San Marino 1-2 Finland: Minnows San Marino score in three straight matches for first time
- Published
San Marino are 207th and last in the Fifa men's world rankings
San Marino are still without a first competitive win, but their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign will be remembered for several other memorable firsts.
After ending a two-year goal drought against Denmark in a 2-1 loss, a goal against Kazakhstan in their 3-1 defeat marked the first time in 18 years they had scored in back-to-back matches.
Then, on Tuesday at San Marino stadium, Filippo Berardi's 97th-minute penalty against Finland marked the first time in their history the minnows have scored in three consecutive matches.
Finland midfielder Pyry Soiri opened the scoring in the 50th minute after San Marino had managed to hold them to 0-0 at half-time.
Soiri added a second eight minutes later to ensure Finland finished third in Group H and secured progression to the play-offs for next year's tournament in Germany.
San Marino conceded 31 goals in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign and are still yet to win a competitive game, with their only victory a 1-0 success against Liechtenstein in a friendly in 2004.
They sit last in Fifa's world rankings, having lost 85 of their 86 Euro qualifiers, with the only exception a goalless draw with Estonia in 2014.