The KuPS women’s team won in Denmark.
KuPS’ dream of the Champions League is one step closer. Emil Hansson / AOP
Kuopio Palloseura’s women’s team won their most important match of the season on Wednesday night in Köge, Denmark. The people of Kuopio are participating in the four-team Champions League qualifying tournament, and they beat host team HB Kögen in a dramatic way in their opening game.
The Danish champion team led the match 1–0 with a goal in the 30th minute of the game. KuPS made a change at halftime and took over Lavdije Begollin in. Last season’s goal queen of the National League scored the equalizer in less than three minutes.
After that, KuPS controlled the events of the game, but it did not get a goal before the additional time given by the referee. Then, in the third extra minute, there was a bang. KuPS topper Emma Santamäki header from a corner kick for a 2–1 winning goal and Kögen, who played in the group stage of the Champions League last season, was beaten.
Next up, KuPS face Serbian champions ZFK Spartak Subotica, who demolished the tournament’s fourth team, KI Klaksvik of the Faroe Islands, 7–0.
Only the winner of the group gets to the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League. In the group, a meaningless-sounding “bronze game” is also played, where the losers of the semifinals meet.
KuPS is seeking relief from last season’s disaster in Denmark. It played in the second qualifying round of the Champions League and narrowly lost it to St. Pölten. The Austrian team scored a dream goal during the follow-up match and advanced all the way to the top 16 in the top tournament. At that time, the group stage of the Champions League would have brought Kuopio a prize pool of 400,000 euros.
KuPS and Spartak Subotica meet on Saturday.