2018 Finnish League Prospects Power Ranking: Final Update

This is the fifth update of my prospect ranking series that I kicked off this summer (you can read the July update here, the August update here, and the September update here – I did a breakdown of the final top 10 here).

This represents the final update of the season. Some of the players are already on the move, some players will disappear off the list next season as JJK and Klubi 04 have been relegated and some players will outgrow prospectdom. At the moment, however, these are the results based on the performances delivered during 2018.

A reminder that the ranking of each player is based on a combination of age, playing time, playing level, importance to the team and performance. This list will only cover players playing in Finland, who are owned by clubs in Finland (so no loan players from abroad). I’ve set the age cut-off at 23, so players aged 22 and younger are listed. A player’s age is determined by his age at the start of the season, not his ‘real’ age. This list will be skewed towards younger players, as I consider youth, projectability and potential upside to be more important than production. Please note that Ykkönen teams have played fewer games, so there have been fewer minutes distributed among these players (2800-3000 minutes is a lot of minutes for a Veikkausliiga player, 2300-2500 for an Ykkönen player).

Graduates

Previously, we’ve had the following players move abroad:

Ulrich Meleke, Onni Valakari, Benjamin Källman, Marius Noubissi and Leo Väisänen.

Rank (previous in brackets)	Name	Age	Team	Minutes	Primary Position
1 (2)	Lassi Lappalainen	20	RoPS	2155	LW
2 (1)	Ilmari Niskanen	21	KuPS	2905	RW
3 (3)	Rasmus Karjalainen	22	KuPS	2141	CF
4 (4)	Sebastian Dahlström	21	HJK	2844	MC
5 (5)	Lucas Lingman	20	RoPS	2838	AMC
6 (9)	Sterling Yateke	19	TPS	816	CF
7 (6)	Eetu Vertainen	19	HJK/Klubi 04	1500	CF
8 (7)	Lauri Ala-Myllymäki	21	Ilves	2322	AMC
9 (8)	Juho Hyvärinen	18	RoPS	1302	RB
10 (10)	Santeri Hostikka	21	Lahti	2047	LW
11 (19)	Albion Ademi	19	Inter	1634	LW
Ademi was the player to make the most out of October garbage time, and ended up improving on almost all metrics from 2017. At this point, he’s a player to build around, especially as Inter are a bit short on attacking prospects (with apologies to Lassi Viholainen and Joona Järvistö). Needs to improve on shot locations, but if he can do that, he’ll be one of the best overall players in the division.
12 (11)	Diogo Tomas	20	Ilves	2226	CB
Ended up being a very important piece for Ilves as their season came to an end. Will be even more important next season, as Jani Tanska was the first player to leave after the season ended. Still needs to improve, but the platform is there for him to build on.
13 (13)	Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan	19	HJK/Klubi 04	2124	RB/LW
Last time around, I wrote that he was out of contract in the winter, but it turned out that HJK had an option on him which they have exercised. Such is the life of someone who relies on transfermarkt. Not sure it matters, though. Would still expect him to play somewhere else next season, albeit on loan. Biggest question mark is his final position. I like him as a right back if he’s allowed to bomb forward, otherwise he needs to play further upfield.
14 (14)	Otto Ollikainen	17	HJK/Klubi 04	1979	MC
Ollikainen will be happy with his season: a good amount of Ykkönen minutes and a first appearance in the Veikkausliiga. Will want to avoid the third tier next season. Will he be considered for the new look midfield in 2019?
15 (22)	Santeri Väänänen	16	HJK/Klubi 04	1225	MC
Väänänen will be happy with his season: a good amount of Ykkönen minutes and a first appearance in the Veikkausliiga. Will want to avoid the third tier next season. Will he be considered for the new look midfield in 2019? (Is there a sliver more upside than in Ollikainen, I wonder? Is a regular goalscorer for the U-17 National Team, whereas Ollikainen wasn’t…)
16 (12)	Samu Volotinen	20	VPS	1897	GK
VPS suffered their annual late-season collapse, but Volotinen ended up being one of the players in the league whose status has improved the most. Out of contract in the winter so next season is slightly uncertain. Best young goalkeeper in the top two levels of Finnish football.
17 (16)	Akseli Ollila	18	EIF	1650	LW
One of the disappointing aspects of this Ykkönen season was the lack of young forward talents on display (outside of Klubi 04, for obvious reasons). Ollila was an exception, ending up being a big contributor for high-flying EIF. His performances were fuelled by overperformance, but the lower the quality of league, the less i think that’s a problem. Ended up with 8 goals (6 NPG) and 2 assists. That’s good for 0.33 NPG/90 and 0.16 A/90 which adds up to almost half a goal contributed per 90. You’d take that from your 18 year olds. Has another season at EIF, it seems. Will probably play Veikkausliiga football in 2020 at the latest.
18 (15)	Oskari Jakonen	21	TPS	1997	RW
Did a lot of things right, including providing 4 goals and 4 assists, but also lacked a lot of the the things you’d like to see from a winger. Didn’t dribble a lot, didn’t cross a lot. Some of his goals were a little… lucky, maybe? I don’t know, will go down a division but could be considered a decent option for someone looking to strengthen their flanks.
19 (18)	Teemu Jäntti	18	Lahti	1267	MC
Jack of all trades, master of none is what comes to mind. Should be satisfied with the amount of minutes he managed in his rookie season, the next step is to hone the profile. What is his competitive advantage?
20 (17)	Kalle Katz	18	HJK/Klubi 04	1645	CB
I’ve written a fair bit about Katz. I like him, his strengths are pronounced, his profile is unique. He stands out when he plays. Still, he needs to find a way to combat his aerial weakness. The football world is chock full of central defenders who are short, but they are exceptions to the rule, and that has the potential to be a deal breaker. Should see playing time in the Veikkausliiga next season.
21 (17)	Nooa Laine	15	JJK	723	AMC
Laine is young and played a lot for his age, but will get relegated out of the list. At the moment, he is filed under flash in the pan. The near future will decide how harsh that is.
22 (21)	Tariq Kazi	18	Ilves	964	RB
Ended up with a respectable amount of minutes. Not yet much of a presence further up, but put up some decent defensive numbers. Will follow with interest.
23 (23)	Mikael Almen	18	Ilves	849	CB/LB
I wonder the extent to which Ilves are going to rely on academy products next season. They could feasibly play a full defensive line of youngsters who had around 1000 minutes in 2018, and still have a backup on the bench with a similar profile. (Edit: Haukioja’s move to VPS solved that problem!) It’s a risk, no doubt, but it makes them an interesting team to follow. That Almen came out of nowhere to play 850 minutes is a credit to the player development work being done in Tampere.
24 (24)	Valtteri Vesiaho	19	HJK/Klubi 04	1674	CB
Will likely get a lot of responsibility in 2019 with the departures of Hannu Patronen, Ville Jalasto and (most likely) Faith Obilor. Has earned his shot, will be intriguing to see if he takes it.
25 (25)	Enoch Banza	18	HJK/Klubi 04	1468	RW
Expectations were high, injuries got in the way at exactly the wrong times. Didn’t post particularly impressive numbers, also didn’t always look right. I think (at least) one of Banza and Kouassivi-Benissan is going to go on loan next season, and I’m leaning Banza – which should be seen as an opportunity more than a risk!
26 (26)	Mikko Kuningas	20	Inter	2065	MC
After a couple of years of jumping around Kuningas settled down in a more withdrawn midfield role. Feels like he’s been around for a long time but is still young. That being said, we’re still waiting for a true breakout.
27 (27)	Tommi Jyry	19	(Free Agent) HIFK	2000	MC
Jyry left HIFK at the end of a season that should be considered a success both for him and his team. I don’t imagine he’ll struggle to find a home in the league, and his departure will further emphasise the potential problem that is the current age profile of HIFK. Was last seen training with KuPS, is a player I’m expecting to follow closely.
28 (28)	Aatu Laatikainen	21	VPS	2154	DMC
Laatikainen contributes little in attack, but retains possession well, wins a decent amount of his aerial duels and appears fairly high on the defensive metrics. It’s a boring profile but also one that is pretty rare in the league.
29 (29)	Eero-Matti Auvinen	22	VPS	2531	CB
Played a good first Veikkausliiga season for a uninspiring team. Decent passer, will age out of prospectdom in time for next season.
30 (30)	Omar Jama	20	VPS	1697	DMC
Much the same as Laatikainen, except with less defensive involvement and more expectation of forward involvement.
31 (31)	Maximo Tolonen	17	SJK	807	RW
A decent amount of minutes for a dysfunctional team. Is a promising player but it’s difficult to separate the promise from the hype, which is why the expectations are higher. Should start adding some end product next season.
32 (32)	Evans Mensah	20	HJK	1102	RW
Lots of promise, lots of involvement but struggles with decision making and ended up with almost half the minutes compared to 2017 – with injuries playing a decisive part in that. Needs to step up in 2019.
33 (33)	Hanson Boakai	22	EIF	1677	RW
EIF is the team that got the most out of their young players last season, with Boakai, Ollila and Meleke earning mentions from yours truly. There were others as well, but these stood out. Boakai has end product and is a good dribbler which is a nice combination.
34 (39)	Niklas Jokelainen	18	(RoPS) Ilves/JJK	1119	CF
Jokelainen is the most recent arrival at the RoPS talent factory (more on that a little later). Spent a year at Stoke, divided his time this season between Ilves and JJK. Is very raw, but should be an intriguing player to follow in 2019.
35 (40)	Martti Haukioja	19	(VPS) Ilves/JJK	1026	LB/CB
Haukioja is mostly a left back but he’s tall and physical so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him transition infield. He played a couple of games at centre half for JJK so it isn’t without precedent. Will likely fight for first team minutes with Mikael Almen in 2019, hopefully both will play. (Edit: No he won’t, as he just signed with VPS.)
36 (34)	Joel Mattsson	19	IFK Mariehamn	1730	RB/RW
Is an interesting player but suffers from playing for a team that’s rebuilding and from being moved around the pitch. I’d say it’s pretty likely that IFK Mariehamn will get worse before they get better so questions abound.
37 (35)	Miika Töyräs	19	KuPS	773	GK
Earned a contract extension. I’m not a huge fan of Otso Virtanen so would like to see more of Töyräs.
38 (36)	Ville Tikkanen	19	SJK	1056	CB
Decent, but unspectacular debut season in the top tier. Started brightly but fizzled out, and didn’t play for a while toward the end (maybe due to injury, I don’t know).
39 (37)	Markus Uusitalo	21	HJK	576	GK
Firmly stuck as second fiddle at this point, which is worrisome. Rudakov is back for 2019 so will likely do a fair bit of bench sitting again next season. Should he consider a loan?
40 (38)	Tatu Varmanen	20	Inter	1270	RB
I like him as a player, hopefully the new coaching structure will give him more of a platform to use his strengths.
41 (41)	Joonas Vahtera	22	VPS	900	AMC
I’m a big fan of Vahtera, and he’ll play a big role in 2019 with Juha Hakola on his way out. Unfortunately injuries played their part this season, because if he had been capable of building on his previous seasons he would have been one of the standout players in the league. Will outgrow prospectdom ahead of next season.
42 (44)	Joonas Sundman	20	SJK	1994	LB
Respectable amount of minutes, poor team. Something of a mulligan. Next season it is, then.
43 (45)	Kristian Heinolainen	19	PS Kemi	1930	RB/LB
Heinolainen perked up towards the end of the season after being mostly a defensive specialist for large parts of the season. It’s difficult to know what to make of a team that was so insipid for such a long time. Apparently he’s signed for another year with Kemi, which must be considered something of a blunder unless there’s a relegation release clause.
44 (49)	Tommi Jäntti	18	(RoPS) Klubi 04	2327	MC
Jäntti just moved to RoPS, which is interesting. He had some struggles in the final third, but that’s to be expected from a young player. Was one of the most used players in the second tier this season, and will likely get a lot of minutes in the league next season.
45 (42)	Väinö Vehkonen	16	JJK	1409	CB
Same as Laine, played a fair bit for his age, but didn’t perform and will be relegated out of this list. Flash in the pan, or something more?
46 (47)	Paavo Voutilainen	19	Lahti	862	CB
Voutilainen came into the side towards the end of the season, and will hopefully play a bigger part next season.
47 (48)	Thomas Mäkinen	21	IFK Mariehamn	1731	MC
Apparently has already moved permanently to FC Åland – not sure if that’s true – which would indicate a career being put on hold. Is the purest midfield destroyer in the league, is a danger from set pieces, but apparently isn’t liked. I’m confused.
48 (N/A)	Rony Huhtala	20	Klubi 04	666	CF
Did Rony Huhtala have a good season for Klubi 04? Not really. Was it better than you think? Almost certainly. His xG was roughly on par with Eetu Vertainen (only Ykkönen numbers) and was only bested by 8 players. That big fat zero in the goals column will do his chances of finding a Veikkausliiga job no good, but he represents the best chance of getting a good young forward on a free. And, honestly, he plays better than his numbers suggest – as long as you focus on anything other than finishing. I would be willing to place actual real money on him scoring, like, 8 goals or more next season if given the minutes – and he’s the only player under 21 in this year’s edition of Ykkönen for whom I would be willing to do that, make of that what you will.
49 (46)	Teppo Marttinen	21	KPV (on loan from SJK)	2531	GK
Started off writing with Rasmus Leislahti in this slot, but realised that, really, Teppo Marttinen deserves it more. Young enough to be mostly projection, but also enough minutes under his belt to tell what the trajectory is, and he did well in 2018, playing every minute of every game. Question is, will he play for his parent club next season, or will he return somewhere on loan? KPV will probably hoping for the latter.
50 (50)	Julius Tauriainen	17	Klubi 04	1727	MC
Will likely be playing third tier football next season, which is a disappointment, surely, but also closer to his level. Still young, though, and will likely be hoovered up by RoPS when out of contract anyway.

