{"id":22242,"date":"2022-06-29T09:00:47","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2022\/06\/29\/euro-2022-everything-you-need-to-know-about-finland\/"},"modified":"2022-06-29T09:00:47","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T13:00:47","slug":"euro-2022-everything-you-need-to-know-about-finland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2022\/06\/29\/euro-2022-everything-you-need-to-know-about-finland\/","title":{"rendered":"Euro 2022: Everything you need to know about Finland"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Finland Euro 2022 group stage fixtures<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Euro<\/p>\n

Read more about Spain<\/a>, Denmark<\/a> and Germany<\/a> by clicking on the team\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

How they qualified<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Euro<\/p>\n

Major tournament\u00a0record<\/h2>\n

European Championship<\/h4>\n

Best European Championship performance: Semi-finals- 2005<\/p>\n

Most-recent European Championship performance:\u00a0 Group Stages- 2013.<\/p>\n

FIFA World Cup<\/h4>\n

Never previously qualified.<\/p>\n

Finland at Euro 2022: Can Finland get through a very challenging group?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n\"Euro<\/p>\n

Finland players celebrate after teammate Amanda Rantanen (not visible) scores their side\u2019s first goal of the game during the UEFA Women\u2019s Euro 2021 Qualifying Group E match at Easter Road, Edinburgh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In a very competitive looking Group B, can rank-outsiders Finland spring a surprise?<\/p>\n

The Boreal Owls appeared at three consecutive European Championships between 2005 and 2013, before that streak came to an end last time round.<\/p>\n

At this debut Euros 17 years ago, Finland got all the way to the semi-finals, before being beaten by Germany at Deepdale.<\/p>\n

In this cycle, Anna Signeul\u2019s team cruised to qualification, winning seven of eight matches, only dropping points when drawing in Portugal.<\/p>\n

More recently, they\u2019ve been aiming for a maiden World Cup appearance.<\/p>\n

The final two qualifiers are coming up in September and, in all likelihood, they\u2019ll need to beat Republic of Ireland away to take the play-off place.<\/p>\n

So, as the second-lowest-ranked team at this tournament, Finland have already achieved their objective just by qualifying.<\/p>\n

The draw then wasn\u2019t kind to the Boreal Owls, who will face three of the continent\u2019s strongest sides in Group B.<\/p>\n

Denmark reached the final in 2017, Germany are the record eight-times winners while Spain are many people\u2019s favourites.<\/p>\n

So, not to say that Signeul\u2019s side are a poor team, but Finland will do well not to end the group phase with any points whatsoever.<\/p>\n

Key players: Natalia Kuikka<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n\"Euro<\/p>\n

2H7XJJ9 G\u00f6teborg, Sweden. 25th Nov, 2021. Gamla Ullevi, G\u00f6teborg, Sweden Natalia Kuikka (15 FIN) celebrates during a WWC2023 qualification match on November 25th 2021 between Sweden and Finland at Gamla Ullevi in G\u00f6teborg, Sweden Mia Eriksson\/SPP Credit: SPP Sport Press Photo. \/Alamy Live News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Given that Finland will be big underdogs in all three games, they\u2019re going to need experienced defender Natalia Kuikka to be at the top of her game.<\/p>\n

The 26 year old currently play for Portland Thorns in America\u2019s top-division, NWSL, the strongest Women\u2019s league on the planet.<\/p>\n

With the Thorns, she\u2019s lifted the NWSL Community Shield in 2020 and then the NWSL Challenge Cup last year.<\/p>\n

So far this season, Kuikka has featured in all 14 of Portland\u2019s matches, keeping seven clean sheets.<\/p>\n

For the national team, since making her full debut as a substitute against Italy at Euro 2013, Kuikka has accumulated a total of 67 caps.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s been named Finnish Female player of the year three times in the last five years, underlining her importance to this side.<\/p>\n

Key players: Adelina Engman<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n\"Euro<\/p>\n

