The moment Switzerland banished their ‘almost' tag to claim Women's Euro 2025 lift-off

Independent

4 days ago

This time the blaring sound of Seven Nation Army was for real. As Geraldine Reuteler wheeled away, Switzerland finally had lift off at Euro 2025 and the hosts could soar into celebration. Alayah Pilgrim's stoppage time finish to seal a 2-0 victory in Bern eliminated opponents Iceland while boosting their own chances of reaching the quarter-finals, with a shoot-out against Finland in Geneva on Thursday set to decide who joins Norway in the knockout stages.
Switzerland's frustration from their opening defeat to Norway looked to be continuing when Svenja Fölmli first-half opener was disallowed by VAR and Iman Beney's roaring strike on the half-volley rippled the side-netting, tricking the majority of the 29,000 capacity crowd in Bern into thinking they were in front. They survived a few scares too, mostly from Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir's long throws. Iceland twice hit the bar and perhaps Switzerland could have been tempted to settle for a point as the clock ticked into the 76th minute.
Instead, Pia Sundhage's side kept going. Powered on by another excellent home support, Switzerland remained adventurous and lively in attack. The 18-year-old forward Sydney Schertenleib, whose face is plastered across advertising boards across Switzerland and was brought into the starting line-up by Sundhage, always looked capable of unlocking the door. Reuteler, meanwhile, carried threat with clever, inventive touches. But Switzerland just needed a moment.
It came, at last, as Lia Walti stepped in to win a force challenge in midfield, with the Switzerland captain finding Schertenleib on the turn. Schertenleib eased forward and then timed her pass to release Reuteler. The midfielder was Switzerland's player of the match in their opening defeat but had missed a golden chance late on to claim a point. This time, though, Reuteler found the corner and sparked the red eruption.
Pilgrim's breakaway goal finished Iceland off, ensuring they were the first team to be knocked out while sending Norway through. Backed by a tremendous and rowdy section of support, Iceland twice hit the frame of the goal, with Ingibjörg Sigurðardóttir hitting the upright inside the first minute from Jónsdóttir's cannon of a long throw and Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir skimming the crossbar a long-range free-kick. But, outside of long throws and set-pieces, Iceland offered very little.
For Switzerland, it looked for a long time as if they would still be waiting for their moment. The hosts had led Norway in their opening game and were the better team in Basel, but lost. Against Iceland, Switzerland had the majority of the possession and all of the drive to attack. Until the 76th minute, Beney's goal that never was looked to be going down as their most memorable moment.
It took a few seconds for the goal music to be turned off after it transpired that Beney's strike, which would have certainly been a contender for goal of Euro 2025, did not go in. Cue for more anguish for Switzerland, who had an earlier first-half opener disallowed by VAR after the scorer Fölmli blocked Iceland's Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir before heading towards goal. Referee Marta Huerta De Aza was sent to the pitchside monitor, wiping the smile from the face of Sundhage.
Switzerland were also rather shaken from having the crossbar struck so early and from the first of Jonsdottir's long throws. In drizzly rain, the winger required a towel to dry the ball before launching it into the box. It was causing Switzerland problems, to the extent that Switzerland's back-up goalkeeper Nadine Katja Böhi marched over to confiscate Jonsdottir's towel from a rather confused ball girl.
Beney went close for a second time when her looping header was tipped over by Iceland goalkeeper Cecilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir. But, just as it was threatening to become another 'almost night' for Switzerland, they found those golden touches: Walti sensed the moment, Schertenleib found her timing, and Reuteler made amends for her haunting miss against Norway. Switzerland are looking forwards now and momentum is on their side as they face Finland for a quarter-final place.