MIFK - RoPS preview

IFK Mariehamn (6th) – RoPS (13th)

MIFK:1-1-1-1-1-1 --------------- RoPS: 3-0-3-3-0-0

H2H:3-1-2

Last game 10.05.2009 0-0

IFK Mariehamn are breaking all the records this season, they have lost only once so far, but also their draw last week against HJK was 6th in a row! If they draw this one it will the record in Finnish football, and looks very likely that they they have a good chance against RoPS who have been awful on their travels managing to collect only 1 point so far and that came early season at JJK.
”We have probably been trying too hard lately and we are not relaxed enough to score”, ponders IFK midfielder Tamas Gruburovics, who himself has scored alreay 5 times this season, ” but we were much than HJK in our last 0-0 draw at home and we should had won them quite easily. Let´s hope that our good form continues on Sunday against RoPS and that we score early which would relax us and improve our game.”
IFK will get striker Sasha Anttilainen back from injury, but he is unlikely to start because of lack of match-fitness.

RoPS tried their luck last time at Inter Turku with a 5 man defense line, and it worked quite well for the first 30 minutes. Then Inter found the holes in the defense and had tired the RoPS midfield so well, that it was quite easy for them to score four goals in the space of 30 minutes. RoPS coach Mika Lumijärvi is speechless about the situation;” We have trained the defense, we are concentrating on it to make it work nothing seems to help while we are away from Rovaniemi. Trip to Mariehamn will be a very challenging one for us.”
RoPS will get back Ville Syväjärvi 13/0, Janne Turpeeniemi 11/0 and Mika-Matti Maisonvaara 14/1 who were unavailable last time around for varied reasons, but will be missing Christopher Musonda 17/3 due to suspension.
MIFK : 29 Gustav Långbacka 16/0 - 24 Mate Dujilo 12/1 - 6 Marcus Olofsson 15/1 – 22 Alexandros Pappas 15/0 – 23 Paulus Arajuuri 14/1 – 8 Kenneth Gustavsson 14/1 - 9 Ante Simunac 13/2 – 10 Tamás Gruborovics 16/5 – 11 Mika Niskala 16/1 –14 Arsim Gashi 14/1 - 26 Wilhelm Ingves 14/3
Bench: 15 Amos Ekhalie 8/0, 1 Willis Ochieng (gk) 1/0, 2 Dmytro Voloshyn 8/0, 30 Sasha Anttilainen 7/1
Unavailable: 18 Dmytro Pronevych 2/0, 4 Johan Carlsson 13/0 suspended

Coach : Pekka Lyyski


RoPS: 1 Jung-Huyk Kwom (gk) 16/0 – 4 Stephen Kunda 17/0 – 5 White Simwanza 15/0 – 6 Joonas Ikäläinen 17/2 - 3 Marko Koivuranta 8/0 - 11 Chileshe Chibwe 16/2 - 10 Chanda Mwaba 17/1 - 30 Echiabhi Okodugha 17/4 - 19 Janne Turpeenniemi 11/0 - 8 Nchimunya Mweetwa 8/0 - 17 Ville Syväjärvi 13/0
Bench: 2 Godfrey Chibanga 14/0, 9 Zeddy Saile
ti 13/1, 13 Jukka Yrjänheikki 4/0, 20 Juha-Pekka Inkeröinen 7/0, 12 Kari-Pekka Syväjärvi (gk) 2/0, 16 Jeferson Pires 7/1, 15 Mika- Matti Maisonvaara 14/1, 7 Jarno Tenkula 0/0,
Out: 22 Juuso Majava 0/0, 18 Christopher Musonda 17/3 suspended

Coaches: Zeddy Saileti & Mika Lumijärvi


Prediction: I am not suggesting RoPS anymore away this season no matter the price or handicap for them for reasons better to keep unsaid.