These players also received mentions during the season, but were dropped out of the list due to reasons, usually either a lack of quality of performance or lack of quantity:

Tuukka Kurki, Anton Popovitch, Patrik Alaharjula, Lassi Järvenpää, Roni Peiponen, Anthony Olusanya, Daniel Rantanen, Jarkko Heimonen, Henrik Ölander, Tuukka Andberg, Juho Montola, Hussein Mohamed, Hamed Coulibaly, Rasmus Leislahti.

Thanks for reading this series in 2018, follow me on Twitter to stay up to date in 2019 as well!

2018 Finnish League Prospect Power Ranking: September update

This is the third update of my prospect ranking series that I kicked off this summer (you can read the July update here and the August update here, the October update here and a deeper dive into the Top 10 here). The September edition is something of a preview of the final, end-of-season ranking, which, again, will live in flux as the transfer window opens again in January. Much of the season has already been decided, so fingers crossed we’ll see teams give more responsibility to their young players.

A reminder that the ranking of each player is based on a combination of age, playing time, playing level, importance to the team and performance. This list will only cover players playing in Finland, who are owned by clubs in Finland (so no loan players from abroad). I’ve set the age cut-off at 23, so players aged 22 and younger are listed. A player’s age is determined by his age at the start of the season, not his ‘real’ age. This list will be skewed towards younger players, as I consider youth, projectability and potential upside to be more important than production. Please note that Ykkönen teams have played fewer games, so there have been fewer minutes distributed among these players.

Graduates

Transfer window’s closed so no new graduates. Previously, we’ve had the following players move abroad:

Ulrich Meleke, Onni Valakari, Benjamin Källman, Marius Noubissi and Leo Väisänen.

Bubbling under

Some players have been bubbling for a while now:

Matias Tamminen, Oskari Kekkonen, Mehdi El Moutacim, Ahmed Ramy Elged.

While other’s have just started:

Jasin-Amin Assehnoun – has started a lot for Lahti, mostly at right wing back.

Mauro Severino – has looked really lively for Ilves in the few games he’s played.

Jiri Nissinen – would be on the list had he stayed injury free, but is being eased back into action.

Matias Lahti – came out of nowhere to start a couple of games for Inter.

Reza Karamolachaab – is pretty old for a prospect, and hasn’t been playing a lot for KPV, but has scored 4 goals in under 600 minutes (0.68 NPG/90), which is noteworthy.

