2-1 defeat by Norway.<\/a><\/p>\nThe highly experienced Sundhage knows all about leading a host nation on a big stage, having taken charge of her native Sweden on home soil at Euro 2013, something she described as “one of my best years”.<\/p>\n
This time her Switzerland team threw away a 1-0 lead and fell to defeat in cruel fashion, with defender Julia Stierli’s unfortunate own goal settling the match.<\/p>\n
Ada Hegerberg had cancelled out Nadine Riesen’s opener barely four minutes before Stierli steered a low cross into her own net.<\/p>\n
It made the Swiss the first Women’s Euros hosts to lose their opening match, but hope still remains that they will reach the knockout stage.<\/p>\n
This tournament was not kickstarted with pre-match pyrotechnics or anything flashy. Instead the opening ceremony in Basel was playful and entertaining as performers danced with silver tubes before a giant Women’s Euros trophy was formed in the centre circle, surrounded by flags of all the 16 countries competing in Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Sundhage’s players seemed to take the burden of expectation in their stride early on, playing on the front foot. They dominated two-time European champions Norway in the first half at a sold-out St Jakob-Park, but they could not see the job through.<\/p>\n
Assessing whether her players embraced the pressure, Sundhage said: “Oh yeah. I have never seen that kind of locker room previously and at the hotel before we left.<\/p>\n
“Step by step, the best part is it’s different players that use their voice. We were prepared. I talked to them after the game and it’s so important to use your language and your body language and words as well after defeat because we still have a chance to play the quarter-final.”<\/p>\n
That is the message now – Sundhage wants her side to make the most of their remaining Group A games against Iceland and Finland.<\/p>\n
“We start with Iceland and if we play a good game then we put ourselves in a good spot,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Be responsible for what you say, what you do and how you behave, because that is the best thing for the Swiss national team and the Swiss people.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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