TFT Issue 304!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
IFK Mariehamn vs TPS Turku – away win at 8/5.
Today’s featured game is the Finnish Liiga Cup game between IFK Mariehamn and TPS Turku.
Traditionally, the islands of Aland are hard to travel to and win but IFK’s squad seems to get weaker each year and the trip loses some of its difficulty, in my view.
Still, this game is indoors and that always favours the home side in Finland so TPS will have to be at their best here. Happily, TPS welcome back their two stars in playmaker Kolehmainen and striker Aaritalo. Kolehmainen still hasn’t made the almost inevitable move to HJK Helsinki despite continued interest from the Veikkausliiga champions whereas Aaritalo is bafflingly still at TPS despite being one of the top strikers in the country, in my eyes.
TPS enter this game on the back of a dour but inspiring 0-1 win against bitter rivals Inter Turku. Will it set a precedent for the season ahead? Well, it could do, I suppose – Inter Turku have to cope without Furuholm now and that will be interesting to observe. However, TPS Turku’s squad is wafer-thin so I’m not going to get too excited by that result, especially as both sides had some important absentees.
Nonetheless, it gives TPS a platform to build upon here and I think they’ll take advantage of that. They’re only missing Lahde so they’re virtually at full-strength here. They’re much stronger defensively this year too, having signed VPS Vaasa centre-back Tanska, which was an impressive coup for them. I like this TPS side a lot, to be honest – it’s just a shame that they have no depth.
IFK had a reasonably large squad last season, albeit with only a handful of good players. Now they have a wafer-thin squad with even less good players following Strandvall’s departure for VPS Vaasa pre-season. Impressively, they did keep hold of Forsell, who was easily one of the best midfielders in the Veikkausliiga last season. He’ll be instrumental in IFK achieving anything this season, in my view. Indeed, he’ll be especially important today when we consider that winger Okodugha is out, thus reducing IFK’s threat from the flanks, and with the absence of number one goalkeeper Wicks. Amusingly, trialist Samake is likely to start in place of American goalkeeper Wicks so to say that IFK are under-strength here would be an understatement.
IFK lost a few others over the summer too, reducing their squad side. Both Paatelainens have hung up their boots due to persistent injury problems and the likes of de Abreu and Emet are linked away from home the club on a regular basis. Even Lehtinen has left although he truly was a squad player – this guy couldn’t hit a barn door from three yards. He’s finally found his level, though – he’s signed for SJK!
All in all, IFK aren’t in the best shape ahead of this game whereas TPS look an interesting side this year. If they can win the ball back and welcome the newcomers with minimal fuss then I fancy them to be the main challengers to HJK this season although “challengers” is a fairly broad term as HJK will win the league, as ever. The Liiga Cup is open, though, and TPS could spring a surprise.
There’s not a massive amount of motivation for such a tournament but I still think 8/5 on the away win is long here. TPS actually have an intriguingly good record in the Aland Islands, winning three consecutive visits here, although they were all outdoor. Again, I won’t get carried away with TPS just yet but at 8/5, they look well worth a flutter to me today, especially with their main men back from international duty in the Caribbean.
Verdict: TPS Turku to win at 8/5.
Team news
Australian A-League:
Adelaide United – Susak, Golec, McKain, Birighitti, and Mullen are absent. Caravella and Dilevski are doubts. Cassio and Levchenko return.
Wellington Phoenix – Pantelis is absent. Lia returns.
Finnish Liiga Cup:
IFK Mariehamn – Wicks and Okodugha are absent. Samake will debutise in Wicks’ absence – still only on trial though!
TPS Turku – Lahde is absent. Aaritalo and Kolehmainen return.
German Bundesliga:
Nurnberg – Rakovsky, Pinola, Klement, Klose, Nilsson, and Balitsch are absent.
Bv09 Borussia Dortmund – Gotze and Koch are absent.