Latest news with #NataliaKuikka
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Switzerland gets late goal to draw with Finland and advance to Euro 2025 quarterfinals
GENEVA: A stoppage-time goal for Switzerland in a frenetic atmosphere will keep the host-nation buzz going for at least one more week into the quarterfinals at the Women's European Championship. Switzerland's frantic wave of late attacks set up substitute Riola Xhemaili to level the score 1-1 against Finland in the second minute of added time in a tense end to Group A. Switzerland only needed a draw to advance ahead of Finland on goal difference but fell behind against the run of play to a 79th-minute penalty by Natalia Kuikka. "We showed the whole world what Swiss people can do," said Xhemaili, who was in the ideal spot in the goalmouth to divert a low shot by Géraldine Reuteler that was going wide. Switzerland will now play its first knockout game at a Women's Euros against the winner of Group B. That is likely to be world champion Spain, the standout team at Euro 2025 which has scored 11 goals in two games so far. Switzerland will get a full week of rest, though, to celebrate its achievement before worrying about the next challenge on July 18 in Bern. The Swiss and Finns were playing for the runner-up spot in Group A as Norway had already secured top spot after two rounds. Norway rested key starters Thursday in a 4-3 win against Iceland, which had already been eliminated. Key for Switzerland to advance had been beating Iceland 2-0 after Finland managed only a one-goal win against the same opponent. The second goal against Iceland, in the 90th minute on Sunday, also sparked a fresh passion across the country for this Swiss team. "The reason we are in the quarterfinal is because we are the home team," Switzerland coach Pia Sundhage said, praising the fans. "I'm so, so proud of Switzerland and what the players have done so far. "We are not finished yet."
Arab News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal
GENEVA: Switzerland's Riola Xhemaili scored a last-gasp goal to salvage a dramatic 1-1 draw with Finland on Thursday that sent the joyous hosts through to the quarterfinals at Euro 2025, and heartbroken Finland home. Switzerland, who needed only a draw to advance based on goal difference, finished second in Group A behind Norway to go through to the knockout round for the first time, and will face the winners of Group B, which would be world champions Spain as things stand now. 'I think we set ourselves a goal on the pitch, to write history, to go into the knockout stages, which we've never done before,' Swiss captain Lia Walti said. Finland looked to be heading for the knockout round after Natalia Kuikka scored a penalty in the 79th minute, awarded after Viola Calligaris's foul on Emma Koivisto. Center-back Kuikka calmly slotted home a low shot as Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng dived the wrong way. But, roared on by the home crowd, the Swiss kept up the attack in the breathless dying moments and Xhemaili, a second-half substitute, scored in the 92nd minute when Geraldine Reuteler mis-hit her shot on goal and Xhemaili was there to tap it in, blowing the roof off at Stade de Geneve. 'I really have to say that I didn't think that we're going home because I really believed in this team, until the last second, and I knew we were going to score,' Xhemaili said. 'I knew that Geraldine Reuteler, she will hit the target, of course, because she's one of our best players, so I was like, just stay on the right spot in the right moment and wait until the ball is coming and it did.' The desolate Finland players collapsed to the pitch in tears at the final whistle, while the Swiss lingered after the game's end to pose for pictures and their famed manager Pia Sundhage wrapped her assistants in huge hugs. But for most of the nervy night, the game was far from a classic, with desperation showing in both sides with the stakes sky high. Switzerland started brightly and put Finnish goalkeeper Anna Koivunen to work early with a couple of chances. But momentum shifted midway through the half to quiet the nervous crowd and Peng made a huge save on the goal-line seconds before the break to preserve the draw. Intensity picked up over the second half and Sundhage threw virtually every attacker on her bench into the game in search of the equalizer, with the Swiss ending the night with 15 shots to Finland's six. 'I am going to dance tonight,' a smiling Sundhage told SRF. Kuikka said Switzerland were the better team on the night. 'They came to the game like they wanted to win and it kind of showed,' she said.
