Marko Saloranta The Finnish women’s national football team coached by Natalia Kuikan and Nea Lehtolan with goals 2–0 (2–0) in front of more than 7,000 spectators in Töölö. The first leg in Edinburgh ended 0–0.
Saloranta said that the first half of the game was completely under Finland’s control, but after that Scotland forced the home team to defend. According to the coach, the second goal came in a really important place and it helped a lot in the end.
– Pretty tough statement from us, when in two matches against Scotland we kept them to zero. Scotland is such a tough team that it should also be in the European Championships, Saloranta emphasized.
Goal scorer Lehtola reminded that Helmarit has come a long way to its goal – the European Championships.
– Absolutely incredible! Fortunately, the goals were scored at the start. We had to defend a lot, but it doesn’t hurt with a two-goal lead, Lehtola grinned from the middle of the celebration.
Nea Lehtola made a huge ascent to the Helmareite group in these qualifiers. Lehtola, 26, has suffered from a heavy and extensive cycle of injuries in his career. He has also spoken in public about how severe the emotional injury was.
Lehtola held back tears when telling how much the competition place means.
– I can’t really describe it. It feels like three years ago I’ve been lying in bed not knowing where I’m going, head full of really dark thoughts. Then when we win here today, I thought before the game that I will put everything into this. I play the same way I did when I was little, enjoying futs. That’s how I enjoy it.
Konkarit Korpela and Sällström in the hills of their happiness
The last time Finland secured a spot at the European Championship in Helsinki 2021. Helmarit has played in the women’s European Championship four times in total.
– It feels so wonderful. This great crowd warmed us up and helped us today. The whole bunch kept saying that we’re going to take care of this. A warm drink, at least for me now, in honor of the celebration, rejoiced the captain, who kept his goal clean Tinja-Riikka Korpela.
– It wasn’t so pretty, but it doesn’t matter. We have a really strong team. 25 tough players, all of whom can throw on the field. Cake to celebrate, seasoned top player Linda Sällström stammered faithfully to his ways.
The final tournament will be played from the 2nd to the 27th. July in several locations in Switzerland. There are 16 countries, and the four initial groups of four teams will be drawn on December 16 in Lausanne, Switzerland. shows all the matches of the Women’s European Championships as live broadcasts.
Denmark, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Holland, Italy, Spain and the organizing country Switzerland had previously secured their places in the European Championships.
The remaining seven final tournament teams will be decided in the second matches of tonight’s further qualifiers. In addition to Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland and Portugal claimed their competition places in the early evening. The last two countries will be decided by the matches between Belgium and Ukraine and Ireland and Wales before midnight.
A great start blocked Finland’s feat
Top player Natalia Kuikka struck with her right foot with a beautiful, surprising long-range shot to give Finland a 1-0 lead after a great start in the 9th minute. Keeper Eartha Cummings couldn’t stop the puck even though it hit the middle of the goal.
Already in the second minute of the match, Nea Lehtola shot from outside the penalty area with the power of the ball to the top bar of the opponent, and Saint Francis a good follow-up position, the Scottish player could only barely block for a corner.
– From that aftermath (Finland) should have already scored a goal. In my opinion, Finland had changed the way they played from the opening part. They now had three strikers, and their wingers stepped up strongly and forced the Scottish defense early on. A deserved goal based on the start, says the former Scotland national team defender Emma Black Followed live by the BBC.
Scotland woke up after a quiet opening quarter and in the future kept the ball more than Finland, creating scoring chances as well.
However, after a long period of lackluster play, Finland inoculated the opponent really bluntly at just under half an hour, when Lehtola, who had rattled the top bar earlier, shot from the middle section through the rebound of two Scottish players to make it 2-0.
Before the break, Scotland still had chances to equalize. Erin Cuthbert or Sophie Howard did not succeed in finishing. Howard’s header was saved by goalkeeper Korpela from under the bar.
In extra time of the opening half, the ball hit Cuthbert’s shot Ria Öling’s hand, but the ball was not taken to the 11-meter, even though the Scottish players demanded it loudly.
The second slow-motion image showed that the game tool did not directly hit the Finn’s hand, but that it bounced off his body. This was the reason why the VAR referees did not favor a penalty kick for Scotland.
Finland was more than satisfied with its 2–0 halftime lead, because the statistics did not support the readings. Scotland had 66% of the ball in the opening half, took goal attempts 11-4, shots on goal 3-2 and corner kicks 8-1.
Scotland ran out of faith after the exchanges
Right at the beginning of the second half, the post saved Finland from a setback, while Scotland Samantha Kerr shot the ball into the goal frame.
Goalkeeper Korpela saved a dangerous shot from the bottom corner in the 56th minute, but in the situation hit his head on the post. Fortunately, one of Finland’s heroes of the night was able to continue the match.
In the second half, Finland, in the lead position, tactically took away the tempo of the game and used counterattacks, and after their own substitutions, Scotland could not get to the top positions much anymore. At the same time, the focus of the game shifted from the Finnish area to more of the central area.
Finland, who played maturely at the end of the match, avoided another setback in the five minutes of extra time, when Kuikka, who played wonderfully, saved Scotland’s place from the goal line.