Rank (previous in brackets)	Name	Age	Team	Minutes	Primary Position
1 (1)	Ilmari Niskanen	20	KuPS	2622	RW
Is going to end up with almost 3000 minutes for KuPS this season, which is a huge amount for a young player. Just signed a contract extension for next season with an option for the following, which was very well deserved. His level of performance will be overlooked due to underperforming both his xG and his xA, but has been one of the best overall players in the league this season.
2 (2)	Rasmus Karjalainen	22	KuPS	2030	CF/LW
Has lost his place as first choice striker to Lucas Rangel, mostly due to the things he doesn’t do (win aerial duels) rather than the things he does (score goals). Has been pushed out to the wing if played at the same time as Rangel, which might still be his best position.
3 (3)	Lassi Lappalainen	19	RoPS	1895	LW
Added a couple of goals in September to take his tally to 6 goals and 6 assists. Will probably play a big part for HJK next season.
4 (4)	Sebastian Dahlström	21	HJK	2567	MC
Has been lodged at #4 since the first edition of this list, nothing has changed that. Will he be the next Veikkausliiga player to get a Huuhkajat call-up?
5 (5)	Lucas Lingman	20	RoPS	2618	AMC
One of the most undervalued statistics, especially for young players, is the amount of minutes played. It contains a lot of information about how highly a coach regards the player in question, and about the things that the player does that doesn’t appear in regular ol’ event data. Lingman and Niskanen are neck and neck in the U22 minutes race, with it likely going to come down to which team plays more extra time. He’s obviously visibly good, but I consider this a more general stamp of approval.
6 (10)	Eetu Vertainen	19	HJK/Klubi 04	1323	CF
Bit of a jump after a good September in which he scored twice and assisted two goals for HJK. Equally as significant are his performances for Klubi 04 one level down, in which he is doing his level best to keep them in the division. Altogether, he’s scored 6 and assisted 6 this season at both levels, with 3 of the goals and 5 of the assists coming in September. Still needs to develop his box movement but is already an accomplished attacker at this level.
7 (6)	Lauri Ala-Myllymäki	21	Ilves	2164	AMC
Has seen more time at centre forward after Noubissi’s move, although that doesn’t seem like the most natural position for him. Then again, he’s probably better suited to play centre forward than centre half, which is also a position he has played this season.
8 (7)	Juho Hyvärinen	18	RoPS	1078	RB
Has returned to action after an ill-timed injury. Is going to play a big role for RoPS next season if he doesn’t move in January.
9 (12)	Sterling Yateke	19	TPS	625	CF
Last month I wrote that ‘you have to make exceptions for exceptional circumstances’. Yateke’s performances in September were maybe less exceptional, but he has established himself as a good prospect. Seems like TPS may be losing him in January, though, which is a shame. Most Nordic clubs should be hovering.
10 (8)	Santeri Hostikka	21	Lahti	2036	LW
Much like Niskanen, suffers from having underperformed both his xG and his xA quite significantly. Has seen less playing time recently, which could be because his contract is running out. Is still easily one of the best winger prospects in the league, and should be looking abroad in January. Whether he gets a move will be reliant on whether teams will be willing to overlook his pedestrian goal contribution this season.
11 (25)	Diogo Tomas	20	Ilves	1942	CB
Stylish, modern defender. Been a bit sceptical previously, but he’s been growing on me. Good on the ball, defensive metrics look good, good in the air. What’s not to like?
12 (9)	Samu Volotinen	20	VPS	1617	GK
Volotinen has truly dethroned Marko Meerits, even if his September form was less impressive than his season average. Currently the best young goalkeeper in the league.
13 (11)	Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan	19	HJK/Klubi 04	1843	RB/LW
Was wondering why he hasn’t been more involved with the first team, then it dawned on me to check his transfermarkt page, and lo and behold, it appears he is out of contract in the winter. Could be the next Soisalo/Stavitski – a HJK prospect who gets his breakout in another Finnish club – as HJK seem to have put their chips on Enoch Banza instead. I think it’s a mistake.
14 (14)	Otto Ollikainen	17	HJK/Klubi 04	1943	MC
One of the players who would definitely be playing for HJK right now if it weren’t for Klubi 04 needing him pretty badly. In all, he will be happy with getting 2000 minutes of Ykkönen football and his HJK debut.
15 (27)	Oskari Jakonen	21	TPS	1875	RW
Last month I warned that he was going to be a riser if he kept his form up. At this point, there are legitimate reasons for preferring him over Hostikka – I don’t, but I’d understand if you did.
16 (15)	Akseli Ollila	18	EIF	1490	LW
Is cooling off, as are EIF, but has produced enough this season to pique my interest and should be considered the most interesting attacking prospect in the second tier.
17 (13)	Nooa Laine	15	JJK	624	AMC
Appeared only once in September, but has played quite a lot for such a young player.
18 (16)	Teemu Jäntti	18	Lahti	1136	MC
Started the season as an attacking midfielder, as the season progressed he’s been moved further back. He’s now appeared a couple of times at centre half in a back three. Really emphasises the difficulty in determining what his strengths are, would like to see him given time at one position to focus on his development. Versatility is a good trait, but young players need stability to progress.
19 (19)	Albion Ademi	19	Inter	1350	LW
His form has picked up, and he scored a couple of goals in September. Has more innate talent than most players on this list, needs to find more consistency.
20 (17)	Kalle Katz	18	HJK/Klubi 04	1645	CB
Has been out of the squad for some games in September, probably due to injury. Has played a good season overall for Klubi 04, and will be hoping for a chance to to break through at Veikkausliiga level next season.
21 (18)	Tariq Kazi	18	Ilves	764	RWB
Ilves have rotated quite a lot lately, with Kazi coming into the side against less dangerous sides. Has a chance to break the 1000 minute threshold if he plays more or less all available minutes in October, which isn’t likely as Ilves are chasing a spot in Europe next season.
22 (21)	Santeri Väänänen	16	Klubi 04	1129	DMC
Has seen his playing time a bit limited by Ollikainen, Jäntti and Tauriainen, but has made an impression playing in the second tier, has been on the bench for HJK a couple of times this season, which makes it seem like he’s being groomed for a slightly bigger role in the near future.
23 (23)	Mikael Almen	18	Ilves	672	CB/LB
It doesn’t matter, really, but he has accumulated two assists in limited time this season. I like what I’ve seen so far, will be interesting to see what Ilves are thinking of doing with all of these promising defenders, especially with Martti Haukioja getting more time at left back.
24 (30)	Valtteri Vesiaho	19	HJK/Klubi 04	1488	CB
Nothing much has changed since last month, except he’s being played a lot in the second tier. Has a tendency to look a little uninterested when it comes to defending, which isn’t a very good look, especially considering it’s his job description.
25 (22)	Enoch Banza	18	HJK/Klubi 04	1258	RW
Banza has had a problematic season, considering he was one of the headline prospects at the beginning of the season. Has struggled to make an impact in the second tier, but seems to be well liked by the club. Next year is going to be important for him, especially if Alho doesn’t renew with HJK, as he’s ostensibly the same type of player.
26 (20)	Mikko Kuningas	20	Inter	1857	MC
Falls a little due to being dropped in favour of newcomer Matias Lahti. After a surge in form about halfway in, has struggled to push on. Obviously not an easy organisation to play for at the moment, hopefully a bit of stability next season can help him establish himself.
27 (26)	Tommi Jyry	19	HIFK	1751	MC
Added a third assist of the season with a nice cutback versus JJK. Is fit and energetic, as most of his end product tends to come late in games.
28 (28)	Aatu Laatikainen	21	VPS	1874	DMC
I’ve written previously that I think Laatikainen is the player who most represents VPS – neat and tidy but… what does he do really? Like so many young players, would like to see him play somewhere else just to see if he has another gear.
29 (29)	Eero-Matti Auvinen	22	VPS	2346	CB
I like him more than #29 but age is a factor and he’s at the upper limits, while playing for a club that has been slumping pretty hard.
30 (24)	Omar Jama	20	VPS	1697	DMC
Didn’t play in September, apparently due to injury.
31 (47)	Maximo Tolonen	17	SJK	710	RW
Have been looking for some signs of emergence from Tolonen and he finally produced a good performance against RoPS – taking 6 shots and looking lively. Maybe suffers a little from excessive expectations, so should be kept in mind that he’s very young.
32 (31)	Evans Mensah	20	HJK	1079	RW
Didn’t play a minute in September due to injury.
33 (36)	Hanson Boakai	22	EIF	1424	RW
Find it really weird that there simply aren’t very many young attackers doing well in the second tier. Also, Boakai isn’t that young for a prospect. He’ll be to old for next year’s list. So is it more being the best of a bad bunch, or is there’s more to him? Not sure, but I like him as a player, and I think he’d do well a level up.
34 (35)	Joel Mattsson	19	IFK Mariehamn	1730	RB/RW
Had a season ending injury in the final game of September, can be fairly happy with the season as a whole, but has suffered from his team being quite bad. Next season will tell us more – needs to find his position, needs to add end product (especially if he’s to play higher up on the pitch).
35 (32)	Miika Töyräs	19	KuPS	773	GK
Didn’t play in September, so… yeah. The life of a second choice goalkeeper huh?
36 (33)	Ville Tikkanen	19	SJK	1056	CB
Hasn’t played for two months now. Will probably go down as a decent but unspectacular debut season, but could have played more.
37 (34)	Markus Uusitalo	21	HJK	576	GK
Didn’t play in September, so… yeah. The life of a second choice goalkeeper huh?
38 (38)	Tatu Varmanen	20	Inter	1176	RB
A rare Tatu Varmanen sighting! Man, this season has really driven home the importance of having a good coaching fit when choosing where to play for a young player – with short contracts being the way things are done, there’s a bit of leverage there that should be utilised.
39 (39)	Niklas Jokelainen	18	Ilves/JJK	962	CF
Scored once in September, looks a confident kid. Hope that Ilves lean more heavily on him and Mauro Severino next season.
40 (N/A)	Martti Haukioja	18	Ilves/JJK	867	LB
Has seemingly broken into the first team at Ilves. Has played a bit of centre half for JJK as well, is physically developed and good in the air.
41 (40)	Joonas Vahtera	22	VPS	735	AMC
Would have been in the 10-15 range last season, but injuries has held him back.
42 (41)	Väinö Vehkonen	16	JJK	1222	CB
Vehkonen went missing for a while in August, then reappeared in September for one game. Deserves credit for the amount of playing time, but, in all honesty, he’s been overmatched. Next season will be more telling.
43 (37)	Hamed Coulibaly	21	IFK Mariehamn/KuPS	2470	RB/CB
Has played a lot without impressing.
44 (N/A)	Joonas Sundman	20	SJK	1752	LB
Sundman is back because, as I went through the list in my mind, I realised there weren’t that many left backs, and he’s a left back, which makes him more interesting than some of the alternatives.
45 (42)	Kristian Heinolainen	19	PS Kemi	1650	LB/RB
Not sure if you should get that much credit for playing a lot for PS Kemi as a young player, because, honestly, a lot of it is down to being cheap rather than talented. Heinolainen is a defensive specialist, but he lacks the size to play centre half. Would defensive midfield be a better option?
46 (46)	Rasmus Leislahti	18	Klubi 04	1311	GK
Has been more or less average as a shot stopper for most of the season, then had a couple of nightmare outings, and now he’s slumped below average. Size is an issue, which has been exposed badly from set pieces.
47 (N/A)	Paavo Voutilainen	19	Lahti	768	CB
This season has been a slow burner for arguably the fourth choice centre half for Finland in the U19 European Championships this summer, but he’s finally gotten a consistent run of games during which Lahti have been… terrible?
48 (N/A)	Thomas Mäkinen	21	IFK Mariehamn	1627	DMC
I’m very divided when it comes to Mäkinen. He’s the league leader in tackles per 90, he’s the highest ranked midfielder in interceptions per 90 (InStat struggle with the difference between interceptions and clearances, so the rest of the top 10 are centre halves). He’s good in the air. Should he be higher yet? If so, he’s not being appreciated on the island, as he’s in and out of the team.
49 (45)	Tommi Jäntti	18	Klubi 04	2141	MC
Has played a lot but struggles in the final third for a team that would really need some creativity from midfield.
50 (49)	Julius Tauriainen	17	Klubi 04	1615	MC
Midfield has been Klubi 04’s biggest problem this season (alongside set pieces), but gets credit for the minutes he’s played. Worth noting that he hasn’t been involved as much in the first team picture as the rest of the midfielders, which suggests something about his status, maybe?

Players who fell off the list (with reason why in brackets):

Patrik Alaharjula (simply hasn’t performed well enough)

Juho Montola (didn’t play in September)

Rony Huhtala (didn’t play enough in September)

Hussein Mohamed (unlucky to drop off the list, still like his profile, but just hasn’t played enough)

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2018 Finnish League Prospect Power Ranking: August update

This is the second update of my prospect ranking series that I kicked off last month (you can read the July update here, the September update here, the October update here, and a deeper dive into the Top 10 here). August has been a busy month, as the summer transfer activity in and out of the league has been concluded. This has naturally lead to some new entrants on the list, who will be taking the places of some of the guys who have left the league. August saw a couple of high profile graduates added to the list from last month, which is satisfying, as that is kind of the point of this exercise: to see who have got the chops to prosper in tougher environments.

