Scotland hosted Finland for the first leg of their playoff finals tonight at Easter Road, but neither side could break the deadlock. Qualification for EURO 2025 still hangs in the balance as the close contest ended nil-all.
The Lineups
SCO: Cumings; Docherty, Howard, Clark, Evans, Smith; Weir, Kerr, Cuthbert, Emslie; Thomas
FIN: Tamminen; Koivisto, Kuikka, Tynnilä, Lehtola; Summanen; Siren, Sevenius, Öling, Hartikainen; Sällström
The Action
It was Scotland who started the clash on the front foot, with Martha Thomas looking to combine with Claire Emslie in the box. Finland soon threatened their hosts, however, with Ria Öling’s strike flying just above the bar and serving as a warning to Scotland.
The visitors continued to attack, forcing Oona Sevenius forcing Sophie Howard to defend rigorously.
Marko Saloranta’s side looked destined to open the scoring with 14 minutes on the clock, but Eartha Cumings just managed to parry away Linda Sällström’s shot from distance.
The home side grew into the game as the inaugural 30 minutes of the match progressed, but struggled to disrupt Finland’s flow.
The deadlock remained at the end of a fast-paced first half, despite a half-hearted effort from Scotland’s Erin Cuthbert as the referee’s whistle drew near.
Despite a promising start to the second half for Finland, they too would be put to the test defensively as Scotland searched for the opener.
The guests soon had a spell in their final third, but a strong display at the back for the Scots and a slight lack of conviction among the Finland forwards meant things stayed even.
An energised Scotland dominated by small margins, but could not find the finishing touch as the minutes ticked by.
Pedro Martínez Losa swapped Martha Thomas for Emma Watson just following the hour mark, and the hosts seemed to lack creativity in the absence of the Tottenham Hotspur attacker.
Finland substitute Sanni Fransii would soon send in a stellar cross towards Linda Sällstrom, but Howard’s intervention was enough to make the striker send her shot wide.
Whilst Scotland showed some promise and defended well, they could not challenge the visiting Finland, who will equally be looking to perform more efficiently in Tuesday’s second leg.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Sophie Howard
The centre-back was one of Scotland’s most important players on this occasion. Her fearless, no-nonsense approach was vital in nullifying Finland’s attacking efforts. The Leicester City defender also played a key key role in catalysing her side’s pressing motions, an impressive work rate highlighting her determination to keep moving forward.
Scotland and Finland will go head-to-head again in Helsinki on Tuesday, as both teams continue to vie for a place in EURO 2025.
