Helmarit will face Wales in a practice match on Saturday 12.11. Live broadcast of the match at Areena and on ‘s website at 20:25.
The Finnish women’s national football team is currently camping in Spain in San Pedro del Pinatari, where the team will face Wales twice.
The head coach Marko Saloranta started as head coach with a contract lasting until the end of the year after the poorly run European Championships and immediately selected new names for the fall World Cup qualifiers.
Now the team has renewed even more: Nanne Ruuskanen replaced the one absent due to injury Elli Pikkujämsän. Tiia Peltonen and Nea Lehtola returned to the national team after a break of several years.
In addition to Ruuskanen, those who are participating in the Spain camp Milla-Maj Majasaari, Joanna Tynnilä, Oona Siren and Katariina Kosola are still waiting for their first minutes in the women’s A national team.
Of the players in the established starting line-up in recent years Tuija Hyyrynen announced the end of his playing career. They are on the sidelines from the Spanish camp Emmi Alanen and Anna Westerlund due to injury and personal reason.
– Of course it shows when there are a lot of changes at once. The ideal team renewal happens piece by piece in a controlled manner. Now there have inevitably been a lot of changes. It is impossible to do everything in a controlled manner, but we try to do it as controlled as possible, Saloranta commented.
One of the key players in the midfield Eveliina Summanen is happy with the changes.
– It’s nice to have new faces! It’s part of the sport that the group changes a bit. Those who are here for the first time have shown their own skills and what they are here for.
Unlike the majority of European countries, Helmarit did not play any international matches in the October international match window. According to Saloranta, this is reflected in the team – in a positive way.
– It was probably quite good, because the team now looks the freest. The Ireland and Sweden matches (World Cup qualifiers) came quite quickly after the European Championships, which was quite difficult mentally. It’s been a tough year, but now the mental side looks really good.
The performances on the field have also been so pleasing that Saloranta even describes the training as one of the best during his Helmari time – including the Swedish pilot Anna Signeulia preceded by a clip in 2016–2017.
– Thursday’s practice was probably the best offensive play practice that has been done in my time. We practiced how we can create more quality scoring opportunities and what happens when we lose the ball.
There will inevitably be changes to the starting line-up for the match against Wales on Saturday, if the opening is compared to the summer’s European Championship team.
– There were already two A national team debuts in the Sweden game. Now we have several players who are waiting for a possible debut or who maybe have some international matches behind them, but it has been a longer time. However, we try to make the changes piece by piece so that new players have a chance to succeed. When there are players next to you who have played a lot, there is a better chance that the players will be able to use their own strengths.
Marko Saloranta was named the temporary head coach of Helmareit at the end of July. He replaced Anna Signeul in the position, whose leadership style made headlines during the European Championships.
Saloranta, who has worked with the young national teams for years, answered the question about the new head coach at the team launch event on Tuesday last week.
– I know that I have a contract until the turn of the year. Unfortunately, there is not much to comment on. I always want to be open and tell, but I have nothing to comment on. The position was not open. Everything will probably be resolved in the near future, Saloranta said.
The Finnish Football Association’s communications reported on Friday that the interviews for the head coach are in the final round, and the decision will be made in November.
The storm came as a surprise on Friday
Helmareit’s Friday program had to be canceled when a storm hit the Murcia region. The streets surrounding the team’s hotel were flooded and practice had to be postponed.
– When I woke up in the morning, it had rained quite a lot. At least he has been allowed to take it easy this morning, Summanen laughed on Friday.
The electricity also went out and was out for an hour, said Summanen.
Saturday’s match can be watched from Areena from 8:30 p.m., but the second match will be played behind closed doors on Tuesday. The Football Association of Wales website makes no mention of the latter match.
Wales was significantly closer to Helmarii to play in next summer’s World Cup. In the decisive match of the World Cup play-offs, it only fell to Switzerland in the play-off at the last possible moment, when Fabienne Humm scored the decisive goal in overtime after just over 120 minutes of play. Wales lost 1–2.
– There are a few familiar players from our league in the team. The team is relatively straightforward, they have a lot of good individuals. I could imagine that the struggle will be physical, says Summanen, who plays for Tottenham in the English Super League.
In the future, Finland will face more and more countries like Wales, as Uefa announced the reform of the qualification tournament system and the launch of the women’s Nations League at the beginning of November.
Saloranta likes the reform.
– The idea is the same as on the men’s side, i.e. more competitive matches with stakes. There will always be tight matches and there will definitely be cross-play in the groups. I like this. Of course, with our current ranking, getting to the games will not be easier in the new competition system, Saloranta commented.
Summanen also thinks the reform is good.
– I’m looking forward to being able to play properly competitive matches. Yes, it gives an extra boost when there is a bet.
The Finnish women’s national football team will face Wales on Saturday, November 12. from 8:30 p.m. Live broadcast of the match at Areena and on ‘s website at 20:25.