The women’s U17 team scored three goals, but ended the tournament with a narrow loss
The Estonian women’s U17 team, preparing for the final tournament, played its last match today, March 14, in Round 2 of the European Championship qualifying tournament in Romania. Although the ball was sent into the Romanian goal three times, Estonians had to accept a 4:3 loss.
The game started very evenly, and the goalless draw remained on the scoreboard until the 11th minute, when the Romanian captain Alexandra Boboc sent the ball into the goal from a long shot. As the first half went on, the Estonian women put more pressure on the opponent, when they tried to attack from counterattacks as well as from free kicks and corner kicks, but they could not turn the situations into a goal. In the final minutes of the opening half, the host of the tournament reached the goal instead, when Andra Mihaescu delivered the ball into the bottom corner of the goal after a corner kick.
Estonia started well in the second half and repeatedly gave the opponent a headache, but Romania was more effective in attacks. The opponent reached their third goal in the 57th minute, when Mihaescu was accurate once again. Six minutes later, however, Aleksandra Orlova earned a penalty, which she also confidently realized and thus opened the goal tally for the Estonians in the tournament. However, in the 67th minute, Romania was accurate again. In the 79th minute, Estonia’s attack was effective: after a long ball from Karola Purgats, Elisabeth Õispuu ran towards the opponent’s goal, and effectively lifted the ball over the goalkeeper. Just three minutes later, a similar attack was launched, and on this occasion Jane Mirjam was accurate, reducing the deficit to one goal.
“I am satisfied with the goals we scored in today’s game, but unfortunately we allowed too many of them to be scored against us. It reflects our current state and gives an idea of what we still need to improve. The more playing minutes each player accumulates, the better we are ready to control our game plan,” said head coach Aleksandra Ševoldajeva. “Unfortunately, we have to accept the fact that one of our main strikers, Vanessa Grutop, broke her collarbone in training before today’s match, and she cannot play in the final tournament due to her injury,” Ševoldajeva added.
Seven teams will be determined in Round 2 of the European Championship qualifying tournament, which, in addition to Estonia, will compete in the UEFA Women’s U17 Championship in Tallinn, Tartu and Võru in May. The winners of the groups of the A league will secure their spot at the final tournament. From group A1, which also included Estonia, Poland secured their spot in the final tournament by settling a 2:2 draw with the Czech Republic in the match that took place at the same time.
The UEFA women’s U17 Championship will take place in Estonia in May 2023. The matches are divided between two centers: group A plays in North Estonia’s center at Lilleküla stadium and Kadrioru Stadium, and in group B, the matches are played in South Estonia’s center at Tartu Tamme Stadium and Võru Stadium. The final tournament will officially kick off on May 14, when the first matches will be played in both groups, and will culminate in the final on May 26, which will be played in Tallinn at Lilleküla Stadium.