Super competitive title race number two

Finland's Veikkausliiga had up until last week four sides that were vying for the title, in the end that was won for the first time by IFK Mariehamn after they got the win they needed against Ilves. However across the gulf in neighbouring Estonia, the title race is entering the final two rounds of games with one crucial result on Tuesday ensuring a dramatic finale is in store for these final rounds of games.

Tuesday saw Nõmme Kalju beat bottom side Rakvere Tarvas 2-1 with a winning goal from Italian Maximiliano Uggè in stoppage time. That goal moved Nõmme Kalju into second place, two points behind leaders Infonet with two rounds of games to play. They moved level on points with the big two Tallinn clubs Levadia and Flora on seventy-two. Four contenders for the title with two rounds left.

The league known as the Meistriliiga is contested by ten teams with all of them playing each other home and away twice. It commences in March every year and concludes in November. This season the four contenders have been in a league of their own. The league table shows this with the gap between 4th placed Levadia Tallinn and 5th placed Sillamäe Kalev standing at an enormous twenty-five points. 6th placed Paide are level with Sillamäe Kalev who themselves are nine points clear of the next side in the table, 8th placed Tammeka.

The Contenders:

To the four contenders themselves. Two of them are the country's most successful sides, Flora and Levadia Tallinn. Flora Tallinn have since independence in 1992, racked up ten league titles, their arch-rivals Levadia have nine. However you might be forgiven in thinking Levadia have been around since independence in the top flight but in actual fact, Levadia only played their first top flight season in 1999 having been founded the year before. Flora were the dominant team in the 90s and hold a joint record with Trans Narva in being the only founding members of the Meistriliiga in 1992 to never be relegated.

Nõmme Kalju are chasing only their second league title. Winners in 2012, they have emerged as a challenger to the Flora, Levadia arms race that developed in the 2000s. Promoted to the top flight for the first time in 2008 they have never finished below 5th in their current spell. During the summer they shocked Israeli side Maccabi Haifa in the Europa league qualifying rounds by beating them on penalties before bowing out to Osmanlıspor in the following round. They knocked out HJK Helsinki in their debut champions league campaign back in 2013 before Czech side Viktoria Plzeň ended their dreams.

The final contender are actually the current leaders, Infonet. They also hail from the capital Tallinn. However they are the only one of the contenders to never taste a league triumph. In fact they are the youngest club having been founded only in 2002. Infonet also only made their top flight bow in 2013 which makes their rise to this title challenge all the more impressive. Last season they ended up twenty-two points off the title, with two rounds left they are two clear.

The Run-in:

The season climaxes on November 5th but this coming Saturday (October 29th) will be a pivotal round. Flora Tallinn host Sillamäe Kalev with Levadia Tallinn away at bottom side Rakvere Tarvas. Nõmme Kalju are on the road to Tartu to face Tammeka with leaders Infonet playing the day before everyone at home to Paide, a chance to really put pressure on the chasing trio. 

Should all four remain in contention after this next round of games, the final day promises to be a very interesting watch. Similar to Finland's title race just ended, we have a pair of head-to-head fixtures for the title. Nõmme Kalju host leaders Infonet and Tallinn city rivals Levadia and Flora go at it in the derby. A mouthwatering climax to a pretty epic title race.