Semi Final Preview Germany vs. Turkey A late winning goal against Switzerland was regarded as a fine piece of opportunism, while two goals in the last three minutes against the Czech Republic in the next game was considered to be remarkable.
Then came an equalizing goal with virtually the last kick of the ball in extra time against Croatia – after going a goal behind only seconds before – followed by a dramatic penalty shoot-out win.
Each performance has topped the one before both in terms of dramatic effect and achievement. Now facing the pre-tournament favorites Germany with a depleted squad, can Turkey do it one more time?
The bookies do not think so and are giving odds of around 7/1 that Turkey will be able to maintain their phenomenal run in Wednesday’s semifinal. It is certainly not the first time that Turkey have been cast as the underdogs at this tournament but they have also never gone into a game with such an under strength team.
Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan and Emre Asik and first choice keeper Volkan Demirel will all be missing through suspension. Emre Belozoglu, defenders Servet Cetin and Emre Gungor, as well as Tumer Metin and striker Nihat Kahveci who are all either definitely out or are extremely doubtful because of injury. Defensive midfielder Mehmet Aurelio who missed the dramatic win against Croatia returns after serving a one-game suspension and constitutes the only bright spot.
Coach Fatih Terim should not have too much difficulty picking his starting lineup. His tactics should be pretty straightforward as well. When Turkey has tried to defend at Euro 2008 they have struggled to impress. However, when they have pushed forward and pressured the opposition they have looked to be a far more dangerous team.
So even though there may be a temptation to defend in numbers and to wait for the one or two opportunities that might come their way, Turkey’s best chance to get the result they need to make it to the final is to attack Germany. Such an aggressive plan may backfire but it offers a better chance of success than sitting back and trying to absorb 90 minutes (or 120 minutes) of German pressure.
Any plan that encourages Germany to play most of the game in Turkey’s half of the pitch will only lead to set piece opportunities and the Germans are just to big, to strong and to well organized not to take the chances that will come their way.
Germany’s number one objective will be to concentrate on this match and not to allow their minds to wonder to a possible Sunday meeting against Spain or Russia. Unlike his Turkish counterpart Germany coach Joachim Low will have to give some thought to his starting eleven.
After missing a game against Portugal with a rib injury midfielder Torsten Frings is likely to be declared fit for this game. (Frings missed the World Cup semifinal against Italy two years ago and his absence was noticeable.) Coach Joachim Low compensated for his absence against Portugal by changing formation and moving from a conventional 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1.
The change served a dual purpose. It provided extra cover to the back four and offered a solution to the second striker question. Mario Gomez came into this tournament as one of the potential bright young things but has suffered a terrible run of form so far.
By going with Klose as a lone striker, Low was able to capitalize on the attacking instincts of Michael Ballack. Ballack played between Podolski and Schweinsteiger and three players figured significantly in Germany’s three goals.
Credit Check Is Philipp Lahm the most under appreciated player in the Germany squad?
Comment of the Day “It is because Germany can break your heart as easily as they might snap a dried-out twig. They do it as a matter of course. Sometimes it seems almost the equivalent of taking a breath. Ask Argentina, the spell-binding masters of the last World Cup, we thought, until they ran into Germany, and felt their life-blood draining away.
The Germans started as a laughing stock and finished in third place, their coach Jürgen Klinsmann and his successor Joachim Löw installed as national football icons alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller and the late Fritz Walter because they had shown the most valued talent in the football of the Fatherland – they showed that however unpromising the circumstances, they could make extraordinary things happen.
This is the history and the here and now of the German game the Turks confront tonight. It is the football of pragmatism, yes, but also of steel. It is football which dwarfs that of all rivals except Brazil and Italy.” – James Lawton in The Independent.
Stat Fact “Bastian Schweinsteiger has a goal, an assist, a yellow card and a red card to his name at Euro 2008. The only other player to have achieved this feat is Denmark's Klaus Berggreen in 1984.” – BBC.
Match Report Germany 3-2 Turkey
I####oal is scored at Euro 2008 and the worldwide television audience does not see it did it really happen? Unfortunately with the score at 1-1 we were reminded of how much we rely upon and expect from modern technology. This time it failed and we essentially missed a fantastic last eleven minutes that brought three goals. And so for millions around the globe the semi final was an anti-climax.
It was an erratic performance from Germany against a Turkish team that was never outclassed and for long periods of the game Turkey was by far the better side.
Full back Philipp Lahm was to be at the epicenter of the action as the game reached a rousing climax. With eleven minutes to go a Lahm cross found Klose about twelve yards out. Recber opted to come for the ball but never got close and the header found an empty net. At that point Germany must have thought that they had finally broken Turkey’s spirit.
But back came Turkey and after Sabri had skinned Lahm out on the touchline his low cross was deflected past Lehmann by Semih Senturk – 85th minute. And so the prospect of another game going to extra time seemed very real.
However, it was Lahm that popped up one more time to decide the game with only seconds remaining and send Germany to the final on Sunday. As Podolski dropped deep Sabri was pulled out of position. Lahm was played in by Thomas Hitzlsperger and opted to go for the nearside and fooled Recber who had anticipated the opposite.