2HPDWDX LE HAVRE, FRANCE \u2013 FEBRUARY 19: Adelina Engman of Finland during the Tournoi de France 2022 match between Finland and Netherlands at Stade Oc\u00e9ane on February 19, 2022 in Le Havre, France (Photo by Rene Nijhuis\/Orange Pictures)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Towards the other end of the field, Adelina Engman will be hoping to carry her recent goalscoring form into this tournament.<\/p>\n

The midfielder has netted 11 times for Finland, with three of these goals coming in five World Cup qualification appearances this season.<\/p>\n

Now 27, she made her international debut a decade ago, but this will be her first taste of a major tournament.<\/p>\n

At club level, following brief spells with Chelsea and Montpellier, Engman joined Hammarby in Sweden earlier this year.<\/p>\n

With the Damallsvenskan side, she\u2019s featured in all 15 league games, scoring her first goal for the club against IFK Kalmar earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Having failed to shine at Chelsea a few years ago, Engman will be hoping this tournament can earn her another big-money move.<\/p>\n

Key players: Linda S\u00e4llstr\u00f6m<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n\"Euro<\/p>\n

G\u00f6teborg, Sweden. 25th Nov, 2021. Gamla Ullevi, G\u00f6teborg, Sweden Linda S\u00e4llstr\u00f6m (18 Finland) celebrates scoring 1-1 in the World Cup qualification game on November 25th 2021 between Sweden and Finland at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden Peter Sonander\/SPP Credit: SPP Sport Press Photo. \/Alamy Live News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If Finland are to score a goal or two at this competition, chances are Linda S\u00e4llstr\u00f6m will be heavily responsible for it.<\/p>\n

She has, to date, scored 50 goals for her country, nine more than the previous record-holder Laura \u00d6sterberg Kalmari.<\/p>\n

During qualification for this tournament, S\u00e4llstr\u00f6m scored ten of Finland\u2019s\u2019 24 goals (42%).<\/p>\n

This includes a pair of stoppage time goals against second-placed Portugal, namely a 95th minute equaliser in Famalic\u00e3o and 93rd minute winner at home.<\/p>\n

Having sat out Euro 2013 due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, this\u2019ll be S\u00e4llstr\u00f6m\u2019s first appearance at a major tournament for 13 years.<\/p>\n

Back then, as a 21 year old, she scored against England in the quarter-finals, but it wasn\u2019t enough as the bowed out 3-2 .<\/p>\n

Now 33, this could be the super-star strikers last chance to shine on the big international stage.<\/p>\n

At club level, S\u00e4llstr\u00f6m spent three season with Paris FC, scoring 17 goals in 37 Division 1 F\u00e9minine starts.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, she returned to Sweden with Damallsvenskan club Vittsj\u00f6 GIK, scoring 11 goals in just 11 appearances for them.<\/p>\n

Can the record-goalscorer fire Finland to an upset or two as they prepare to face a trio of heavyweights at Stadium MK?<\/p>\n

Finland possible starting line-up for Euro 2022<\/h2>\n

\"Finland<\/p>\n

Finland\u2019s full squad for Euro 2022<\/h2>\n

Goalkeepers<\/h4>\n

\"Euro<\/p>\n

Defenders<\/h4>\n

\"Euro<\/p>\n

Midfielders<\/h4>\n

\"Euro<\/p>\n

Forwards<\/h4>\n

\"Euro<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Finland Euro 2022 group stage fixtures Read more about Spain, Denmark and Germany by clicking on the team\u2019s name. How they qualified Major tournament\u00a0record European Championship Best European Championship performance: Semi-finals- 2005 Most-recent European Championship performance:\u00a0 Group Stages- 2013. FIFA World Cup Never previously qualified. Finland at Euro 2022: Can Finland get through a very […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12,7],"tags":[13,14],"class_list":["post-22242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-football","category-sport","tag-football","tag-soccer","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22242\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}