Juha Suoniemi's Comeback

Tight End Juha "Suopa" Suoniemi, a long-time veteran of the team, is ready for a comeback. He had to retire in 2004 due to a leg injury, but he is now fully recovered and still eager to play football. Here you have an English translation of his interview originally posted the 13th of May.

Juha Suoniemi is once again geared up and ready to score some points.

I'm sure you're a well-known figure for many football fans, but please tell us a little about yourself as a player.
I started out with the young Trojans back in '92. I played in the Maple League for the first time in '94 and kept playing uninterrupted for 11 seasons in a row. I have played for the national team and represented Stockholm Mean Machine for the Eurobowl Tournament. Other than that, I have always been a Trojan. My career higlights are the championship in 2003, the European championships, and the 2001 season when we came third in despite of having only 20 or so guys on the roster.

So what made you come back now?
I missed the action and I wanted to find out what I'm capable of.

Any thoughts on 2008 season?
This is fun! I'm eager to see what I can do for the team, and I intend to enjoy every bit of the game. My only hope is that the enthuasism will also show on the field and the scoreboard.

How does the team look this season?
The roster is pretty different from what it was in 2004. The guys are putting in a lot of effort while training and we've got a lot of young talent like myself :) I'm guessing that we'll do a whole lot better than last season.

What about coaching?
There are more familiar names in the coaching team than in the roster. I think Rautiainen is right what a young team needs. All in all, the coaches are good at what they do. (does that earn me playing time?)

Are there still a lot of guys left that you used to play with?
No, there aren't that many anymore. And as it goes with us veterans, you never know how many show up with this much time left until the season.

How's your own shape at the moment?
I think I'm with the schedule here. I've been practicing all winter and now what I need is some acuity. Of course, there's a lot of work to be done.

What's your motto?
I'm open! (English original)

Alright, to conclude, why don't you give us a guesstimate on the season's outcome?
We're winning a medal.

Young Trojans Give No Break

Trojans science division has made a major breaktrough. The best minds of the defense came up with a simple, fail-safe idea that if you do not let the opposition score, there's no way you will lose a game. The new theory was put to the test the third time last Saturday, and the results were once again convincing.

Seriously, the Trojans 20 to 21-year-olds won their third game in a row with 40-50 points to nothing. This time it was the visiting Tampere Saints who took a beating. Given that the Trojans are under better circumstances with more history and some recent additions from Sea City Storm, one still has to applaud the boys for the kind of football they've been playing. Especially the defense deserves a big hand here. They have made it next to impossible for the opposition to gain yardage, and have ensured that their own offense can operate in peace with no undue stress.

The entire first half followed a predictable pattern. Misfortune fell upon the Saints right in the beginning of the game; they could not gain yards on their first drive and were forced to punt. The punt was a total blunder, giving the Trojans a very good field position to start out from. It only took one good catch by Mikko Rannikko and Ville Järviö's blast right through the defensive line to score a touchdown; Miko Ylikoski sent the pigskin flying for 7-0.

"Back off, buster! This one's mine!", says Ville Vene while holding on to something precious.

The second drive brought no more blessings for the holy men. Again, the Saints had to punt after little progress and ended up letting the Trojans too close for comfort. Ville Vene scored a TD in a passing play and let Miko Ylikoski finish the job. 14-0.

Miko Ylikoski working his magic.

The Saints' 3rd drive was a bit more unpredictable. There was a fumbled lateral but the drive was about to end the same way the two previous ones had. However, the receiving Trojans would not let the punter do his job at his leasure and suffered a 15-yard penalty that allowed the Saints to carry on. But there was no penetrating the Trojan defense. The second punt was home delivered right back to the Saints' end zone by Ville Vene. Miko did his thing as expected and set the score to 21-0.

Danny Andersson channeling mesmerizing energies at the opponent.

The events of the Saints' previous drive were repeated too. They had to punt, but the Trojans ran into the kicker again, giving them a new set of downs. Trojan defense kept the Saints at bay until it was the home team's turn to score. Sami Toivonen's pass block showing superb timing is definetely worth mentioning here. RB Ville Järviö's and WR Ville Vene took turns in hauling the ball towards the Saint's end zone, but finally let QB Danny Andersson sneak the thing in for 27-0. The PAT was good, making the halftime score 28-0.

If the Lord had meant us to fly, He would have given us wings. Here you can see a Saint crash on takeoff.

The Trojans played a different game in the second half, although an effective one. The first drive featured a nice slant reception and an amazing high catch by Mikko Rannikko, and running plays by QB Andersson and RB Ville Järviö. The final act was played by Miko Ylikoski, an artist usually seen in linebacking and kicking roles. First he slammed the ball through up to the goal line and then countered it to the end zone. The Saints managed to block his point after, but 34-0 is a winning score nonetheless.

With defense like ours, gaining yards can be a considerable burden to the opponent.

The Saints' short drive was another celebration for Trojan defense. Martti Välimaa and Sami Toivonen performed a nice two-man blitz, bringing the QB down. Välimaa made a single-handed sack only moments later. Saints was once again punting. Ville Järviö did some good running until the red zone, from where QB Danny Andersson personally brought the ball all the way for a touchdown. Still upset about the blocked point after, Sami Toivonen slammed himself and the spheroid point-scoring instrument through for a two-point retribution. 42-0.

Try all you want, Ville Rannikko is not letting it go.

The final minutes of the game witnessed one more passing play TD by Ville Vene. The opposition was unsuspecting, when the same innocent-looking wide receiver positioned himself as the holder for a PAT. One would have never guessed that faking a field goal could look so easy. Ville kept the ball for himself and scored another two for a nice and even 50-0.

A Saints player has caught the foul stench of defeat.

Both the Trojan offense and the defense played a commendable game. There was an unusual amount of penalties on both sides, but that could not tip the balance and give the Saints a chance to score. The Saints' quarterback was unfortunately injured in the game; we wish him a hasty recovery. It is now safe to say that the Trojans are winning the season and playing a home game in the playoffs. Stay tuned for more information.

Story: Jussi Hakokari

Photography: Kari Toivonen