It has been a few days since our season opener, and I still have some mixed feelings about it. During the first 20 minutes we were definitely in trouble with the very skilful midfield trio that FC Melody was able to put out for this match, and we were lucky to not get scored on. In the end we went to the half up 1-2, and I was quite confident about our eventual victory. However, FC Melody equalised early in the second half, and we never recovered from that. Even after Jouko Turunen was sent off via two yellow cards, we were still able to control the match and create more chances to score, but ultimately we failed to do so. Perhaps then the 2-2 (1-2) tie was a fair result. I’m happy that we were able to fend off the initial pressure from Melody, but having done so, I feel like we should have won.

As I arrived to the field in Kaukajärvi with a bunch of my fellow supporters, I was a little disappointed that there were no stands whatsoever there. This usually has a marked effect on our vocal support, as it is much more difficult to find cohesion when we are forced to stand in a long row along the sideline. However, for some reason this was not really the case this time. Maybe it was the enthusiasm created by the season finally opening, but it really felt like our support was some of the best we’ve had in Kaukajärvi. After a long winter it felt great: this is what I had been waiting for since October.

As for the match itself, our 0-1 goal stands out as one that will be remembered for a long time. It looked like an innocent enough free kick on the right hands side far, far away from goal, but Juha Kumara and our center back Timo Kauppinen thought otherwise. As Kauppinen ran into the box and through Melody’s defense, Kumara sent in a precision ball that resulted in a goal that looked easy as well as very, very sexy.

Only it was too bad that the equalizer got scored just a few minutes later. A nicely taken free-kick I must admit, but it seemed like our goalie Ilkka Innola was still on the move when it was taken. He still got a touch on it, and I got to think he might have saved it under different circumstances. About five minutes later we were up again by a goal from Petri Vadén. It was his second goal in as many matches, and that’s a nice change of pace from last year, when goal-scoring was the only department where Vadén did not excel in.

During the second half Jan Riikonen was by far our most visible player. Time and time again his pace and skill with the ball on the left wing were too much for Melody’s defenders. He would have deserved a goal for his efforts, but it was not to be. Indeed, right now our play seems to depend a little too much on our wingers creating things. Granted, with Riikonen, Vadén and Andrea Milanti we have formidable options for those positions. However, it seems to me that we are lacking a calming presence in the middle of the field. Joonas Kupiainen is only just coming back from injury and did not play against FC Melody, but he would seem to be an answer to our needs. Another injured option is Anssi Saiha, but at this point I don’t think anybody is counting on his return. Hoping for it of course, but not counting on it.

Next up we have our home opener against Urajalan Palloseura, or UrPS for short. The match will be played in Pyynikki on Saturday evening at 5 pm. UrPS has a group of vocal supporters that I expect to travel for this match, so it should be a special night. See you there!

FC Melody – TamU-K 2-2 (1-2)
20 min 0-1 Timo Kauppinen
23 min 1-1 Tuomas Lehti
29 min 1-2 Petri Vadén
48 min 2-2 Mikko Järvinen

Discipline:
22 min Petri Vadén, TamU-K (caution)
55 min Jussi Kemmo, FC Melody (caution)
57 min Jouko Turunen, TamU-K (caution)
64 min Teijo Heinonen, FC Melody (caution)
66 min Jouko Turunen, TamU-K (caution)
66 min Jouko Turunen, TamU-K (ejection)
90 min Jan Irjala, TamU-K (caution)