Turkey

www.turkey.com

World Ranking 23

Squad

Team Review

Turkey have come along way in football terms when considering a little over 10 years ago they hadn’t ever qualified for a major tournament. Going into Euro 2008 they have a squad worthy of causing an upset or to plus they have the experienced Fatih Terim as head coach so you should expect to see a well drilled solid team.

Star Man

Nihat Kahveci, the Villareal star has been in fine form this season notching up an impressive tally of goals in his first season at the club.

He is now in his prime and is considered one of the deadliest strikers in Europe at the moment which is why Fatih Terim has made him the spearhead of Turkeys three pronged attack alongside Tuncay and Basturk. Turkeys hopes of qualification rest on the shoulders of these three but especially Nihat as he has now taken over the mantle of being turkeys main goal threat after the exclusion of former fans favourite and all time top goal scorer Hakan Suker.

Also check out who we think will be the 'players to watch' in the tournament

Tournament History

Quarter Final

	Q.Final	Time	Home		Away	Stadium
	2	19:45	Croatia	1 - 1(aet)	Turkey	Vienna Ernst Happel

Semi Final

	S.Final	Time	Home		Away	Stadium
	1	19:45	Germany	3 - 2	Turkey	Basel St. Jakob-Park

Match Reports

Portugal 2 - 0 Turkey

(Pepe 61, Meireles 90)

Turkey were taught a lesson in how to play flowing attack minded football in what turned out to be a game which could have easily have ended with Turkey losing to at least a 4 goal deficit with the 2004’s semi finalist striking the woodwork on a number of occasions and having a goal disallowed.

Portugal were firing on all cylinders with the Turks struggling to cope with the fast paced technical football played by the Portugal players. The first goal was scored by Pepe albeit with a touch of luck as his shot clipped the leg of a Turkish defender which made the ball chip nicely over the helpless Turkish goal keep Volkan.

The game carried on As It has started with the Portuguese dominating possession and creating chances with the Turks on the other hand not putting a lot of pressure on the opposing defence and it was only a matter of time before Portugal scored another.
The second goal came at a time when the game was already decided in the dieing seconds of injury to give the tie a suitable score line when considering the way in which the Portuguese dominated the play throughout with Meireles scoring off a rebound following a Portuguese counter-attack that caught the Turks flat-footed.

Turkey were outclassed on the night from an impressive Portuguese side that in my eyes could go all the way this time with such a talented youthful squad. Turkey on the other hand need to rebuild and recuperate after a poor first match and they need a victory to have any chance of qualification over host Switzerland in their next game.

Switzerland 1 - 2 Turkey

(Yakin 32) (Senturk 57, Turan 90+2)

The game kicked off with rain hammering down onto the pitch which within roughly 10 minutes looked like the game was looking as though it should be called off with players running with the ball and the ball just stopping, and passes not travelling along the pitch but the match continued but as a result the football was not flowing to say the least.

Half an hour had past in the match when the Swiss fashioned a chance with Derdiyok making it past his man and laying a ball off into the area toward Hakan Yakin who thanks to the terrible pitch managed to slot it home past Demirel who had no chance as the ball stopped to halt perfectly in front of the Swiss midfielder.

Until half time play continued but very little happened in terms of opportunities as the pitch was so water logged the ball barely travelled.

After half time the rain died down plus the pitch had been treated by the groundsman which helped considerable as the Turks got into their stride and took on the Swiss after Terim switched the tactics round and came out with a more attack minded formation which paid dividends in the 57th minutes as Senturk pulled one back for the Turks which sent the Turkish fans into raptures which then transcended down to the team who carried on pushing the Swiss up until the last minute where they pulled off a great escape and saved their European campaign by scoring in stoppage time with a deflected shot from midfielder Arda Turan which sent the hosts crashing out of the tournament.

Turkey 3 - 2 Czech Republic

(Turan 75, Nihat 87, 89) (Koller 34, Plasil 62)

This was one of those games that will go down in European history for the way that the Turkish team came back from a two nil deficit with only 15 minutes remaining to knock the Czechs out of the tournament. The Czechs dominated the first half scoring the opener from a cross from the flank which was met by a thundering header from Jan Koller.

The second half came with the Czechs leading one nil and they carried on in the same vein as in the first half by threatening the Turkish back line. They scored a second from a well struck shot from Plasil and with only 15 minutes to go the Turks must of thought the game was over but then from a slick Turkish counter attack a brilliant low range effort from Arda Turan beat Cech at his near post to pull one back. The Czechs tried to hide it but it was clear for all to see that nerves were setting in and the Turks took advantage of it by keeping the play deep in the Czech half and it was to pay off with less than 5 minutes left on the clock as a cross came in from the right which was caught by Cech who then made an uncharacteristic error and dropped the ball on to the trailing leg of Nihat who watched the ball trickle into the back of the net. 2-2, and game on!

