Levadia 5-4 Flora

Levadia 5-4 Flora

Levadia kept their title hopes alive with a momentous win in a ridiculous match at the Kadrioru Staadion on Monday night. Flora came into the match in third place knowing that only a win would realistically keep their slim title hopes alive as Levadia and Kalju had were creeping further away at the top of the table. A crowd of 2150 saw the daft encounter. 

It was Levadia who struck first in the fourth minute as Ingemar Teever finished from close range following a long throw that really should have been dealt with by the Flora defence. However, Flora were back on level terms in the eighth minute when a good move down the right involving Zakaria Beglarišvili and Gert Kams was tapped home by Valeri Minkenen for his seventh goal of the season. Then, shortly before half time, an inexplicable handball from Flora defender Markus Jürgenson gifted Levadia a penalty, which captain Igor Morozov duly coverted to restore Levadia's lead. The second half wasn't a minute old when referee Kristo Tohver was pointing to the Flora penalty spot again, this time for a mistimed tackle by Nikita Baranov on Levadia's Albert Taar. Morozov again dispatched the penalty with ease to make it 3-1.

And it was 4-1 just after the hour when Taar won the ball in midfield and was allowed far too much time to fire home from 22 yards - a great strike though. Flora had some hope restored three minutes later when Beglarišvili curled home a lovely left footed shot from inside the penalty area. There was further hope in the 77th minute when Beglarišvili again fired home, this time from the edge of the box to make it 4-3. Flora's tails were up and Gert Kams completed an unlikely comeback hitting home after Roman Smiško in the Levadia goal had saved an initial header. The crashmat behind the goal proved a handy meeting point for the post-goal celebrations. 

But there was one final twist as the game went deep into injury time. As Flora were seconds away from a memorable point, they conceded possession near the edge of their penalty area and the ball was slipped through to Igor Subbotin. As he was about to shoot, what looked to be a great challenge came in from Karol Mets putting the ball out for a corner. Referee Tohver had other ideas and awarded a penalty to Levadia. Angry Flora players surrounded Tohver as he went over to consult with his assistant - the penalty stood and to add insult to injury, Mets was sent off for the challenge. There was still a penalty to be taken and Morozov completed his hat trick in the sixth minute of injury time with the final whistle blowing as soon as the ball hit the back of the net. 

Flora players continued to confront Tohver following the final whistle and Gert Kams could find himself in trouble for laying hands on the referee and then getting into a heated dispute with the Levadia physio who was on the pitch tending to Subbotin following the award of the penalty. Football can be a cruel mistress.

Elsewhere, Trans won 1-0 at Tallinna Kalev in an altogether less exciting match. Aleksandr Dubokin with the only goal of the game midway through the second half. 

Levadia travel to Sillamäe this weekend with Kalju not playing. Flora host bottom of the table Tammeka.

Meistriliiga August catch up

I have once again been pretty slack in keeping up to date with events in the Meistriliiga over the past few weeks - I guess this is what happens when the powers that be very selfishly schedule a number of sporting events during the same summer. They just don't think about the part time blogger covering the least popular league in Europe. As I say, selfish. Anyway, below are most of the goals from the past few weeks. 

Goals from week 22 (Saturday 4th August)

Goals from week 23 (Saturday 11th August)

'Highlights' from Viljandi 0-0 Tammeka (Sat 18th August)

Kalju have kept themselves ahead at the top of the table with three wins and three clean sheets against Trans, Viljandi and Paide while Levadia, who remain the only unbeaten team in the league, have gone goal crazy of late winning 7-0 against Kuressaare, 5-0 at Viljandi and 3-0 at Tammeka. Rimo Hunt and Albert Taar in particular have hit purple patches scoring eight goals between them in their last three games. Artur Pikk's free kick against Viljandi is also worth a watch. Levadia face third placed Flora at the Kadrioru tonight as they look to close the gap on Kalju to two points. Flora have drifted off the pace and a draw at Tallinna Kalev didn't help their cause. 

