Minna Meriluoto
{{short description|Finnish footballer (born 1985)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Minna Meriluoto
| fullname = Minna Johanna Meriluoto
| image = Minna Meriluoto.jpg
| image_size = 220
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1985|10|04}}
| birth_place = Turku, Finland
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub = HJK Helsinki
| clubnumber = 1
| youthyears1=
| youthclubs1= TuNL
| youthyears2=
| youthclubs2= TuTo
| youthyears3=
| youthclubs3= SCR
| years1 = –2006
| years2 = 2008
| years3 = 2009–2011
| years4 = 2012–2013
| years5 = 2014
| years6 = 2015–
| clubs1 = FC United (Pietarsaari)
| clubs2 = Umeå Södra FF
| clubs3 = Hammarby IF
| clubs4 = Jitex BK
| clubs5 = Vittsjö
| clubs6 = HJK Helsinki
| caps1=
| goals1 =
| caps2 = 17
| goals2 = 0
| caps3 = 58
| goals3 = 0
| caps4 = 35
| goals4 = 0
| caps5 = 15
| goals5 = 0
| caps6 = 6
| goals6 = 0
| nationalyears1= 2006–
| nationalteam1= Finland
| nationalcaps1= 51
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 23 May 2015
| nationalteam-update = 25 August 2014
}}
Minna Johanna Kauppinen ({{Nee|Meriluoto}}; born 4 October 1985) is a Finnish international football goalkeeper.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000008039349.html |title=Minna Kauppinen vaatii, mutta ei möykkää – Entisen maajoukkuevahdin luotsaamassa Stadi Cupissa on nollatoleranssi huutelulle |last=Loikkanen |first=Lotta |date=11 June 2021 |website=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi |access-date=3 November 2021}} At club level she plays in the Naisten Liiga for HJK Helsinki.
Club career
Meriluoto participated in the 2005–06 UEFA Women's Cup with FC United. Ahead of the 2008 season, in November 2007, she moved to Sweden and joined Umeå Södra FF.{{cite web|title=Umeå Södra värvar landslagskvinna|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/1.933255/umea-sodra-varvar-landslagskvinna|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731130858/http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/1.933255/umea-sodra-varvar-landslagskvinna|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 July 2012|publisher=Expressen|accessdate=20 September 2011|language=Swedish|date=19 November 2007|author=Petter Maaherra}} When her club were relegated at the end of that campaign, Meriluoto remained in the Damallsvenskan in signing for Hammarby IF. In October 2011 Jitex BK announced that she was to play the following season with them.{{cite web|title=NY MÅLVAKT TILL JITEX|url=http://www.sportnik.com/group/14410/news/541421|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914021304/http://www.sportnik.com/group/14410/news/541421|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 September 2012|publisher=Jitex BK|accessdate=31 October 2011|language=Swedish|date=27 October 2011|author=Lennart Lindorsson}}
In December 2013 Meriluoto confirmed her departure from Jitex and signed for Damallsvenskan rivals Vittsjö GIK.{{cite news|title=Minna Meriluoto till Vittsjö|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/gruppsida.aspx?programid=2835&grupp=7237&artikel=5726210|newspaper=Sveriges Radio|accessdate=11 December 2013|language=Swedish|date=6 December 2013}}
International career
Meriluoto was hosts Finland's first choice goalkeeper at the 2004 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. She had been voted Finland's most promising female player in 2002.{{cite web|title=Minna Meriluoto|url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/woco/players/Player=67506/index.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140825230113/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/woco/players/Player=67506/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 August 2014|website=UEFA|access-date=25 August 2014|date=10 September 2009}}
She made her debut for the senior Finland team on 5 February 2006; playing 90 minutes against Netherlands in Spain.{{cite web|title=Minna Meriluoto|url=http://www.palloliitto.fi/maajoukkueet/naisten-maajoukkue/pelaajat/minna-meriluoto|publisher=Suomen Palloliitto|accessdate=6 June 2013|language=Finnish|archive-date=12 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130712142917/http://www.palloliitto.fi/maajoukkueet/naisten-maajoukkue/pelaajat/minna-meriluoto|url-status=dead}} Meriluoto also played in one of Finland's matches at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, against Ukraine.
In June 2013 Meriluoto was named in national coach Andrée Jeglertz's Finland squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/020a-0e1419537520-b0bd3aca0c9d-1000--jeglertz-turns-to-youth-for-finland/|title=Jeglertz turns to youth for Finland|date=28 June 2013|access-date=20 July 2013|work=UEFA}} At the tournament, she took over goalkeeping duties from Tinja-Riikka Korpela for the final group game; a 1–1 draw with Denmark.
Personal life
Meriluoto moved to Sweden with her footballer boyfriend Jesper Törnqvist, who signed for Umeå FC.{{cite web|title=Umeå drömmen för finska stjärnor |url=http://www.vk.se/tema/sommar/article.jsp?article=192592 |publisher=Sommar 2008 |accessdate=20 September 2011 |language=Swedish |author=BJÖRN FORSGREN }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120402165856/http://hammarbydamfotboll.se/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=181:1&catid=19:a-laget&Itemid=174 Minna Meriluoto] Hammarby DFF profile
- {{Svenskfotboll|pid=5489}}
- {{FIFA player|263844}}
{{Finland Squad 2009 UEFA Women's European Championship}}
{{Finland Squad 2013 UEFA Women's European Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meriluoto, Minna}}
Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Sweden
Category:Finnish women's footballers
Category:Finland women's international footballers
Category:Footballers from Turku
Category:Hammarby Fotboll (women) players
Category:Damallsvenskan players
Category:FC United (Jakobstad) players
Category:Kansallinen Liiga players
Category:Finnish expatriate women's footballers
Category:Women's association football goalkeepers
Category:21st-century Finnish sportswomen
Category:Umeå Södra FF players
{{Finland-women-footy-bio-stub}}