From a ratings standpoint, Denmark (1872) is given a roughly 67% chance of advancing over Austria (1746) Using my rough calculations of the ratings changes during the tournament, Denmark's (1922) chances are 64% over Austria (1821) 100 point difference = 64% approximately 200 = 76% 300 = 85% 400= 92% (off the top of my head) Biggest X-factor that comes to mind is Austria's young GK Manuela Zinsberger. She's been one of the very best GKs at the Euros. She plays for Bayern Munich, I believe. She seems for real, like she's headed to be a contender for #1 GK in the world. All of you see her save on Amandine Henry's rocket?
Worth remembering is that Austria and Denmark had a friendly shortly before the tournament, which Austria won 4-2
All the best to Austria's Lisa Makas, who has been ruled out of the rest of #WEURO2017 through injury https://t.co/T4amSO1Xzi— UEFA Women's EURO (@WEURO) August 1, 2017
Poor girl: I remember her tears when she was subbed out in the quarter-final. Probably she already had the feeling that not only she was out of the game, but of the entire tournament. Well, at least the goal she scored vs France will remain forever in her memory.
I do hope Austria will play with their usual white kit. But I'll admit it wasn't the optimal choice of a picture to present the semi-final, @WWC_Movement
No-one take offense, but I guess Pernille Harder is the only actual top-class player in this semi-final. 🇩🇰 @PernilleMHarder to lead @DBUfodbold to the final?#WEURO2017 pic.twitter.com/ULvjzU7fK3— UEFA Women's EURO (@WEURO) July 31, 2017 I would be curious about any insider information about how the teams are preparing for this match, what are they saying, if they feel pretty confident or not and such... I've been in Copenhagen just once, more than 20 years ago, so I can't say I am very familiar with Denmark. I've been several times in Vienna, instead, and I've got the impression (maybe wrong?) of some kind of quiet and well-mannered people, not quite easy to go off the deep end in enthusiasm. In other words: I can't see big titles about women's Euro 2017 semi-final on Austrian newspapers. Am I wrong? Is there a lot of buzz at home?
I'd definitely agree that Austrians are rather reserved people, and you are unlikely to find any news headlines to over-bordering in excitement, but given our lack of soccer success in recent years the success of the women's team has not gone unnoticed. the penalty kicks against spain have been watched by 1.3 million people in austria (which as a proportion of 8 million residents is quite significant), and for the semi final public viewings are planned all over the country, including one of the main squares in vienna.
Wow, public viewings in main squares? Makes me want to come back in good old Vienna: last time I was there was in 2015 and I quite miss the town! Which square has been chosen in Vienna? I know quite well the city, and I'd like to know where it's been located. Stephansplatz doesn't look like the ideal place for sure. Karlsplatz, maybe? 1,3 out of 8 millions is indeed more than impressive! Almost 1/5 of the entire population of the country was seeing Manuela Zinsberger save Mesenguer's PK. She surely became quite popular, by now!
A few preview articles have popped up in Danish media even if the Neymar transfer is the main focus at the moment. The fact that Austria beat Denmark 4-2 in a friendly shortly before the Euros, is brought up. Expert commentator at Danish radio, Arnela Muminovic, preferred Spain as opponents. She thinks it's 50/50 against Austria and expects Denmark to have the ball most of the time. She urges Denmark to be accurate on the attacking third of the field and don't give away too much room at the back. Austria are direct and strong at counter-attacks, and Muminovic also points out that the Austrian right back is a weak spot. Other articles focus on players habits. One has to wear red nail polish in every game, another left boot first on, a third has to wear shirt #8 always etc. There is also the same type of columns I've read in Norway recently, about giving respect to women's football. Unfortunately much is behind a paywall. DBU expect roughly 700 fans to this game.
Thanks Bauser. Can a Norwegian normally read Danish quite easily? Who's Austrian RB they're talking about? I don't remember her name. And who's the Dane who has to wear red nail polish? I guess it's quite interesting that the two games Austria played before the one vs Denmark that's been mentioned were vs the two other semifinalists of this Euro 2017: and they lost both by 3-0! (vs England in April, vs Netherlands in June).
