Etelä-Espoon Pallo (EsPa)
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| Full name | Etelä-Espoon Pallo | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | EsPa | ||
| Founded | 1988 | ||
| Ground |
Matinkylän tekonurmi Espoo Finland | ||
| Capacity | 200 | ||
| Chairman |
 Tiina Kinnunen | ||
| Manager |
Tuukka Uimonen | ||
| League | Kolmonen | ||
| 2011 | 2nd - Kolmonen (Helsinki and Uusimaa) - Section 2 | ||
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Etelä-Espoon Pallo, or EsPa as the name is commonly abbreviated, is a Finnish amateur football club from the city of Espoo. The club was founded in 1988 and currently competes in the Kolmonen, the fourth tier of the Finnish football league system. EsPa's second adult team compete in the Nelonen. EsPa play their home matches at Matinkylä.
EsPa has two adult teams and twelve junior teams and in total has around 600 registered players. The club was founded to replace Matinkylän Mahti.
Etelä-Espoon Pallo operates in Matinkylä and Olari parts of Espoo. The club organises the annual EsPa Iso Omena (Big Apple) Tournament.
Season to season
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Players in 2013
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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2012 season
EsPa started its first-ever season in Kakkonen (Finnish 3rd Tier) with clear status, no-one outside the team believed their chance of survive in the toughest Kakkonen section, Eteläinen (Southern). Public opinion was that their only hope was to sign up a lot of new player contracts. Within the team, the chance to succeed was seen in another way. Their way to rise above criticism was to do things with higher quality and invest in team-spirit. This non-Finnish way of thinking resulted a surprise to almost all: After first ten games Yellow-Greens had 16 points in their pocket. In these rounds EsPa was playing with almost optimum player setup, but then in mid season the problems started when Eteläinen section's best striker pair, Masar Ömer and Joonas Vilkki, was injured. Ömer was out rest of the season, Vilkki was back to the field for last couple of games. This, combined with other key player absences, pointed out on harsh way how narrow the player material was in this rock hard section.
Season 2012 culminated in the last two home games:
First a 2–0 win from local competitor FC Espoo, in a game where EsPa's goalkeeper Törnqvist glued everything, including a penalty kick. This made the crucial three point difference in EsPa's benefit between these two teams fighting head to head against relegation. If these teams would end in same points, the goal difference would determine relegating team.
The last game of the season against section winner ÅIFK would set the series level for next season. With win or draw EsPa was going to continue on Kakkonen. If losing the game, FC Espoo's last game against GrIFK would determine which team, EsPa or FC Espoo; will continue in this level. In spite of the pressure EsPa won 2–0, with GK Törnqvist handling again penalty kick.
With this win EsPa ensured that they keep on playing in Kakkonen also in season 2013.
2011 season
The 2011 season proved to be the best in EsPa Men's Team's history. The first team secured promoted to the Kakkonen after finishing in second place of the Kolmonen. After finishing second, EsPa were included in the promotion play-offs as the best second placed team of all seven sections of Finland. EsPa were paired with Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa. The first leg took place in Matinkylä with EsPa winning 3-1. The second leg proved to be a dramatic affair with EsPa controversially being reduced to ten men after five minutes. The match eventually ended 2-1 in PKKU's favour, however EsPa progressed, winning 4-3 on aggregate.
EsPa's second team, in their first season, were crowned champions of the 6th Division section 2 and will play in the 5th Division during 2012.
2010 season
EsPa Men's Team finished in second place in Section 1 (Lohko 1) of the Kolmonen administered by the Uusimaa SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football system. In 2009 EsPa finished in 4th position in Section 2 of the Kolmonen.