In their European Championship opener, Helmari lost to Spain with 1–4 goals. Linda Sällström scored Finland’s lead with a lightning goal, but Spain’s special situation play was too much.
Jussi Vainikka,
Jaakko Palvaila
21:07•Updated 22:24
On Friday evening, Finland lost to Spain with 1-4 goals in the opening match of the European team championships.
The match was watched by 16,819 spectators at the MK Stadium in Milton Keynes, which is the record audience in the history of the women’s European Championship, excluding the host matches.
Linda Sällström however, immediately threw the script of the match into the scrap bin. Spain did not have time to attack at all, when the opening goal of the match came after 48 seconds of play.
Button pass to Sällström’s goal was served Anna Westerlund.
The goal confirmed the statement made in the studio before the match: Spain’s weaknesses in the tournament are in defensive play.
– Spain wants to defend forward, they are not ready to defend their own backline. Both Spanish toppers are moving forward in the situation and Linda runs brilliantly between them, Urheilu’s expert Maija Saari stated in the halftime studio of the match.
Spain struck back
Despite the shock platform, Spain gathered its ranks quickly. The pressure in Helmareite’s end of the field was crushing in some places and Spain already got their ninth corner kick in the 26th minute of the match.
The ball landed in the middle of Finland’s territory and the Spanish captain Irene Paredes was able to punch the ball without any opposition.
– When you get nine corner kicks, the probability of scoring increases. Finland didn’t defend optimally, they shouldn’t be able to shoot so freely, expert Timo Furuholm evaluate in the studio.
Add your club before the halftime whistle. The ball ended up in Finland’s goal from the header again, this time as a factor Fence Bonmatí.
– Spain got into the scoring sector too easily. Maria Leon was able to give a center too easily and Bonmatí was forgotten in the pits behind the backs of the toppers. A world-class header, Furuholm said of the goal.
Korpela’s ghost rescues were not enough
Finland’s salvation was in the second half Tinja-Riikka Korpela. The goalkeeper of Tottenham, who plays in the Finnish and English Super League, made several saves as Spain repeatedly attacked Finland’s goal.
In the end, however, Spain managed to score their third goal. The ball ended up again through the head of the Spanish player in Helmareit’s goal, this time as the scorer Lucia Garcia.
Worked as TV commentator for the match in Milton Keynes Maiju Rootsalainen criticized the defense of Helmarei for being lazy.
– Who would have thought that Spain is the team that scores the main goals. Finland defends too loosely. You have to go forward and make a small contact so that the opponent doesn’t get up to speed. The defender must be the first between the ball and the goal, but now more Spaniards got away from the defenders again, the Swede stated.
In the final moments of extra time of the match Elli Pikkujämsä fiercely defended Finland’s goal lead and the result was a penalty kick.
Tinja-Riikka Korpela guessed in the right direction, but Mariona Caldentey the shot was aimed precisely at the top corner of the goal. The goal was Spain’s third special-situation goal of the match.
– Three special situation goals are too many. They have to be sharpened. Let’s start a new rise, said Linda Sällström, who completed the goal for the Helmareids, in an interview after the match.
– We knew that Spain is a really difficult opposition that can be wounded by counterattacks. There would have been more seams, but Spain had time.
After the match, the health situation of the Finnish players was also discussed. Adelina Engman was substituted at half time. Also Tuija Hyyrynen came off the field before full time.
– Adelina has small sensations in her thigh. We are not risking anything, nor the well-being of the players, Finland’s head coach Anna Signeul told.
Hyyrynen was replaced by Finland’s star defender Natalia Kuikka. He returned to the team’s training strength due to illness only on the eve of the match against Spain.
– It felt really good. On Sunday evening, it was not known whether the races would be missed, Kuikka described.
The competition continues on Friday with the match between Germany and Denmark, who play in the same initial group B as Finland. The broadcast of the fight is underway on TV2. Finland plays its next match on Tuesday against Denmark.