KuPS lost 1–3 to Scottish Celtic in the opening match of the women’s Champions League qualifying tournament. The people of Kuopio lost their chance to advance to the group stage.
Kuopio Palloseura, despite a strong start, was not able to knock down the traditional Scottish club Celtic in the qualifying tournament of the football Champions League.
Pink Ariyo took the Kuopio team to a 1-0 lead after just under 20 minutes of play, but Celtic leveled up in the second half and won 3-1 in the follow-up match. Saoirse Noonan equalized after just over an hour of play and scored two more times in the opening minutes of the follow-up match.
– Especially after the opening half, it felt like we were going to win this match. It felt like there wasn’t that big of a difference between the teams, even though we played quite different football, KuPS captain Emma Santamäki regretted after the match in an interview with .
The Kuopio team completed the opening goal at the end of possession of the ball in the middle area and a quick counterattack. 20 years old Tao Stark intercepted the pass and after a strong carry passed Ariyo to score. An accurate shot from the edge of the penalty area sank into the bottom corner.
KuPS head coach Valtteri Kumpuniemi after the match, was satisfied with his team’s ball game in the first half.
– We managed to break their press several times and advance with the ball, he analyzed.
At the same time, the young head coach said his team defended humbly when Celtic held the ball. The opponent’s fast forwards Murphy Agnew’s the lead had been carefully scouted in advance, so KuPS tried to defend patiently from low.
– The opponent’s only dangerous places came from the centers. Our defenders and goalkeepers are excellent at defending them, so nothing terrible happened from them either, Kumpuniemi estimates.
The game turned to defensive mistakes
Noonan, who came onto the field just about a minute earlier, headed the equalizer for the KuPS goalkeeper Ellan Arpiainen after an error. Arpiainen tried to break the concentration, but he hit the ball straight to Noonan.
Celtic was able to create more pressure on the KuPS goal in the second half, but the Kuopio team also had their own problems.
– We did not prevent the concentration properly and the bite should have been more successful, Kumpunieni said.
He admitted that defending from low level consumed the team’s energy, but still, especially in special situations, KuPS had a chance to decide the match.
– We sagged a bit in the first half when we defended and couldn’t attack together after possession of the ball, Santamäki analyzed the last 45 minutes.
The start of the second match was sad for the people of Kuopio. Noonan scored the lead goal from the first attack, with a favorable assist from the KuPS defense.
Just six minutes later, Arpiainen gave a weak pass, from which the Irish striker was able to inoculate for the third time.
– In the first 10 minutes, there were two mistakes that ruined our game, Santamäki summed up the follow-up match.
– Maybe we just weren’t ready at the beginning of the follow-on match. For some reason I can’t say, Kumpuniemi wondered.
He said the errors increased as the team chased goals in the overtime match. Celtic didn’t create many top positions. The Scottish team only shot three times on goal.
– It’s really upsetting. The match was winnable. The start of the second match was catastrophic, Kumpuniemi summed up.
With the loss, KuPS lost their chance to advance to the Champions League group stage. Celtic advanced to the final of the four-team qualifying tournament, the winner of which will play a two-legged match against the other tournament winner. The winner of the match pair advances to the group stage.
On Saturday, KuPS will play in the bronze match of the tournament, where prize money and UEFA ranking points are at stake. The opponent is the loser of Wednesday night’s match FC Gintra–Agarista CSF.
The head coach is confident that KuPS will be ready to play on Saturday despite the disappointment.
– No doubt. The team is full of top athletes and certainly ready to fight in the next match, Kumpuniemi emphasized.