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Hosts Switzerland avoid Euro 2025 group exit with late equaliser: ‘We never stopped dreaming'
Switzerland goalscorer Riola Xhemaili said her side 'never stopped dreaming' after the tournament hosts avoided a group stage exit with a stoppage time equaliser against Finland. Substitute Xhemaili levelled the scores in the 92nd minute at Stade de Geneve to secure a 1-1 draw and progression to the quarter-finals as Group A runners up, finishing ahead of Finland by virtue of their superior goal difference Advertisement A loss on Thursday would have resulted in Finland progressing instead and seen Switzerland become the first host nation to fail to reach the knockout stages at the women's European Championship since England in 2005. 'We Swiss people – we're a small nation, we never stopped dreaming, we never stopped fighting and we showed that we can fight for 95 minutes even if it's tough and hard,' Xhemaili told After losing 2-1 to Norway in their opening group game, Switzerland beat Iceland 2-0 on Sunday to ensure they just needed to avoid defeat against Finland to book a quarter-final place. However, Pia Sundhage's side were left facing elimination as Finland defender Natalia Kuikka converted a 79th-minute penalty after Viola Calligaris was penalised for a clumsy challenge on Emma Koivisto. With seven minutes of stoppage time added on, Switzerland pushed for an equaliser. Geraldine Reuteler, scorer of her side's crucial first in Sunday's win over Iceland, turned provider, collecting Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic's pass before her low delivery was turned home by 81st-minute substitute Xhemaili. 'I think I screamed everything that was inside me out,' Reuteler told a post-match press conference. 'I was so, so happy. I just saw in everyone's eyes that we would still score this goal. It was just incredible today, again.' Finland head coach Marko Saloranta described the manner of the exit as 'such an empty and painful feeling for all the players and staff'. 'I had to breathe for a while at full time,' Saloranta said. 'I'm proud of how committed my players have been, how crazy they've been. Nobody believed in us outside the camp but we knew we could compete. 'We ended a 16-year wait for a finals win against Iceland, played well against Norway and then came so close to getting the result here to progress. We're hurting.' Advertisement Switzerland have twice reached the last-16 at the World Cup but this marks the first time they have qualified for the knockout stages of the European Championship. They will play the winner of Group B — either Spain or Italy — in the quarter-finals on Friday, July 18.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hosts Switzerland reach Women's Euro 2025 quarter-finals with last-gasp goal
Switzerland's Riola Xhemaili scored a last-gasp goal to salvage a 1-1 draw with Finland that sent the joyous hosts through to the quarter-finals at Euro 2025, and sends heartbroken Finland home. Finland looked to be heading for the knockout round after Natalia Kuikka scored from the penalty spot in the 79th minute, but the Swiss kept up the attack in the breathless dying minutes and Xhemaili scored with a tap-in in added time to blow the roof off at Stade de Geneve. Advertisement Switzerland, who needed only a draw to advance based on goal difference, finished second in Group A behind Norway after a game that for most of the night was far from a classic. It is the first time the Swiss women have advanced to a knockout round in a European championship. Geraldine Reuteler celebrates after Switzerland advance (Getty Images) In Thun, Norway winger Signe Gaupset made the most of her first start at the Women's Euros, scoring twice and creating two more goals as her side beat Iceland 4-3 to make it three wins from three for the Norwegians, who had already secured victory in Group A. Gaupset, one of six changes from the side that beat Finland 2-1 on Sunday, cancelled out Iceland's opening goal by firing a low volley from a corner in at the foot of the right-hand post in the 15th minute, and 11 minutes later she fired a left-footed drive into the opposite corner to make it 2-1. Advertisement Gaupset heaped more misery on an Iceland side that had already been eliminated by teeing up Frida Maanum for Norway's third goal four minutes after the break, and she set up Maanum for another in the 76th minute. Iceland battled bravely and managed to score again through Hlin Eiriksdottir in the 84th minute, then added a penalty when Marit Bratberg Lund was sent off in stoppage time to make it 4-3, but the Norwegians held on to finish top of the group with a perfect nine points.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Last-gasp Xhemaili fires Swiss into Euro 2025 quarters
A goal in stoppage time in Geneva ensured that hosts Switzerland progressed to the last eight of the women's Euros after a 1-1 draw with Finland (Miguel MEDINA) Switzerland reached the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday after Riola Xhemaili struck with a stoppage time equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Finland. Xhemaili swept home Geraldine Reuteler's cross in the second minute of added time to send a passionate ground in Geneva wild just as it looked the hosts were set to be knocked out. Advertisement Switzerland were trailing with moments to spare after Natalia Kuikka marked her 101st international appearance with the opening goal from the penalty spot after Viola Calligaris fouled Emma Koivisto. Pia Sundhage's team will face the winners of Group B, most likely world champions Spain, on July 18 after scraping into the next round on goal difference. Switzerland needed a draw to go through ahead of Finland in second place in Group A and the point meant they finished second on four points, level with Finland who were eliminated in the most brutal of fashions. The Swiss are five points behind Norway who sailed into the last eight with a perfect three wins from three after just beating 4-3 rock-bottom Iceland, who finished with no points. Advertisement Signe Gaupset and Frida Maanum scored twice to pull Norway ahead in the 26th minute after Sveindis Jonsdottir gave Iceland a shock lead in the sixth minute. Norway survived a scare with late goals from Hlin Eiríksdottir and Glodis Perla Viggosdottir cutting the gap for Iceland, but it was too little, too late. Iceland were already eliminated before kick-off and were contesting a dead rubber with the Norwegians who were already in the quarters and await the runners-up in Group B. td/bsp
