Turkey 3 Czech Republic 2
NUMBER ONE keeper in the world?
Petr Cech looked more like a reject from the
Prague Sunday League as he threw away the Czech Republic’s Euro
2008 dream. Now new Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari — armed with
Roman Abramovich’s millions — must be wondering if he needs a new
man between the Stamford Bridge sticks. Cech’s howler defined this
amazing clash which will forever be known as the Quake by the
Lake.
Turkey somehow qualified for the quarter-finals —
despite looking down and out as they trailed the Czechs by two
goals with just 15 minutes left.
Jan Koller’s header and Jaroslav Plasil’s 62nd-minute
strike put the Czechs in control as Group A looked to be heading
towards a predictable conclusion. And then the ground shook.
Arda Turan pulled one back for the Turks with a low
shot which clipped in off the post. A mere consolation? Don’t you
believe it. Cech had looked unflappable all night as the Turks
failed to impose themselves as an attacking force.
But, when a hopeful 88th-minute cross floated over from
the right, the Chelsea keeper somehow took his eye off the ball and
dropped it at the foot of grateful skipper Nihat, who tapped home.
And moments later Nihat was at it again as he slipped through the
static Czech defence and fired a shot in off the bar as Cech was
left shellshocked.
But still the drama continued. As the Czechs piled
forward, a goalmouth scramble saw the ball trickle past the post
before Turkish keeper Volkan Demirel, obviously caught up in the
mayhem of the moment, shoved Koller to the ground.
He was rightly sent off and Middlesbrough’s Tuncay —
who 20 minutes earlier had looked a distraught figure as he tried
to lift Turkey back into the match — had to go in goal for the
closing seconds.
The Czechs were down and out and so Turkey will now
face Croatia in the last eight.
How much more can we take of this amazing drama?
Distraught Czech boss Karel Brueckner said: “To lose such a game is
incredible. Even with four minutes to go we were winning 2-1 and to
concede two goals in the last four minutes is unbelievable. You
cannot make mistakes like that and expect to win games.
“We made mistakes on the second and third goals and we
did not defend well — and you can’t play like that. “In the end we
surrendered to Turkey’s pressure.”
Turkey’s Hamit Altintop thought his country’s chance
had gone as the Czechs led 2-0. He said: “To be honest, we played
poorly in the first half and no one believed it was possible any
more. “We just kept playing on. But you have to say the coach made
some good adjustments. He put me into midfield and we played with
better organisation. “We noticed the Czechs were losing their
confidence and we took advantage of that.”
SUN RATINGS
TURKEY: Demirel 5, Altintop 6, Gungor
6 (Asik 5), Cetin 5, Balta 6, Topal 6 (Kazim 6), Aurelio 6, Turan
6, Tuncay 7, Nihat 6, Senturk 6 (Sarioglu 6).
CZECH REP: Cech 5, Grygera 7, Ujfalusi
6, Rozehnal 7, Jankulovski 6, Sionko 6 (Vlcek 5), Matejovsky 6
(Jarolim 6), Galasek 6, Polak 6, Plasil 7 (Kadlec 6), Koller 7.
