MYPA - KuPS preview

MYPA (8th) – KuPS (12th)
MYPA: 0-3-0-1-3-3
KuPS: 1-1-3-3-0-3

H2H:11-2-5
Last game in Veikkausliiga: 13.06.09 KuPS – MYPA 1-3

MYPA have finally got some wins under their belt after winning both VPS and JJK in the last two rounds. The key element to this has been the return of Antti Okkonen to the midfield. Last time they met KuPS it was in the Cup at MYPA, and it was one of the first occasions were the new KuPS were to be seen and they returned to Kuopio with a 1-3 surprise win.

KuPS look like a totally different team compared to the start of the season, and if the win against RoPS had not been doomed to be a loss in the cabinets after a RoPS protest they would almost be safe by now. The key factor to this resurrection has been the Nigerian striker Dickson who is very unlikely to continue in Finland after this season and looks set for a bigger league. He has almost self-handedly destroyed Haka and HJK in the latest rounds, and helped the whole team to gain back the self-confidence needed in this level. The defense is also solid and the goal-keeper Ville Iiskola has proved to be a useful stopper after all.

Nevertheless, this match is important to KuPS only. MYPA might lack a bit of motivation for the rest of the season, and KuPS are likely to look a bit nervous so the first goal has an important role.
The only absentee for MYPA is a long-term absentee Sampsa Timoska 8/0, the Kuopio side need to do without suspended striker Pele Koljonen 18/5.



MYPA: 1 Antti Kuismala 20/0 – 4 Antti Uimaniemi 21/1 – 11 Ilari Äijälä 17/4 – 16 Toni Huttunen 21/2 - 6 Tuomo Könönen 20/1 - 25 Antti Okkonen 4/0 - 13 Toni Lindberg 14/2 – 18 Tuomas Aho 20/0 - 7 Ben Webster 19/0 – 14 Tosaint Ricketts 16/5 – 2 Miikka Multaharju 17/0

Bench: 5 Jarno Tuunainen 6/0, 15 Ville Oksanen 18/1, 12 Mika Johansson (gk) 1/0, 8 Ady 13/2, 9 Saku Puhakainen 21/2, 24 Nebi Mustafi 12/1, 20 Felipe Benevedes 2/0, 19 Maxim Votinov 14/3, 26 Cleiton 3/1
Unavailable: 3 Sampsa Timoska 8/0 injured,
Coach : Janne Lindberg

KuPS: 1 Ville Iiskola 18/0 – 8 Tero Taipale 21/0 – 20 Miikka Ilo 20/3 - 9 Balazs Balogh 15/1- 23 Jussi-Pekka Savolainen 17/0 – 6 Tuomas Kuparinen 15/1 – 28 Raphael Udah 5/0 – 10 Ilja Venäläinen 19/6 - 15 Ollo 16/2 - 7 Miikka Turunen 19/2 - 26 Dickson Nwakaeme 6/2

Bench: 17 Jussi Kolari 0/0, 24 Atte Hoivala 9/0, 22 Jyrki Juvonen 1/0, 13 Betim Aliju 9/0, 27 Segun Ikudehinbu 6/0, 12 Joonas Pöntinen (gk) 4/0, 3 Janne Reinikainen 17/0, 18 Ville Strandman 5/0, 19 Juho Karppinen 2/1

Out: 5 Jani Hartikainen 10/0 for the rest of the season, 21 Jesse Miettinen 0/0, 2 Joni Nissinen 1/0, 4 Patrik Turunen 14/0, 11 Pele Koljonen 18/5 suspended

Coach: Esa Pekonen

Bettingwise there is a lot to think about. Tomorrow or Sunday maybe some calculations. Update: The bookies have reacted correctly to the good form of KuPS and quite right decided that it is permanent. There might be a tad of value on KuPS with a handicap, especially +0,25, but I skip this for now.