2 months ago
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Nick Ames' match report from Geneva
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That’s me done. Thanks for reading and for your emails. Congratulations to Switzerland – the first ever time they have reached the knockout stages – and commiserations to Finland. A spectacular end to Group A. Cheers!
Nick Ames' match report from Geneva
Although a dead rubber, with Norway certain to be top and Iceland certain to be bottom, the other game in Group A was a bit of a ripsnorter.
The Swiss players are still out celebrating on the pitch, and posing for team pictures in front of the rowdy home crowd.
They were mightily close to going out here, but Switzerland do have the bones of a good team here, well above their Fifa ranking of 23. Peng, recently signing for Chelsea, looks like an excellent keeper. There were flashes of quality from Beney, who has just signed for Manchester City. Reuteler and Walti are a formidable duo in midfield and have contrasting and therefore complementary skill sets. Schertenleib is obviously a superstar in the making, and it’s not surprising that she is already at Barcelona. And they do have the strength in depth to change a game, with Wandeler, Crnogorcevic and of course Xhemaili all contributing off the game tonight.
If Switzerland do go through to face Spain, I would not completely write them off, particularly in front of this support.
“I was watching the game with a bunch of Finns,” emails Kári Tulinius. “As a people, they’re not predisposed to expect good things, but as the clock ticked down, they got more and more excited. Now they’re on the floor and draped across furniture. Hope is what kills you.”
Switzerland finish second in Group A and qualify behind Norway and will now face the winners of Group B, which will almost certainly be Spain. Tournament hosts versus reigning World Cup champions. That is some game.
A sell-out crowd tonight in Geneva, 30,000 people in attendance, and nearly all of them are on their feet, furiously cheering their heroes. Pia Sundhage, Switzerland’s head coach and legendary figure, simply smiles. Even she has not seen scenes like this before.
Some of Finland’s players are in tears, and only the harshest critic would deny them those. That was such a cruel way to go out. Finland were excellent against Norway, and lost the game late on. They beat Iceland. They snatched elimination from the jaws of qualification here. Football hurts sometimes.
Full-time: Finland 1-1 Switzerland
Scenes at the whistle! Finland’s players slump to the turf, they are absolutely gutted. Switzerland rejoice! They are through at Finland’s expense!
90+6 min: Not quite! One more free-kick, one more punt into the Swiss box. The camera pans to the home fans, all of whom seem to be biting their nails down to the stumps. The ball comes in, it drops … and Ahtinen skews a wild shot over the bar! Surely that is that!
90+4 min: With that goal, Switzerland are now going through on goal difference, and Finland are now going out! Finland win a free-kick on the half-way line and everyone is going forward, including goalkeeper Koivunen. Lehtola wins the initial flick-on for Finland but Swiss keeper Peng claims bravely at the back post, beating Rantala to the ball! Is that it?!
GOAL! Finland 1-1 Switzerland (Xhemaili 90+2)
Has Xhemaili saved Switzerland’s skin in stoppage time?! Some neat play down the right from the Swiss earns Reuteler some space on the edge of the area. The Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder shoots but drags her low shot across goal, but it actually turns into a perfect cross-shot for Xhemaili at the back post, and the substitute taps in to send the Geneva crowd wild! Wooooooooow!
90 min: Chance for Crnogorcevic! Switzerland go close once again, but the veteran can’t quite direct her header correctly, and gets too much on a near-post cross, nodding over the bar.
Seven minutes added on!
88 min: The substitution of Schertenleib now looks all the more bizarre, now that Switzerland need a goal. Still, they press forward and win a free-kick in Finland’s half. Vallotto lumps it forward, the loose ball drops inside Finland’s six-yard box, but Koivisto is first to it! The Finland right back has perhaps been the player of the match tonight, winning all her duels and showing charismatic energy going forward. Remember, it was Koivisto who won the penalty.
