On Monday TamU-K will have a home match away from home at Ikuri against the second team of Ylöjärven Ryhti (YlöR/2). Strictly speaking this is not a must win match, but it would be naive to think that winning this match is not important. First and foremost, if we win on Monday and Vire loses or draws against Pelikassit on the following Saturday, we will have clinched the second spot before even having played the last regular season match against Vire. This follows from the fact that we are now two points ahead of Vire and both teams have two matches remaining. Secondly, even if Vire manages three points against Pelikassit, a win puts us in a better position in our last match against Vire, as then even just a draw would be enough for us. And obviously it is much better to go into that match after a good performance than after a bad one.

Additionally, assuming that we make it to the promotion playoffs, getting three points on Monday would go a long way to help gain home field advantage in those matches. The home field is decided by points per match, and it could play a big role, especially if the opponent is from a town a bit further away from Tampere, like say Parkano more than 80 kilometers (50 miles) out.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We have two difficult regular season matches remaining, and we still need to get results. A draw against YlöR/2 does not help us in any way, which might play into the tactics in this match if it is tied late into the match, a situation that is entirely possible. Indeed, YlöR/2 is probably the best team behind the top three in our subdivision. They have not lost a match against the top trio by more than a two-goal margin, and even managed to get a rare 0-0 draw against Vire. Everybody probably remembers our match against them in June: TamU-K dominated the first 55 minutes or so and we were 0-4 up, but then something weird happened, and the final result was a tight 4-5 victory for us. That one got way too close, and showed that we cannot give any slack to YlöR/2. We must press on for the entire 90 minutes.

The good thing is that I’m pretty sure that the team learned a lot from that match. I have also heard from players that the mood in the locker room was angrier after that match than it ever was after a loss or a draw. I think that energy can be channeled into positive things on the field.

These are times that really test the supporters’ nerves. All the work that everybody has done for the club and for the team culminates in the last few matches that remain. The season is already a success in the sense that we have shown that we are a serious club that is realistically fighting to move up in the league pyramid. That is not at all a given for an entirely new club that has built a team from scratch in a very short time, as the examples from Helsinki and Pori illustrate all too well. However, the disappointment of not getting promoted this year is unimaginable. Still of course these matches are what everybody has been waiting for all season long. It is the best time to be a supporter right now. I just hope that my heart can take this.

Kickoff on Monday is set for 6:15 pm. This is a home match for TamU-K, so despite the location in Ikuri, there’ll be match day programs, sausages, and everything else that goes with a typical TamU-K home match.