July 7 – Indescribable pressure. That’s how captain Lia Walti has described the environment around the host nation at Euro 2025 even following an alleviating 1-0 victory against Iceland, Switzerland’s first win of the tournament.
Being the host nation always comes with extra responsibilities and added pressure for the home team and for about an hour against Iceland, Switzerland were hamstrung by nerves and inaccuracies in the final third before Geraldine Reuteler and substitute Alayah Pilgrim came to the rescue to kick off the biggest party yet in Bern.
Walti reflected: “We were under incredible pressure even before the first game. It’s indescribable. It’s something we’ve never experienced before in our careers. The pressure of being a home team is immense. In the first game, we managed to win people’s hearts with our performance, even if the result wasn’t right in the end. Hopefully, we were able to win a few hearts again today, albeit with a slightly less convincing performance.”
The night had been an emotional roller coaster with the Nati’s fans pulling their weight behind the hosts. More than 10,000 supporters joined the fan march to the stadium and once inside the Wankdorf Stadium, they created a wall of noise and support. Even manager Pia Sundhage expressed her surprise at how the Swiss had created “such an atmosphere.”
Walti, who admitted playing through pain at this tournament, said: “I had tears in my eyes three times before the game. The first time was when I received videos from the city. The second time was when we drove here to the stadium on the bus and all the fans were waiting. And the third time was during the national anthem. I really had to hold myself back. These are dreams coming true for us. Maybe it’s even something we never even imagined. I’m so proud that we were able to soak it up and celebrate with the fans.”
After the 2-1 opening defeat to Norway, Sundhage introduced Svenja Folmli and Sydney Schertenleib to the attack with Reuteler dropping a line deeper. But ultimately two other youngsters Leila Wandeler and Alayah Pilgrim, both coming off the bench, combined to get the decisive second goal. Walti commented: “We have incredible talent and great depth in the team. It’s difficult for Pia to decide who plays. But you need every player in a tournament. Today, the substitutes made the difference. I’m incredibly happy for players like Leila, who can simply play freely, are brave, and are rewarded for it.”
Following their first tournament win, the Swiss can create history in their final group game against Finland by reaching the last eight for the first time. “That would be fantastic,” said Sundhage. “Not just for us, but for the entire country, because the development of women’s football here is unstoppable.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1752044386labto1752044386ofdlr1752044386owedi1752044386sni@i1752044386tnuk.1752044386ardni1752044386mas1752044386