Saku Puhakainen

Saku Puhakainen
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-01-14) 14 January 1975
Place of birth Lappeenranta, Finland
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992 Rakuunat 18 (2)
1993–1994 Kultsu 43 (17)
1995 Kuusysi 25 (8)
1996–1999 TPS 100 (30)
1997 → Aarhus Fremad (loan) 3 (1)
2000–2009 MYPA 257 (75)
2010 Kultsu 9 (8)
Total 455 (141)
International career
1997 Finland 3 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 May 2010

Saku Puhakainen (born 14 January 1975) is a Finnish former footballer who played as a striker.

Club career

Since 2000 Puhakainen played for MyPa in the Finnish premier division, Veikkausliiga. His earlier clubs include FC Kuusysi and Turun Palloseura. He achieved the Veikkausliiga top scorer title in 2003. With MyPa he has won the Finnish Cup in 2004 and the Finnish championship in 2005. After being released from MYPA, he returned to Kultsu FC playing in third division. During his career, he made 382 appearances and scored 114 goals in Finnish top-tier Veikkausliiga.

International career

Puhakainen played three times for Finland and scored twice under coach Richard Møller Nielsen in 1997.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Domestic cups[a] Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rakuunat 1992 Kakkonen 182––182
Kultsu 1993 Ykkönen 269––269
1994 Ykkönen 178––178
Total 431700004317
Kuusysi 1995 Veikkausliiga 259––259
TPS 1996 Veikkausliiga 25710–267
1997 Veikkausliiga 266–4[b]0306
1998 Veikkausliiga 245–4[b]2287
1999 Veikkausliiga 2512––2512
Total 10030108210932
Aarhus Fremad (loan) 1997–98 Danish Superliga 31––31
MYPA 2000 Veikkausliiga 3210–2[b]13411
2001 Veikkausliiga 319–2[c]13310
2002 Veikkausliiga 2813–2[c]03013
2003 Veikkausliiga 2614–4[c]03014
2004 Veikkausliiga 269112[b]12911
2005 Veikkausliiga 208002[c]0228
2006 Veikkausliiga 171004[d]2213
2007 Veikkausliiga 254004[c]0294
2008 Veikkausliiga 265––265
2009 Veikkausliiga 26260–322
Total 257757122528681
Kultsu 2010 Kolmonen 98––98
PEPO Lappeenranta 2011 Kakkonen 10––10
Career total 45614281307494150
  1. ↑ Includes Suomen Cup and Finnish League Cup
  2. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in UEFA Cup
  4. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

Finland
YearAppsGoals
199732
Total32

International goals

As of match played 25 February 1997. Finland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Puhakainen goal.
List of international goals scored by Saku Puhakainen
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
123 February 1997Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia China1–11–2Friendly
225 February 1997 Singapore1–01–0Friendly

References