Comeback queens Norway reach final

Norway came from two goals down to defeat Sweden on penalties and claim an unlikely place in the final of the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship final.
 
Fighting spirit
Norway had fallen behind in all of their three Group B matches but had fought back each time to register a draw and two victories to win the section. At half-time at Grimma's Stadion der Freundschaft their task had looked forlorn after Sweden's Nilla Fischer had struck twice without reply. Yet Norway's fighting spirit prevailed again as Stine Frantzen and Tone Heimlund scored to pave the way for a shoot-out which they won 4-2.

Sweltering conditions
Sweden established early control in sweltering conditions, striker Maria Nordbrandt almost wriggling free inside the first minute and Fischer trying her luck with an audacious curled effort from range. In the fifth minute the powerful midfield player gave Sweden the lead, placing a header into the corner of Erika Skarbø's net from Anna Paulson's long free-kick.

Second chance
Norway's most fluent attack of the half saw Frantzen receive the ball from Guro Knutsen on the left flank, nutmeg Paulson and play the ball back to the central midfield player whose placed, first-time shot was tipped behind for a corner. Nordbrandt thought she had doubled Sweden's lead in the 31st minute but referee Ilonka Djaleva had already blown for a penalty after Silje Da Fonseca handled. Fischer's spot-kick was saved by Erika Skarbø but she calmly lobbed the keeper from the rebound to make it 2-0.

Nilsen introduced
Coach Jarl Torske introduced Reidun Nilsen at half-time - a tactic which proved successful against France and was similarly effective today. Frantzen immediately went close and Knutsen almost released Heimlund after creating a three-on-two situation. Then Nilsen got involved, racing on to a clever Lisa-Marie Woods through-ball and forcing Maria Edman into a fine low save.

Superb goal
Yolanda Odenyo, Hodan Siid-Ahmed and Nordbrandt all had chances for Sweden but Norway were controlling the game. With 20 minutes remaining they gave themselves hope by scoring a superb goal which was initiated by Woods breaking up a Sweden attack. Knutsen created the goal, though, by playing a slide-rule pass into the path of Frantzen who finished with aplomb, beating Edman with ease for her third goal of the tournament.

Telling crosses
Only the crossbar prevented Fischer from completing her hat-trick direct from a corner and from then on it was all Norway, with the dangerous Frantzen producing a number of telling crosses. The first picked out Nilsen but the ball would not sit and the chance passed, then Heimlund was found five metres out but Paulson got back to clear. The tall striker made amends in the final minute when flicking in a Runa Vikestad punt into the box to level the scores.

Henriksen wins it
All of Sweden's games had produced late goals, yet only one in their favour. None the less, they recovered from Italy's dramatic equaliser on Tuesday to eclipse them on penalties and secure a place in the last four. It was not to be second-time lucky, though, as Johanna Almgren and Siid-Ahmed both struck their spot-kicks against the bar before Monica Henriksen drilled in the clincher to seal a place in Sunday's final.