Jukka Raitala

PROFESSIONAL
2018: Registered one goal and two assists in 28 regular season games, including 25 starts, and 2,290 minutes, playing at centre back, left-back and right-back… Started and played his first career game with the Impact on March 4, in Vancouver… Played his 50th career MLS game on August 4, against D.C. United… Scored his first career goal in MLS and with the Impact on August 11, against Real Salt Lake, also earning the MLS Goal of the Week honour… Appeared in both Canadian Championship games, including one start.

2017: Recorded two assists in 28 games, including 20 starts, and 1,920 minutes with Columbus Crew SC in his first MLS season… Made his MLS debut on March 4 against Chicago… Registered his first career assist in MLS on March 11 in Houston… Also appeared in two MLS Cup Playoffs games, including one start… Selected by LAFC with the fourth pick in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft, on December 12, before being traded to the Impact with Raheem Edwards in exchange for Laurent Ciman.

2015-16: Played the first half of the season with Danish first division club Aalborg BK, recording one assist in five regular season games, including three starts and 255 minutes… Also started one Danish Cup game… Joined Norwegian first division side Sogndal IL on February 12… Registered one goal and five assists in 28 starts and 2,475 minutes in the Eliteserien… Signed with Columbus Crew SC in MLS on December 23.

2014-15: Started the season with SC Heerenveen, scoring one goal in six Eredivisie games, including two starts… Started one Netherlands Cup game… also appeared in nine games with the reserve team… Loaned by SC Heerenveen to Danish first division club FC Vestsjælland in February… Started 15 Superligaen games and helped the club reach the Denmark Cup final, starting four games.

2013-14: Appeared in two Eredivisie games with SC Heerenveen, including one start… Recorded one goal and one assist in 14 games, including 13 starts, and 1,207 minutes with the reserve team.

2012-13: Transferred from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim to Netherlands first division club SC Heerenveen for €800,000 in July… Recorded one assist in 18 Eredivisie games, including 15 starts, and 1,428 minutes… Started two Europa League qualification games and appeared in one Europa League game in August… Started both Europa League playoff games in May, against FC Utrecht… Started two Netherlands cup games… Also played six games with the reserve team.

2011-12: Loaned by TSG 1899 Hoffenhein to Spanish first division side CA Osasuna in July… Played 17 games, including 13 starts, and 1,062 minutes in La Liga… Made his debut and first start on August 28 against Atlético Madrid… Also appeared in three Copa del Rey games, starting twice.

2010-11: Transferred from HJK Helsinki to TSG 1899 Hoffenhein in July… Began the season in the Bundesliga and started two games with the reserve team in the Regionalliga Sud, before being loaned to SC Paderborn, on July 31… Started 29 games and played 2,557 minutes in the German second division with Paderborn.

2009-10: Loaned by HJK Helsinki to German club TSG 1899 Hoffenhein, on August 31… Appeared in two Bundesliga games, making his first start on March 14 against Werder Bremen… Recorded two assists in 13 starts and 1,139 minutes with the reserve team in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg league.

2009: Played 20 games, including 19 starts, and 1,728 minutes with HJK Helsinki… Also started five Finnish League Cup games and two Europa League qualification games.

2008: Appeared in 23 games, including 20 starts, and 1,884 minutes of play in his first season with HJK Helsinki, in the Finnish first division…  Started four UEFA Cup qualification games… Also started two games with reserve team Klubi-04.

2007: Made his debut in the Finnish second division with Klubi-04, the reserve team of HJK Helsinki, appearing in 22 games.

INTERNATIONAL
Has played 43 games with the Finland national team, making his senior debut on February 4, 2009, in a friendly match against Japan… Played four UEFA Nations League games in 2018… Has appeared in several World Cup and Euro qualification games… Took part in three Baltic Cup games… Has also been part of the Finland youth system, representing his country at the U17, U19, and U21 levels…  Helped Finland U21 qualify for the 2009 UEFA European U21 Football Championship… Named the Finland U21 Player of the Year in 2009.

ACADEMY
Part of hometown youth club Keravan Pallo-75 from 1995 to 2005... Joined the academy of HJK Helsinki in 2005.

PERSONAL
Son of Pertti and Pirjo Raitala… Married to Riikka… Has a brother, Jari… Fluent in Finnish, English and Dutch.