TPS - TamU, TV-thriller for Friday!

TamU: 0-3-3-3-1-3 ------------------ TPS: 3-3-1-3-1-1

H2H: 4-5-10

Last game 8.5.2009 TamU – TPS 0-2

Another preview at Nordic Football Info, there will be also live commentary for those of you not in front of TV.

Both teams have refused to lose lately, but the TPS performance last Monday at JJK left a lot to wish for. Having dominated completely the first half they probably felt the game was over at half-time, and let JJK join the game in which they quite deservedly equalized at dying moments of the game with a funny goal which will surely be remembered at TPS camp. Especially now when the fire-hearted coach Pasi Rautiainen has returned from Germany where he was continuing his academic football managerial studies and he missed the JJK – match because of that.

He will be mad as hell, and the players will know it. There has been running and shouting, and no happy faces. No lazyness and poor defending and handing out important points will be allowed on Friday.

The atmosphere at Tampere United is far more relaxed and the spirits are high. The importance of the return of goal-keeper Mikko Kavén shows from the table, TamU have not a conceded a goal since his return between the posts 5 matches ago and TamU is back fighting the top-positions. Another good news for TamU is the return of Tomi Petrescu, and he scored in come-back game against MYPA and now suddenly TamU coach have options to the midfield and defense.

TPS have been lucky with absentees this season and continue with a full squad, TamU have only long-term absentees on the injury list and the fitness of mf Chris James is doubftul.

TPS: 12 Jukka Lehtovaara 15/0 – 2 Iiro Aalto 15/0 – 18 Chris Cleaver 12/0 - 6 Jaakko Nyberg 15/2 - 7 Sami Rähmönen 16/0 – 8 Jarno Heinikangas 16/0 – 9 Mikko Manninen 15/0 – 10 Riku Riski 16/4 – 28 Mikko Paatelainen 16/3 – 20 Babatunde Wusu 15/6 - 21 Wayne Brown 16/3

Bench: 3 Kalle Mäkinen 0/0, 11 Mika Ääritalo 6/2, 17 Roope Riski 0/0, 19 Patrik Lomski 6/0, 22 Jesse Saarinen 0/0, 29 Yll Hoxha 6/0, 23 Juho Lähde 0/0, 24 Jani Aaltonen 0/0, 25 Santeri Mäkinen 0/0, 27 Tuomas Markkula 0/0, 31 Alban Ferati 0/0, 14 Kasper Hämäläinen 15/0, 1 Jani Tuomala (gk) 1/0, 13 Samu-Petteri Mäkelä 8/0, 5 Simo Valakari 7/0

Out:

Coach: Pasi Rautiainen

TamU: 1 Mikko Kavén (gk) 5/0 - 18 Rafinha 16/3 - 3 Mathias Lindström 16/1 – 7 Jussi Kujala 15/1 - 17 Vili Savolainen 13/0 – 13 Sakari Saarinen 15/0- 5 Antti Ojanperä 14/1 - 22 Henri Scheweleff 15/1 – 11 Aleksei Kangaskolkka 15/3 – 30 Jari Niemi 15/0 - 20 Juska Savolainen 14/1

Bench: 21 Jonne Hjelm 15/1, 12 Juha Soukiala (gk) 11/0, 14 Jusu Karvonen 3/0, 10 Tomi Petrescu 5/1, 9 Juha Pirinen 5/0, 16 Ilari Ruuth 4/0

Out:2 Toni Järvinen 0/0, 25 Aapo Lappalainen 2/0 rest of the season, 8 Antti Pohja 7/1, 23 Chris James 2/1?

Coach: Ari Hjelm


Prediction: I have kept my confidence on TamU through the difficult times, and still rate them as a slightly better team than TPS. With home advantage TPS is a favourite in this match, but probably not wort a bet. My rough numbers for this match are

TPS - TamU 43-29-28 and TamU bets are easily found at a bookie near you. Will take a closer look here tomorrow, but my guess is that the odds for TamU will start dropping quite soon.

Edit for match day. Asian bookies are funnily more spot on with the odds than the local bookie. Veikkaus offers 4.05 for TamU away win, Sbobet knows it better and their offer 3.2 is much closer to my estimations.

Too close to be exact. With the current line of -0,25/0.25 1.87/2.05 neither of the bets is recommandable. At Sbobet. At this very moment, but as we all know, there are other bookies and odds also change.