FH W lost 0-1 to Apollon Limassol in the first qualifying round semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League on Tuesday. The Icelandic side had beaten their Cypriot opponents 2-0 just a week earlier, but this time things didn't go their way.
Krystyna Freda settled it. The Polish forward found the net in the tenth minute, and that proved to be the difference. FH had possession — 51 per cent of it — but couldn't find the target at all.
And here's the thing, they didn't even get a shot on frame. Two attempts went off target, and that was it. Apollon, by contrast, hit the woodwork three times and scored once. To be fair, they made it count.
The second half saw FH make three changes, bringing on Hronn Haraldsdottir, Hafrun Helgadottir and Mackenzie Geigle for a side that had already taken four yellow cards before the break. Apollon added F. Savva in the eighty-sixth minute.
The statistics tell a simple story: five yellow cards between them, two corners apiece, and a half-hour stretch where FH looked like they were hunting for something that wasn't there. They got over the line on nothing.
Apollon now have a real chance to advance. FH's recent form — wins against Tinthardoll and a heavy defeat at Breidablik — doesn't much matter when the result is this clean. One goal, three shots on target, and they're closing in on a spot in the next round.
