10th assist of the season across all competitions for Rogerson in their 1-0 win over Inter Turku this morning.
What sort of quality league is this? Both seem to performing consistently to a high standard.
Weaker than the A-League but not bad. Nikko Boxall played there for a long time and has been a super dependable fringe All White. If they continue to perform and improve then it could be a good step towards stronger leagues like Norway/Sweden/Denmark.
He's certainly doing well for FC Haka, and even if the league isn't Premier League standard he's still going out and doing the job for his side on a consistent basis. That, and he's young enough that the sort of returns he's getting in terms of goals and assists will hopefully (🤞) make clubs from further afield sit up and take notice. His current club contract has an option for another year, so you'd think that'd be a certainty to be activated, unless something does eventuate on the the transfer front.
Just to go a bit further on this, the biggest transfers from the Veikkausliga over the past couple of years tend to favour moves to top tier Swedish clubs Lucas Lingman > Helsingborg €400,000 Nikko Viitikko > Trelleborg €120,000 Albion Ademi > Djurgården €200,000 Ilmari Niskanen > Ingolstadt (Germany) €350,000 There are a few others, but Sweden seems to be the next step quite regularly, so to speak.
It is also worth noting, that if Haka can maintain 4th spot, then they will be in the Europa Conference League playoffs for next season.
IMG_20220929_215449.jpg158.72 KB I've gone with this table because some have the cut-off as 3rd (even if that is the case they will be involved in Playoffs in order to qualify) but because Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) won the League Cup, they already qualify for the Conference League - Unless of course they overtake HJK at the top and jump into the CL qualifiers. I will seek confirmation of the exact details though.
All said and done, he has been a weapon for his side this season, and I'm sure he has probably piqued the interest of a few clubs around Scandinavia, we shall wait and see I guess. But promising signs all round.
Final tidbit of information for the evening, Rogerson and league leading goal scorer Lee Erwin are up there as the most threatening players not only for their club, but in the Veikkausliga in general. Of Erwin's 15 goals for the season, Rogerson has assisted him on five occasions. He can score goals, as well as lay them on.
Hopefully this is just the beginning of a successful career for him over in Europe, after an unfortunate & injury ravaged stint last time out in Germany. He's definitely got the goods to make a good fist of it. Best of luck to him.
Re the Veikkausliga standard, and using top team HJK as a bench mark. They got knocked out of the UCL playoffs getting whipped by Czech club Viktoria Plzen 7-1 on aggregate. Plzendid make it through to the UCL Group stages.
But HJK did then get into the Europa League Group stages, winning UEL 2 legged playoff ties against Slovenian club Maribor & then Danish club Silkeborg (currently 4th in the Superliga).
After 2 Europa League group games HJK are bottom of their group (3-0 loss to Roma in Italy & a 0-2 loss to Real Betis at home).
Anyway yes if Rogerson keeps doing what he's doing, he'll get noticed. Nikko Boxall ping ponged between the Veikkausliga, and Danish 2nd tier.
Haka (4th, 43 pts) to travel to KuPS (2nd, 50 pts). With only 3 games left, Haka need to win to have any chance of grabbing 2nd spot and UEFA Conference League Qualifier spot. As it is they will make the UEFA Conference League Playoffs.
But front runners David Browne's HJK (1st, 55 pts) & KuPS do look a cut above the pack.
Ah yes, another Team of the Month acknowledgement. Further reward for a superb season from Logan Rogerson – he was one of four Haka players to make the September edition... plus their coach was also acknowledged. All of which comes on the back of some excellent form which had them challenging for third place and a European spot coming into this past week despite not being assured of sneaking into the championship play-offs until the last few regular season rounds.
So Haka finish their season in 4th, and a UEFA Conference League Play-off spot for 2023.
Rogerson played all 27 league games, with 23 starts & 4 sub appearances. 4 goals.
He'll be happy with his season, after failing to get many playing mins, first time around in Finland with heavyweights HJK. As others have said could be on the radar of clubs in likes of Denmark & Sweden.
FC Haka taistelee vielä isoista asioista tällä kaudella. Seuraavaksi vuorossa on Eurolopputurnaus, jossa panoksena paikka europeleihin. Hakan sijoittuminen huikeasti neljänneksi Veikkausliigassa takasi suoran paikan turnauksen finaaliin.
Kausikorttihaaste etenee ja huikea 1700 varauksen etappi on saavutettu, joten sen kunniaksi julkaistaan odotettu jatkosopimus - @RogersonLogan ja FC Haka ovat allekirjoittaneet sopimuksessa olleen 1 vuoden option, mikä pitää uusiseelantilaisen Valkeakoskella myös kauden 2023!👊 pic.twitter.com/RcHvSh7kGK
Well that was in the pipeline for sure. Signs the +1 year option to stay in Finland. Excellent work from Haka to keep him.
Season so far across all competitions with one game left to secure Europa Conference League action. 35 games 6 goals 13 assists Not bad numbers 🔥
Pretty confident that Oli Whyte will find himself an extension too, but nothing confirmed on this yet. Looks like Haka have 7 signed up for next term at this stage. Lee Erwin will be a big target for them. Would be hard to replace their 20+ goal striker.
FC Haka triggered the option in Rogerson’s contract to keep him around for another year with the club. This was his first full season with Haka having spent half of 2021 on loan with them before making that move permanent at the start of 2022. Ollie Whyte’s current deal expires at the end of the year, we’ll find out soon enough if he’s got a contract option too or what’ll happen there. Rogerson’s one of a few players re-signed lately so they’re definitely in stocktake mode.
FCH Head coach Teemu Tainio: “Logan's season has been great! It has been wonderful to watch his development and we believe that we will still be able to take big steps forward together. We are really happy about Logan's continuation and his incredible amount of work day after day is a good example for other players.”
Logan Rogerson: “I am very happy and excited to stay in Haka for one more season. This has been a good year for me personally and for the team as well, so hopefully we can continue the same next year, the striker rejoices. I have enjoyed my time here on and off the field, especially with my great teammates. One of the best things in Haka and Valkeakoski is the support of the fans and the togetherness I get here.”
Pretty that pre season comp is played indoors on artificial turf. But yes hopefully Rogerson especially can have a really good 2nd season at Haka, and catch the eye of some bigger clubs elsewhere.
Whyte might be a chance of an AWs callup in March, especially if a few midfielders are unavailable. Always a tricky window the March one, with many club seasons at the pointy end. Games are just friendlies after all, and is a long time before AWs will be playing a meaningful competitive game. So wouldn't surprise if a few skip the long flight down under for a few games that if we are brutally honest will be long forgotten by WC 2026.
Both Kiwis started in a 2-1 loss. Whyte off at HT (1-0 VPS)
Looks like Haka’s leading scorer last season Scot, Lee Erwin (ex St Mirren), has left. He’ll be hard to replace
Yep, will be hard to replace that output. The fact that Rogerson assisted him for 6-7 of those goals too means that whoever has come in is going to have to get up to speed with his new team mates relatively quickly.
Erwin has taken the money on offer in Lebanon of all places with Al Ahed-FC. Ironically in a country without much money... Also a club with close ties to Hezbollah. 👀
Both Rogerson and Whyte starting for FC Haka in their 2nd Liiga Cup match against Ilves.
Will be looking to bounce back after their 2-1 loss first up last weekend.
Looking for big things this season from the both of these guys. Whyte in particular now that he's beginning to consistently appear in the starting XI. It will be good to see if Rogerson can also maintain some consistency and build upon his impressive campaign from last season.
Early days and all that, and yes, it's a pre season cup, but you gotta take the opportunities when they present themselves.