SION, Switzerland (AP) — Norway did it again at the Women’s European Championship on Sunday with another 2-1 win, this time over impressive Finland after being outshined for much of the game.
Caroline Graham Hansen provided the class Norway often lacked, deciding the game in the 84th minute with a cross that turned into a shot ending in the Finland net off a post.
Norway’s Barcelona forward had forced an own-goal from Finland defender Eva Nyström in the third minute after excellent play on the right wing.
Oona Sevenius deservedly leveled for Finland in the 32nd, showing fine balance to direct a rising left-foot shot from 16 yards (meters).
Finland’s tidy play had impressed more than Norway’s more star-studded lineup for much of the game, just as Switzerland did in the first half of Norway’s opening 2-1 win four days earlier.
“This result was brutal after the performance,” Finland coach Marko Saloranta said in translated comments. “They have these world class strikers and you cannot give an opponent in such a game two goals.”
Norway now sits atop Group A with six points and Finland is on three, from its opening-day 1-0 win over Iceland.
Norway will go to the quarterfinals as Group A winner if Iceland does not beat host Switzerland in the later game Sunday.
Finland’s quality
For all its tidy play, Finland was lucky not to go two goals down. Norway struck the crossbar and a post from back-to-back corners, then star forward Ada Hegerberg was denied by goalkeeper Anna Koivunen’s brave blocking save.
Finland leveled with a high-class finish by Sevenius after Norway was again robbed of the ball in its own half by effective pressing.
Finland dominated play midway through the second half and forced Norway goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand into diving saves from shots by Katariina Kosola and Eveliina Sumannen, whose effort was tipped on to a post.
Norway rallied late in the game and Graham Hansen wasted a clear chance in the 81st by scooping a shot too high with so much time to choose her spot. It was easier than the chance she would score three minutes later.
Next games
Norway finishes its group-stage program against Iceland on Thursday, when Finland plays host Switzerland
The eventual group winner will go to Geneva on July 16 to play the first quarterfinal against the runner-up in Spain’s Group B.
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