Preview of tonight's match is available on the EJL website. 

Tammeka are looking doomed at the bottom of the table having won just one game all season, though there looks to be a three way battle to avoid the relegation play off place for finishing ninth. Kuressaare currently occupy that spot but have games in hand on Viljandi and Tallinna Kalev above them.

The Estonian national team also fitted in a friendly against Poland last week, grabbing a good 1-0 win thanks for an injury time free kick from Konstantin Vassiljev. The starting line up featured three Meistriliiga players, defenders Igor Morozov, Tihhon Šišov and Alo Bärengrub who all completed 90 minutes.

Estonia 1-0 Poland (Wednesday 15th August)

Meistriliiga week 20: Kalju 2-0 Flora and other matches

Kalju 2-0 Flora

Kalju put a huge dent in Flora's title ambitions with a 2-0 win at the Kadrioru on Saturday - the win puts Kalju seven points clear of Flora having played nineteen matches each. In a rain soaked Tallinn, Eino Puri put Kalju ahead from close range near to half time after Flora failed to deal with Sergei Terehhov's hopeful free kick. Flora were again architects of their own downfall for Kalju's second just after the hour as they gave the ball away due to some good pressing high up the pitch from Kalju. The ball eventually fell to Yankuba Ceesay who exchanged a neat one-two on the edge of the box with Juri Jevdokimov and lashed the ball home sparking jubilant scenes among the Kalju players and fans. Flora coach Martin Reim was unhappy at his side conceding a goal shortly before half time: "We gifted them a goal. It changed the course of the game and we had to attack, which in turn creates holes and mistakes in defence." Reim also made reference to their tough game against Basel in Champions League qualifying the previous Tuesday that affected Flora's energy levels. The result leaves Flora off the pace in their bid for a hat trick of Meistriliiga titles - the two sides meet again on the penultimate day of the season (27th October). 

Viljandi 6-0 Kuressaare

Towards the foot of the table, Viljandi hit Kuressaare for six. They were helped greatly by the early dismissal of Kuressaare's goalkeeper Mihhail Lavrentjev for preventing a goalscoring opportunity, hauling down the Viljandi player as he looked to round him. Substitute goalkeeper Riido Reiman came on, replacing Tauno Laja, and his first job was to face Eron Krillo's penalty - but he couldn't stop the low penalty into the bottom corner. Taavi Laurits doubled the lead five minutes later with a precise right footed finish from inside the penalty area and Joel Indermitte had made it 3-0 from a corner before half time. Laurits scored his second on 67 minutes and Marten Mütt added two late on as the Kuressaare players were out on their feet. A big win for Viljandi which takes them above Kuressaare into eighth place in the Meistriliiga table as both sides look to avoid finishing in ninth, a position that brings with it a relegation/promotion play-off with the second placed Esiliiga team. 

And the Viljandi players were delighted with the result, as you'll see from the video below. Sadly, they stopped short of soaking their coach with champagne:

Viljandi players celebrate their win

Tallinna Kalev 0-6 Levadia

Monday night saw Tallinna Kalev host Levadia at Kalevi Keskstaadion. Goals in the first twenty minutes from Janar Toomet and Artur Rättel set up a comfortable evening for Levadia as they cruised to a 6-0 win and moved back above Flora into second place. Rättel completed a hat trick in the second half and further goals from Marek Kaljumäe and Ingemar Teever, a great free kick and his first goal in a Levadia shirt, made for an emphatic result. Kuressaare are next up for Levadia on Monday night as they look to keep the pressure on Kalju in top spot.

Trans 0-1 Sillamäe

Paide 4-1 Tammeka

In the weekend's other two matches, Sillamäe won the Ida-Viru derby with a late goal from Aleksandr Bebikh. And Paide drew level with fifth placed Trans following a 4-1 win over Tammeka - the goals came from Tiit Tikenberg (penalty), Lauri Varendi and Stanislav Goldberg (2) with Tammeka's reply coming from Alex Nimo. Not a good start for new Tammeka coach Joti Stamatopoulos as they are beginning to look beyond help in their battle against relegation. 

