Bermudian International Djair Parfitt and his FC Haka teammates saw their Finnish Cup journey come to a dramatic end in the quarter-finals, falling to Kuopion Palloseura after a tense penalty shootout. The match finished 1-1 after regular time, but it was the visitors who held their nerve to advance to the semi-finals.
Kuopion Palloseura made an early breakthrough when Saku Savolainen headed in Petteri Pennanen's precise cross in the 12th minute. However, FC Haka, with Parfitt in the squad, responded well and found their deserved equaliser in the 33rd minute. Following a free-kick and a delivery from Jordan Houston, Mikael Almen powerfully headed the ball into the net to level the score at 1-1.
The second half saw no further goals, setting the stage for a dramatic penalty shootout. The shootout quickly turned sour for FC Haka. Oskari Sallinen was first up for Haka, but his shot was saved by Kuopion Palloseura's goalkeeper Johannes Kreidl. Mikael Almen and Arlind Sejdiu then also saw their efforts from a similar angle denied by the Austrian stopper.
In contrast, Ibrahim Cisse, Arttu Heinonen, and Agon Sadiku all successfully converted their penalties for Kuopion Palloseura. Their clinical finishing meant that FC Haka's cup run concluded at the quarter-final stage, a disappointing end for Parfitt and his teammates.
|
