Soccer Football – Euro 2020 – Group B – Denmark v Finland – Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark – June 12, 2021 Finland’s Lukas Hradecky, Leo Vaisanen, Paulus Arajuuri and Joona Toivio celebrate after the match Pool via REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
June 12, 2021
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Finland claimed a shock 1-0 Euro 2020 victory over Denmark in their first major tournament appearance on Saturday, but the match was overshadowed by Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen requiring emergency medical treatment on the pitch.
The match was suspended after Eriksen collapsed towards the end of the first half and was given CPR by medics as his team mates formed a ring around him, before he was carried off on a stretcher and both teams left the pitch.
The game was stopped for one hour and 45 minutes but resumed after the Danish Football Association announced that Eriksen was awake and stable in hospital and both sets of players told soccer’s European governing body UEFA they wanted to continue.
Denmark dominated the match before and after the traumatic incident, but Finland striker Joel Pohjanpalo headed home the winner on the hour with his side’s only attempt of the game.
The hosts had 22 efforts but could not make them count, including a tame penalty from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg that was saved by Lukas Hradecky with 16 minutes remaining.
(Reporting by Alasdair Mackenzie; Editing by Ken Ferris)
