The U17 Baltic Cup opened with a draw between Finland and Estonia. Finland dominated possession for most of the match but lacked cynicism and quality in their finishing in the penalty box. Estonia, meanwhile, defended their goal with resilience to secure a clean sheet.
Finland, coached by Ossi Virta, lined up in a 1-4-3-3 formation and were awarded a penalty in the 15th minute after a well-timed ball over the opposition’s defensive line, but Milton Käld failed to convert from the spot.
They repeatedly exploited the space between the opposition wing-backs and centre-backs to attack the cutback zone, with the tracking midfielders often failing to recover quickly enough to close the gap (see image below).
Finland consistently overloaded the area beyond the far post from attacking corners, creating dangerous goalscoring opportunities through inswinging deliveries (see image below).
Estonia, coached by Nikita Brolin, lined up in a 1-3-4-3 formation. For large periods of the match, they defended in a low block, dropping into a compact 1-5-4-1 shape out of possession.
In possession, they built up with a double pivot, while the two wingers moved into the half-spaces to create a square in midfield. Despite enjoying a numerical advantage in this area, they struggled to progress the ball due to a lack of individual tactical awareness, particularly from the two central midfielders (see image below).
Here the players who stood out in this match:
Luka Lehtonen (Finland / Ilves Tampere), striker born 2010.
Luka is a mobile striker with strong physical attributes, including pace and strength. He is effective at protecting the ball when receiving with his back to goal, allowing him to bring teammates into play. He won a penalty in the first half by attacking the space behind the defenders with good timing, but also missed a clear chance from close range.
A loan move to a Ykkönen side to gain minutes at a higher level would benefit his development.
Pessi Lähteenmäki (Finland / Käpylän Pallo), centre-back born 2010.
Pessi is a centre-back who poses a constant threat on set pieces due to his heading ability. He can switch play with precise long passes, but at times loses possession when attempting to play through the opposition’s defensive block. He would benefit from improving his agility and footwork in 1v1 defensive situations.
Regular minutes with Käpylän Pallo’s first team, particularly against faster and stronger opponents, would help him gain the experience needed to improve his ball management and defensive consistency. In the longer term, he has the potential to become a relevant profile for mid-table Allsvenskan and Eliteserien teams.
Joel Ahen (Finland / Turun Palloseura), left winger born 2010.
Joel is a left-footed winger with pace and strength, he is particularly strong in attacking 1v1 situations. He most often beats his opponent on the outside to deliver dangerous crosses with his left foot, and is also capable of playing precise through passes to break the opposition defensive line.
Joel is a profile to follow for top 1st Division and lower-table Superliga clubs in Denmark. His physical attributes could help him demonstrate his potential by earning minutes in TPS’s first team this season.
Emil Ahola (Finland / Käpylän Pallo), defensive midfielder born 2010.
Emil is a deep-lying playmaker with strong vision and passing accuracy. He links play effectively by providing supporting angles and is capable of playing precise long passes behind the opposition’s defensive line, including one that led to a penalty situation. He also shows good defensive positioning, allowing him to intercept forward passes and contribute to counterpressing actions. He would benefit from improving his aerial ability.
Emil is well suited to teams using a deep-lying playmaker in a 1-4-3-3 formation. His distribution and ability to connect lines would likely flourish in a league such as the Eredivisie, which he has the potential to reach in the long term.
Andero Tatrik (Estonia / FC Flora), goalkeeper born 2011.
Andero is a left-footed goalkeeper with good height who is quick off his line to close down opponents and block shots. He saved a penalty by diving to his right side, although he was also responsible for conceding the penalty. He made several other important saves from close range in dangerous situations.
Andero is a strong option for top Primavera teams in Italy. His experience in senior football with FC Flora U21 would support his adaptation to the Italian goalkeeping style. In the long term, he could develop into a suitable profile for mid-table Ekstraklasa teams.
Ivan Krasnov (Estonia / Nomme United), right winger born 2010.
Ivan is a fast right-footed winger, strong in attacking 1v1 situations. He dribbles past defenders with ease to create chances for both himself and his teammates and is also capable of receiving the ball between the lines. He would benefit from improving his finishing with his left foot.
His smooth transition into Nõmme United’s first team has allowed him to make an impact at youth international level. The next step for him could be establishing himself as a starter in the Premium Liiga before moving to one of the league’s top three teams. Further development could also see him progressing to low-to mid-table Veikkausliiga sides.
Denis Zotov (Estonia / FC Flora), left winger born 2011.
