Football | Helmarii has a really important evening on Tuesday: “Denmark is quite vulnerable”

Buckingham

Finland The women’s national football team opened the European Championship final tournament on Friday as expected: Spain, one of the best on the continent and the whole world, stormed to a 4–1 victory over Helmari. Next up is the easiest match of the merciless first group, at least on paper, when they face Denmark, which is “only” 15th in the national team ranking, in Milton Keynes on Tuesday.

Denmark, the European Championship finalist five years ago, started the tournament in England even worse than Finland, when Germany marched to a 4–0 victory. In Tuesday’s match, it’s enough to bet properly for both of them.

“Both have a loss, so it would be really important to get three points. An exciting match coming up and with big stakes, what could be better than that”, the Helmareite striker San Francisco ponders.

Finland and its attack against Spain was left on the starting blocks as the opponent milled about. Counterattacks were the only way, but Denmark should be able to be shaken in other ways.

“Our attack was really one of the counter-attacking emphasis. Maybe a little too much, it would be important to be able to build longer attacks. Also run the opponent, rest with the ball and thereby create situations”, predicts Franssi.

“A certain level of composure and patience (are key). Counterattacks are our strength, so of course we want to use them. But the important thing is to be able to recognize the situations when it might be better to put the brakes on a little and build a longer attack. We managed it quite well against Holland (in the preparation game for the EC), so we can do it. As long as we find that composure, I believe that we will also succeed against Denmark.”

Attacks should then end with goals, otherwise the necessary victory and those three points will remain a dream. Scoring in Finland has been difficult: three hits in seven matches this year against opponents of their own level or tougher.

“I don’t feel that there is such a concern about it. We are aware of the situation, and we know that we need to be able to score goals with a better percentage from the positions. But I don’t think it’s a black cloud”, Franssi assures himself and the Finnish attack.

of Denmark the national team scout who watched the game closely Kimmo Lipponen reminds that, like Spain, Denmark likes to keep the ball and dominate the game.

“Denmark is quite vulnerable in the sense that it is terribly offensive-minded. There are places where you can hit,” sums up Lipponen.

Lipponen mentions three points of impact.

“They kind of have a bottom floor of three, sometimes five, and they’ve had a little bit of problems with that communication regarding when each one presses the opponent. Another thing is that when they press, if it can be broken”, a lot can come out of it.

“And thirdly, the fact that certain players have a little bit of arrogance in their own heads may lead to bad ball losses. You have to be kind of enthusiastic about it”, at some point someone is arrogant and the ball is taken away.