Maija Saari

Maija Saari

Personal information
Full name	Maija Karoliina Saari
Date of birth	26 March 1986 (1986-03-26) (age 25)
Place of birth	Vaasa, Finland
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Kolbotn
Number	2
Youth career
	FC Kiisto
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2008	FC Honka
2009–2010	Umeå IK	43	(4)
2011–	Kolbotn	20	(1)
National team‡
2007–	Finland	51	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:00, 29 October 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12:00, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

Maija Karoliina Saari (born 26 March 1986) is a Finnish international footballer. She currently plays in the Norwegian Toppserien for Kolbotn.

A strong, left–sided defender, Saari won three consecutive domestic titles with FC Honka in 2006, 2007 and 2008. She joined the club aged 10 after moving to Helsinki from her birthplace of Vaasa and rose to captain the club. In December 2008 Saari signed a two year contract with Swedish club Umeå IK.^[2]

She made her debut for the senior Finland team on 7 March 2007; playing 90 minutes against Sweden in the Algarve Cup.^[3] Saari also played in all four of Finland's matches at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, including the quarter final defeat to England.

References

1. ^ "Finland". FIFA.com. http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=108/edition=10292/teams/team=1888593.html. Retrieved 2011-09-13. 
2. ^ Britta Åkerlund. "Umeå IK värvar finsk landslagsback" (in Swedish). Umea.se. http://www.umea.se/arkiv/pressmeddelandearkiv/pressmeddelanden/umeaikvarvarfinsklandslagsback.5.432c04a11e47141abf80006034.html. Retrieved 2011-09-13. 
3. ^ "Maija Saari" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. http://www.palloliitto.fi/maajoukkueet/naisten_maajoukkue/pelaajat/saari_maija/. Retrieved 2011-09-13. 

External links

• Maija Saari Kolbotn IL profile
• Maija Saari Svensk Fotboll profile

Maija Saari – FIFA competition record

Persondata
Name	Saari, Maija
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	26 March 1986
Place of birth	Vaasa, Finland
Date of death
Place of death