- Linda Sallstrom led Finland to EURO with a last-minute goal
- Spain and Italy recorded comfortable wins
- Austria celebrates from a distance, Switzerland reaches the play-offs
The group stage for UEFA Women EURO 2022 has finished, where the immediate qualifications have been awarded and the teams competing in the play-offs have been confirmed. Northern Ireland, Russia, Ukraine, Portugal, Czech Republic and Switzerland will contest in April for the final three places in EURO. Three matches will be played over two legs, and the draw for this match will take place on March 5.
Finland returned to EURO for the first time since 2013
Portugal, out of all the teams who denied Finland’s EURO place in 2017, beat Helmarit in the play-offs that year to reach their first major final. Now the top two teams in Group E face each other in a winners’ take-all meeting in Helsinki to see who will travel to England 2022 – and this time around coach Anna Signeul’s team won. Linda Sallstrom emerged as a hero in a scintillating match, netting a winner for Finland deep into added time (90 ‘+ 3) to send her team to their fourth EURO (2005, 2009, 2013 and 2022).
“The team put in a fantastic performance,” said Signeul. “I am very happy with how the match was played, and we handled it very well defensively.” Finland then ended their campaign with a 5-0 win over Cyprus to go unbeaten in European qualifying for the first time in their history.
Meanwhile Portugal beat Scotland 2-0 in their last game to end the group behind Finland on 19 points. However, that is not enough to qualify directly for next summer’s tournament as one of the top three runners-up. Instead, Francisco Neto’s team had to claim their place via the play-offs.
Lucky number 13
Five goals each for Esther Gonzalez and Jennifer Hermoso and one each for Mariona Caldentey, Nerea Eizagirre and Eva Navarro wrapped up a landslide 13-0 win for Spain over Azerbaijan in Group D. This comfortable win gave Spain an undeniable advantage. at the top of the group standings and securing their place in EURO with one game remaining.
Attention then turned to the intermediate meeting The Red Fury and Poland, with Poland needing to beat Spain to leapfrog the Czech Republic to second. However, the team was ranked 29th at FIFA / Coca-Cola World Rankings could not win because their dream of reaching the final of EURO for the first time vanished. Poland were beaten 3-0 by the hosts at Ciudad del Futbol de Las Rozas in Madrid, leaving the Czechs to advance to the play-offs.
The joy of one team is the joy of another
Like the Czech Republic, Austria can celebrate from afar. With Portugal unable to beat Scotland by more than two goals after a defeat at the hands of Finland, Austria is confirmed as one of the three best runners-up to qualify straight for England 2022 along with the group winners. Much like Finland, Austria can look back on the most successful qualifying campaign in their history, claiming 19 of 24 points in a group which also includes France, Serbia, North Macedonia and Kazakhstan while scoring 22 goals and conceding just three.
Switzerland, meanwhile, has little reason to celebrate. Coach Nils Nielsen’s side were forced to put their plans for England 2022 on the ice after Italy posted a resounding 12-0 win over Israel in Florence to qualify straight away as the last of the best three runners-up. Switzerland will now have to wait until March 5 to find out who is waiting for them in the play-offs.
What do they say
“The team deserves to qualify directly for EURO after their best qualifying campaign of all time. Reaching the European final again is a great achievement for a small football country like Austria. It is great that we will go to another EURO. I am very happy for the players and all. backroom staff. It is also important to remember that Dominik Thalhammer’s work laid the foundation for this achievement. We are grateful to have qualified directly for the European Championship. “*
Austria coach Irene Fuhrmann*
In the mail
Qualified as group winners / hosts: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and England
· Qualified as one of the top three runners-up: Iceland, Austria and Italy
· In the play-offs: Northern Ireland, Russia, Ukraine, Portugal, Czech Republic and Switzerland
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24 Feb 2021
Ria Öling 4, FIN celebrates after the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Qualifying round – Group E between Finland and Portugal’s Helsinki Football Stadium on 19 February 2021 in Helsinki, Finland. (Tomi Hänninen / Newspix24)
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Linda Sällström 18, FIN
24 Feb 2021
Linda Sällström 18, FIN during the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Qualifying round – Group E match between Finland and Portugal’s Helsinki Football Stadium on 19 February 2021 in Helsinki, Finland.
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Amanda Rantanen 14, FIN and Linda Sällström 18, FIN
23 Feb 2021
Amanda Rantanen 14, FIN and Linda Sällström 18, FIN celebrate after the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Qualifying round – Group E between Finland and Helsinki Portugal Football Stadium on 19 February 2021 in Helsinki, Finland. (Tomi Hänninen / Newspix24)
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Barbara Bonansea from Italy Women celebrate
24 Feb 2021
FLORENCE, ITALIA – FEBRUARY 24: Barbara Bonansea from Italy Women celebrate after scoring a goal in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Qualifying match between Italy and Israel at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on 24 February 2021 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti / Getty Images)
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Valentina Giacinti from Italy celebrates after scoring
24 Feb 2021
FLORENCE, ITALIA – FEBRUARY 24: Italy’s Valentina Giacinti celebrates her win after scoring the third goal in the EURO 2022 Women’s UEFA Qualifying match between Italy and Israel at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on 24 February 2021 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa / Getty Images)
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Cristiana Girelli from Italy celebrates after scoring
24 Feb 2021
FLORENCE, ITALIA – FEBRUARY 24: Italy’s Cristiana Girelli celebrates after scoring the fifth goal in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Qualifying match between Italy and Israel at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on 24 February 2021 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa / Getty Images)
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Italy v Israel – EURO 2022 Women’s UEFA Qualifier
24 Feb 2021
FLORENCE, ITALIA – FEBRUARY 24: Italy’s Cristiana Girelli celebrates after scoring the fifth goal in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Qualifying match between Italy and Israel at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on 24 February 2021 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa / Getty Images)
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Esther Gonzalez from Spain celebrates
23 Feb 2021
MADRID, SPAIN – 23 FEBRUARY: Esther Gonzalez of Spain celebrates with his teammates after scoring their second goal during the UEFA women’s Euro qualifying draw, group D match between Spain and Poland on 23 February 2021 in Madrid, Spain. Sports stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Corona Virus Pandemic due to Government social distancing laws prohibiting fans from inside the premises resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Angel Martinez / Getty Images)
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Esther Gonzalez from Spain celebrates
23 Feb 2021
MADRID, SPAIN – 23 FEBRUARY: Esther Gonzalez of Spain celebrates after scoring their second goal in the UEFA women’s Euro qualifying draw, group D match between Spain and Poland on 23 February 2021 in Madrid, Spain. Sports stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Corona Virus Pandemic due to Government social distancing laws prohibiting fans from inside the premises resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Angel Martinez / Getty Images)
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Spain v Poland – UEFA women’s Euro qualifying draw, group D
23 Feb 2021
MADRID, SPAIN – 23 FEBRUARY: Ewelina Kamczyk of Poland challenges a high ball with Leila Ouahabi of Spain during the UEFA women’s Euro qualifying draw, group D match between Spain and Poland on 23 February 2021 in Madrid, Spain. Sports stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Corona Virus Pandemic due to Government social distancing laws prohibiting fans from inside the premises resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Angel Martinez / Getty Images)
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