By John Mahnen
KREFELD, Germany — Finland survived a furious late rally by Italy to escape with a dramatic 9–8 victory in a bruising, defense-dominated semifinal that evoked memories of the old Eurobowl battles.
It wasn’t pretty — and it wasn’t meant to be. The two most physical teams of the tournament slugged it out for four quarters before Finland’s discipline, field position, and special teams ultimately proved decisive.
A game of inches — and punts
The contest began with both defenses setting the tone. Italy’s offense, led by veteran quarterback Luke Zahradka, moved the ball sporadically but struggled with protection and penalties. Finland’s front, anchored by Viljo Lempinen and Timi Nuikka, lived in the backfield. The two combined for nine tackles and four tackles for loss as Italy was held scoreless in the opening half.
Finland finally broke through midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Ambro Urjansson, steady if unspectacular, found Luukas Eerola streaking down the right sideline for a 50-yard completion to the Italian four-yard line. Two plays later, running back Tuukka Lehtonen punched it in from the three. The two-point attempt failed, but Finland had the lead they would not relinquish, 6–0.
Ruohonen adds insurance before the break
Before halftime, Finland’s clock management and field position mastery paid off again. After a 13-play, 63-yard march featuring chain-moving runs by Arttu Blomqvist and short completions to Tarmo Pitkänen and Santtu Vehkomäki, kicker Anssi Ruohonen calmly split the uprights from 29 yards as the first half expired.
Finland took a 9–0 advantage into the locker room, while Italy looked rattled and unable to finish drives — converting only two of its first ten third-down attempts.
Italy fights back
The second half turned into a war of attrition. Finland tried to bleed the clock behind Blomqvist, who carried 19 times for 55 hard yards, but Italy’s defense refused to break. Linebacker Kevin Khay was everywhere, finishing with eight solo tackles, six assists, and the game’s biggest defensive play.
Early in the fourth quarter, with Finland pinned at their own seven-yard line, Khay broke through untouched and dragged Urjansson down in the end zone for a safety. That made it 9–2 and shifted the momentum entirely.
After the ensuing free kick, Italy’s offense suddenly came alive. Running back Ryan-Edward Minniti, who had been bottled up most of the afternoon, found daylight off tackle for 24 yards to the Finland eight. On the next play, he kept it himself for an eight-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 9–8.
Head coach Davide Giuliano elected to go for two and the lead — but Finland’s front stonewalled Minniti short of the goal line.
“We had the call we wanted,” Giuliano admitted afterward, “but Finland plays fast downhill football. You have to be perfect, and we weren’t.”
Eerola’s return and a final stand
With the pressure suddenly mounting, Finland needed an answer — and Eerola delivered again. On the ensuing kickoff, the agile receiver returned the ball 48 yards into Italian territory, flipping field position and burning valuable time off the clock.
Italy’s defense forced a punt, but the field position battle was lost. Zahradka and the Azzurri offense took over deep in their own half and could never fully recover.
With just over two minutes left, Lempinen broke through again for a nine-yard sack, and back-to-back incompletions on fourth down sealed Italy’s fate. Urjansson took a knee to close out the one-point thriller.
Koikkalainen: “No style points today”
Finland’s head coach Mikko Koikkalainen was quick to praise his defense and the team’s ability to adapt under difficult conditions.
“Stunning battle victory,” Koikkalainen said. “The defense had an absolutely insane game. We were strong on offense in the first half, executing what we had practiced. The weather in the second half was so brutal that normal offensive play was impossible. The team adapted brilliantly to what was needed to win. No style points were awarded today.”
His assessment fit the mood perfectly — a cold, wet afternoon that turned into a mud-soaked slugfest more about resilience than rhythm.
By the numbers
Both teams produced nearly identical totals — Italy 154 yards of offense, Finland 149. Each side committed three turnovers. The difference came in third down execution (Finland 4 of 15 vs. Italy 2 of 13), penalties (Italy 7 for 57 yards; Finland 9 for 55), and special teams.
Ruohonen’s lone field goal, Olin’s eight punts for a 32.8-yard average, and Eerola’s game-breaking kick return made the difference on a day when every yard mattered.
Eerola finished with three receptions for 62 yards and 48 on returns to lead all-purpose yardage. Lempinen and Nuikka combined for nine tackles and four stops behind the line, while Laalo added an interception and a fumble recovery.
For Italy, Minniti was the heart of the offense — 13 carries, 68 yards, one touchdown — while Stola led the receivers with three catches for 53 yards. Zahradka went 10 of 26 for 79 yards and one interception under relentless pressure.
Old-school football, European flavor
This was a throwback game in every sense — trench warfare, field position, and situational football. Both teams punted a combined 15 times, and the scoreboard barely moved after halftime.
For Finland, the result sends them back to the European Championship final for the first time since 2018 — coincidentally, also against Austria.
Italy, meanwhile, leaves Krefeld frustrated but proud. “We made too many mistakes early, but the guys never quit,” Zahradka said afterward. “You learn from these kinds of games. Finland capitalized on small things — and that’s championship football.”
Summary
Finland: 9 (6, 3, 0, 0)
Italy: 8 (0, 0, 0, 8)
Scoring:
2Q – Finland: Lehtonen 3 run (run failed)
2Q – Finland: Ruohonen 29 FG
4Q – Finland: Safety, Urjansson tackled in end zone by Khay
4Q – Italy: Minniti 8 run (run failed)
Final: Finland 9, Italy 8