Norway also won its second group match at the European Championship in Switzerland on Sunday. The Scandinavian women were too strong for Finland with 2-1 and are in the quarter-finals.
The Norwegian women were already able to cheer after three minutes in Stade de Tourbillon in Sion. Finnish defender Eva Nyström tried to clear the ball, but clumsily passed her own keeper: 1-0.
Norway had several chances to double the lead in the first half. Gemma Grainger’s team hit the crossbar and the post, but did not score.
A little later Finland came alongside. Oona Sevenius shot the ball in after an interception and a quick attack. This 1-1 was also the halftime score.
Deep in the second half, Guro Reiten thought she was bringing the Norwegian women into the lead in a wonderful way, but her bicycle kick was saved by keeper Anna Koivunen. Not much later, Caroline Graham Hansen saw a cross fall in at the far post and it was still 2-1. That was the final score.
Norway can be sure of quarter-finals tonight
Norway has now won the first two pool matches and later in the evening secured a ticket for the quarter-finals, because Switzerland won 2-0 against Iceland. Finland must reach the knock-out phase in the final group match against Switzerland.
Norway was a major power in women’s football at the end of the last century. This resulted in one world title (1995), two European titles (1987 and 1993) and once Olympic gold (2000). Norway is now in sixteenth place in the FIFA ranking.