A reminder that the ranking of each player is based on a combination of age, playing time, playing level, importance to the team and performance. This list will only cover players playing in Finland, who are owned by clubs in Finland (so no loan players from abroad). I’ve set the age cut-off at 23, so players aged 22 and younger are listed. A player’s age is determined by his age at the start of the season, not his ‘real’ age. This list will be skewed towards younger players, as I consider youth, projectability and potential upside to be more important than production. Please note that Ykkönen teams have played fewer games, so there have been fewer minutes distributed among these players.

Graduates

Last month we had two graduates: Onni Valakari and Ulrich Meleke. This time around, we have another three: Benjamin Källman (#6), Marius Noubissi (#3) and Leo Väisänen (#8). Källman has moved to Dundee FC in the Scottish Premiership, Noubissi to KFCO Beerschot Wilrijk in the Belgian second tier and Väisänen to FC Den Bosch in the Dutch second tier. None of these are particularly surprising, although I would have expected both Väisänen and Noubissi to have a steeper upward trajectory. In any case, the upper ranks are getting depleted and it’ll be interesting to see who steps up in the mean time.

Bubbling under

These are the remaining players from last month who haven’t accumulated enough minutes yet:

Matias Tamminen

Oskari Kekkonen

Mehdi El Moutacim

Ahmed Ramy Elged

The list

Rank (previous in brackets)	Name	Age	Team	Minutes	Primary Position
1 (2)	Ilmari Niskanen	20	KuPS	2151	RW
Some reasons for this change in order: first of all, Niskanen has been pretty much everpresent for KuPS. Secondly, what I really love about him is his 0.19 xG/Shot. That’s would be very good for a centre forward, but he’s playing from the wing. He’s a genuine diverse goal threat, while still being primarily a creator (the runaway leader in both Open Play Key Passes/90 and Secondary Shot Assists/90). Contract is up according to Transfermarkt, and if that’s true, his timing couldn’t have been better.
2 (1)	Rasmus Karjalainen	20	KuPS	1752	CF
Is cooling down after a hot first half of the season – NPG/90 down to 0.51, xG/90 down to 0.48. Still shooting 3.8 times per game from decent locations. Still the premier centre forward on this list, especially with key departures a little down the line.
3 (5)	Lassi Lappalainen	19	RoPS	1617	LW
Lappalainen is back, and so he’s back up in third. I think he’s the player with the highest ceiling in the league. Admittedly, this is more down to eyeball scouting than any type of spreadsheet based shenanigans.
4 (4)	Sebastian Dahlström	21	HJK	2089	MC
If you’ve read this series, you’ll have noticed that Dahlström’s attacking numbers are down from last season. I did a quick check, and it appears it’s almost definitely due to a change in roles. He’s basically more involved earlier in moves, and less involved later in moves, which is an awful shame because that was what made him special. Feels like he’s going to go the Rasmus Schüller route of staying at HJK for too long.
5 (10)	Lucas Lingman	20	RoPS	2234	AMC
Probably the player who has benefitted the most from moving clubs last year. Turns out playing meaningful football week-in week-out is better than sitting on the bench waiting for your turn. Is doing some serious heavy lifting this season and deserves a lot of credit for it. Has shown an impressive versatility as well, as he’s been deployed deeper in midfield with more regularity.
6 (7)	Lauri Ala-Myllymäki	21	Ilves	1846	AMC
Plays an important role for Ilves, even if that role might chance drastically from game to game. Kind of feels like this is what he is: the 6th to 7th best prospect in the league. Will be interesting to see where he goes in the winter.
7 (9)	Juho Hyvärinen	18	RoPS	878	RB
Is rising due to graduations higher up in the list. Has only just returned to action (in September that is), so this position is more testament to how highly I rate him than any recent performances.
8 (11)	Santeri Hostikka	21	Lahti	1849	LW
Plainly, it looks like he’s having something of a down-season but he’s underperforming his goal expectancy significantly (NPG+A/90 = 0.20, xG+xA/90 = 0.42). Has the kind of playing style where that type of thing can easily happen, though, as he’s quite reliant on long shots and crosses. Still a good player though, and although his xG+xA has showed a steady rise (0.28 in 2016, 0.38 in 2017 and 0.42 so far this season) there are still some worries about whether he’s developed enough in his three seasons at Lahti.
9 (N/A)	Samu Volotinen	20	VPS	1239	GK
Ok, guys, this is on me. Can’t for my life understand where he was in the previous two lists, as he’s been playing consistently throughout. He’s also been a good shot stopper this season, netting positive ratings from my post-shot xG model, while being the youngest goalkeeper to do so. Has the physical attributes to go far, and is showing some first signs of having the ability as well.
10 (12)	Eetu Vertainen	19	HJK/Klubi 04	838	CF
Has the potential to be much higher but has struggled to put it all together recently. Has played for Klubi 04 a bit more which I think is a good thing, mainly because he needs to play, but also because it reaffirms my thoughts about him: he’s an absolute nuisance when he feels like he’s the main man. Feels like he’s being held back when playing for HJK, so maybe getting some good reps under his belt will help him get back on the horse.
11 (13)	Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan	19	HJK/Klubi 04	1393	LW/RB
Kouassivi-Benissan has the potential to be a very good attacking right back. The problem at the moment is that the right back role for HJK is a more withdrawn, midfield hybrid role, which doesn’t really fit his skillset as well. Playing him at right back for Klubi 04 feels counter-productive unless there’s a clear developmental reason for it (which there might be) but he feels like a player who should play to his strengths rather than trying too hard to improve his weaknesses.
12 (N/A)	Sterling Yateke	19	TPS	250	CF
I’ve set the cut-off point for minutes at 400, but you have to make exceptions for exceptional circumstances. Yateke could play another 750 minutes without doing anything, and his performance versus Kemi would be enough to warrant a mention. Yes, it was Kemi, yes it’s only 250 minutes, no I don’t care.
13 (14)	Nooa Laine	15	JJK	593	AMC
Didn’t play in August, still here mostly due to his age.
14 (15)	Otto Ollikainen	17	HJK/Klubi 04	1569	MC
Versatile midfielder who has played a little both as a left back and as a right back. Looks more comfortable now than he did in the beginning of the season. Midfield has been something of a problem for Klubi 04, but their form is starting to pick up. Could see more playing time for HJK proper after the great midfield renovation of 2019.
15 (39)	Akseli Ollila	18	EIF	1137	LW
Voted Ykkönen player of the month in August, has been legitimately good so far this season. Moves well off the ball, is quick and direct. Has overperformed his xG pretty heavily so far (5 NPG from about 2 xG), and his overall numbers are still on the low side due to a slow start, but his hot August has really raised both his profile and his numbers.
16 (13)	Teemu Jäntti	18	Lahti	805	AMC
Scored a goal in August, has two for the season, doesn’t stand out statistically but is holding his own at 18 which is good. Difficult to see what his stand-out attribute is, and whether that’ll be enough to carry him further.
17 (19)	Kalle Katz	18	HJK/Klubi 04	1457	CB
A couple of steps higher to represent the continued high workload, the promotions higher up on the previous list and the overall feeling that he’s going to develop into a good player.
18 (N/A)	Tariq Kazi	18	Ilves	578	RWB
Kazi has worked his way into the first team picture at Ilves, and has been a bright spark so far. As the season has progressed, Ilves has increased their reliance on their academy, which is nice to see, and Kazi looks to be one of the primary beneficiaries of that effect. Only turns 18 in October.
19 (17)	Albion Ademi	19	Inter	1040	LW
Has been out in August – don’t remember but think he’s been injured. Recently declared for Albania, which is a shame for Finland, as he has rare ability. Has been quite inefficient this season, would like to see him play for a better attacking team, under a coach with more attacking ambition.
20 (18)	Mikko Kuningas	20	Inter	1597	MC
Only played one half worth of minutes in August, so drops a little. I’m a sucker for upside, and I really like the way he moves, and his creative ability, so I’m probably higher on him than most (oh and he’s played a lot for his age), but he really needs to become a mainstay for Inter pronto if he wants to keep his career progressing.
21 (20)	Santeri Väänänen	16	Klubi 04	1071	DMC
Väänänen is a defensive specialist in midfield, and you’d have to wonder whether he’s being considered for the Annan role for next season and beyond. Probably not, all things considered, but it’s a possibility. Currently doesn’t offer enough in attack or build-up to warrant a spot in the Veikkausliiga, but is young and the step up isn’t huge.
22 (21)	Enoch Banza	18	HJK/Klubi 04	913	RW
Sort of feel like Banza would be a better fit for right back than Kouassivi-Benissan, as the latter has far more end product and the former is more comfortable on his stronger foot’s side. At the moment it feels like both players are being shoehorned into positions determined by Lehkosuo tactics rather than being allowed to develop in a more natural manner – maybe to their detriment. This is especially weird considering how next season’s HJK manager is still up in the air.
23 (N/A)	Mikael Almen	18	Ilves	512	CB/LB
Another beneficiary of Ilves’ newfound academy reliance. Genuinely hadn’t heard of him two months ago (and I feel like I have a fairly good idea of most players in the Veikkausliiga), has now played over 500 minutes in the league, in which his team has done well (albeit not always in defence), and he’s won 71% of his aerial duels. Is left footed, which is a plus as that’s something that some teams value highly, and is on set-piece duty for Ilves. Intriguing!
24 (22)	Omar Jama	20	VPS	1697	DMC
Forms an interesting midfield duo together with Aatu Laatikainen. Both players are comfortable in possession and hard workers in defence, so kind of go unnoticed, but they form the backbone of the team, and deserve credit. Would still like to see more in attack, though, which might be more of a system issue than anything to do with the players.
25 (26)	Diogo Tomas	20	Ilves	1540	CB
Has become something of an elder statesman in a new look Ilves defence containing 18-year olds Kazi and Almen, which is remarkable for a player who made his debut this season. Signed a contract extension recently, which was well deserved.
26 (23)	Tommi Jyry	19	HIFK	1493	MC
Similar to a lot of the midfielders on this list as his main attribute is his stamina and his ability to affect the game by virtue of being energetic and quick. Has a tendency to grow into games as opponents tire and space becomes abundant. Definitely think he’s good enough to play in the Veikkausliiga, not sure if he’ll do so for HIFK next season, however.
27 (27)	Oskari Jakonen	21	TPS	1502	RW
I’ve been talking about him as a breakout candidate for a couple of months now, but what does it take for him to get promoted to actual legit breaker outer? xG+xA is 0.42 at this point in time, and you’ll remember that that is the same figure as one Santeri Hostikka further up on the ladder – still think Hostikka is better on account of being a better dribble, however. Jakonen is also very much in line with his goal expectancy numbers, so he has had an impact as well. Actually, am starting to think he’s too low here, consider this a warning for next month that he’ll be a high riser if he keeps up the pace.
28 (30)	Aatu Laatikainen	21	VPS	1679	DMC
Stands out as a rotator of the ball, and as a defender in midfield. Doesn’t contribute much in attack, but isn’t expected to either.
29 (31)	Eero-Matti Auvinen	22	VPS	2064	CB
Good in the air, good on the ball, left footed. At the end of last season, Vepsu’s defence looked to be a huge question mark but Auvinen has made the transition look seamless.
30 (36)	Valtteri Vesiaho	19	HJK/Klubi 04	1072	CB
Embarrasingly, forgot Vesiaho off the previous list. He would’ve been roughly similarly placed then as previously so we’ll work from there. Has probably the best passing range of centre backs in the Finnish league system, looks a little unfit and I’m unconvinced about his ability as a defender. High ceiling, though, but would like to see him shed a bit of weight.
31 (25)	Evans Mensah	20	HJK	1079	RW
Only played about 70 minutes in August, which does nothing to alleviate my concerns about him as a player. Is involved a lot when he plays, but struggles with his decision making.
32 (28)	Miika Töyräs	19	KuPS	773	GK
Didn’t play in August, and as I updated my goalkeeping metrics, I noticed that he currently rates below average as a shot stopper. Still think he’s promising, though, but needs to play.
33 (24)	Ville Tikkanen	19	SJK	1056	CB
Didn’t play in August, which is a shame. Considering the late signings made by Eremenko Sr., and the fact that SJK are playing to avoid relegation, playing time might be on the cards for Tikkanen throughout the rest of the season.
34 (34)	Markus Uusitalo	21	HJK	576	GK
Didn’t play in August, and as I updated my goalkeeping metrics, I noticed that he currently rates below average as a shot stopper. Still think he’s promising, though, but needs to play.
35 (35)	Joel Mattsson	19	IFK Mariehamn	1388	RB/RW
Has started to get some more playing time in a more forward role that should suit him better. Statistically this season has been a write-off, as he’s been moved around the pitch too much to really be able to say anything about it. Also makes it difficult to determine what his potential really is.
36 (N/A)	Hanson Boakai	22	EIF	993	CF/RW/LW
Boakai came into the EIF team at about the same time that they started rising in the table. As the season has progressed, he has established himself as one of the few young attackers at Ykkönen level who actually provide consistent production. Seems a smart player, who shoots from good locations (0.18 xG/s) despite being more of a wispy, winger-type. Currently third highest xG+xA at Ykkönen level.
37 (36)	Hamed Coulibaly	21	MIFK/KuPS	2115	RB/CB
Suffers from being quite a boring player, much in the same way as Lassi Järvenpää does. Playing a lot helps make up for it, though.
38 (29)	Tatu Varmanen	20	Inter	1113	RB
Has barely played for two months. Is he injured? I can’t remember hearing or reading about it if that’s the case. Inter is doing a good job of putting their fans to sleep at the moment and Varmanen could provide something of a spark if fit.
39 (45)	Niklas Jokelainen	18	Ilves/JJK	803	CF
Does something of an Eetu Vertainen impression when playing for JJK, playing borderline selfishly, constantly looking to shoot or run with the ball. It might not be the most optimal solution for the team, but it makes him stand out. Also similar to Vertainen in the way his final position is still a bit unclear. Seems to do quite well as a number 10 as well as a striker.
40 (N/A)	Joonas Vahtera	22	VPS	526	AMC
I really like Vahtera, and this ranking is largely due to how well he played last season rather than anything that has happened in 2018. He’s been injured for large portions of this season, but has managed to score a couple of goals already.
41 (38)	Väinö Vehkonen	16	JJK	1129	CB
Feels like Vehkonen hit his ceiling a little bit during the summer, as he has largely been rested in August.
42 (42)	Kristian Heinolainen	19	PS Kemi	1282	LB
Defensive specialist full backs are a dime a dozen at Veikkausliiga level. Heinolainen is younger than most while playing a fair bit, so gets a slightly longer leash.
43 (37)	Patrik Alaharjula	21	JJK	1606	CF
Alaharjula has been sliding since his hot start to the season. Struggles to get involved are less important if you have a couple of goals under your belt in recent games, but that excuse has not been relevant for some time.
44 (N/A)	Juho Montola	19	TPS	485	MC
Have really liked the way Montola has looked when playing in midfield. He’s had a nice tendency of finding himself in forward positions, and has been willing to get into the box to finish moves rather than hovering on the outside. Hasn’t played a lot yet, and shouldn’t be expected to play much as TPS look to avoid relegation, but is there an argument to be made that he should play more?
45 (43)	Tommi Jäntti	18	Klubi 04	1697	MC
Could feasibly be higher up, but I have a couple of complaints. He’s usually deployed slightly higher than the other midfield options, but he struggles badly with his decision making in the final third. Especially with Rony Huhtala in the team – who is a very avid runner with good off the ball movement – Jäntti’s struggles with his final ball have been exposed.
46 (46)	Rasmus Leislahti	18	Klubi 04	937	GK
Rates as roughly average according to my post shot xG model, which should be considered quite good for a young keeper. In his absence, Tuomas Pöyhönen played fairly well, showing impressive passing range.
47 (48)	Maximo Tolonen	17	SJK	612	LW
Has played a bit more recently, but not enough to justify a higher ranking. Still looking for his first goal/first assist. The circumstances at SJK might not permit him to have such an extensive search.
48 (N/A)	Rony Huhtala	20	Klubi 04	356	CF
Huhtala hasn’t been great according to the numbers but I’ve followed him closely and I really like the way he plays. He’s constantly looking for space in behind, and is very good at finding it, he’s a hard worker who doesn’t give up chasing opposing defenders in possession. If you believe in intangibles, he has all of them. Worst case scenario, he’s Aleksi Ristola. Either way I’m a believer.
49 (50)	Julius Tauriainen	17	Klubi 04	1220	AMC
Like most players for Klubi 04, has looked more comfortable the further the season has progressed. Is still a bit of a question mark, nevertheless.
50 (N/A)	Hussein Mohamed	21	HIFK	838	RWB
Another personal favorite of mine. Has only recently won a place in the first team at HIFK, but has been really impressive going forward every time he’s played. Not entirely sure about him as a defender, though, but he’s certainly more exciting than the alternatives for #50.