86 min: Those substitutes have both enlivened the Swiss and deepened the Finnish defensive line. It’s attack versus defence now. Kitchen-sink stuff. Can Finland hold on?
84 min: Promising free-kick for Switzerland as Siren brings down Walti on the edge of Finland’s box. Substitute Xhemaili is over it, but the PSV player blazes it over!
82 min: More changes from both sides.
Finland bring off Kosola for Roth. Switzerland bring on Xhemaili and Lehmann. They simply have to score.
80 min: The air has completely gone out of the stadium. Switzerland look stunned.
Finland 1-0 Switzerland (Kuikka 78 pen)
Peng dives right and Kuikka holds her nerve, passing it into the opposite corner! Finland are in dreamland! They are just 12 minutes away from the knockout stages. Switzerland are just 12 minutes from going out of their own tournament!
Penalty to Finland!
This could be the decisive goal in this group! Concede here and lose, and Switzerland go out, Finland through! It’s an ugly tangle in their box, with Calligaris bringing down Koivisto after good work from Franssi, but there’s no doubt that is a penalty. As clear as they come!
74 min: Chance for Switzerland! Wandeler bursts down the right, swings in a cross but it’s just too high for Maritz at the back post!
72 min: Finland make another double change: Lehtola and Rantala on for Sallstrom and Summanen.
Switzerland also make a change: Pilgrim for the impressive Schertenleib. Again, another surprising change! The Barcelona teenager has been one of the best players on the pitch.
70 min: Finland get free down the right with Franssi and the London City Lionesses forward crosses early towards two of her teammates in the middle, but the Swiss veteran Crnogorcevic makes a vital clearance. Switzerland were temporarily outnumbered there!
69 min: When do Finland go for broke? Just 20 minutes left for them to get a goal.
67 min: There were a bit of afters after that coming together between Wälti and Summanen, who pushed her north London rival in the back off the ball. Wälti gets some treatment but both players are OK to continue.
65 min: Wälti picks Summanen pocket in midfield – Arsenal and Tottenham clashing – and suddenly Switzerland have the ball and four on three! But Wandeler wastes the attack with a wayward shot when she had options left and right!
62 min: Vallotto shoots for Switzerland, but Koivunen gets down well to her near post. Better from the hosts.
59 min: A Finland goal would change everything and after a bit of pinball around the Swiss area, Koivisto breaks to the byline, only to be edged out by the retreating Schertenleib. Danger signs for Swiss, who are in danger of being a bit too defensive, here.
56 min: Finland make a double change. Ahtinen and Franssi come on for Oling and Sevenius. Perhaps a bit surprisingly to see Sevenius removed, she scored against Norway and is one of Finland’s chief attacking threats.
54 min: Tense, nervy play from both sides. Neither want to make a decisive mistake. The onus is on Finland to get the goal and they are not yet throwing everything forward.
51 min: Finland have pressed brilliantly in this tournament and so nearly nick the ball deep in Switzerland’s half – Oling nearly coming away with it – but Reuteler pounces on the loose ball to tidy things up for the Swiss. She always seems to be in the right position.
49 min: Schertenleib has a scurry down down the left flank for Switzerland but Koivisto does exceptionally well to keep pace with the Barcelona forward before executing an expertly-timed tackle.
47 min: “Finland playing better than in the previous two games, but I guess the conventional wisdom is that it’s better for the competition if the hosts progress, and keep the crowds coming?” emails Charles Antaki. “The local fans seem an enthusiastic sort, in a clean-cut, affable sort of way. Even their boos sound polite.”
Peeeeeeeeep!
Switzerland have made two changes. Riesen and Folmli are replaced. On comes Crnogorcevic for her 172nd international cap – nobody has played more for Switzerland – while the young Bayern forward Wandeler is also brought on.
Half-time reading:
Half-time: Finland 0-0 Switzerland
Switzerland have had the vast majority of the chances, but it’s Finland who have come the closest with that late Peng save!
45 min: One minute added on here.
