After an emotional match in Pyynikki in front of more than 200 in attendance, our next match takes us back to the more open confines of Kaukajärvi. The away match against Tampereen Palloilijat (TaPa) comes just three weeks after our previous encounter, a 5-1 (2-1) victory in Kauppi in a match that was pushed back due to our cup match congestion in May.

In that previous encounter TaPa took the lead early on, and looked reasonably lively in the early part of the match. Indeed, the 11v11 portion of the match three weeks ago finished at 1-1. Then a handball in the box reduced TaPa to ten men, and gave us a 2-1 lead from a penalty. We never looked

back after that, and cruised into an easy victory with the help of a hat-trick by Lauri Heittola.

Our lineup ahead of this match looks a bit thin in the midfield. Anssi Saiha continues to be out because of back problems. He in fact participated in team training this week, but the next day he felt his back had gone back to worse again, and it is still unclear when or if he will be able to play this season. Joonas Kupiainen is also not ready to return quite yet, although I

hear he is getting closer. His younger brother Jesse will be in the lineup, but may not start. Even Vesa Suonsyrjä is not 100 per cent, and Retu Harju is out due to personal reason. This seems to leave Lauri Heittola as our only regular midfielder in the starting lineup, so assuming that we go with the 4-3-3 again, Juha Kumara is more or less certain to start next to Heittola, and Timo Kauppinen would be the most obvious choice for the anchor position below them.

Even with two of our most regular center backs playing in the midfield, our defensive line looks strong. It seems Otto Pitkänen and Osku Airesto will play in the central roles, Antti Eijamo is sure to be on right side, and for left back we have Ahmed Lakra and Alaa Adeeb available. Up top we again have an abundance of options, as Jan Irjala, Jacin Dakkaki, Petri Vadén, Mika Kytöviita, Mohammed El-Harrak and Adnan Omerovic are all available. With unlimited in-and-out substitutions, this is a tremendous asset, since each player plays in very different style. This can make life hell for defenders when we switch players. Notably Omerovic has been out for a long time due to spending time in his home country, and it will be interesting to see what kind of an impact he can make upon his return. He is a power-forward, and when he gets the ball, he seems to always try to find the shortest path towards the goal. Many of his goals are fondly remembered by supporters, and we would definitely like to see more.

Kick-off is tonight at 7:30 pm at Kaukajärvi. It is no Pyynikki, but at least the spectator stands are back. See you there!