Portland Thorns FC’s Natalia Kuikka played 90 minutes in Finland’s dramatic UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 qualifier against Portugal.
The first half had constant end-to-end action that rarely ended in actual scoring chances. Finland dominated possession and looked to force their possession-based game on Portugal. Portugal seemed content to absorb the pressure and then counter attack, led by Diana Silva and Claudia Neto.
Finland created a few half chances, but the first big chance of the game came from Portugal. Silva was released behind the Finland’s backline and was in on goal. The angle was tight and she was only able to find the side netting.