Young Finnish winger ready to play as of now
Nice grab by the Montreal Impact during the transfer window, made possible thanks to the Saputo-Montreal-Bologna synergy: young winger Lassi Lappalainen, aged 20 years old and already part of the Finland national team with five caps under his belt, joined Rémi Garde’s men on loan from Bologna FC 1909 for six months, with two options to extend. Even better, Lappalainen is ready to play right now, as Finland’s league is played from April to August.
The Impact’s new number 21 helped HJK, called Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi – please pronounce at your own risk and peril – progress to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League by scoring twice and adding an assist in a 5-2 aggregate victory over two legs against HB Tórshavn, the champions of the Faroe Islands. Lappalainen also scored three goals through 16 games in Finland this year.
His favourite position being the left flank, Lappalainen is a right-footed player capable of scoring with both feet. In possession, he likes cutting inside with speed to try and pierce through central defense, or to attract a player and create openings for his teammates. We’ve also seen him find the back of the net from outside the box more than once. He also has an knack for making dangerous runs behind the defense on the counter, something that can be useful for the Montreal club.
“Lassi is an attacking recruit who’s arrived at the perfect time,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “His style of play resembles a little what Nacho Piatti offers on the pitch. His arrival gives me another option on the left flank. His characteristics are interesting. His technical skills are quite diversified. I noted a large volume of play, a player who’s capable of giving his all repeatedly at high intensity. He also calls for the ball to his feet or behind the defense, a quality we’ll make use of.”
Tervetuloa Montrealiin, Lassi!
