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Reposted by Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer)

Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

After a 4 year hiatus, I've written a blog. It's about Finnish players moving to foreign academies, and contains some novel research I've done on it. minorleaguesoccer.wordpress.com/2026/06/03/s...

minorleaguesoccer.wordpress.com

Should I stay or should I go?

A lot of Finnish players have moved abroad to play in foreign academies recently, and research suggest that this is: bad.

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

After a 4 year hiatus, I've written a blog. It's about Finnish players moving to foreign academies, and contains some novel research I've done on it. minorleaguesoccer.wordpress.com/2026/06/03/s...

minorleaguesoccer.wordpress.com

Should I stay or should I go?

A lot of Finnish players have moved abroad to play in foreign academies recently, and research suggest that this is: bad.

163

Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Kautta pelattu jo reilu kuukausi, pelataanko vielä #futismanageri -peliä? Osaako @jessesaarine.bsky.social esim sanoa onko ollut toimiva konsepti?

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Reposted by Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer)

Tuukka Kotimäki @tkotimaki.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Axel Kouamen ja Mohamed Touren miljoonasiirtoja työstänyt Jarkko Anttila avaa ajatuksiaan pelaaja-agenttina. Anttilan mukaan nuorten pelaajien vanhempien pitäisi olla tarkkana nykymenossa, jossa houkuttelut aloitetaan todella aikaisin. #Veikkausliiga www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-...

hs.fi

Jalkapallo | Jarkko Anttila varoittaa Suomen huippujuniorien vanhempia: “Hyvä ettei päiväkodista haeta pelaajia”

Nopeasti jalkapallon agenttibisneksen kuumaksi nimeksi noussut Jarkko Anttila väittää, ettei Suomessa tehdä tarpeeksi pelaajien myyntipotentiaalin eteen.

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

The stories around Eeli Kiiskilä this season have been funny to follow because he’s being talked about as a late bloomer because he’s been out of the youth national teams at U16 and U17 levels. He’s just turned 18! He’s the youngest starter in the league!

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Maybe veering into remembering some guys territory but Eero Markkanen's career has just always been fascinating to me. He had his first league season with more than 1000 minutes at age 29! He has a higher goals per 90 career rate in Allsvenskan than Veikkausliiga!

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Didn’t notice VPS picked up Jabir Abdihakim Ali. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him top the scoring charts at the end of the season if they can play to his strengths.

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

There's been some warranted discussion lately about set-pieces, which sparked a memory about one of my earliest blogs, in which I posited that KuPS were targetting the six-yard area with inswingers, to an extent I don't think I've seen since in Finland.

Data vizualisation showing KuPS targetting the six-yard area with their corner deliveries

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Interestingly, the Finnish FA have defined new principles of play for the youth national teams (ages 15-19), basically moving away from focusing on ball possession toward these four: "box, press, accelerate, behind". A welcome development in my opinion.

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Toivo Mero’s form in the UEFA Youth League this season makes him one of the most intriguing players heading into the 2026 season.

List of top goalscorers in UEFA Youth League 2025/2026, Toivo Mero in 5th place with 7 goals in 7 appearances

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Kirjoittiko kukaan syksyllä Huovilan Inter-siirron yksityiskohdista? Tapahtui siis kesken syyskauden. Esim @tkotimaki.bsky.social?

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Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer) @minorleaguesoccer.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

"Three points: - The whale is real - The whale is strong - And the whale is my friend"

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Reposted by Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer)

Paul Riley @footballfactman.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Things that annoy me... Finnish football accounts more bothered about Finnish players in foreign leagues than ones in their own domestic leagues

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Reposted by Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer)

Tuukka Kotimäki @tkotimaki.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Pikkuhuuhkajien ja sitä nuorempien maajoukkueiden pelaajistossa on virta vienyt voimalla Eurooppaan. Samalla, Veikkausliigan peliaikatilanne 17-19-vuotiailla suomalaisilla ja sarjan ulkomaalaisprosentti selittävät ilmiötä melkoisesti. Tutkin näitä, #Aitio www.apu.fi/artikkelit/y...

apu.fi

Yhä useampi nuori suomalaisjalkapalloilija valitsee ulkomaisen reitin – Veikkausliiga-seurojen on mentävä peilin eteen | Aitio

Suomalaislupausten uravalinnat kohti ulkomaan akatemioita voivat olla pelaajien kannalta järkeviä, mutta kertovat samalla karua kieltään Veikkausliiga-polun heikoista näkymistä. Jos kotimainen pääsarj...

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Reposted by Axel Storbacka (Minor League Soccer)

Lari Vesander @vesander.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Suomessa ei ole ainuttakaan alle 30-vuotiasta kansainvälisen tason huippu(mies)jalkapalloilijaa. Miten musta aukko syntyi ja mitä tilanteen parantamiseksi voisi tehdä? www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-...

hs.fi

Jalkapallo | Suomi kadotti kokonaisen sukupolven: ”On mietitty liikaa, missä taskussa pitää seisoa”

Suomessa ei ole ainuttakaan alle 30-vuotiasta huippupelaajaa, mutta Norja, Ruotsi ja Tanska tuottavat sellaisia melkein liukuhihnalta. Mikä Suomi-futiksessa meni pieleen ja mitä asialle pitäisi tehdä?

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