If Germany had any doubt that they would have to battle for a place in the final it was put to rest during the first 45 minutes. Turkey driven on by Hamit Altintop, Kazim and Ugar Boral in midfield showed more desire and initiative than the favorites Germany.
It took over 20 minutes for Turkey to take the lead but before that they had gone close when Kazim struck the crossbar with Lehmann beaten and had created some other good opportunities.
The goal was scrappy but deserved. Kazim was again at the center of it when his shot rebounded off the bottom to a waiting Ugar Boral. As Lehmann struggled to regain bearings the Turkish midfield players shot nutmegged the German keeper and trickled over the line.
But Germany’s response was quick. Podolski was set free down the left side and his cross was met first time by Schweinsteiger who clipped his shot wide of Recber and into the corner of the net. But even then Turkey still enjoyed most of the possession on were a constant irritant to the German defense and midfield.
Germany (twice as West Germany) has won the European Championship in each of the decades since the seventies – 1972, 1980 and 1996. This is a last chance to keep the streak going.
How they qualified Germany was the first country to secure qualification through group play but finished as runners-up in Group D to the Czech Republic after drawing two and losing one of their last four games.
The Germans finished two points behind the Czech Republic but ten points ahead of the Republic of Ireland. Lucas Podolski scored nine times (five in one game against San Marino Nil).
In all Germany had twelve different scorers (plus an own goal) contributing to their total of thirty-five goals – the most by any country in the qualifying round.
The Coach The switch from World Cup boss Jurgen Klinsmann to Joachim Loew has been seamless – an improvement even. Given that the improvement came about from a willingness to experiment and to offer youth a chance means that Germany’s performances since Klinsmann moved on can be categorized under the heading of extremely impressive.
But with the improvement comes increased expectations and most German fans expect another European Championship this summer. A far cry from 2006 when the World Cup was being dreaded rather than anticipated.
Key Players Michael Ballack’s late season return to form is encouraging for Germany as an in-form and revitalized Ballack is pivotal to German hopes. The German defence looked wobbly in the early going of the 06 World Cup but matured into a solid unit.
Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen) and Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid) will be likely be depended upon at the centre of the defence although doubts linger as to the Spanish based players fitness. Bayern full backs Philipp Lahm and Marcell Jansen enter the tournament as German’s first choice full backs.
David Odonkor will probably play the role of speedy substitute once again while Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose and Kevin Kuranyi will rotate through the two striking positions.
Great Euro Memory With three European Championships and another twice as runner-up there are no shortage of memorable moments for German fans. However, the 3-0 destruction of the Soviet Union in 1972 can be considered special given that it ushered in a period of dominance for German football.
Runners-up to England at the 1966 World Cup and a beaten semi finalist to Italy four years later the 1972 tournament was a break through win. A Gunter Netzer inspired performance destroyed England in the first leg quarter final at Wembley and Gerd Mueller scored doubles in the semi final win over Belgium and again in the final against the Soviets.
A World Cup win followed in 1974 and West Germany became the first country to hold the two trophies at once. At the club level Bayern Munich completed a hat trick of European Cup wins in 1974, 1975 and 1976 while Borussia Moenchengladbach won the 1975 UEFA Cup.
Synopsis What do you do if you are 3-0 up against Germany? Make sure you score another goal that way you will at least get a draw. Such is the never say die spirit of Germany a country never to be discounted in a big tournament.
Germany looks to have more fire power than they did two summers ago and have received a favourable draw – but don’t they always. And you know that if penalty kicks are needed that there are few teams that will fancy their chances against the Germans.
Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Wales, Finland and Russia in Group 4.
Amazingly this will be Poland’s first appearance in the finals.
How they qualified Poland seemed to be suffering a severe World Cup hangover as they started with a home loss to Finland, a draw away to Serbia before a second half goal away to Kazakhstan gave them their first three points.
They then set off on a run of six straight wins before a three game stumble brought a loss and two draws. Nonetheless they recovered to win Group A and finishing a point ahead of Portugal and four ahead of third place Serbia and Finland.
Ebi Smolarek was Poland’s top scorer in qualifying with nine goals including a ten minute hat trick away to Kazakhstan after a power failure.
The Coach Leo Beenhakker broke an 85 year-old tradition of Polish born coaches when he took over from Pawel Janas after the last World Cup. For the sixty-six year-old Dutchman it is another stop on a road that has seen him manage more than twenty teams since taking his first coaching join in 1967 with Go-Ahead Eagles.
At the international level Beenhakker has coached the Netherlands and Trinidad and Tobago at 1990 and 2006 World Cups.
Key Players Ebi Smolarek spent time with Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund before moving to Racing Santander in Spain last summer. However, Smolarek can be a temperamental character who has been known to lose the plot from time to time.
Celtic’s Artur Boruc is currently the starting goalkeeper while Beenhakker is able to leave Jerzy Dudek out of the squad all together. Premiership-based keepers Lukasz Fabianski and Tomasz Kuszczak are in the Polish squad.
Great Euro Memory Polish fans will be hoping that the best is yet to come.
Synopsis A lack of consistency and quality has hurt Poland in the past and it may strike again. The final group game against Croatia may require a Polish win if they hope to move on to the last eight.
Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying The Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino will provide the opposition in Group 3.
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
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