When TamU-K entered the bottom division Kutonen two years ago, I knew very little about lower division football. Back then I would have been able to name a few clubs like Soho SS and LaPro based on friends playing for those teams, but not much else. However, Urjalan Palloseura (UrPS) was one that I could name outside of Tampere, based on seeing pictures of their supporters on the internet. Tomorrow we finally get to play against them, and rumour is that they might bring a group of more than 20 traveling supporters. This will be the first time we’ll have any sort of respectable opposition in the stands. I hardly even remember what that is like, but I know it is going to make for a very special night of football.

When TamU-K was playing in Kutonen two years ago, UrPS was playing just one division higher in Vitonen. Obviously I was hoping that they would not get promoted, because a trip to Urjala and having them visit us in Pyynikki was a tantalizing prospect. Well, they finished top of the table that year, and we knew we would have to wait for at least one more year. Tomorrow we will finally meet, and in the end I feel like our home opener in Nelonen is the perfect occasion for our first meeting. Hopefully we’ll see a record crowd in Pyynikki.

On the field UrPS will be a good test for us. They finished fourth in Nelonen last season, and can be expected to have a strong season this year too. It certainly started that way with a comfortable 2-6 win away against Sastamalan Woima last weekend. As a club they are celebration their 50th anniversary this year, and I’m sure they will do their darnedest to make it a very positive season for them.

Nothing short of a win will be satisfactory for us in this match. After a disappointing 2-2 draw against FC Melody in our first match we have a lot to prove, and a positive start to the season will obviously be very helpful for us

in more ways than one. There are a few question marks in terms of our lineup, most notable one being whether Andrea Milanti will have recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him to sub out early in the FC Melody match. However, we do have enough depth that at least the starting eleven will be very strong even if a few players are missing.

Our goalie situation was actually a little dicey ahead of this match as our backup Kalle Heltonen won’t be in town this weekend. Luckily our first choice keeper Ilkka Innola was able to get three hours of unpaid time off from work in the middle of his work day in order to play this match. This is the kind of dedication to the team and the club that earns a player legend status. Not that he hasn’t earned it in a few other ways as well.

The match starts on Saturday at 5 pm sharp at Pyynikki Stadium. The supporters will start the day much earlier, and you should follow Sinikaarti on the brand new twitter account to get the details. Also, do not forget TamU-K Support Night tonight at Klubi. Tickets seem to still be available, so go and get yours! It is a great lineup of bands and even a better lineup of friends.

Our international friends will be very happy to hear that the match will be streamed live at tamu-k.com/live. Just to give a couple key time zones, kick-off is at 2 pm GMT and 7 am PDT. I think quite a few of our friends in Seattle will have a nice breakfast match here. Most others should make it to Pyynikki. I guarantee it will be worth it even from a longer distance.