It was on a freezing December night in the capital of Helsinki when Olga Ahtinen and Eveliina Summanen helped Finland reach one of football's promised lands.
Both Tottenham Hotspur midfielders starred as Finland secured a 2-0 victory over Scotland in the second leg of the playoffs (the first leg finished 0-0) to book their place at this summer's Euro 2025 tournament. Temperatures on the night dipped as low as -5 degrees Celsius (21 Fahrenheit), with piles of snow lining the perimeter of the pitch, but the atmosphere inside the Bolt Arena was red-hot as 7,200 fans cheered and Marko Saloranta's side defied expectations to reach the European finals for a second successive tournament cycle.
"We did it in front of our home fans and it was amazing," Summanen tells ESPN. "It was just one of those special moments in your career that you will never forget."
Summanen and Ahtinen have already shared plenty of special moments on the pitch together, with the pair playing alongside each other for club as well as country. Summanen, 26, was the first to make the move to the Women's Super League (WSL) in 2022, signing for Tottenham from Swedish side Kristianstads, before Ahtinen, 27, joined her in north London the following year from Linköpings FC.
"I decided to tell Ev immediately when I was allowed to talk about the decision [to move to Spurs]," Ahtinen says. "Ev was one of the first ones that I wanted to talk with, and of course it helped me a lot in the beginning that I had someone who is from the same culture as I am and who speaks the same language. We've played for the youth national teams together and we know each other from many years back. That helped me a lot in the beginning and still does."
For Tottenham, the past few years have been packed with ups and downs as the club have sought to close the gap on the WSL's traditional top four (Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United). Last season, under new manager Robert Vilahamn, Spurs secured a top-six finish and made history by reaching the club's first-ever Women's FA Cup final.
It was a momentous occasion at Wembley Stadium and, though Spurs were ultimately beaten 4-0 by Manchester United, there was real determination from both players and staff that the milestone would mark the start of a new era. However, it wasn't to be this term, as the club struggled with various issues to finish in 10th place after winning only five of their 22 games.
"I've been here a little bit over three years now and obviously it is a big club with big ambitions," Summanen says. "I wanted to be part of that; I still want to be part of that, and I see a good future with the club as well. Competing in this league is a big thing for me.
"We as a team just try to do our best and play the way Robert wants to play, and also how the club wants to play. It is not always easy, but we need to stick together and keep on trying and improving no matter what the results have been recently. We need to believe in what we're doing and look forward in that way."
While they have over 70 caps each for their country, the Finnish connection in the middle of the pitch has not always had a chance to gel for one reason or another at Spurs, but it's clear how much the two players mean to each other.
"It has definitely been a tough season, both for myself individually, but also for the team," Ahtinen adds. "I think we took quite a few steps forward last season and maybe now this season we've been struggling a bit more.
"But I think it's so nice that when things are going the way we are not used to, we are not alone with those thoughts and we can share them with each other. There can be some cultural differences, and it can sometimes help to talk to your Finnish friend. I feel like that helps me a lot. It can be a small thing, but it's really nice to talk Finnish, and not to talk only English all the time!"
For both players, a big summer looms as Finland prepare to test themselves against Europe's best in Switzerland. Saloranta's side sit 25th in the FIFA World Ranking, having never qualified for a World Cup before, and are the lowest-ranked team in a group which features Norway, Iceland and tournament hosts Switzerland.
Having shocked the footballing world to reach the semifinals of the eight-team Euro 2005, Finland's women hosted the 2009 tournament and made the quarterfinals -- losing 3-2 to England -- but have not progressed past the group stage since.
However, with four players around the squad (Linda Sällström, Emma Koivisto, Emmi Alanen, and captain Tinja-Riikka Korpela) having over a century of caps -- and Natalia Kuikka (98), Adelina Engman (93), Nora Heroum (92), Ria Oling (91) and Sanni Franssi (88) not far behind -- Summanen is confident that the team's experience will stand them in good stead this summer.
"It's going to be a big for us," she says. "It is not our first Euros, so I feel like we've got that little bit of experience, and the tournament won't come as a surprise this time. I feel like the big countries are always taking steps and, as a smaller country, we need to keep up with them. We are responsible for taking the game forward in Finland and to show the way, so when the next generation comes, they have an easier way ahead."
At the last Euros, Finland lost to Germany, Spain and Denmark in Group B and scored only one goal, while conceding eight. But while that campaign was disappointing, the arrival of Saloranta --- who replaced Anna Signeul as manager in 2023 --- has helped to reinvigorate the team.
Saloranta has been involved in the Finland women's setup since 2009 (having previously worked with the youth teams, as an assistant, and interim boss) and he has introduced a more attractive style of play, with an emphasis on ensuring the ball is moved quickly with plenty of threat from wide areas. And Ahtinen believes that the summer represents a huge opportunity to put Finnish football on the map and show they can compete.
"In 2022, everything was so new for us and I feel like we used quite a lot of energy because were there for the first time," she says. "So this time I hope that we can enjoy it even more and I hope that we can get good results because I really believe that we have a chance to go through from our group ...
"Our men's team have been only in one Euros [in 2020], so I think the fact we have been able to do it more times is so important for the whole of Finnish football.
"I also think women's football is growing so much in Finland, people are getting more interested, so we want to stay up there. I know other countries are progressing fast, so we need to keep up and I think that it gets harder and harder all the time. But I'm really proud of what we've achieved so far."