Recovering after a shaky first 10 minutes, Finland’s team put pressure on the French in the first half of the game. A breakthrough by striker Kasper Hämäläinen was foiled by the French defence just as Hämäläinen was about to take a shot at goal. The Scottish referee Craig Thomson was unyielding to Finnish protestations and demands for a penalty.
Although Finland held the ball for much of the first half, they failed to present the French with a serious challenge; Finnish attacks often broke down in midfield.
Perhaps the best opportunity the Finns had was seen in the second half, about one hour into the game. Alexander Ring broke into the penalty box from the right, passed the ball to Teemu Pukki in the centre, but his shot was, however, deflected by a French defender.
Finland had a few more opportunities, but France steadfastly defended their victory to the end.
The game was played at Helsinki's Olympic stadium, where a crowd of about 35,000 gathered in cool autumnal weather.
