Latest news with #SwitzerlandVsNorway
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Despite loss to Norway, Switzerland's opening Euro 2025 match showed promise of what could be
BASEL, SWITZERLAND—Everything simply drifts in the Swiss town of Basel. The air through the cobblestone streets, the people down the Rhine River; it's all part of a manner of existence for the city. But not on Tram 14 headed to St Jakob-Park, the venue for the Switzerland women's national team's first Euro 2025 match against Norway. Here, the afternoon heat meets armpits in the face, bodies jousting for balance, the smell of contest and blank slates (and, yes, a 35C/96F heatwave wafting). Advertisement A man with no shirt stands on the tram wearing a Nordic Viking helmet. A fellow Viking wears a red Norway shirt. When the doors open to reveal more red shirts, but of the Swiss kind, he bellows: 'No Switzerland, this is Norway!' Laughter. Smiles. Then, a squishing together, the momentary annexation of territory forgotten, until the red shirts of Switzerland and Norway fill the cars entirely. So it is in St Jakob-Park. An hour before kick-off, Switzerland run onto the pitch to deafening applause. This alone feels triumphant. 'Conservative' was the word former Switzerland Football Association head of women's football Tatjana Haenni used to describe the nation's historic relationship with women's football, a simple word dripping with baggage — from bans, hostility, acceptance and eventually apathy, so that everything, in the end, drifts. As the Swiss national anthem roared from the terraces, dispelling any suggestion that the majority of red were not from these parts, any facsimile of drift was impossible to register. Head coach Pia Sundhage named a starting XI with an average age of 24.6 (32-year-old Lia Walti the only player over 30), providing a glimpse into the future. Advertisement Switzerland played with a cavalier swagger, as if the onus of putting on a show wasn't an obligation but a freedom. None more enjoyed that freedom than Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nadine Riesen. After terrorising Norway's left flank for just under half an hour, the 25-year-old, after some clever interplay with Walti, squeezed a shot by the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand. Before the ball could ping off the base of the near post and in, the home crowd was already skybound, ear-piercing in their celebrations. Few in Switzerland expect to go far in this tournament. There is ambition and there is realism, and fans of Switzerland — who have never reached the knockout stages of this tournament, and who only qualified for their first major tournament 10 years ago — swam clearly in the middle of that Venn diagram in the lead-up to Wednesday night. The thinking looked prescient as Norway clawed back one through Ballon D'Or winner Ada Hegerberg after poor defending from a corner and another as Switzerland defender Julia Stierli bundled in an own goal after a Norway counter. This felt inevitable. Yet a sense of injustice seared through the home crowd, growing greater after Hegerberg's missed penalty, even more so after VAR denied the hosts their own (ruled off due to an offside call) and Norway's time-wasting, the angry jeers only drowned out by the hopeful screams when Switzerland would come close once again. 'I'm lost for words,' Riesen told the media after the match. 'It's amazing. To come out and see that everyone is rooting, everyone is cheering and that we are loved that… Hopefully, all the other games it is the same.' Advertisement And so begs the question, what next? Switzerland's opener registered an attendance of 34,063 in St Jakob-Park, the tournament's largest stadium at just over 35,000 capacity. One high-ranking UEFA figure voiced concerns before kick-off that, due to the relatively cheap nature of tickets, some fans might decide not to turn out. The worry speaks to the recent theory of major tournaments that the formula for success begins with success on the pitch. The past two Euros have been won by their hosts (Netherlands, England), capturing the imagination of their nations and spawning sea changes of their own. In the months after Euro 2017, football became the most popular women's sport in the Netherlands and research suggested that seven in 10 Dutch citizens took an interest in the game. In the two years after England's triumph, women and girls' football participation grew by 56 per cent, with 77 per cent of schools offering girls equal opportunity to play football. Switzerland entered the Euros with a different expectation, one that looks to foster a tournament atmosphere that captures the imagination to catalyse on-pitch success. 'I never understood that (idea you have to succeed as the host nation),' Haenni told earlier this month. 'It's simple-minded. People say you have to do well for the atmosphere and emotions in the country. But if you build your ticketing strategy and your tournament's overall concept on that, I think it's a mistake. In women's football, it's so much more. You really change a country if you host it properly.' Advertisement In this way, Euro 2025 is both an inflection point and a case study for the host nation and the rest of Europe. There is no guarantee of post-tournament progress. UEFA have been frank that the tournament will operate at a significant loss of a projected net €20m-25million. But other nations more in the ilk of Switzerland are craning their neck, considering UEFA's increased prize pot of €41m (£35.2m), the doubling of club benefits, the record 600,000 tickets already sold, and the projected revenue of €128million for Switzerland. Yet, the biggest test will be whether a nation with a self-described small footballing history disabuses those outside and, more importantly, those within it of that reputation, thus catalysing something bigger and better. It's like a hot tram teeming with humans pushing against the drift or an unexpected goal against the group favourites that unleashes a movement. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Switzerland, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Despite loss to Norway, Switzerland's opening Euro 2025 match showed promise of what could be