Players who fell off the list (with reason why in brackets):

Roni Peiponen (hasn’t played, feels like he’s being phased out)

Anton Popovitch (have grown unconvinced about him)

Anthony Olusanya (hasn’t played enough, hasn’t played well enough)

Joonas Sundman (feel like there are enough players with his profile, with higher potential)

Lassi Järvenpää (same as above)

Tuukka Andberg (made a couple of high profile mistakes in August while HIFK’s form dropped)

Thomas Mäkinen (suffers from having a boring profile, from not playing much, and from playing for a bad team)

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2018 Finnish League Prospect Power Ranking: July Update

This is the first update of my prospect ranking series that I kicked off last month (read the second update here, the third update here, the fourth update here, and the final update here). I’m a little late with this update because I’ve been busy, so remember that this update will cover only the month of July, even if there’s been a round of fixtures already during the first week of August. I’ll try to disregard what happened in those games, even if it might be difficult.

We also have a couple of players who appeared on the previous list who have left their respective teams. I’ll split these players into two categories: graduates and dropouts, depending on the circumstances surrounding their moves. I’ll also briefly mention a couple of players who haven’t played enough to warrant mention, but have impressed nonetheless. I’ll also provide a mention for the players who have fallen off, and the reason why at the end of the list.

The ranking of each player is based on a combination of age, playing time, playing level, importance to the team and performance. This list will only cover players playing in Finland, who are owned by clubs in Finland (so no loan players). I’ve set the age cut-off at 23, so players aged 22 and younger are listed. A player’s age is determined by his age at the start of the season, not his ‘real’ age. This list will be skewed towards younger players, as I consider youth, projectability and potential upside to be more important than production. Please note that Ykkönen teams have played fewer games, so there have been fewer minutes distributed among these players.

Graduates

We have two graduates from the previous prospect list: Onni Valakari (#7) has moved to Tromsö and Ulrich Meleke (#18) has moved to Hapoel Tel Aviv. Neither move is particularly surprising, as both players had been performing well for their teams. Valakari joins his father in Norway, which makes the destination quite understandable, and I wrote the following sentence about Meleke last time around: “Won’t play for EIF for long, probably won’t move within the country.”

Dropouts

Wato Kuate (#30) ended up not impressing RoPS with his conduct on and off the field, and so his contract was ended prematurely. Probably won’t join another Finnish team, I think it’s safe to assume, so can be dismissed from consideration.

Bubbling under

Matias Tamminen: he’s played a little over 100 minutes, in which he has scored once and assisted twice and I’m not sure he’s turned 17 yet. Keep it up kid!

Mikael Almén: hadn’t heard of him until he started two games on the trot for Ilves, is a left footed centre back who, in his first games took direct free kicks and corners…?

Tariq Kazi: has played 370 minutes so far, and I’ve set the cut-off point at 400, so is unlucky to miss out. Will probably make an appearance on the next list.

