The Finnish women’s national football team lost its EC general to the reigning European champion, the Netherlands. In the European Championships starting next week, Finland must be able to stretch in order to reach even a point.
Matti Härkönen,
Anu Karttunen
The Dutch match did not cause a big orange avalanche, and Finland did not collapse in the second period in the same way as in the Japan match. However, the 0–2 loss in the EC general was a continuation of Helmareit’s bad results.
– This year’s results have been sad. When we start building towards the Games, it raises concerns about how we will manage, Urheilu’s expert Jonne Kunnas admitted.
Finland has played seven matches this year, of which it has won one, drawn two and lost four.
Finland was able to keep up with the Netherlands, at least apparently, but in Kunnas’s opinion, the fact that the team is already waiting for the start of the European Championship shined in the Netherlands. However, Kunnas saw an improvement in Finland’s performance compared to last Monday’s game against Japan, which the visitors won 5–1.
– In defense, we pressed in a different way and managed to keep Holland out of bad goal positions. It was good overall. On the other hand, they were also able to create danger in fast attacks. Those are really important things for the start of next week’s games.
In Holland’s 1–0 win, Jonne Kunnas drew attention to the activities and cooperation between Finland’s midfield and defense line. In his opinion, it is necessary to be able to put pressure on a player with the ball much earlier.
On Friday, Finland will face Spain, which is one of the top countries in the tournament, in its European Championship opener. According to Kunnas, getting a point from a match is really difficult and behind a lot of work.
– Finland’s chances rest on the fact that Finland makes the same choice with defense as it did against Holland in the second period and in the first period already in certain moments, i.e. protect the space between the lines, he stated.
– The pressure must not be started too early, the midfield must be played close to the strikers and then all the focus should be on those moments when Finland steals the ball and is able to hurt Spain with quick attacks.
Kunnas believes that Finland will be able to create some danger in the match and get a few places. You can’t afford to waste them.
Victoria Pelova, who assisted the goal in the 2–0 goal of the Netherlands, is the biggest threat to score a goal. In the opinion of Jonne Kunnas, the Finnish toppers do not move in a wide direction in the penalty area, and Elli Pikkujämsä stayed thinking about the situation for too long.
Spain played an international match against Italy on Friday and it ended in a 1-1 draw. According to Kunnas, that match in Italy gave the Finnish team hope.
– That’s why it’s good for Finland to look at weapons and build its game on them. However, Spain has diversified its game. Spain is really good at raising the counter-press and is versatile in moving the ball. Finland must also be good at protecting their own goal.