Finland left to rue a golden opportunity not grasped

These are not opportunities that come around every day for Finland.

To be entirely precise, this is the first time this opportunity has ever arisen for Finland at either a World Cup or European Championship.

A point against a Russia side inexplicably devoid of the energy and power that propelled them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup on home soil three years ago would have effectively sealed a place in the knockout stages for Finland in their first ever major tournament.

Russia were still licking their wounds after a thorough spanking from Belgium on Saturday night. Finland had three points from a win against Denmark that, for obvious reasons, may not have put the Finns on quite the high it should have done.

But this was a desperately disappointing performance. The one moment of quality – and just as importantly composure – from Aleksey Miranchuk that brought Russia the only goal on the stroke of half-time was preceded and followed by 45-minute spells of near-total drabness. Russia will not care, suddenly finding themselves right back in the tournament against the odds and knowing any kind of result against the Danes will likely be enough.

Finland now almost certainly need to take something off Belgium in their own final game, and that looks unlikely on this showing. What makes their low-key display across 90 mainly sleepy minutes all the more frustrating was that they started with such promise, scoring a fine yet sadly offside goal inside the opening exchanges and yet never again producing anything that came close to matching it for technique or invention or even intent.

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There is, though, plenty of mitigation for Finland. The trauma of Copenhagen should not be forgotten despite their ultimate victory. It is also the first major tournament for all these players. In a tournament that has given several teams home advantage, Finland have had the shoe on the other foot having played Denmark in Copenhagen and now Russia in St Petersburg.

Ultimately, though, this was 90 minutes of “what if” and “if only”. A moment not quite seized. An opportunity not quite taken. Had Finland been outplayed by a superior side it would be easier to take. But Russia were awful. And most conspicuously so at the back where disorganisation and a disconcertingly plodding ponderousness were the order of the day.

Finland could and should have been good enough to exploit it. They could and should have been good enough to get something out of this game. That they were so disappointing against an opponent there for the taking will niggle and rankle for a long, long time.

Inevitably on such occasions for teams such as Finland, their overall performance was seen in microcosm by the performance of their talisman. Teemu Pukki, still making his way back to full fitness after injury, was a spectator for the most part and that crucial half-second too slow to take advantage of the few sniffs of something he did get.

Finland have spent almost 70 years trying to qualify for a major tournament. After all that time their chances of taking things one stage further may have been undone by 90 soporific minutes in Russia. Plenty to mull over on what might be a long wait for another chance unless Pukki and co can pull something out of the fire against Belgium.