July 11 – For coach Pia Sundhage, Switzerland’s dramatic last-minute escape against Finland wasn’t just a turning point in the match – it was a marker for something bigger.
In the 92nd minute of a game that hadn’t gone to plan, Switzerland were on the brink of elimination. A penalty, calmly converted by Finland captain Natalia Kuikka, had sucked the air out of the Stade de Genève and seemed to end the home side’s Euro 2025 hopes.
“This is probably the biggest disappointment of my career.”
Not the words of Swiss coach Sundhage. Nor captain Lia Wälti. Nor any member of the Swiss team.
They came from Finnish coach Marko Saloranta.
Because in the 92nd minute, it all flipped. Riola Xhemaili poked in a late equaliser, prompting the Stade de Genève to explode with excitement and national relief. Switzerland were through, and their stunned opponents were left behind, eliminated at the death.
Sundhage has guided her team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Euros, in an atmosphere she says the country has never seen before in the female side of the game.
“The players have been talking non-stop about the crowd since the start of the tournament,” she said post-match. “I was in Sweden during Euro 2013. I saw the change from the inside, the wave that spread so quickly. I’m proud to see that Switzerland is going through the same process. And for a female coach, it’s so much more fun to coach in front of a noisy crowd.
“This kind of moment, when you come so close to the exit and you come out on top, is so inspiring,” she continued. “Since the end of last year, we’ve had a plan. Granted, the Nations League results haven’t been good this year. But despite the bumps in the road, there’s a process underway, with a system of play. And today, here we are: we’re making history.”
Switzerland now have the rest of the week to prepare for the quarter-finals. Whoever awaits them will be up against more than just a team-they’ll be up against a nation at full volume.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1752293823labto1752293823ofdlr1752293823owedi1752293823sni@g1752293823niwe.1752293823yrrah1752293823