Shootout may decide second qualifier

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-13  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

CZECH Republic and Turkey will have a penalty shootout to decide who advances to the Euro 2008 quarterfinals if they draw their final Group A game in Geneva on Sunday.

It would be the first time a shootout will have been used to decide a group game in a major tournament.

The new system is making its debut at this tournament and the odds of it needing to be used in the opening group were extremely long beforehand.

Portugal is already guaranteed to top the group after wins over both teams.

A new UEFA regulation for this tournament states if two teams playing each other in the final round of group matches draw their game and are level overall, with no other teams involved, on points, goal difference and goals scored, then their finishing position will be decided by penalties.

If the teams are level after 90 minutes on Sunday - no extra-time involved - penalties will decide who advances.

If it does go to a shootout then the odds would favor a Czech success. It has been involved in three shootouts, two as Czechoslovakia - the first to win the 1976 European Championship final against West Germany - and one as Czech Republic but have won all three.

Even more impressively, it has scored all 20 of its penalty attempts.

Turkey can also claim an unblemished record.