Turkey steals the thunder

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-17  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

TURKEY'S pulsating 3-2 win over Czech Republic brought the curtain down on Group A in exceptional circumstances on Sunday night as Euro 2008 continued to produce yet another unlikely drama.

As befits a tournament being staged in the Alpine nations of Switzerland and Austria, the players appear to be scaling new peaks of excitement and entertainment in almost every match.

The opening 18 games have produced 46 goals - the same number as in Belgium and Netherlands at the same stage in 2000 - and five more than at this stage in Portugal four years ago.

UEFA president Michel Platini said on Sunday before Turkey's remarkable fightback against the Czechs, that the tournament had so far been "sizzling", marked by "dazzling individual performances". He was spot on.

Turkey captain Nihat Kahveci personified his comments in rainy Geneva by scoring twice in the last four minutes to transform Turkey's fortunes and give them a truly astonishing victory over the Czechs, who, at 2-0 ahead until 75 minutes played, seemed set for the last eight.

Turkey was also involved in one of the other memorable games when it came from behind for the first time to beat co-hosts Switzerland 2-1 in a match played in such a deluge it looked as though it might have to be abandoned at one stage.

Turkey coach Fatih Terim, heavily criticized after its opening 0-2 defeat by Portugal for his squad selection and especially for having left long-serving striker Hakan Sukur at home, was back in favour and told the country to enjoy the moment.

"Go out and celebrate, go out on the streets and savor this feeling," he told the fans, who obeyed by dancing, singing and driving around the streets of Istanbul, Berlin and Geneva, where the match was played, until the early hours of the morning.

Cheering revellers filled up central Istanbul dancing and singing well into the night and thousands of the 2.5 million Turks living in Germany joined noisy car convoys and spontaneous street parties in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and other cities.

"It was a gigantic party," said a Berlin police spokeswoman after thousands of honking cars covered in Turkish flags packed the central Kurfuerstendamm boulevard. Fireworks were still being launched at 3 am in some parts of the city.

Hopes for a victory over Croatia on Friday are now high and the historical significance of Turkey's advance to Vienna where the match will be played was not lost on the fans who recalled the Ottoman Empire's repeated attempts to capture the city.

"Just wait Vienna, we're coming again," said Turkish newspaper Vatan.

The game marked the end of 35-year-old Koller's Czech career and the team's all-time leading scorer looked shattered as he walked off the field for the last time.

Nothing could have been further from his mind when he nodded his side in front in the 34th minute with his 55th goal in his 90th appearance. A bad miss after 60 minutes, just before the second goal, will haunt him even though Plasil made it 2-0 two minutes later when he swept in a low cross.

Czech coach Karel Brueckner looked every one of his 68 years when he sat in stunned disbelief in front of reporters after his last match in charge before retiring.

"To lose such a game is incredible, even with four minutes to go we were winning 2-1," he said. "To concede two goals in the last three minutes is unbelievable.

"You cannot make mistakes like that and expect to win games. We made mistakes for the second and third goals and did not defend well.

"You can't play like that. In the end we surrendered to Turkey's pressure."