sampo 4 - 1 Hämy (385528690)

The crowd of 31617 turning up at Jäkälä Areena today were greeted with some nasty showers of rain. Anders Tellind was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Eric Ducourneau and Adrian Enache. sampo started off with a 3-5-2 lineup. The following players had been chosen: Piispa - Abu-Najjar, Guggenberger, Vetsch - 广川 (Guangchuan), Umbrărescu, Poetermans, Venhola, Vreven - Cennetkuşu, Xuarau.

Hämy tactics involved an interesting 3-4-3 combination. The following players took the field: Pálinger - Saieta, Teikari, Rybaczek - Segrelles, Verdugo, Richter, Devault - Scabini, Peräjärvi, Nović.

X. Xuarau caused the crowd to go mental with his goal up the middle after 5 minutes. This gave sampo the 1 - 0 lead. 6 minutes in, Hämy's J. Rybaczek received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. Hämy had a chance to level the score as G. Scabini suddenly found himself free in the middle of the box with only the keeper to beat, but he misjudged the finish, and only managed to hit the bar. L. Piispa's name was chanted throughout the stadium after he made a fantastic save from J. Verdugo's shot from the left 26 minutes into the match. After 29 minutes a well-practised indirect free kick routine by sampo was easily anticipated by the defenders. The players forward were so well marked, they were left with few viable options. Hämy tied it all up, 29 minutes in, after a spectacular goal by T. Richter, who miraculously broke through the home side's central defence, making it 1 - 1. What was J. Verdugo thinking? That's what everyone wondered when, for no apparent reason, he shot a cross pass over his own penalty area, giving X. Xuarau an extra chance, but unfortunately for sampo, he didn't get the shot right. The home side put themselves ahead 2 - 1 after 34 minutes courtesy of a breakthrough from L. Venhola, who scored with a stunning volley following a cross from the right wing. 2 - 1 was the score after the first half. Possession in this half belonged to sampo, who controlled the ball 57 percent of the time.

X. Xuarau wanted to play on, but the sampo coach had other ideas, and he was replaced 46 minutes into the game by L. Struys. The sampo players could smell victory in the air. L. Venhola wasn't in a hurry to leave the field as he was substituted for N. Aw after 46 minutes. M. Abu-Najjar was handed the sampo captain's armband. sampo increased the lead as B. Vreven struck to make the score 3 - 1 after an attack from the left left him unmarked in front of the keeper. A. Devault was having a great game - if anything the pouring rain seemed to be spurring him on! sampo solidified their lead at the 66 minute mark, as N. Aw dribbled the ball through the opposing central defence and scored to make it 4 - 1. The visitors got a chance to pulling one back after 73 minutes, due to a defensive blunder leaving T. Richter completely unmarked. His strike was pathetic though, easy prey for the home side's keeper. With 74 minutes played, sampo's L. Struys almost extended the lead, but his shot from the left glanced off the top of the bar to fall behind the net. M. Abu-Najjar had a hard time on the waterlogged pitch - his trademark technique was nowhere in sight today. A questionable free kick call just outside the home side's penalty area gave Hämy a chance at reducing the score 79 minutes into the match. In the end, the ball went wide. Hämy needed a fresh pair of legs on the field, and after 80 minutes G. Nović made way for V. Pajunoja. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by sampo, with 55 percent of the ball.

S. Poetermans performed admirably for sampo. On the other hand, B. Vreven's play was disheartening. Most important Hämy player was A. Devault. K. Pálinger was a disappointment, however. The match ends 4 - 1.