides
to be played in Moscow now crucial in deciding which team qualifies automatically.
Soccernet.espn.go.com,
June 11, 2009
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