Finland 1 Switzerland 1
July 10 – A river of red flowed into the Stade de Genève as Swiss fans packed the stadium to the brim, 26,500 strong, ready to roar their team into the quarter-finals.
When Finland captain Natalia Kuikka buried a penalty in the 79th minute, it looked like the knockout dream was over. But Riola Xhemaili’s 90th-minute equaliser flipped the script – and Geneva erupted. The 1-1 scoreline was enough to push the home side over the line, but won’t exactly strike fear into whoever awaits them in the quarter-finals.
Still, for one night only, the Geneva stadium became a cauldron of Swiss sound and colour.
Switzerland came into the final group fixture buoyed by a 2–0 win over Iceland, following a narrow 2–1 loss to Norway. Alayah Pilgrim’s late goal on Sunday looked like a decisive moment – one that gave Pia Sundhage’s side control of their destiny. A chance that nearly slipped through their fingers.
Switzerland began the game quickly, armed with the injection of energy loaned from an ecstatic crowd. The first real chance came in the 6th minute, when Nadine Riesen drove to the byline – but her cross was thwarted by the Finnish defence. It would have been a certain goal if it was allowed to find its target.
Finland looked shell-shocked by the atmosphere. Slow to press, they struggled to settle.
Half an hour dragged by with little to cheer about from either team. Whispers were that Switzerland were quietly pleased with the 0-0 scoreline, despite dominating most of possession.
The crowd, undeterred, entertained themselves with a spontaneous Mexican wave race rippling around the stands – a bizarre thing to witness but a good personification of the shared community this competition has brought to Switzerland.
A point-blank save from Swiss keeper Livia Peng late in the half jolted the stadium back into focus. The crowd maintained its volume through the break, carrying momentum into a second half that – truthfully – lacked much quality.
Neither side carved out a clear chance until the 60th minute, when 18-year-old Iman Beney’s clever trivela cross was cut out before it could become dangerous.
Then, out of nowhere – minute 76: penalty to Finland.
The noise shifted from celebration to fury. Kuikka stepped up – composed, unbothered – and coolly slotted it down the middle in front of a defiant pocket of Finnish fans.
That euphoria quickly translated to heartbreak.
With seconds left on the clock, a last gasp moment of magic struck the Geneva stadium as Switzerland substitute Riola Xhemaili tapped in a vital goal in the 92nd minute. Level on the night, through on points, the Swiss crowd exploded.
“We can’t do the same thing as in the last two games because Finland is a different team,” Sundhage said pre-match. “We’ve prepared the team with a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C. We will bring out the best in each other and make sure whoever is starting—and those coming off the bench—can make the result a positive one.”
Well, in the end, it was the bench that gave her the answer.
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.
| Grp A | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
| Switzerland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Finland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Iceland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]