Finland beats Portugal 3-1, narrowly misses group win

Finland's "Helmarit" women's national football team secured a 3-1 victory over Portugal in their final World Cup qualifier, fueled by a roaring home crowd in Helsinki. Two goals from Nea Lehtola were key to the win, though the team fell just short of their goal to win the group and advance to the A-League of the Nations League. A three-goal margin would have secured the group title, but Finland had already clinched a spot in the World Cup playoffs.

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We had talked about that everyone would put everything into it today.

Lehtola, who was moved from a wing-back position to midfield due to Katariina Kosola's suspension, expressed her enjoyment of the more advanced role. "It was nice to play higher up the field," she said. "Yesterday in training I hit a few times, and today I continued from there. I had confidence." The team's aggressive and high-pressing game plan overwhelmed Portugal, a team ranked twelfth in Europe. "Our attitude was right," Lehtola added. "Individually, we raised our level and won duels in the areas where we needed to. We attacked the opponent's penalty area as a team."

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Our attitude was right. Individually, we raised our level and won duels in the areas where we needed to. We attacked the opponent's penalty area as a team.

Head coach Marko Saloranta lauded the team's "fantastic" performance, noting it was the best his team had played under him since the European Championship. He acknowledged Portugal's strength, including UEFA Women's Champions League winner Kika Nazareth, but emphasized that his team focused on their own game. "Every player on our team believed that we would take the win," Saloranta stated. "The game was in our control. It feels crazy to say that a 3-1 win was a disappointment. In the first half, we had ten quality chances."

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It was nice to play higher up the field. Yesterday in training I hit a few times, and today I continued from there. I had confidence.

The victory, while not securing the group's top spot, provided a significant confidence boost heading into the World Cup playoffs in the fall. The team's tactical execution and belief in their strategy were highlighted as crucial factors in their strong showing against a highly-rated opponent.

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I think we can gain confidence from the fact that we were able to play well against Portugal.