Meistriliiga week 19: Kuressaare pick up valuable win

Kuressaare 2-1 Tallinna Kalev

Kuressaare notched up a very important win on Saturday in their bid to move away from relegation troubles. It was just their second win of the season (the first being the memorable win away to Flora) and puts three points between them and Viljandi in ninth - it also leaves them just three points off Tallinna Kalev in seventh while Kuressaare have three games in hand. It didn't start well for the islanders, as a monumental blunder from goalkeeper Mihhail Lavrentjev allowed Kalev's French striker Kassim Aidara to tap home. Kalev's lead lasted only a minute though as pint-sized midfielder Margus Rajaver equalised for Kuressaare with a shot across Stanislav Tokarev into the far corner. The winner, on 71 minutes, was a scrappy affair as Kalev failed to clear the ball following a left wing free kick. The ball eventually fell to Gregor Könninge after Tokarev had palmed a shot away, and the midfielder tapped home. 

With neither Flora or Levadia playing this weekend, Kalju had an opportunity to put distance between themselves and their Tallinn rivals as they faced bottom of the table Tammeka in Tartu. What sounded like a routine win was a little less so in reality as late goals gave Kalju a 4-1 win. Sergei Terehhov had given Kalju the lead midway through the first half, but they had to wait until the 78th minute for Hidetoshi Wakui to make things more comfortable. Even then, Tammeka's Mikk Valtna pulled one back with nine minutes remaining leaving Kalju edgy until further goals from Oliver Konsa and Siim Valtna (og) sealed the win. 

Sillamäe and Viljandi shared four goals, all coming in an action packed period just after half time. Vladislav Ivanov put Sillamäe ahead with his tenth goal of the season two minutes after the break, but Viljandi hit back to go 2-1 ahead after quickfire goals from Martin Tšegodajev and Taavi Laurits turned things around. Sillamäe's equaliser came from Aleksandr Volodin on 69 minutes to make it 2-2. A decent point for Viljandi but they will have been disappointed to see Kuressaare win above them.

Tonight sees Flora take on Basel in their Champions League qualifier, a game in which the Swiss team are heavy favourites. Flora then face Kalju on Saturday, a big match in the title race. Levadia play Tallinna Kalev on Monday night. 

Meistriliiga week 18: Flora move into second

Flora 3-0 Sillamäe

Flora leapfrogged city rivals Levadia into second place in the Meistriliiga table with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sillamäe at the A.Le Coq Arena on Saturday. Flora were ahead in the 19th minute when Gert Kams stooped to head Karl-Eerik Luigend's cross home at the far post. It was 2-0 ten minutes later when Valeri Minkenen converted a penalty following a double hand ball by Tanel Tamberg. Flora controlled the second half as Sillamäe rarely threatened and Kams sealed the win with a good header three minutes from time. Levadia and Kalju's 1-1 draw at Kadriorg later in the day meant that Flora stayed second. Nearly 500 saw Igor Subbotin put Levadia 1-0 up with a tap in after 11 minutes and Gambian midfielder Yankuba Ceesay equalise for Kalju following a corner on 69 minutes. The result helps Flora in their pursuit of top spot as they now sit just a point behind Kalju, though Kalju have a game in hand.

Tammeka 2-3 Trans

A see-saw game in Tartu saw Trans eventually emerge with three points against Tammeka. Aleksandr Alekseev struck from the edge of the box after just six minutes but Tammeka turned it round midway through the first half. Kaspar Kaldoja was fouled when about to shoot in the Trans area and a penalty awarded on 33 minutes. Kaldoja picked himself up to slot home. Three minutes later, Ander Paabut pressurised Trans captain Stanislav Kitto into conceding possession and then Paabut fired home from the 18 yards. But Vitali Gussev turned it round for Trans in the second half, first with a good volley from the angle of the penalty area  and the second, on 73 minutes, a clinical finish after easing past three Tammeka defenders. The win puts Trans back into fifth place above Paide as they look to catch Sillamäe in fourth spot. It also leaves Tammeka stuck at the bottom of the table as they continue to miss Albert Prosa's goals - they've managed just seven goals in 17 games this season.

