Finland lost to Italy with 0-4 goals in the final round of the European women’s soccer qualifiers on Tuesday. With the loss, Finland finished last in its group and continues to pursue a place in the EC further qualifiers.
– There was definitely something left to improve in every area. We weren’t aggressive enough, our press was released super easily and we had to chase Italy a bit. When we had the ball, we didn’t really know how to do anything with it, said the midfielder Eveliina Summanen.
Finland in the opening minutes of the match Ria Öling got into a good goal position, but his shot narrowly missed the top corner of Italy’s goal. After that, the end of the match progressed quite strongly under Italian command.
– At home, we were able to play really well and show what we are capable of. We couldn’t give enough away. We certainly have to look in the mirror to see if we have prepared well enough… We can’t just do it at home, but we also have to be able to do it away, Summanen said.
In the EC qualifiers, Finland won one match at home and drew two. The team lost all their matches away from home: 0–4 to Italy and Norway and 0–1 to the Netherlands.
– Italy was clearly better. They went into the match with much more courage. I feel like we weren’t really awake at the beginning, Central Defender Natalia Kuikka described the match.
The match was played in Bolzano, Italy. When the game started, the temperature was over 30 degrees. The preparation for the match was therefore challenging for Finland, but also for Italy.
– Yes, it had a bit of an effect. Not many people are used to playing in such hot weather. Maybe that’s why you couldn’t get your legs moving. It didn’t matter to Italy, who nevertheless came into the game to the fullest. That was the difference. It cannot be blamed on the weather, Kuikka stated.
Summanen also stated that Italy was better than Finland.
– There was nothing left to worry about in terms of the result. Italy scored exactly the kind of goals we expected in the opening half, and we couldn’t prevent them, Summanen estimated.
Injuries do not explain the loss
The head coach Marko Saloranta said he was extremely disappointed. According to him, the team put everything into the final match of the EC qualifiers.
– We set out to achieve something that no one believed in: We are among the top two in this group. We would have liked to secure a competition place a year before the European Championships. Italy was better, there’s no doubt about that.
Finland made four player changes compared to the starting line-up for Friday’s match against Norway. Changes had to be made due to, among other things, injuries.
– It always changes things, but it’s not an excuse (for the loss). In football, you have to make changes and take risks. Somewhere we didn’t succeed in the match against Italy, Saloranta stated.
Fullback Emma Koivisto had to be replaced after a good 20 minutes. The head coach believes that Koivisto has no major injury.
– He just couldn’t play fully. He is an extremely important player, and we had quite a few other important players on the sidelines. We don’t hide behind it. Of course, Emma Koivisto jumping to the side was a big notch, but that’s football. We have to be able to fix it with other players, Saloranta estimates.
“The qualifiers went well”
Sports expert Essi Sainio states that Italy was clearly much better than Finland in every aspect of the game.
– In duels, crosses, goal-scoring situations and in my opinion, Italy defended really united. Unfortunately, the match didn’t see any kind of finish. Finland tried to raise the risk levels, but it didn’t really bring anything, Sainio summed up.
The most surprising of the changes in Finland’s starting line-up were the goalkeepers Anna Tamminen and the attacker Lotta Lindström. The Italy match was Tamminen’s first in these qualifiers and Lindström’s first in the starting line-up.
Expert Sainio considers the lineup changes a good idea.
– Lindström is a slightly different type of attacker than Linda Sällström, although they also have a lot in common. I had already been waiting for Anna Tamminen’s chance, because she is a great goalkeeper.
– After all, there are a lot of changes when you think about what kind of lineups the previous matches started with. On Tuesday, Finland failed, and Italy succeeded.
How would you sum up the EC qualifiers for Finland?
– Overall, it looked really good and positive. Head coach Saloranta and the rest of the coaching team have brought a completely new way of playing to Finland compared to what it was before. The players look like they are enjoying playing for the national team.
– Finland has shown that it has the potential to go really far. The structure of the game is well laid out.
– This sounds stupid when the team is last in the group and the goal difference is 4–12. Can you say that the qualifiers went well? Yes, they went. The matches were really even. Finland was able to challenge Holland and Norway and beat Italy at home. You can’t give it a terribly bad grade.
In the ranking of the international football association Fifa, the Netherlands is in 11th place, Norway in 13th place, Italy in 15th place and Finland in 26th place.
The draw for the EC further qualifiers will be held on Friday, July 19 in Switzerland. The matches of the first round of the further qualifiers will be played on the 23rd-29th. October The further qualifiers are played in two parts. The partial matches of the second round will be played at the turn of November-December.