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07/06 16:56 CDT Euro 2025: Host Switzerland's late goals secure 2-0 win over
Iceland
Euro 2025: Host Switzerland's late goals secure 2-0 win over Iceland
BERN, Switzerland (AP) --- Host nation Switzerland put its Women's European
Championship campaign back on track with a 2-0 win over Iceland on Sunday,
eliminating its opponents in the process --- and avoiding the possibility of a
penalty shootout in their final group match.
Graldine Reuteler netted with 14 minutes remaining as the Stadion Wankdorf
erupted in celebration in a sea of red, and Alayah Pilgrim sealed the result
right at the death.
It will now be all to play for on Thursday when Switzerland meets Finland in
their final group match, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake. Both teams
are level on three points --- three points behind Norway, which beat Finland
2-1 earlier and has now advanced to the knockout stage as Group A champion.
The 90th-minute goal for Switzerland also means that the hosts can progress to
the last eight with just a draw against Finland, courtesy of a better goal
difference.
Had its match against Iceland ended 1-0, Switzerland would have been level with
Finland on all the other tiebreakers if their match finishes in a draw on
Thursday, necessitating a penalty shootout.
Iceland has zero points and is out of the tournament regardless of what happens
in its final match against Norway.
Many of the players were in tears as they performed the Icelandic thunder clap
with their fans after the final whistle.
In contrast to when the teams played the opening matches last Wednesday, when
Switzerland was engulfed by a heat wave, it was raining for most of the match
in Bern.
Iceland almost scored in the opening minute but Ingibjrg Sigurdardttir
volleyed off the crossbar.
Switzerland thought it had taken the lead on the half-hour mark. A corner was
whipped in and Svenja Flmli's header was inadvertently nodded into the net by
Glds Perla Viggsdttir.
Swiss fans celebrated but it was ruled out after a review on the pitchside
monitor for a foul by Flmli in the buildup.
Inside a packed stadium, with a capacity crowd of nearly 30,000, the 2,000
Icelandic fans made themselves heard, while the equally fervent home support
yelled "Hopp Schwiiz."
And almost all of them thought Switzerland had taken the lead in stunning
fashion in first-half stoppage time as Iman Beney's long-range attempt rippled
the side netting.
Iceland started the second half in almost exactly the same way it had started
the first --- by hitting the crossbar.
This time Karolna Lea Vilhjalmsdottir's free kick skimmed the top of the
woodwork.
Switzerland had barely had a shot on target until it broke the deadlock in the
76th minute. Sydney Schertenleib threaded an intelligent ball through for
Reuteler to run onto and slot into the far bottom corner.
And Switzerland wrapped up its first win in its home tournament when Pilgrim
collected a pinpoint pass from another substitute Leila Wandeler and cut inside
before curling into the back of the net.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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