Thursday night sees three Meistriliiga teams in action in the qualifying round of the Europa League. Kalju travel to Azerbaijan to face Xäzär Länkäran, while Trans also face Azerbaijani opposition in Inter Baku (in Rakvere). Levadia face Šiauliai of Lithuania at Kadriorg.

Meistriliiga round 17: Captain Morozov rescues Levadia

Meistriliiga week 17 goals

Levadia needed two second half goals from captain Igor Morozov to take all three points against Trans in Narva on Tuesday evening. Aleksandr Alekseev had put Trans ahead midway through the first half heading home from ten yards. It was looking likely that Levadia would concede second place to Flora (given that they were at home to Viljandi) but Morozov stepped in. His first was a great acrobatic effort following a corner, though he was perhaps slightly lucky that it wasn't disallowed for dangerous play with the head of a Trans defender very nearby. His second and the winner, three minutes from time, came with a glanced header from a left wing free kick. A great second half turnaround for Levadia. 

Kalju eventually broke Kuressaare's stubborn resistance with a 2-0 win at the Kadrioru. Hidetoshi Wakui opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season on 74 minutes and Tanel Melts added the second with a back post header five minutes later. Flora recorded a straightforward 5-0 victory at home to Viljandi, with Karl Mööl scoring the fastest goal of the Meistriliiga season after just 12 seconds. He headed a second to make it 2-0 after three minutes and a brace from Andre Frolov and one from Zakaria Beglarišvili made for an emphatic scoreline.

Tammeka look to be in real trouble after a 2-0 defeat in Sillamäe - just five goals in 15 matches demonstrating where their troubles lie. Vladislav Ivanov scored both Sillamäe goals, the first from the penalty spot and the second on the counter attack in the 87th minute. Paide moved up to fifth in the table with a 1-0 win at home to Tallinna Kalev - Stanislav Goldberg with the winner on 65 minutes.

There are three games in the Meistriliiga tomorrow:

Flora v Sillamäe

Levadia v Kalju

Tammeka v Trans

Levadia v Kalju obviously the pick of the bunch there as a win for Levadia could take them top of the table.

Champions League and Europa League qualifying draws

The draws for the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League for 2012/13 took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland yesterday. There were four Meistriliiga teams involved in the draw - Flora, Kalju, Levadia and Trans. 


The draws were as follows:


Champions League second qualifying round


Flora Tallinn v FC Basel
To be played during weeks of 17th/18th July and 24th/25th July


Europa League first qualifying round


Inter Baku (Azerbaijan) v Narva Trans
FC Šiauliai (Lithuania) v Levadia Tallinn
Xäzär Länkäran FK (Azerbaijan) v JK Kalju
Matches to be played on 5th and 12th July


So not an easy draw for Flora, but some potentially winnable ties for the Europa League teams. In a wonderful footballing twist of fate, Kalju's tie pits full back Tihhon Šišov against his former club, Xäzär Länkäran, with whom he had a long running dispute for non-payment of wages before finally being released from his contract and allowed to join Kalju at the end of last year. Levadia should also know something about Šiauliai from near neighbours Lithuania. Trans may want to tap up Estonian international Dmitri Kruglov for some tips on Inter Baku as he played for the club for a year in 2010/11, and had played in Azerbaijan since 2008 before a move to FC Rostov in Russia last year.


Should Kalju overcome Xäzär Länkäran, they will face either Lech Poznan (Poland) or Zhetysu Taldykorgan (Kazakhstan) - I know who I'd rather play - in the second qualifying round. Levadia could face Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus) and Trans would meet Asteras Tripolis (Greece).