BASEL, SWITZERLAND—Everything simply drifts in the Swiss town of Basel. The air through the cobblestone streets, the people down the Rhine River; it's all part of a manner of existence for the city. But not on Tram 14 headed to St Jakob-Park, the venue for the Switzerland women's national team's first Euro 2025 match against Norway. Here, the afternoon heat meets armpits in the face, bodies jousting for balance, the smell of contest and blank slates (and, yes, a 35C/96F heatwave wafting). Advertisement A man with no shirt stands on the tram wearing a Nordic Viking helmet. A fellow Viking wears a red Norway shirt. When the doors open to reveal more red shirts, but of the Swiss kind, he bellows: 'No Switzerland, this is Norway!' Laughter. Smiles. Then, a squishing together, the momentary annexation of territory forgotten, until the red shirts of Switzerland and Norway fill the cars entirely. So it is in St Jakob-Park. An hour before kick-off, Switzerland run onto the pitch to deafening applause. This alone feels triumphant. 'Conservative' was the word former Switzerland Football Association head of women's football Tatjana Haenni used to describe the nation's historic relationship with women's football, a simple word dripping with baggage — from bans, hostility, acceptance and eventually apathy, so that everything, in the end, drifts. As the Swiss national anthem roared from the terraces, dispelling any suggestion that the majority of red were not from these parts, any facsimile of drift was impossible to register. Head coach Pia Sundhage named a starting XI with an average age of 24.6 (32-year-old Lia Walti the only player over 30), providing a glimpse into the future. Switzerland played with a cavalier swagger, as if the onus of putting on a show wasn't an obligation but a freedom. None more enjoyed that freedom than Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nadine Riesen. After terrorising Norway's left flank for just under half an hour, the 25-year-old, after some clever interplay with Walti, squeezed a shot by the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand. Before the ball could ping off the base of the near post and in, the home crowd was already skybound, ear-piercing in their celebrations. Few in Switzerland expect to go far in this tournament. There is ambition and there is realism, and fans of Switzerland — who have never reached the knockout stages of this tournament, and who only qualified for their first major tournament 10 years ago — swam clearly in the middle of that Venn diagram in the lead-up to Wednesday night. Advertisement The thinking looked prescient as Norway clawed back one through Ballon D'Or winner Ada Hegerberg after poor defending from a corner and another as Switzerland defender Julia Stierli bundled in an own goal after a Norway counter. This felt inevitable. Yet a sense of injustice seared through the home crowd, growing greater after Hegerberg's missed penalty, even more so after VAR denied the hosts their own (ruled off due to an offside call) and Norway's time-wasting, the angry jeers only drowned out by the hopeful screams when Switzerland would come close once again. 'I'm lost for words,' Riesen told media after the match. 'It's amazing. To come out and see that everyone is rooting, everyone is cheering and that we are loved that … Hopefully, all the other games it is the same.' And so begs the question, what next? Switzerland's opener registered an attendance of 34,063 in St Jakob-Park, the tournament's largest stadium at just over 35,000 capacity. One high-ranking UEFA figure voiced concerns before kick-off that due to the relatively cheap nature of tickets, some fans might decide not to turn out. The worry speaks to the recent theory of major tournaments that the formula for success begins with success on the pitch. The past two Euros have been won by their hosts (Netherlands, England), capturing the imagination of their nations and spawning sea changes of their own. In the months after Euro 2017, football became the most popular women's sport in the Netherlands and research suggested that seven in 10 Dutch citizens took an interest in the game. In the two years after England's triumph, women and girls' football participation grew by 56 percent, with 77 percent of schools offering girls equal opportunity to play football. Switzerland entered the Euros with a different expectation, one that looks to foster a tournament atmosphere that captures the imagination to catalyse on-pitch success. Advertisement 'I never understood that (idea you have to succeed as the host nation),' Haenni told The Athletic earlier this month. 'It's simple-minded. People say you have to do well for the atmosphere and emotions in the country. But if you build your ticketing strategy and your tournament's overall concept on that, I think it's a mistake. In women's football, it's so much more. You really change a country if you host it properly.' In this way, Euro 2025 is both an inflection point and a case study for the host nation and the rest of Europe. There is no guarantee of post-tournament progress. UEFA have been frank that the tournament will operate at a significant loss of a projected net €20m-25m. But other nations more in the ilk of Switzerland are craning their neck, considering UEFA's increased prize pot of €41m (£35.2m), the doubling of club benefits, the record 600,000 tickets already sold, and the projected revenue of €128 million for Switzerland. Yet, the biggest test will be whether a nation with a self-described small footballing history disabuses those outside and, more importantly, those within it of that reputation, thus catalysing something bigger and better. It's like a hot tram teeming with humans pushing against the drift or an unexpected goal against the group favourites that unleashes a movement.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Switzerland coach Pia Sundhage promises a positive response after hosts lose Euro 2025 opener
