MuPS 0 - 1 ACF (393571751)

It had rained all day, but 1462 hardy fans still made it out to Koneenpuiston Stadion. Alessandro Barillari was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Rolf Fonck and Lucicã Dan. MuPS decided to use a 2-5-3 set up. The following players took the field: Nyrhinen - Orkamo, Hed - Sipponen, Isoherranen, Pfohl, Raipela, Persson - Rosik, Lento, Konsti.

A 3-5-2 alignment was the formation of choice for ACF. The following players had been chosen: Bendt - Garrido, Larsson, Panáček - Rimpilä, Bleser, Caetano, Polesello, Norolahti - bin Darus, Pajuelo.

I. Pajuelo gave the visitors the lead 4 minutes into the match to make it 0 - 1. The goal was scored from the penalty spot after a handball in the penalty area. P. Rosik had a hard time on the waterlogged pitch - his trademark technique was nowhere in sight today. Had it not been for one of the home defenders, M. Bleser would have put ACF up another goal 22 minutes into the match with his audacious lob from the right wing. Halftime score was 0 - 1. MuPS claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 58 percent.

54 minutes in, ACF's B. Larsson received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. A loud groan was heard from the fans of MuPS, as T. Konsti left the pitch in too much pain to finish the match. S. Silvennoinen took his place on the field. With 58 minutes played, MuPS's J. Lento found an opening in the visitors' left side defence, but his shot was handled easily by the keeper. Some fine passing in the middle of the pitch, carving open the away defence, should have led to a goal for MuPS, but L. Hed's shot went over the bar. A defender managed to keep the ball from crossing the goal-line after a curling shot coming in from the right from B. Larsson after 65 minutes, and prevented ACF from going up another goal. With 68 minutes played, after a good run down the left, J. Lento went down looking for a penalty after a challenge from the visitors' right fullback, but the referee waved play on, and later warned him for diving. MuPS's J. Lento got himself booked for a foul. J. Rimpilä was the unlucky victim and couldn't continue the game, so ACF's M. Sandberg had to come off the bench. After 80 minutes, J. Lento got through on the right and was very close to equalising for the home side, but didn't get the shot away. MuPS enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 58 percent of possession.

Most important MuPS player was M. Sipponen. On the other hand, L. Hed's play was disheartening. M. Bleser performed admirably for ACF. J. Caetano turned in a dismal performance, however. The match ends 0 - 1.