Juho Montola: played well in the match against Ilves, showed a knack for getting in the box, which is something I like from a midfielder.

Rony Huhtala: made a splash when he scored for HJK versus an Allsvenskan club that currently escapes my memory during pre-season. Has been out for a while, only now getting into games for Klubi 04, but looks sharp.

Oskari Kekkonen: went on loan to KTP from Lahti to get game time, and, I don’t know, I just feel like he’s a very advanced midfield passer who is being discriminated against due to his size.

Mehdi El Moutacim: 17 year old goalkeeper for EIF who has personality and a distinct playing style. Honestly, the only goalkeeper in the top two tiers in Finnish football who appears to profile as a sweeper-keeper.

Ahmed Ramy Elged: Has played almost a game’s worth of minutes for AC Kajaani, and has looked severely overmatched every time I’ve seen him play. But he’s 14!

The list

Rank (previous in brackets)	Name	Age	Team	Minutes	Primary Position
1 (1)	Rasmus Karjalainen	22	KuPS	1493	CF
Still shares the lead at the top of the scoring charts, although he has cooled off to the extent that his scoring is exactly in line with his xG. 5 of his 14 goals have been penalties, one should remember, and he didn’t score a non-penalty goal in July. Might see more time at left wing now that KuPS have signed another starting calibre centre forward. Linked to IFK Göteborg, and consensus seems to be that it would be an awful fit.
2 (3)	Ilmari Niskanen	20	KuPS	1777	RW
Still super impressed by the progress made by Niskanen. Plays all the games, has the most KP/90 of all under 22 year olds with more than 400 minutes, has become a serious threat in the box. Has been really unlucky, as he only has 3 goals compared to around 6 xG. Is also the only winger in the top 5 under 22s in xG.
3 (11)	Marius Noubissi	21	Ilves	1501	CF
Noubissi has been on a tear this month. When he’s on his game he seems unstoppable. Won’t happen because he should get better offers when his contract runs out this winter, but this, really, is the profile of player HJK should be looking at rather than Macoumba Kandji.
4 (4)	Sebastian Dahlström	21	HJK	1802	MC
Last time, I complained that his offensive numbers were down since last year. In July, he added a couple of assists and seemed livelier in attack. Has the second most tackles per 90 among U-22 players if you adjust for possession.
5 (2)	Lassi Lappalainen	19	RoPS	1313	LW
Didn’t play a minute in July due to a shoulder injury. He’ll be back shortly, though, and he’ll rise higher in the next list if he plays anything like he did previously.
6 (5)	Benjamin Källman	20	Inter	1510	CF
Struggled in July, even struggled to get on the pitch at times for reasons not particularly in his control. Would *love* to see him in a better attacking team at some point, please.
7 (8)	Lauri Ala-Myllymäki	21	Ilves	1577	AMC
Had a good-not-great July in which he increased most of the relevant attacking statistical categories without adding to his goal/assist tallies. Questions persist about whether he’s quick enough for the next level, but he is well rounded and should definitely look to go abroad when his contract expires at the end of the season.
8 (9)	Leo Väisänen	20	RoPS	1798	CB
Väisänen is the metaphorical hot iron that should be struck. Second among U-22s in possession adjusted interceptions per 90, fourth in successful air challenges, third in air challenge win%.
9 (6)	Juho Hyvärinen	18	RoPS	878	RB
Didn’t play a minute in July due to injury. Is still a very good player, and comfortably the best fullback prospect in the league.
10 (12)	Lucas Lingman	20	RoPS	1753	AMC
Scored two goals in July and has carried an enormous burden in the absence of Lappalainen and Hyvärinen. RoPS have basically re-shuffled their entire attacking deck and Lingman has been the only constant throughout the season. Will look even better once Lappalainen comes back, and now that Vahid Hambo should be playing ahead of him.
11 (15)	Santeri Hostikka	20	Lahti	1436	LW
Still dribbling more than anybody, had a game in which he took 9 shots without scoring – which is kind of a good description of Lahti’s attacking strategy. I think he needs a better attacking coach to get the most out of him – would love to see him leverage his skillset to get into better scoring opportunities, like Niskanen or Lappalainen.
12 (10)	Eetu Vertainen	19	HJK/Klubi 04	613	CF
Has been getting a bit more game time after the U19 Euros (in which he played well), but only added 100 minutes in July. August will be a big month for him, can he establish himself as the primary backup for Klauss?
13 (19)	Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan	19	HJK/Klubi 04	916	LW/RB
Has been Klubi 04’s most consistent attacking weapon throughout the season, but has been promoted to the first team to play right back. This is a good thing, in my opinion, as attacking fullbacks are rare in Finland. Is a fantastic dribbler at Ykkönen level, and it’ll be interesting to see how it translates to the Veikkausliiga.
14 (14)	Nooa Laine	15	JJK	593	AMC
Still the youngest regular in the top two tiers, still here mostly due to that fact. Only added around 100 minutes in July, but that’s still pretty impressive considering his age.
15 (N/A)	Otto Ollikainen	17	HJK/Klubi 04	1022	MC
The highest riser on the list. Didn’t get a mention last month because I sort of struggle to see what type of player he is. Made his debut in the Veikkausliiga, however, and has been a mainstay for Klubi 04 throughout. Doesn’t impress with attacking numbers, has played a bit of left back as well.
16 (13)	Teemu Jäntti	18	Lahti	638	AMC
Only played 9 minutes in July, mostly due to the U19 Euros, where he played all of the games at left back. That shouldn’t make him a lower ranked prospect, but the rules are the rules, and we’re only focusing on league play.
17 (16)	Albion Ademi	19	Inter	1003	LW
Played 3 minutes in July, mostly due to the U19 Euros, where he didn’t play a whole lot.
18 (20)	Mikko Kuningas	20	Inter	1550	MC
Kuningas has grown as the season has progressed. Has played a fair bit in July, and seems to be one of the primary benefactors of the managerial change. Added an assist last month to take his total to 3 for the season.
19 (32)	Kalle Katz	18	HJK/Klubi 04	1034	CB
Big jump for Katz, but I like promotions and I think they should be rewarded. Played a high-pressure full 90 for HJK versus Honka and looked pretty good throughout. Is ahead of Valtteri Vesiaho because he’s a year younger, has played more football this season (albeit mostly in the second tier) and because I think he’s good.
20 (21)	Santeri Väänänen	16	Klubi 04	752	DMC
Didn’t play very much in July, but rises one notch on account of the graduations ahead of him. Has been spotted on the HJK bench a couple of times, and a debut in the Veikkausliiga this season isn’t out of the question.
21 (N/A)	Enoch Banza	18	HJK/Klubi 04	770	RW
Enoch Banza didn’t appear on the previous list because he was just coming back from injury and had only just started to appear for Klubi 04. During July, he was quickly brough back into the HJK fold, and seems to be well regarded by Mika Lehkosuo. Has yet to play particularly well this season, and the stats kind of agree on that.
22 (23)	Omar Jama	20	VPS	1405	DMC
Jama is playing well for high-flying VPS. Has the 9th most possession adjusted tackles among U-22s in the Veikkausliiga. Goes unnoticed but plays a big part for a team that asks a lot from its midfield.
23 (17)	Tommi Jyry	19	HIFK	1147	MC
Still playing a big part for HIFK, but I’d really like to see some more end product from him because he has the energy levels and he has the technical ability. That being said, he contributes a lot further down the chain: he has the third most secondary shot assists (shit name, I know, but the pass that comes before the key pass) per 90 among all players in the second tier.
24 (31)	Ville Tikkanen	19	SJK	1056	CB
Played in the U19 Euros so was on limited playing time in the league in July, still rises due to the performances of players above him, and because I noticed that he leads the U-22s in possession adjusted interceptions per 90. Is this a good place to mention that I’m very, very sceptical when it comes to InStat’s defensive stats (the possession adjustment is my own, but otherwise)?
25 (43)	Evans Mensah	20	HJK	1006	RW
Rises on account of winning his place in the starting XI back. I’m still not convinced he’s that good. He shoots an absolute boatload (had 12 shots against PS Kemi), but his locations are… problematic. Is going to score the odd goal from afar because that’s how the law of averages works, but overall is too wild for my taste.
26 (27)	Diogo Tomas	20	Ilves	1170	CB
You shouldn’t judge central defenders by their defensive statistics but they can still give you a bit of signal to help you sift through the noise. Diogo Tomas wins the second most aerial duels per 90, and has the 8th highest win% (among U-22s). He also has the fourth most possession adjusted interceptions. I think that’s enough to put him on the radar at the very least.
27 (26)	Oskari Jakonen	21	TPS	1155	RW
Last month I wrote that Jakonen has the profile of someone who could break through, and I still think that’s true. July didn’t really move the needle in any particular way though, so we’ll wait and see.
28 (22)	Miika Töyräs	19	KuPS	773	GK
Drops because he only played one game, and I kind of feel bad about it, because young goalkeepers just don’t play very much, and over 700 minutes is already quite a lot. I’m not very fond of Otso Virtanen so would like to see more of Töyräs.
29 (24)	Tatu Varmanen	19	Inter	1113	RB
I wrote this last month and it is still true: has lately lost his place in the starting eleven as new Inter manager seems to favor size over ability. Only played a handful of minutes in July, would rank him in the 15-or-so range if he actually played because I think he’s good.
30 (25)	Aatu Laatikainen	21	VPS	1498	MC
Only played one half of minutes in July, still ranks highly in most defensive categories.
31 (28)	Eero-Matti Auvinen	22	VPS	1590	CB
Honestly feel a bit bad about this, because Auvinen right now is probably a better defender than (at least) Tikkanen and Vesiaho – and also plays more than them – but he’s touching the age ceiling for prospectdom and that’s significant for this exercise. May revise next month.
32 (35)	Anton Popovitch	21	FC Haka	1258	MC
After the last list I’ve had something of an eye on Popovitch, and although he’s something of a riser on this list, I’m not sure if he should be. He’s primarily a set-piece taker, and I mean that in a bad way. 60% of his Key Passes are from corners or free kicks, 29% of his shots are from direct free kicks. And, sure, set-pieces are important but I just don’t think his overall midfield play is impressive enough to carry him.
33 (44)	Roni Peiponen	21	HJK	638	RB
Last month, I wrote that I wanted to see Peiponen play a bit more, which he did to an extent. I think this is more in line with his talent, but if I were him I’d be looking over my shoulder because Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan is likely to pass him in the pecking order unless he progresses.
34 (34)	Markus Uusitalo	21	HJK	576	GK
Uusitalo remains in place. Zero minutes in July and rooted behind a goalkeeper who is really performing. Still stuck in prospect purgatory, should maybe consider his options if this continues.
35 (N/A)	Joel Mattsson	19	IFK Mariehamn	1224	RB/RW
I left Mattsson off the previous list, and sort of regretted it, because he probably deserved to be on it. It’s just that he’s seemingly being played out of position, for a bad (and boring) team, and I just struggle to see where that leaves him. He’s still young though, and is playing a lot.
36 (29)	Hamed Coulibaly	21	MIFK/KuPS	1657	RB/CB
KuPS have had significant defensive troubles so far this season, and have decided to shed Lum Rexhepi, who is possibly the most error prone central defender I can think of, and Hamed Coulibaly. Coulibaly is only on loan, though, at IFK Mariehamn, but it puts him in an awkward position. Ranks fairly well in possession adjusted tackles and interceptions per 90, struggles in the air, and doesn’t contribute anything in attack when played at fullback.
37 (37)	Patrik Alaharjula	21	JJK	1315	CF
Plays all the time, but has been poor in July. Don’t really know what to think of him because he blows hot and cold, and at the moment is struggling to get involved.
38 (41)	Väinö Vehkonen	16	JJK	1034	CB
It is very likely that I credit him too much for the amount of playing time he’s getting, because he does not look particularly comfortable at the moment. Struggles badly against pace, and needs to improve his decision making, but these are things that should get better with experience, and he’s being afforded the chance to learn at the job.
39 (N/A)	Akseli Ollila	18	EIF	722	CF
EIF are a fun side this year, and they’ve become even more fun since exchanging their experienced centre forward options Felix De Bona and Etchu Tabe for youngsters Ollila and Hanson Boakai. Neither Ollila nor Boakai is a traditional centre forward, and neither is being played as such, even if their defensive positioning would indicate it. Ollila switches to the left wing immediately when EIF win the ball, and is more of a winger anyway. He’s short and quick and moves well off the ball. There have been rumours of an attitude problem stemming from his days at Klubi 04, though.
40 (40)	Anthony Olusanya	18	Jaro	830	RW
Jaro have been slumping hard in July, and Olusanya still struggles to impose himself. He’s young though, but the novelty of youth fades quickly, and if Jaro keep sliding he might too unless he shows some new dimensions.
41 (38)	Lassi Järvenpää	21	RoPS	1384	RB
I struggle to get excited by Lassi Järvenpää, but he is playing a lot for a good team.
42 (42)	Kristian Heinolainen	19	PS Kemi	932	LB
I was surprised to notice that Heinolainen has played over 300 minutes in July, despite being away with the U19 team for the Euros (he only appeared once). Played a couple of games at centre half, which I don’t think is particularly suitable for him.
43 (N/A)	Tommi Jäntti	18	Klubi 04	1037	AMC
Tommi Jäntti, like Otto Ollikainen, is kind of nondescript for me at this point. He plays a bit higher up, has amassed two goals and two assists so far, yet I struggle to remember much about him. Is the 00-or-later born player with the most minutes at Ykkönen level though.
44 (N/A)	Thomas Mäkinen	21	IFK Mariehamn	1374	MC
Mäkinen returned to Mariehamn after a stint in Italy. He wins a lot of aerial duels (albeit with quite a poor win%), leads the U-22s in possession adjusted tackles and has scored three goals so far this season.
45 (45)	Niklas Jokelainen	18	Ilves/JJK	611	CF
Jokelainen was loaned out to JJK, where he has played when not at the U19 Euros. Not sure what to think of him, seems to be fairly multidimensional – has been playing alongside Alaharjula in a 4-4-2 – but I’m still waiting to see exactly what kind of player he is.
46 (48)	Rasmus Leislahti	18	Klubi 04	748	GK
Didn’t play a minute in July due to being engaged with the U19 Euros. Did well at the tournament, though, and even though that doesn’t affect the ranking, I’d still rather move him up a little bit than anyone else. His size is a potential problem, though.
47 (47)	Joonas Sundman	20	SJK	1189	LB
Last month I wrote: “Has played a fair bit for a bad team, hasn’t stood out. We’ll wait and see.” This is still the case.
48 (46)	Maximo Tolonen	17	SJK	500	LW
I still think Tolonen is one of the top 50 prospects in the top two tiers of Finnish football, I just think that SJK isn’t the best environment for a young player right now. Is it too early to look back at the decision to cut ties with Honka and conclude that it was the wrong one? I don’t know, Honka isn’t exactly the youngest team in the league either.
49 (N/A)	Tuukka Andberg	20	HIFK	818	CB
Struggled a bit last season in the Veikkausliiga but has established himself for HIFK in the second tier.
50 (N/A)	Julius Tauriainen	17	Klubi 04	737	AMC
It’s difficult to know with players from Klubi 04 because they definitely aren’t very good at the moment, but they’re also very young, and if you show even a smidgen of potential, you could be playing for HJK promptly. Tauriainen is young, he takes set-pieces, he plays different positions. Number 50 on the list isn’t very prestigous, but there’s only one way to go from here! (There really isn’t, as last month’s list is testament to.)

