The Estonian men’s national football team suffered a 2-1 defeat against Finland in a friendly match held in Helsinki on Tuesday night, extending their winless streak to 13 games.
Their last triumph occurred in January 2023, also against Finland, in a home friendly where Estonia secured a 1-0 victory.
Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein, aged 21, was appointed as the captain for the day.
Manager Thomas Häberli made six alterations to the lineup, particularly in defense, following their 5-1 loss to Poland in last Thursday’s Euro2024 playoff encounter. Kristo Hussar, Märten Kuusk, Erko Tõugjas, Artur Pikk, Markus Poom, and Henri Anier were among the starters.
Striker Alex Matthias Tamm, who scored Estonia’s lone goal, described the match as “very physical,” expressing disappointment over the result despite their strong desire to win.
Tamm credited Henri Anier for providing an excellent through ball that led to his goal, though he couldn’t recall much about the moment due to the intensity of the game.
The Finns secured their opening goal in the 29th minute from a penalty after a foul from Poom, with Fredrik Jensen finding the net on the rebound following Hein’s initial save.
Jensen played a role in Finland’s second goal as well, as his shot hit the crossbar, deflecting off Pikk and Hein for an own goal in the 38th minute.
Manager Häberli made a midfield substitution at halftime, bringing in Mihkel Ainsalu for Martin Vetkal.
Despite Finland’s early dominance in the second half, Estonia managed to pull one back in the 57th minute through Tamm’s header off a corner kick from Poom.
This marked Tamm’s first international goal at the age of 22.
The score remained unchanged until the final whistle, with veteran midfielder Konstantin Vassiljev making his 157th appearance for the national team, equaling Martin Reim’s record, in the dying minutes of regular time.
Estonia showcased improvement in their offensive performance, attempting five shots on goal in the first half, compared to just one in their previous match against Poland.
Their next challenge will be an away fixture against Switzerland on June 4th.
