Finland U21 Proud of Draw Against Netherlands, Ready to Take on Leading Nations

Finland U21 came tantalisingly close to securing a memorable triumph over Netherlands U21 in their first UEFA European Under-21 Championship encounter in 16 years, only for a late equaliser deep into added time to let the Dutch rally from a 2-0 deficit, resulting in a 2-2 draw in Kosice, Slovakia.

The Young Owls took control of the match with two goals within three minutes of each other in the first half, with Casper Terho and Topi Keskinen finding the back of the net. However, Luciano Valente struck back just before the hour, and Ernest Poku levelled the score in the 93rd minute, earning a point for his team in the Group D opener.

In the aftermath of the match, midfielder Adam Markhiev expressed that, despite the manner of the outcome, the overall performance was encouraging for his side, stating, “The players were disheartened in the changing room, even though we should really take pride in earning a point against the Netherlands.”

Markhiev further noted, “I believe it was a crucial point. We should be pleased with our goalkeeper (Lucas Bergstrom), who had an excellent game,” commending Bergstrom for making six saves as the Dutch had the upper hand in terms of shots, both on and off target, and numerous significant chances.

Terho, who netted the opening goal, reflected on his contribution with pride, “Scoring in a match like this is truly special.”

When asked about what the match revealed about Finland’s playing style under head coach Mika Lehkosuo, the Paderborn forward remarked;

“Leading 2-0 at half-time against one of the toughest teams in the tournament shows that our style of play is functioning exceptionally well. We have faith in it.”

The Finnish squad received strong vocal support from their travelling fans in Kosice, a contribution that Keskinen was keen to acknowledge, stating, “The support from the Finnish fans during the match was remarkable.”

“Although we can be pleased with the point,” he added, “the equaliser from the Dutch is certainly frustrating, especially as it came so late. We were very close to securing the win, which would have been a fantastic achievement.”

“This match demonstrated that we can compete with top-tier nations, and we have a solid team. I believe our confidence has been boosted.”

The Finns will look to carry this newfound confidence into their next fixture, also at Kosice’s Kosicka futbalova arena, on Sunday against Ukraine, who suffered a 3-2 defeat to Denmark in their opening match.