Players who fell off the list (with reason why in brackets):

Daniel Rantanen (didn’t play a minute in July)

Tuukka Kurki (didn’t play enough, hasn’t played enough overall)

Henrik Ölander (didn’t play a minute in July)

Jarkko Heimonen (didn’t play enough).

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2018 Finnish League Prospects Power Ranking

I’m kicking off a series I’ve been planning for a good couple of years now: a monthly ranking of the prospects playing in the Finnish league system. I’ll cover the two highest divisions, the Veikkausliiga and Ykkönen. The ranking system will ultimately be quite subjective, but it’ll be based on some objective measures of player quality.

(I’ve since updated the list with numbers from July, August, and September, and October – as well as a deeper dive into the final Top 10.)

This inaugural list will serve as a focal point, covering the season so far while future lists will weigh recent performances more strongly. The ranking of each player is based on a combination of age, playing time, playing level, importance to the team and performance.

This list will only cover players playing in Finland, who are owned by clubs in Finland (so no loan players). I’ve set the age cut-off at 23, so players aged 22 and younger are listed. A player’s age is determined by his age at the start of the season, not his ‘real’ age. This list will be skewed towards younger players, as I consider youth, projectability and potential upside to be more important than production. Please note that Ykkönen teams have played fewer games, so there have been fewer minutes distributed among these players.

