Purje double sinks Finland, San Marino next
The Estonian national football team faced Finland on Tuesday, beating the hosts 2-0 thanks to goals by Ats Purje. San Marino will visit Estonia on Sunday in an important EURO 2016 qualifier.
The game was the 31st match between the two nations, with the first game taking place in Helsinki in 1920. Purje, who has now scored three of the four goals scored by the national team in the last six month, struck on either side of the half despite Finland dominating most of the match.
Estonia currently lies second-last ahead of San Marino in its qualifying group. Last year Estonia could only manage a 0-0 draw against the minnows, who had previously lost 61 matches in a row. A win on Sunday in Tallinn could put Estonia back into contention for EURO 2016 qualification.
Estonia is on four points, two behind Lithuania and five behind Switzerland and Slovenia. England is top of the group with 15 points from five games, including a 1-0 win in Tallinn. Estonia is yet to play Switzerland, Lithuania and San Marino at home, and England and Slovenia away.
The team for Sunday (name, date of birth, current club, caps/goals for national team):
Mihkel Aksalu (07.11.1984) – Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (FIN) 15/0
Pavel Londak (14.05.1980) – FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 24/0
Sergei Pareiko (31.01.1977) – Tallinna FC Levadia 63/0
Defenders
Vladimir Avilov (10.03.1995) – Tallinna FC Infonet 1/0
Markus Jürgenson (09.09.1987) – Tallinna FC Flora 4/0
Ken Kallaste (31.08.1988) – Nõmme Kalju FC 14/0
Gert Kams (25.05.1985) – Tallinna FC Flora 38/2
Ragnar Klavan (30.10.1985) – FC Augsburg (GER) 101/3
Dmitri Kruglov (24.05.1984) – Tallinna FC Levadia 97/3
Artur Pikk (05.03.1993) – Tallinna FC Levadia 3/0
Taijo Teniste (31.01.1988) – Sogndal Fotball (NOR) 37/0
Midfielders and strikers
Rauno Alliku (02.03.1990) – Tallinna FC Flora 6/0
Henri Anier (17.12.1990) – Dundee United FC (SCO) 22/6
Ilja Antonov (05.12.1992) – Tallinna FC Levadia 17/0
Aleksandr Dmitrijev (18.02.1982) – Tallinna FC Infonet 90/0
Artjom Dmitrijev (14.11.1988) – Nõmme Kalju FC 0/0
Maksim Gussev (20.07.1994) – Tallinna FC Flora 0/0
Joel Lindpere (05.10.1981) – Nõmme Kalju FC 98/7
Siim Luts (12.03.1989) – Tallinna FC Levadia 20/1
Karol Mets (16.05.1993) – Viking Stavanger (NOR) 16/0
Ats Purje (03.08.1985) – Nõmme Kalju FC 48/5
Sergei Zenjov (20.04.1989) – FK Torpedo Moskva (RUS) 42/7
Ingemar Teever (24.02.1983) – Tallinna FC Levadia 28/4
Konstantin Vassiljev (16.08.1984) – Piast Gliwice (POL) 77/19
Editor: J.M. Laats