July 20, 2012
GETTING CLOSER
Tainio targets next week for his return, Backe points to Tottenham game July 31

Teemu Tainio: “I wouldn’t be too much surprised if I’m with the team next weekend." Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

By Kristian R. Dyer
BigAppleSoccer.com Contributing Editor

UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Having played just three games this season due to a knee injury, it has been a frustrating 2012 for Red Bulls midfielder Teemu Tainio. But a light appears to be at the end of the tunnel for the former Finnish international who is nearing a return to the pitch.

Tainio has been training with the team this week, an amplification of the fitness work and light jogging that began earlier this month. While Tainio still isn’t participating fully in training, he is closing in on regaining the sharpness and fitness that helped make him one of the best midfielders in the league last season.

“I wouldn’t be too much surprised if I’m with the team next weekend,” Tainio said following training on Friday at Montclair State University.

“Fitness wise I’ve been working hard the past two, three weeks. Like I said, I’m feeling pretty good. Next week, I have a full week with the team. Maybe the weekend game maybe [I can play] a little bit of a part of it.”

Coach Hans Backe has lamented the loss of the hard working Tainio, whose vision and tenacity in the midfield he has praised. But Backe was a bit more cautious in his prognosis of a timetable for the return of the midfielder, eyeing perhaps the friendly match against Tottenham on July 31.

“Little bit too early," he said. "I would guess that it probably, it would be nice of course, but I would guess more likely he would do 45 against Spurs. I would guess, but you never know. I mean, if he’s in, he hasn’t been in a full session with us. He’s just been floater in the technical training sessions, so the competitive session, we haven’t seen that yet. And perhaps Wednesday will be the first time next week. It’s a little bit too short to do Wednesday, Thursday and soft Friday and then be ready or be on the bench, but I guess if he does respond well, Spurs, 45 minutes is realistic.”

Tainio opted for injections and rehab for his knee over surgery, a move that helped speed up his return to the field. In fact last month, Backe said that if Tainio had opted for surgery it’d likely be the end of his career.

That wasn’t the case, Tainio said.

“I don’t know where he picked up career ending," he said. "Even if I had the operation it’d be six months, and I’m 32 and I can still play a year or two. I don’t agree in that case.

“That of course was the last option, to have surgery. So we went to England to see a specialist and have some injection in my knee and it seems to work. I’m pleased that it worked so I wouldn’t have had to have surgery.”

And now at 32-years-old, Tainio is hoping for a return to the field but he is open to extending his stay in New York beyond two years.

“I’ve been out for three months so I’m sort of happy to be back now. Let’s see how it goes from here but I don’t have problems to stay here and I like it here and I like the team and the league is fun to play,” Tainio said. “All the options are open.”

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