Rank	Name	Age	Team	Minutes	Primary Position
1	Rasmus Karjalainen	22	KuPS	1250	CF
Shared lead at the top of the scoring charts, boosted by a bunch of penalties. Was really hot for a while, has started to regress towards his (still impressive) xG. Played wide last season at Kemi, moving him to a central role has doubled his shots per 90, and with it also his NPG/90 and xG/90. Has a good shot on him.
2	Lassi Lappalainen	19	RoPS	1313	LW
Carries the attack of one of the best teams in the league. RoPS are defensively solid, but are leaning heavily on Lappalainen staying fit. Large burden to carry for a (soon to be) 20 year old.
3	Ilmari Niskanen	20	KuPS	1481	RW
Has bloomed under Honkavaara, on the back of becoming a more agressive presence in the box. xG/shot up to 0.18 in 2018 from 0.07 in 2017.
4	Sebastian Dahlström	21	HJK	1574	MC
Being played in a more restrained role than previous seasons. Shots are down, KPs down – with these, also production down. Still plays an important role in the best team in the league.
5	Benjamin Källman	20	Inter	1393	CF
Källman is still the same player as last season. Is likely going to get to double figures in goals, mostly due to being an immense box presence. Still needs to get more shooting opportunities, restricted by playing for a hapless team.
6	Juho Hyvärinen	18	RoPS	878	RB
18, playing big minutes in an array of roles for one of the best teams in the league. Probably the most dynamic fullback prospect in the league.
7	Onni Valakari	18	TPS	1007	AMC
Big role for a team that isn’t as bad as the league table suggests. Mature head on young shoulders.
8	Lauri Ala-Myllymäki	21	Ilves	1384	AMC
2017 was disrupted by military service, 2018 has started the way 2016 ended. Dynamic forward presence, capable of playing in different midfield roles as well as higher up.
9	Leo Väisänen	20	RoPS	1513	CB
Leader at the centre of the strongest defense in the league. Surrounded by a bit of brother-induced hype, but is sure footed and defensively sound.
10	Eetu Vertainen	19	HJK/Klubi 04	512	CF
Would place him much higher if he’d get some more playing time, but such is the life of a HJK prospect. Klubi 04 would desperately need him in order to stay up, every other team in the league should jump at the opportunity if he becomes available for loan.
11	Marius Noubissi	21	Ilves	1265	CF
Flagged him as having something of a Morelos-lite presence. Extremely wild shooter, but is capable of creating opportunities for himself. Capable dribbler while being strong in the air. Not likely to stick around for long.
12	Lucas Lingman	20	RoPS	1375	AMC
Important attacking presence for RoPS. Has played a variety of roles, some more suited to his game than others, yet has still managed to accumulate three goals and two assists for a low shooting team. Seems to really love playing with Lappalainen.
13	Teemu Jäntti	18	Lahti	629	AMC
All-rounder who plays mostly as an attacking midfielder for Lahti, appeared at right back for the U-19 National Team this week. Has played a lot for a player his age so far, which – I have to admit – is the biggest reason for his placement.
14	Nooa Laine	15	JJK	483	AMC
The youngest regular in the top two tiers of Finnish football. Started out as a sub, but has won a place as a starter. Doesn’t look out of place playing for a bad JJK side – also doesn’t physically look like a 15-year old. Scored his first goal with a sharp shot from 16 meters a couple of weeks back.
15	Santeri Hostikka	20	Lahti	1124	LW
With Lucas Garcia gone, Hostikka is the player with most successful dribbles per 90 in the league. Would love to see that fact lead to better shooting opportunities – in the meantime, he’s shooting over 3 times per 90 which seems to be a part of Lahti’s attacking strategy.
16	Albion Ademi	19	Inter	1000	LW
Kind of the same as above, only Ademi’s slightly younger and has far less end product. The end product will likely come in due time, and Inter’s resurgence might depend on it.
17	Tommi Jyry	18	HIFK	869	MC
Is he the second best prospect in the second tier? Tough to say, but he’s a key cog in the team that leads the league. At 18, that’s intriguing. Composed on the ball, likes to motor up and down the pitch, has a goal and an assist so far.
18	Ulrich Meleke	19	EIF	934	CB
A slight shot in the dark perhaps, but plays just about every minute of every game in central defence for a team that just doesn’t concede goals. Has prospect pedigree as he captains the Ivory Coast U-20s. Won’t play for EIF for long, probably won’t move within the country.
19	Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan	19	Klubi 04	725	LW
Klubi 04 have been garbage so far this season. Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan has not. He’s their leading goal scorer, and the only player who looks capable of creating in attack. He’s a good dribbler, capable of working in tight spaces but most effective on the break, when he can use his pace to run at opposition defenders. Would probably start for most Veikkausliiga teams.
20	Mikko Kuningas	20	Inter	1168	MC
Has been around forever, but is only 20. Has consistently produced end product from midfield. Questions still persist about whether the quickness of his feet will allow him to display the quickness of his mind at a higher level.
21	Santeri Väänänen	16	Klubi 04	663	DMC
Prototypical midfield terrier tasked with sweeping up between the leaky lines of Klubi 04’s midfield and defence. Looks a good tackler, tenacious. Started off a bit nervous in possession but has looked much more comfortable lately.
22	Miika Töyräs	19	KuPS	671	GK
Deputised for Otso Virtanen when he went down with injury, and did well. Made some high profile saves that caught the eye.
23	Omar Jama	20	VPS	1158	DMC
Had difficulties choosing between Jama and Laatikainen, went for Jama because he’s younger, has more impact in the final third and because, frankly, I think he’s better.
24	Tatu Varmanen	19	Inter	1105	RB
Looked imperious last season, this season has been a bit more difficult – has lately lost his place in the starting eleven as new Inter manager John Allen seems to favour size over ability. Plays hard, is good at getting forward. Would look different class in a better team. Completes around one cross per 90 (average for a fullback is 0.53), completes 1.5 successful dribbles (average around 1.1).
25	Aatu Laatikainen	21	VPS	1451	DMC
Laatikainen is a Vepsu-favorite, who, probably more than any other current player, symbolizes their possession heavy style of play (he has the second highest pass completion rate in the league). He’s a good passer and reads the game well, but whether that’s enough to carry him upwards and onwards is the question on my mind.
26	Oskari Jakonen	21	TPS	783	LW
Oskari Jakonen, prior to this season unbeknownst to me, is another Finnish FC Midtjylland alumni. He’s played for TPS since 2015, though, but he has the profile of someone who could be in line for a breakout. He shoots a lot, for a start, although he’s gotten a bit lucky with his end product so far.
27	Diogo Tomas	20	Ilves	927	CB
Defensive stats are what they are, and InStat’s defensive stats are even more what they are. That being said, Diogo Tomas is accumulating the fourth most interceptions per 90. Do with this factoid what you will. Also particularly strong in the air.
28	Eero-Matti Auvinen	22	VPS	1205	CB
Auvinen looks a good fit for Vepsu. Scores high in most of InStat’s defensive stats. Is good in the air, rarely fouls and has showed off his passing range at times.
29	Hamed Coulibaly	21	KuPS	1487	CB
KuPS are a fun team because they score a lot and also, crucially, because they concede a lot. It, obviously, isn’t only the fault of the defenders, but it nevertheless doesn’t flatter them. Coulibaly has played for KuPS for a long time and has been an above average performer throughout that time. Does he have another level?
30	Wato Kuate	22	RoPS	1420	MC
Kuate is another key player for high-flying RoPS. His role is to sit deep and break up play, rotating the ball left and right more often than progressing it. Is good in the air, tackles a bit and has already scored a goal and added two assists. The oldest player on this list.
31	Ville Tikkanen	18	SJK	957	CB
Honestly, Tikkanen has probably been a contributor to SJK’s woeful defense, but that comes with the territory as a young defender. He doesn’t stand out, for better or worse, but sometimes looks his age somewhat. Comfortable on the ball, and captained the U-19s earlier this week.
32	Kalle Katz	18	Klubi 04	840	CB
Again, Klubi 04 have been hot garb, but Katz has been one of their standout players. He is very comfortable on the ball and has a lovely opportunistic side to him, often dribbling the ball into midfield and beyond rather than passing it. In fact, this is the part of his game I’d like to see more of, even if it sometimes leaves his team in trouble, because it’s something that makes him stand out among his peers. Oh, and he isn’t averse to getting stuck in either, as he’s been sent off once this season, and gets carded just about every game.
33	Tuukka Kurki	19	HIFK	315	CF
This might be something of a short sample size overreaction (he hasn’t played a lot) but Kurki has already scored three goals and added an assist in what little playing time he’s received. Would like to see more of him, maybe beside fellow prospect Antti Ulmanen?
34	Markus Uusitalo	21	HJK	576	GK
Goalkeeper is a tricky position, and although Uusitalo has been displaced by Maksim Rudakov, I’m not sure he’s been totally at fault – Rudakov has just been better. Probably the most promising keeper playing in the league, but needs to get in the team again.
35	Anton Popovitch	21	Haka	972	MC
Captain, playmaker, set-piece taker for a mediocre Haka side. Has scored three and assisted three so far, mostly on the back of set-piece delivery.
36	Valtteri Vesiaho	19	HJK/Klubi 04	685	CB
Don’t get me wrong, Vesiaho is a far better prospect than this (probably the best central defensive prospect playing in Finland TBQHWYIMHO), it’s just that he’s in HJK prospect purgatory: too good to play for Klubi 04, displaced by more experienced players at Veikkausliiga level. Will get more playing time as the European qualification matches start, but would have liked to see more of him so far.
37	Patrik Alaharjula	21	JJK	940	CF
Never really got a chance for KuPS, but has looked promising a level down. Could be that it’s because it’s his level, could also be a breakout. Has almost the exact statistical profile as Benjamin Källman – warts and all.
38	Lassi Järvenpää	21	RoPS	1003	RB
Gets points for playing for a good team. Doesn’t stand out in any particular way, and maybe suffers a bit from being moved around a lot – is he a centre half, right back, right winger (he’s not a right winger)?
39	Daniel Rantanen	20	HIFK	650	MC
Plays big minutes for Ykkönen-leading HIFK. Loves a shot from distance, although results should maybe temper his excitement a little bit.
40	Anthony Olusanya	17	Jaro	589	RW
Right winger for high-flying Jaro. Struggles to impose himself at times, but gets playing time and sprinkles in shots and key passes at an inconsistent pace. One to keep an eye on, though.
41	Väinö Vehkonen	16	JJK	659	CB
Big, strong, left footed central defender for struggling JJK. Is mostly projection at this time, but is playing full games in the second tier at 16 which, to be honest, is more than you ever did, isn’t it?
42	Kristian Heinolainen	19	PS Kemi	631	LB
Heinolainen plays as a fullback for perennial shitshow PS Kemi. He is more of a defensive specialist, and has two good feet that have been getting wet at the highest national level.
43	Mensah, Evans	20	HJK	840	RW
Maybe I’m being harsh, but Mensah has been a bit of a disappointment this season. xG is down, xA is down, Goals and Assists are down, mostly because of bad locations. Could still turn it around, obviously, but should do a lot better.
44	Roni Peiponen	21	HJK	493	RB
Peiponen is down here mostly because of a lack of playing time. Again, I think he’s a better prospect than this, but he needs to be playing to prove it.
45	Niklas Jokelainen	18	Ilves	435	CF
Jokelainen returned from a brief stint at Stoke’s academy this season. He hasn’t played a lot, and when he has played he hasn’t particularly stood out. He’s scored a goal, which is a good start. Get some more minutes under the belt and let’s add some expectations next season.
46	Maximo Tolonen	17	SJK	433	LW
I can shamelessly admit that the placement of Tolonen is based on reputation more than on performances. A player with a different name and the same numbers would probably not appear on this list at all. Has been a bit disappointing so far, although early signs were promising. Still young though, needs to get on the pitch.
47	Joonas Sundman	20	SJK	832	LB
Has played a fair bit for a bad team, hasn’t stood out. We’ll wait and see.
48	Rasmus Leislahti	18	Klubi 04	748	GK
Has been the main goalkeeper for Klubi 04 at the tender age of 18. His team’s defensive record has been poor, and although it definitely hasn’t been his fault, it’s difficult to justify a higher position until that changes.
49	Henrik Ölander	20	PS Kemi	494	LB
Ölander, like Kristian Heinolainen, is a fullback who plays for Kemi. Of the two, Ölander has probably impressed more, but he’s almost two years older which is why he’s lower down.
50	Jarkko Heimonen	19	JJK	448	RB
Jarkko Heimonen hasn’t played a lot, but when he has played, he’s been impressive. It’s still early, but he looks like an energetic, attacking fullback.

Stats from InStat, kindly provided by the Veikkausliiga, and from my database. Stats up until 30.6.2018.

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