RoPS – Honka preview

Honka is searching for more points from trip to Lapland

Honka head coach Mika Lehkosuo sees RoPS as a team that can surprise anyone; ” They have very skillful players who are capable of surprising things on the pitch, the problem has been the lack of discipline and organizing the game.”

Honka won KuPS at home on Wednesday on their newly renovated home pitch, but this will be a totally different affair as the pitch at Rovaniemi is not in that good condition, and it does not support the Honka style of play, in which the ball is kept on ground on the ground and the passes are short quick.

None of the four players from the EURO U21 were in starting eleven against KuPS, and Lehkosuo hints that maybe there are not that many changes in the opening line-up against RoPS; ”We will see who will start. The players on the pitch last time made themselves and me proud. It is a good thing to have more rested players along.”

RoPS had a good performance in their game at Turku against TPS and led the match twice, only to lose 3-2 by a second-half goal. ”It was a good game fro us, a big improvement from the previous match against TamU. We are happy to take on Honka”, says coach Mika Lumijärvi.

Honka has no injury worries except Paatelainen who has not played at all the whole season and Weckström 6/1, who broke his collarbone earlier this season. He is easily replaced by young talent Schüller.

RoPS injury list is also short, only Tenkula 0/0 and Turpeenniemi 6/0 will miss the game for sure, player-coach Saileti might rest.

It is true that RoPS won HJK at home, but on the other hand HJK was in the middle of a lot of games, it was the last one in the row before the summer break and now RoPS has a far more important game in their sight when they meet JJK in the relegation battle. This should help Honka enough to win here, but "comfortably" is not likely the word.

There is more stuff at Nordic Football Info, as there usualy is.


RoPS: 0-0-3-0-0-0
Honka: 1-0-3-3-0-3

H2H 1-2-2. Last match 10.08.2008 RoPS – Honka 0-2

RoPS: 1 Jung-Huyk Kwom 10/0 – 4 Stephen Kunda 10/0 – 5 White Simwanza 8/0 – 6 Joonas Ikäläinen 10/1 - 3 Marko Koivuranta 6/0 - 11 Chileshe Chibwe 10/1 - 10 Chanda Mwaba 10/0 - 30 Echiabhi Okodugha 10/1 - 18 Christopher Musonda 10/2 - 16 Jeferson Pires 6/1 – 17 Ville Syväjärvi 8/0

Bench: 2 Godfrey Chibanga 8/0, 8 Nchimunya Mweetwa 3/0, 9 Zeddy Saileti 9/1, 12 Kari-Pekka Syväjärvi 0/0, 13 Jukka Yrjänheikki 1/0, 15 Mika- Matti Maisonvaara 8/0, 20 Juha-Pekka Inkeröinen 4/0, 22 Juuso Majava 0/0

Out: 7 Jarno Tenkula 0/0, 19 Janne Turpeenniemi 6/0

Coaches: Zeddy Saileti & Mika Lumijärvi


Honka: 1 Tuomas Peltonen 9/0 - 2 Sampo Koskinen 8/0 - 3 Roope Heilala 10/0 - 5 Henri Aalto 6/0 - 6 Hermanni Vuorinen 11/8 - 28 Rasmus Schüller 5/1- 10 Jami Puustinen 10/3 - 11 Hannu Haarala 5/0 - 17 Demba Savage 10/2 - 19 Rami Hakanpää 10/1 – 21 Joel Perovuo 11/2

Bench: 13 Ville Koskimaa 3/0, 26 Jaakko Lepola 6/3, 27 Konsta Rasimus 1/0, 12 Janne Henriksson (gk) 3/0, 14 Jussi Vasara 11/0, 15 Aleksandr Kokko 8/0, 22 Tuomo Turunen 9/1, 20 Nicolas Otaru 10/2

Out: 8 Markus Paatelainen 0/0, 7 John Weckström 6/1

Coach: Mika Lehkosuo

Prediction: Away win 1-2