Struggling with scoring problems, Helmarit won only one match this year. Temporary head coach Marko Saloranta has not yet thought about his continuation at the helm of the team.
SpongeBob Forsberg,
Jussi Vainikka,
Hinn Hirvonen
Helmarie’s underwhelming national team year ended on Tuesday with a 0–5 home loss to Sweden in the final game of the World Cup qualifiers. Sweden, which had already secured a place in the World Cup, was stronger than expected in Tampere, and Finland could not properly challenge its tough western neighbor.
– Cold ride. Top teams score goals as soon as there is an opportunity, experienced defender Anna Westerlund comment after the match.
Helmari’s year as a whole was difficult. The only victory came in the World Cup qualifiers from Georgia, which cannot even be considered a tough football country.
The one fired as head coach of Helmarie Anna Signeulin instead of the one washed in July Marko Saloranta in women’s national team football, the competition is getting tougher and constantly developing.
– The tip goes damn hard. The next axle, which has been behind us, has developed over the last few years. For example, Ireland, which has been behind us, is now clearly ahead in the ranking. The work site is quite tough.
Finland lost its chance to qualify for the World Cup last week, when it suffered a 0–1 loss to Ireland.
Helmareit’s experienced goaltender Linda Sällström was frustrated after the match with the result and the team’s recent performances.
– I’m just so tired of losing. Yes, now you have to do a proper posture movement. We’ve only beaten Georgia this year, and that’s definitely not okay in any way. 0–5 is not a good result in any way, Sällström said seriously.
Saloranta understood Sällström’s thoughts.
– What Linda said is a fact. You have to face the facts. There are two options: give up or take a piece at a time. The top of Europe will not be caught in an instant, Saloranta said.
The goal scoring of the Helmares has coughed up badly. With the exception of the Georgia game, Finland got the ball into the goal only three times in eight matches during the year. Saloranta calls for high-quality utilization of the goal posts.
– Whether it’s a fast or slow attack, you have to get more players involved in them. Against the top teams in Europe, the ball has to be in the net if you get a few spots.
Internationality is needed
Saloranta says that he has not yet thought about continuing at the helm of the national team. He was hired as a temporary head coach for the fall World Cup qualifiers.
– But I have always said that it is an honor to be the head coach of the national team. When I jumped in as interim head coach, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. It was only a few days away, but that’s no explanation. And it won’t be easy next year either. Whoever is the coach after the turn of the year, the next qualifiers will start a year from now. It’s time to make changes.
The next competitive national team matches are in a year’s time, when the EC qualifiers begin.
Sports experts Mari Savolainen and Maija Saari emphasized the importance of internationality for the future.
– The future coach must have international relations so that we don’t fall down from the first basket, but we still get to play practice matches against top countries and that we are still invited to tournaments in which the world’s top countries participate. “Football is currently moving forward at a tremendous pace and Finland cannot afford to drop into the B basket,” Savolainen said.
Emma Peuhkurinen and Oona Siren made their debut in the national team in Tuesday’s match. According to Saari, bringing new players to the national team is important on the threshold of a generational change.
– We have to gradually bring players in and bring breadth to the team. It raises the level so that we can keep up with the development. Our individuals must stay involved in the development. We need players who play every day in Europe’s top clubs, Saari said.