Finland 1 Iceland 0
July 2 – Devoid of an opening ceremony despite being the opening match of the tournament – a luxury reserved for Switzerland’s clash with Norway in the capital later this evening – Iceland were unable to keep Finland at bay in Thun thanks to a second-half stunner from Katariina Kosola.
Unlike England’s grand opener at Euro 2022 in front of 74,310 fans at Old Trafford, this tournament began in the modest 8,100-seat Stockhorn Arena, a venue nearly nine times smaller.
Preparing for the opener under the sweltering Swiss sun, which was thankfully beginning to set, neither manager drifted too far from expectations in their lineup selections, both sides opting for full strength in an effort to leave a mark on the first round.
A nervous opening left both teams with a lot to improve on, though the game was blown open by a disaster in the Icelandic back line.
The first of Iceland captain Glodis Viggosdottir’s injury concerns came in the 18th minute, sparking anxiety in the stands as her teammates crowded around her – an image akin to the infamous Eriksen incident of 2021 – but the player seemed okay and after a brief spell on the sidelines rejoined the match.
That injury returned in the 33rd minute, bringing a temporary halt to Viggosdottir’s match. Having been injured in Iceland’s buildup to the tournament – a 10-match winless streak which left a lot to be desired – her importance to her side’s style of play cannot be overstated.
She was substituted by Iceland manager Thorsteinn Halldórsson at half time after visibly struggling at the end of the half. The hope will be she can shake this injury off and properly recover in time for Iceland’s bout with Switzerland in Bern on Sunday, which has turned into a must-win tie for Halldórsson.
Without their Captain and talisman, Iceland faced a much tougher task, especially with star attacker Sveindis Jonsdottir far from her usual clinical best – bar her incredible long throw-in which was frankly Iceland’s biggest chance creator.
Finnish fullback Emma Koivisto blocked a certain goal just before half time to keep the score level, ending a fast-paced sweeping move by the Icelandic forwards, who finally seemed to be clicking into gear.
Despite a strong start from Finland, the half ended 0-0. The injured Viggosdottir was replaced by 20-year-old defender Saedis Heidarsdottir.
It quickly went from bad to worse for Iceland as their hopes of a first-round win began to melt. Midfielder Hildur Antonsdottir was sent off after a second yellow card for an off-field incident not long after the half began, following a heated discussion with the referee which left many in the stands a little confused.
Only two red cards were shown across the entirety of EURO 2022 – a tally 50% complete after just one match in Switzerland.
This brought an Iceland team that had already struggled to meet Finland’s intensity down to 10 players – and the tempo was a little too hot to get a handle on the game.
A moment of brilliance from Finland’s Katariina Kosola opened the scoring in the 70th minute, as she skipped through the Icelandic defence to curl the ball into the top right corner.
Finland coach Marko Saloranta said before the match that his team’s underdog status may work in their favour. He said: “Iceland are 15th in the FIFA rankings and therefore favourites. We’re ranked lowest in our group, and that suits us, but we’re not going to bow to others; we’ll challenge Iceland, the favourites.”
And challenge they did. Without a reply from Iceland, the victory secured a statement three points for Saloranta’s squad, who will enter another tough bout against Norway on Sunday bidding to keep this momentum rolling.
Iceland, meanwhile, will need to bounce back if they hope to stick around for this summer’s festivities. They play hosts Switzerland in Bern on Sunday night.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1751520899labto1751520899ofdlr1751520899owedi1751520899sni@g1751520899niwe.1751520899yrrah1751520899