Today’s match against TaPa/2 ended in a 2-2 draw. In the end it was a disappointing result because we had plenty of chances of scoring the winning goal in the second half and barely gave TaPa a chance to move the ball over the 50 yard line. On the other hand we achieved the minimum goal of scoring goals and not losing the match. When I wrote earlier that we needed a result, I intentionally left open the idea that a draw might be a result. It does not feel that way right now, but rationally thinking we got the season to a decent start, and I’m sure that this still built confidence within the team. We can definitely win matches at this level. I expect that next week we will see a highly motivated TamU-K team that wants to make it a reality.

The start to the match was absolutely catastrophic. The team seemed to be very nervous, and the 1-0 goal to TaPa was scored after just five minutes from a communications breakdown between the TamU-K defense and the goalie. Our equalizer came on the 28th minute from a corner, where Mika Suonsyrjä had the honor of scoring the first official goal for our club. This goal changed the match in that TamU-K started to settle into the match and even dominated for bits at a time. Unfortunately TaPa scored again just six minutes later, also from a corner. Sasu Mäntyniemi was completely unmarked and had an easy opportunity to put the ball in.

The second half was completely dominated by TamU-K, but unfortunately we were unable to score more than one goal. That one came on the 53rd minute from Isaac Gbehan, who got a long ball with just one defender to beat, played that guy for a fool, and comfortably passed the oncoming keeper with a shot near the upper corner of the net. The rest of the match was a relentless onslaught on the TaPa goal, but unfortunately Jose Chemlal’s shot on the cross bar was as close as we got. The worst news was that Chemlal hurt his ankle, and it looks like he might be out for a long while. This is a real pity, because he might be the best striker in the league, and indeed even today he showed why on a number of occasions.

The supporters had kind of a slow start to the match, just like the team. We opened with a bit of flares and smoke and with our usual songs, but the early 1-0 goal by TaPa admittedly stunned us a little but. However, as the match went on the support got more intense, and the second half started to feel like any match Tampere United has had on any level. The goals were celebrated with more pyro and with some bangers, but more importantly, as the result for the match started to really be on the line in the second half, the intensity in the supporters section grew. Of course this was helped by the referee a little bit, because it seemed that his mission for the match was not to allow a goal to be scored from an offside. To achieve this, he called any situation where a player broke away as an offside. Some of these he did get correct, but there were many where the player was actually several meters onside. Of course a referee is put in a very difficult position when he has to make these calls without the aid of linesmen, so I’ll just say that if there had been linesmen in this match, I’m pretty sure TamU-K would have won.