Final result: Hammarby vs TPS Åbo 1-2

Well, the training match did not became what many had expected - a display of great football and a team (Hammarby) in perfect harmony. Actually, far too often for my week heart, we we're given proof of the opposite.

Now, TPS Åbo is not a football team that resemble Barcelona even a little bit. They are, however, a very physical team and they keep their football very basic. They mix long, swirling balls towards a nearly two meters tall giant up front, with a short no-nonsense and quite effective close range game.

Hammarby had difficulties at the start of the first half, and it seemed mostly the problems were in the heads rather than the feet. One week until the season start for real, no player takes unnecessary risks to chance an injury. And quite soon, TPS takes the lead after a dreadful clearing from Hammarby defenders. Unable to get rid of the ball, a TPSer easily drives the ball past reserve keeper George Moussan. After that goal, Hammarby takes charge of the situation and position themselves more often on the opponents' half. Even though the pressure is no where near constant or as close that we are used to when playing at home, Hammarby manage to equalize just before half time. After a situation the ball trickles to the right where Petter Andersson finds himself. A nice long ball find Paulinho Guará on the far end, and his header is lethal as it find it way just pass the keeper by the goal post high. Beautiful goal, and thus it's 1-1 at half time.

The first ten minutes of the second half is easily the best Hammarby manage to perform tonight, but after that TPS once again takes charge with their more physical gameplay. In the middle of the half, our right defender for the night is overplayed and cannot catch up. A play to the center of the goal area is delivered where another TPS fellow doesn't make any mistake, 1-2.

Hammarby's best opportunity after that goal is a free kick in the very last minute by Louay Chanko, but it swirls past the left goal post.

One of the evening's brightest moments where when defensive midfielder Mikkel Jensen entered the field after close to a year in rehab.

Summary: It's always good to win training matches, but today Hammarby couldn't deliver. Whether or not this is how good we are or not is too early to say. It's clear however, that the players need to show more heart and not a little more head in their game to win the first game of the season next monday, away vs Ljungskile.

Hammarby players and their RAB points (1-10):
Keeper:
George Moussan 2
Defenders:
Christian Traoré 4
Suleyman Sleyman 3
Kleeber Saarenpää 3
David Johansson 2
Midfielders:
Petter Andersson 3
Louay Chanko 2
Claudio Dadomo 2
Haris Laitinen 4
Attackers:
Paulinho Guará 5
Charlie Davies 2
Subs, played too little time to receive points:
Freddy Söderberg, José Monteiro, Mikkel Jensen