KuPS - Jaro preview

KuPS (14th) – Jaro (9th)


KuPS: 0-0-3-0-1-1 ------------- Jaro:1-1-0-0-1-0

H2H:3-3-9

Last game 7.5.2009 Jaro – KuPS 1-1

KuPS are getting some fresh blood into their squad. Dickson Nwakaeme 1/1 who was suspended due to permit reasons after playing only once in their winning game against RoPS and being the man of the match is again allowed to play, and another Nigerian mf Raphael Udah has signed a contract with KuPS and is likely to play against Jaro on Sunday.

KuPS have found their act together and are seriosly fighting for survival. They have gained important points lately and drew 2-2 with IFK Mariehamn last time, but more importantly their performance on the pitch has started to look like it should for a Veikkausliiga team. There are no new injury worries except mf Tuomas Kuparinen 12/0, though defender Balazs Balogh 11/1 is doubtful.

The away team Jaro was winless in July and the coach Mika Laurikainen is cautious ahead of the game, ” KuPS have strengthened the team since we last met in May, and I am not expecting this to be very easy, ” he says.

Jaro have also signed a new defender, German Tillman Grove who will play for Jaro for the first time on Sunday as the transfer window has finally opened in Finland. Jari Sara 0/0 and mf Marco Matrone 8/0 are out injured, def Jens Portin 16/0 is suspended and mf Daniel Fellman 8/0 will miss the game due army duties. Gk Markus Koljander 13/0 returns from suspension.



KuPS: 1 Ville Iiskola 14/0 – 8 Tero Taipale 16/0 – 20 Miikka Ilo 15/1 - 3 Janne Reinikainen 15/0 - 4 Patrik Turunen 12/0 – 15 Ollo 12/0 – 11 Pele Koljonen 13/3 – 10 Ilja Venäläinen 14/3 - 27 Segun Ikudehinbu 4/0 - 7 Miikka Turunen 14/2 - 26 Dickson Nwakaeme 1/1

Bench: 17 Jussi Kolari 0/0, 23 Jussi-Pekka Savolainen 13/0, 12 Joonas Pöntinen (gk) 2/0, 24 Atte Hoivala 6/0, 6 Tuomas Kuparinen 12/0, 22 Jyrki Juvonen 1/0, 13 Betim Aliju 9/0, 28 Raphael Udah 0/0, 9 Balazs Balogh 11/1

Out: 5 Jani Hartikainen 10/0 for the rest of the season, 21 Jesse Miettinen 0/0, 2 Joni Nissinen 1/0

Coach: Esa Pekonen



Jaro: 1 Markus Koljander 13/0 – 6 Janne Vellamo 15/0 - 5 Kristian Kojola 16/2 – 2 Jani Tanska 16/1 - 10 Jonas Emet 16/3 – 16 Papa Niang 15/2 – 17 Petter Meyer 15/1 - 18 Mikko Hyyrynen 14/3 – 19 Sebastian Mannström 16/4 – Tillman Grove 0/0 – 23 Joonas Laurikainen 16/3

Bench: 9 Björn-Erik Sundqvist 3/0, 30 Jesse Öst 0/0, 11 Jani Koivisto 6/1, 13 Jani Sarajärvi 2/0, 2, 26 Tommi Haanpää 0/0, 12 Vitali Teles (gk) 2/0, 3 Heikki Aho 8/0

Unavailable: 8 Jari Sara 0/0, 21 Daniel Fellman 8/0, 22 Jens Portin 16/0, 7 Marco Matrone 14/1

Coach: Mika Laurikainen

Prediction: Due to team news and trends KuPS was one of my early picks in this even game, but the odds of KuPS ml have dropped and are not that interesting anymore.

Could be anything, but KuPS have been slightly underestimated here, if my arm was twisted I would go for a KuPS win here.