Norway's Marit B. Lund and Tuva Hansen, center right, celebrate at the end of the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Switzerland players react at the end of the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Switzerland head coach Pia Sundhage reacts during the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Switzerland's head coach Pia Sundhage heads to the locker room during halftime in the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Georgios Kefalas/ Keystone via AP) Switzerland's Geraldine Reuteler reacts after failing to score during the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Switzerland's Geraldine Reuteler reacts after failing to score during the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Norway's Marit B. Lund and Tuva Hansen, center right, celebrate at the end of the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Switzerland players react at the end of the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Switzerland head coach Pia Sundhage reacts during the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Switzerland's head coach Pia Sundhage heads to the locker room during halftime in the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Georgios Kefalas/ Keystone via AP) Switzerland's Geraldine Reuteler reacts after failing to score during the Euro 2025, group A, soccer match between Switzerland and Norway at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Pia Sundhage's biggest challenge just got bigger. The Switzerland coach was left despondent Wednesday after watching her team dominate against Norway then lose 2-1 in its opening match at the Women's European Championship. Advertisement Ada Hegerberg led Norway's revival, cancelling Nadine Riesen's opener by equalizing four minutes before she forced an own goal from Julia Stierli. A missed penalty wasn't even a setback for Hegerberg as her team claimed three competition points and left the hosts with none in Group A. For Sundhage, the disappointment of defeat sat deep after her team had done so much right in front of a near-capacity crowd at St. Jakob-Park, where the vast majority were Swiss fans who were anything but neutral. The scene had apparently been set for a triumphant start for the home team, but it wasn't to be. 'There are so many things happening behind the scenes, high performance coaches, medical staff, social things and so on, individual talks. And we felt prepared today,' Sundhage said. 'That's why I'm a little bit … It could have been such a big difference if we had tied the game, which we had a chance to do." Advertisement Géraldine Reuteler rattled the crossbar with a shot in the first half. Then she conceded the penalty in the second. Switzerland might have had a penalty too if VAR hadn't intervened and found an offside call. Switzerland next faces Iceland, which lost its opening game 1-0 to Finland. 'Tomorrow we're going to work again and bring out the best performance in the team and give Iceland a tough game," Sundhage said. 'I can promise you that.' Even during her post-game news conference, the two-time Olympic title-winning coach was reflecting on the positive changes she has seen since taking the Switzerland job a year ago. Advertisement 'I've never seen that kind of locker room previously,' she said of her players' readiness for their opening game. 'Before we left the hotel and so on, step by step. And the best part is it's different players. They use their voice.' Sundhage said she told her players to use their words, their language and even their body language to express themselves after the defeat. 'Because we still have a chance to play the quarterfinals. And we start with Iceland, and if we play a good game, then we put ourselves in a good spot as well,' she said. 'So, be responsible for what you're saying, what you do, and how you behave, because that will be the best thing for the Swiss national team and the Swiss people.' ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
It all kicks off today: what to expect from day 1️⃣ of Women's EURO 2025
It all kicks off today: what to expect from day 1️⃣ of Women's EURO 2025 The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 kicks off this Wednesday, July 2nd in Switzerland, with two history-laden clashes in Group A. Iceland and Finland open the tournament in Thun, while in the evening, in Basel, hosts Switzerland face Norway. The day promises excitement, with plenty of stories and stages ready to shine. 👀 Which matches are being played today? Iceland vs Finland (18:00 CEST, Arena Thun) This is the first official match between the two teams since 1983, a fixture historically dominated by Finland in the qualifying stage. Iceland comes in with confidence after good matches in the Nations League, while the Finns look to maintain their defensive solidity. Advertisement Switzerland vs Norway (21:00 CEST, St. Jakob‑Park, Basel) The tournament's "official" opening match. Norway has the upper hand in recent history, having won the last two meetings between the sides. The Swiss, without their star Ramona Bachmann due to injury, are counting on the passion of the home crowd to spring a surprise. 🔎 A player to watch Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir (Iceland): a center-back turned leader and captain of Bayern Munich, recently nominated for the Women's Ballon d'Or for her dominant performances in the German championship. Her experience and leadership will be key to Iceland's defensive solidity against Finland. Advertisement Special mention: Eveliina Summanen (Finland), a Tottenham midfielder with great ability to dictate the tempo of the match. Strong on the ball and with great vision, she will guide her team from the center of the pitch. 🎥 A video you can't miss There's a real appetite for the Women's EURO in Switzerland. The country is rallying behind its national team like never before. A great example is this video of the Swiss national teams supporting their teammates. 📊 Three interesting facts of the day ⚔️ First competitive meeting between Iceland and Finland since 1983. Finland won 3‑0 and 2‑0 in those qualifying matches. Advertisement 🇨🇭 Tough record for Switzerland. Only one win in their last eight matches against Norway. The Scandinavians won both encounters in the last Nations League. ☀️ Heatwave in Switzerland. Temperatures above 30 °C have forced UEFA to relax some rules regarding hydration breaks and water access in stadiums. 🔮 Predictions for the day Iceland vs Finland: a close match. Finland, with a better record and recent solidity, are slight favorites. A 1‑1 draw or a narrow Finnish victory is expected. Switzerland vs Norway: the Nordics come in stronger. Despite the home support, Norway could win 2‑1. The Swiss will look to surprise in their debut, but Scandinavian experience may tip the balance. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Daniela Porcelli - 2025 Getty Images
