The Dutch under-21 football team secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Finland in their Euro 2023 qualifier on Tuesday evening at the Rat Verlegh Stadion in Breda. The result keeps the young Oranje within touching distance of the top spot in Group 2, as they continue their campaign to qualify for next year’s tournament in Romania and Georgia.
Finland took an early lead through a 14th-minute strike from Leevi Väisänen, but the Dutch equalized just before halftime through a powerful header from Jeremie Frimpong. Despite Finland’s physical approach and several late chances, the Dutch defense held firm, with goalkeeper Diogo Kapel working overtime to preserve the point. The draw extends the Dutch U21s’ unbeaten run to six matches, with their next qualifier set for March against Kazakhstan.
Dutch U21s secure narrow victory over Finland in Euro 2023 qualifier
The Dutch U21 football team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Finland in their Euro 2023 qualifier. The lone goal came from Xavi Simons in the 37th minute, his first for the national team. Finland’s best chance came in the second half, but their effort was saved by Dutch goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Coach Erwin van de Looi praised his team’s defensive efforts. “We knew Finland would be a tough opponent, but the boys stood firm,” he said post-match. Finland’s coach, Sami Huttunen, acknowledged the loss but highlighted his team’s improvement.
The win keeps the Dutch U21s top of Group 2 with 12 points from five matches. Finland remains in third place with seven points. The Dutch will face Kazakhstan in their next qualifier, while Finland takes on Northern Ireland.
The match was marked by several yellow cards, with both teams struggling to maintain composure. Simons’ goal was the only clear-cut chance in a tightly contested game. The Dutch defence, led by captain Jurriën Timber, held firm under pressure.
The victory extends the Dutch U21s’ unbeaten run to 12 matches in all competitions. Finland, meanwhile, has lost three of their last five qualifiers. The result maintains the Dutch team’s strong position ahead of the tournament next year.
Young Oranje defend resolutely in tense 1-0 win
The Dutch under-21 football team secured a tense 1-0 victory against Finland in their Euro 2023 qualifier on Tuesday evening. The sole goal came from Xavi Simons in the 37th minute, his first for the national team.
Finland’s under-21 side pushed hard throughout the match, creating several chances but failing to convert. The Dutch defence, led by captain Jurriën Timber, stood firm under pressure, making crucial interventions to keep the Finns at bay.
Coach Erwin van de Looi praised his team’s defensive efforts post-match. “We knew Finland would come at us, and our defence was exceptional tonight,” he said. The result keeps the Dutch top of Group 2 with seven points from three matches.
Finland’s manager, Sami Hyypiä, acknowledged the defeat but highlighted his team’s improvement. “We created chances, but we need to be more clinical,” he stated. Finland remains in second place with four points.
The victory extends the Dutch under-21s’ unbeaten run to 12 matches in all competitions. Their next qualifier is against Kazakhstan on 16 November. Finland will face Kazakhstan on the same date.
Finland U21s push Dutch to the limit in qualifier
The Dutch U21 football team held firm against a spirited Finnish side in their Euro 2023 qualifier. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams displaying determination and skill.
Finland took an early lead through Joel Maanpaa’s strike in the 18th minute. The goal came after a swift counter-attack, catching the Dutch defence off guard. The Finnish U21s maintained pressure, testing the Dutch goalkeeper with several long-range efforts.
The Netherlands equalised just before half-time through Xavi Simons’ penalty. The goal came after a foul on Brian Brobbey in the box. Simons stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
In the second half, both teams created chances but failed to find the back of the net. Finnish goalkeeper Oliver Oravakki made a crucial save to deny Brobbey a second-half goal. The Dutch defence, led by captain Jurriën Timber, held firm against the Finnish attacks.
The draw leaves the Dutch U21s top of Group 4 with seven points from four matches. Finland remains in second place with six points. The next qualifier will see the Dutch travel to Gibraltar, while Finland hosts Greece.
Coach Erwin van de Looi praised his team’s resilience. “We showed character today,” he said post-match. “We could have easily folded after going behind, but we fought back and earned a point.” Finland’s coach, Sami Rintala, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance. “We played well and created chances,” he noted. “A draw is a fair result.”
Dutch U21s edge past Finland in Euro 2023 qualifier
The Dutch Under-21 football team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Finland in their Euro 2023 qualifier on Tuesday evening. The lone goal came from Xavi Simons in the 37th minute, his first international strike for the national team.
Finland’s defence struggled to contain the Dutch attack throughout the match. The Finnish goalkeeper made several crucial saves to keep the deficit to just one goal.
The Dutch coach, Erwin van de Loo, praised his team’s resilience. “We knew Finland would be a tough opponent,” he said post-match. “But the boys showed great determination and teamwork.”
Finland’s manager, Sami Hyypiä, acknowledged the defeat but highlighted his team’s efforts. “We played well, but the Dutch were more clinical in front of goal,” he remarked.
The victory places the Dutch U21s top of Group 2 with seven points from three matches. Finland remains in second place with four points.
The next qualifier for both teams is scheduled for next month. The Dutch will face Kazakhstan, while Finland takes on Northern Ireland.
This was the first meeting between the two teams at the Under-21 level. The result sets the stage for an exciting remainder of the qualifying campaign.
Tight defensive display sees Dutch U21s through against Finland
The Dutch U21s secured a crucial 0-0 draw against Finland in their Euro 2023 qualifier on Tuesday evening. The result keeps the Dutch top of Group 2 with 12 points from six games.
Finland’s U21s posed a threat early on, testing Dutch goalkeeper Diogo Vermeeren with a long-range effort in the fifth minute. However, the Dutch defence held firm, with captain Jurriën Timber marshalling the backline effectively.
Midfielder Xavi Simons came close to breaking the deadlock in the 28th minute, but his curling shot from 20 yards went just wide of the post. Finland’s best chance came in the 62nd minute, but Vermeeren made a smart save to deny Oliver Järvinen.
Dutch manager Erwin van de Looi praised his team’s defensive display. “We knew Finland would be a tough opponent, but the boys stood strong,” he said post-match. Finland’s coach, Sami Hyypiä, acknowledged the Dutch resilience. “They defended well and made it difficult for us to create clear chances,” he admitted.
The draw extends the Dutch U21s’ unbeaten run to 14 games. Their next qualifier is against Kazakhstan on 12 October. Finland, meanwhile, remains in third place with seven points.
The Dutch U21s maintained their unbeaten streak in Euro 2023 qualifying with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Finland. The result keeps them top of Group 2, level on points with Ukraine but ahead on goal difference. Both teams created chances, but neither could break the deadlock. The Dutch will now turn their attention to their next qualifier against Kazakhstan, while Finland will look to bounce back against Ukraine. The race for qualification to the finals in Romania and Georgia remains tightly contested.