Yes, and Swedish too, but not Finnish and Icelandic. I don't know. It wasn't mentioned. Line Røddik! Twice she has forgotten that red nail polish over the years, and both games ended with losses.
Very good: I've been there just before Christamas, once, at the time of the markets, and I should have figured it was the best place to do that!
Not too surprising. FInnish is in a completely different language family from Swedish/Norwegian/Danish. It's more closely related to Hungarian and to a handful of rarely-spoken languages in the Ural Mountain region of Russia Icelandic is directly related to Swedish/Norwegian/Danish, but, because of its relative isolation until recently, it's grown apart from the other Nordic languages. Or perhaps we should say the others have grown apart from it as linguists, I believe, consider it closer to the Old Norse language which all of them developed from. You want to know what ancient Vikings talked like, your best living clue might be Icelandic! [add] by the way, I roughly calculated the tournament performance ratings of the four teams in the semifinals. Austria and Denmark's performance ratings are very close, no significant difference in a sample of 4 games: 2050 and 2070 respectively. That is, their results against the opponents they faced is what the ratings would predict for a team rated 2050 (in Austria's path to the semis) and 2070 (in Denmark's path to the semis). (Netherland's performance rating for the tournament is about 2100. And England's is about 2215!)
Do I remember well, though, that, along with that Finno-Ugric main language, they also have a secondary different language in use, more similar to a Scandinavian dialect?
Probably, as there are a fair number of ethnic Swedes in Finland. Referee for the match: Kateryna Monzul (UKR) Assistant referees Maryna Striletska (UKR) Petruta Iugulescu (ROU) Fourth official Katalin Kulcsár (HUN)
Yes, that is version of Swedish so very close to standard Swedish and close enough to Norwegian and Danish. But the Finns speaking Swedish as their first languages are down to 6% and sinking.
Finlandssvenska (Finland-Swedish), yes. I like that accent. Anna Westerlund at LSK speaks Finlandssvenska. Swedish is still an official language in Finland, so when I want to know what's going on in Finnish sports, I usually check YLE Sporten, YLE being like RAI in Italy. They at least have a section in Swedish should Finland be a factor in woso.
I always wondered why they aren't: after all Norway, Sweden, Denmark were all power-houses in the early years of women's international football. Finland is so much culturally different from other Nordic countries? (Actually, I recently read an article about some pastimes Finnish people have, that seem to indicate indeed quite some cultural differences: one of those "sports" mentioned in the article was "swamp soccer" ): Edit: incidentally, if @WWC_Movement doesn't rep this post, then it means I didn't learn to know him in all of these years on these boards... -_-
A slightly more macho culture and less of a soccer country (Men's WC number of participation, Sweden:11, Denmark:4, Norway:3, Finland:0. Sweden have almost twice the pop of the others three but they are close in population).
In terms of Finland, it's definitely cultural reasons. Finland may have paved the way for women to vote in elections back in the day, but haven't been front runners of women's team sports. Not even in handball which is very strong elsewhere in the Nordic region. When I think of Finns in sports, it's either motor sports, athletics, hockey, wife-carrying contests, sauna contests and winter sports of course. I'm looking at that UEFA document about women's football again, and Finland spend €1.6 million annually on woso. Easily the lowest amount in the Nordics and only half of what Denmark spend. Finland have a registered player pool all ages of 29 000 (bigger than Italy's infact), and Denmark 63 000. Finland just missed the Euros because of Portugal. I doubt they'll challenge Austria and Spain in the upcoming WCQ group though. Unless it's sauna related.
I say Denmakr for the win (and finals) for sure, I applaud the Austrian for there wonderful tournament and in Nadine Prohaska they have one of the very few players which I really like despite never heard of before, but Danish are just too much for them. This game like the other semi-final will be a team playing to win (Denmark) against one playignto not loose (Austria) and even eventually score on counter or go till the penalty with the impressive penalty stopper Manuela Zinsberger. All the pressure is on Denmark as it should, they are the archi-favourite, so all Austria has to do is wait even at ten behind the ball....everything will depend on who is gonna score first but I say it will end up 2-0 for the Danish...Harder, Nadim, Veje etc...are just too much for Feiersinger and co.