Euro 2025: Kosola's Goal Secures Finland's 1-0 Win Over Iceland in Tournament Opener
Kosola cut in from the left flank to curl a rising right-footed shot into the net and fully take advantage of Iceland having a player sent off 12 minutes earlier. In the first half, the 24-year-old Kosola forced Iceland goalkeeper Cecilia Rúnarsdóttir into a diving save and fired two more shots just over the crossbar. Iceland's own left winger, Sveindís Jónsdóttir, who will join Angel City in the US after the tournament, missed with a clear chance to level the game in the 75th. Jónsdóttir also went close deep into stoppage time.
Iceland went down to 10 players in the 58th when midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir was shown a second yellow card for a dangerous tackle. Both teams had failed to win a game at each of their previous two Euros tournaments. Finland ended its run to make a strong move in Group A, which has no clear standout team and is widely seen as the most evenly balanced at the 16-nation tournament.
Host Switzerland was kicking off against Norway later in Basel after the official on-field opening ceremony for what is the second of 31 games in total. Basel hosts the final on July 27.
Iceland also was hurt by having captain and star defender Glódís Viggósdóttir slowed by injury before being replaced at half time. She had missed playing time in Bayern Munich's German league and cup-winning season with a knee injury.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
27-07-2025
- Arab News
England beat Spain on penalties in Women's Euro 2025 final
BASEL: England beat Spain 3-1 on penalties to win the Women's Euro 2025 and retain their title after Sunday's final had finished 1-1 at the end of extra time. Chloe Kelly scored the decisive kick in a shoot-out which saw three Spain players, including reigning Ballon d'Or Aitana Bonmati, all fail to convert. Mariona Caldentey had earlier headed Spain — who beat England 1-0 in the 2023 Women's World Cup final — into the lead at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, but Alessia Russo equalized early in the second half.
Al Arabiya
27-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
The Latest: England Faces Spain in Women's Euro 2025 Final
Defending champion England faces Spain in the final of the Women's European Championship. The match in Basel is a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final where Spain defeated the Lionesses 1-0. Coincidentally, the same countries played in the men's European Championship final last year. Spain won that match 2-1. Here's the latest: Defending champions did it the hard way – England got off to a rough start with a 2-1 defeat to France, becoming the first reigning champion to lose its opening match at a women's Euros. The team bounced back with a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands and a 6-1 thrashing of Wales. Then came the craziness of its quarterfinal against Sweden when it was trailing 2-0 with 12 minutes to go before equalizing and taking the match to extra time and a penalty shootout. There were nine failed penalty attempts before England finally triumphed 3-2. England left it even later in its semifinal against Italy. Teenager Michelle Agyemang leveled in stoppage time to force extra time, and fellow substitute Chloe Kelly scored in the 119th minute to secure a 2-1 win just as it appeared another penalty shootout was looming. (Almost) smooth sailing for Spain – Spain swept through the group stage, winning all three matches against Portugal, Belgium, and Italy – scoring 14 goals and conceding three. Spain found it tougher to get past Switzerland in the quarterfinals but finally broke the resistance of the host nation with two quickfire goals midway through the second half. Spain also missed two penalties and hit the woodwork three times. Like England, its semifinal lasted 120 minutes. It took a moment of magic from two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí in the 113th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Germany.
Arab News
24-07-2025
- Arab News
Germany exits Euro 2025 after sheer doggedness nearly gets team to the final
German chancellor Friedrich Merz never got to see Germany play at the Women's European Championship. 'If it goes well we'll see each other Sunday evening in Basel for the final,' Merz posted on social media before the German team faced World Cup champion Spain in the semifinal match on Wednesday. It didn't go quite that well. Aitana Bonmatí scored late in extra time for Spain to win 1-0 and avoid a penalty shootout that the Germany team had been holding out for. Germany's Euro 2025 campaign had been full of promise, but not matched in substance. Merz was filmed watching Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger's amazing save in the quarterfinal win over France as if he'd never seen it before. He was never so excited during a football game than he'd been watching Germany win on penalties the previous weekend. A commitment to meet France's president, Emmanuel Macron, meant Merz couldn't attend the semifinals in Zurich. Anyone watching Germany during the tournament was left wondering what the team is really capable of. A highlight reel would feature a string of fine saves from Berger, committed defending from Franziska Kett, Giovanna Hoffmann and Jule Brand – who are all forward – and only occasional flashes of brilliance in attack, such as Brand's opening strike in the team's first game against Poland. Germany, the eight-time European champion, only nearly reached the final through sheer dogged determination. Captain Giulia Gwinn was injured against Poland and ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. A 2-1 come-from-behind win over Denmark ensured early progress from the group, before a chastening 4-1 loss to Sweden in the last group game. Germany had defender Gwinn's replacement, Carlotta Wamser, sent off early against Sweden for swatting the ball away from goal with her hand, then Kathrin Hendrich sent off early in the quarterfinal match against France for pulling French captain Griedge Mbock back by her hair. It meant Germany reverted to defensive tactics in both games, protecting Berger's goal while hoping the likes of Brand and star forward Klara Bühl might score on counterattacks. Bühl's corner allowed Sjoeke Nüsken to score the equalizer against France and the team held on despite French dominance to win 6-5 on penalties after Berger's heroics. The Germany goalkeeper was feted afterward for her amazing save to stop stand-in captain Janina Minge's backward header from going into her own net when she leaped backwards and somehow clawed the ball away from the line. Berger also saved two penalties and scored her own spot kick in the shootout. The win filled the German players and supporters with confidence ahead of the game against Spain, despite the overall performance against France. 'We dominated them from start to finish. Now they're through. I'm sorry, but they don't deserve it,' France winger Selma Bacha said. Germany was short on defenders against Spain with Sarai Linder joining Gwinn on the injury list and Hendrichs and Nüsken both suspended. But it didn't stop the team defending, with forward helping out at the back, producing timely blocks and committed challenges to frustrate Spain's star forward. Berger again made a host of saves until she left space at her near post and Bonmatí squeezed the ball through. It ended Germany's hopes of a rematch with defending champion England in the final, and left Merz with an opening in his schedule.
