A midtable team hosting the biggest promotion candidates in the season opener in Raseborg. A look at their preseason and team building situation below:

EIF in: Bruno Miguel (FC Van), Yassin Daoussi (MP), Nnaemeka Anyamele (Gnistan), Karl Madianga, Kevin Moihedja, Adam Larsson (AFC Eslkilstuna). Keeper Riihimäki comes on loan from KuPS reserves, striker Bangoura from St. Etienne academy. Coach Manninen comes from Haka.

EIF out: Riku Selander (AC Oulu), Tuukka Andberg (Gnistan), Jarkko Heimonen (MP), Zacharias Ekström, Robin Sid (IFK Mariehamn), Aleksi Ollila (ASD Sasso Marconi), André Österholm (Östersunds FK), Juuso Liukkonen (ASC Calcio Bianvacilla), Olli Jakonen (TPS)

A lot of chances, the most interesting new players being winger Anyamele and striker Larsson who has been effective, but as usual EIF operate with a narrow player material and have built their team rather late as the financial resources are limited.

The recent results promise very little, but the team today, or the form of them a bit later in the summer is totally different from this and they can almost be ignored in the case of teams like EIF. They might be a top-4 team class-wise when they are fit and trained, but right now they are far from it.

TPS failed to win promotion last season, now they are even stronger and biggest candidate.

TPS in: Aati Marttinen (FC Inter), Joonas Lakkamäki (MuSa), Anthony Annan (FC Inter), Daniel Rantanen (PK-35), Simo Roiha (RoPS), Olli Jakonen (EIF), Linus Rönnberg (Ilves), Demba Savage (FC Honka)

TPS out: Juhani Pikkarainen (VPS), Atte Sihvonen (FC Haka), Joakim Latonen (IFK Mariehamn), Ilari Mettälä (Ilves), Serge Atakayi (SJK)

To sum it up, several players from the higher league - or their class - coming in, and from the players who left I would mostly miss Sihvonen who is a solid defensive player. Coach Jonatan Johansson (strong professional career behind in the UK) continues.

TPS results are a bit mixed as they should be in the preseason;

but defense is solid, and they have among others a former key Finland international in their squad who came in the middle of the last season. Now he is more prepared to promote his team of origin back to Veikkausliiga.

There are no confirmed lineups at the time of the writing. Some of the latest signings do not yet have a license, and guessing the actual starting lineups would just be guessing. However I will write down here what the actual optimal lineups could had been about a week ago. The new signings then may or may not fight their way into it, some of the EIF players especially are very much unknown at this point.

EIF (4-3-3): El Moutacim; Anyamele, Petterson, Miguel, Daoussi; Gela, Madianga, Sallinen; Larsson, Efimov, Rashica

TPS (4-2-3-1): Koponen; Sundman, Holma, Benga, Lakkamäki; Annan, Rantanen; Savage, Hämäläinen, Muzaci; Roiha

My estimation, TPS win by 0-2

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As a whole the teams figthting for promotion are TPS, KTP and Jaro. And PK-35 with their latest Colombian additions to the team? Teams trying to survive are PePo, PIF, JäPS and SJK Academy, depending on how much help they get from their first team. KPV and MP may also struggle after serious changes in squads. The rest - Gnistan and EIF - seem to form the midtable.

Enjoy the league, all matches are streamed locally and this will be one of my leagues to follow this summer!