The game kicked off again with the ball being hoofed up the field but was intercepted by one of the Turkish defence who replied by doing the same out to Kazim on the wing who played the ball into Nihats feet just outside the area and with 2 Czech defenders charging towards him and Cech coming out to tighten the angle for him to score with he opened up his body a struck an extraordinary effort which hit the angle and thumped into the back of the net in the 92nd minute!

The Turks were ecstatic and looked like to be heading into the last eight but the game didn’t finish their as there was a chance for an equaliser in the dying moments which the Czech missed but then all hell broke lose with the Turkish Goal keeper Demirel being sent off for pushing Koller who made a meal out of it and with Turkey already making 3 substitutes Tuncay had to go in goal for the last couple of minutes but he wasn’t troubled and it was over a brilliant game and a hard earned victory for the Turks who deserved it for their attacking prowess and their never say die attitude.

Quarter Final

Croatia 1 - 1(aet) Turkey

Turkey win 3 - 1 on pens

(Klasnic 119) (Senturk 120+2)

The game didn’t offer too much in terms of excitement in the first half with the best chance falling to Olic who hit the bar early on when trying to convert a cross from their dynamic midfielder Modric. Apart from that the had few chances as Fatih Terim had set his Turkish side up to Frustrate the Croats who although were trying with all their might had trouble breaking down the Turkish defence led by the excellent  Hamit Altintop.

In the second half again there weren’t really too many chances to talk about and the game looked as though it was heading for extra time which duly happened.

Extra time was bit better than the actual game as both teams decided to have a go at it and both looked threatening but it was the Croats who took the lead deep into extra time with a header from Ivan Klasnic. The Croats thought they had won it but miraculously in the 121st minute Semih Senturk spanked home a deflected effort which saw the game go into penalties.

There was an air of controversy around the goal as it was scored a minute after the game should have finished but the Turks took advantage as it was clear the Croats were shell shocked by the Turkish comeback and it was clear for all to see that when Modric stepped up to take the first penalty he didn’t look confident which definitely played a part in him missing the goal completely. Up stepped Arda who shot low and straight down the middle. Pletikosa was way off his line, but the ball went under him and into the back of the net anyway. Srna then steps up and sent Rustu the wrong way pulling it back to 1-1. Semih Senturk then stepped up to the plate and sent Pletikosa the wrong way with a well taken penalty which really put pressure on Croatia’s next penalty taker Rakitic who put the ball wide of the goal for the second time in the shoot out which meant all Turkey had to do was score the next penalty and for Croatia to miss…They scored it and Klasnic’s effort was saved by Rustu which meant the Turks were going to their first ever European semi final on a night of real drama and heartbreak for the Croatians.

Semi Final

Germany 3 - 2 Turkey

(Schweinsteiger 26, Klose 79, Lahm 90) (Boral 22, Senturk 86)

Before the game everyone thought in would be a walk over for the Germans but they were proved wrong by a Turkish side that never say die. Straight form the off the Turks were attacking the Germans who quite simply weren’t ready for the assault and it showed as within minutes of the kick off Turkey had them pinned back in their own defensive third and were putting pressure on their back line who in the early moments looked very shaky. In the first 20 minutes it was all Turkey and they came mightily close with an effort from Kazim-Kazim as his thunderous shot thumped the bar and rebounded back into play only for the second effort to go harmlessly wide. Then within 5 minutes Turkey were 1-0 up against all odds with Kazim-Kazim again causing all sorts of problems and after his second effort on goal rebounded back of the bar again only for Ugur Boral to finish albeit with a slice of luck after Lehman made a hash of the save and let the ball trickle behind the line.

Against the run of play Germany pulled one back within 5 minutes and it was literally their first attack of the game when Podolski beat his man and swung a low cross into the area for Schweinsteiger to chip the ball delightfully over the outstretched Rustu. Turkey carried on as they began an kept the Germans in their own half up until half time with the teams going in all square. The second half was one of the most exciting of the tournament which is what I have come to expect with Turkey playing, and they didn’t  disappoint as they attacked and hurried and immobile German back line who were having a hard time keeping the Turks at bay. They held out though, until the 79th minute when a German counter attack found Lahm who crossed the ball into the danger area for Klose to head home after a terrible error from Rustu who came out to punch a ball he had no right going for.

The game looked as good as over but as Turkey had done before in their previous three games they miraculously levelled in the with 3 minutes to go after a lapse of concentration from Mertesacker and Lehman to gift Semih his third goal of the campaign. The game looked as though it was heading into extra time when a brilliant piece of attacking play from the Germans gave Lahm the chance to make up for his earlier error and Spank home the winner from 6 yards out leaving poor Rustu with no chance. The Germans had done it again, even though they were the poorer side throughout the game and lacked any imagination and creativity. Turkey on the other hand had done themselves and their nation proud and their campaign will no doubt go down in the history books as one to remember form a team that never know when they are beaten.