Turkey 3-2 Czech Republic

Turkey 3-2 Czech Republic: Turkish delight as sensational knockout blow floors Czechs

TURKEY 3
Turan (75), Nihat (87, 89)
CZECH REPUBLIC 2
Koller (34), Plasil (62)

TURKEY captain Nihat Kahveci admitted it was an "unbelievable feeling" to see his team recover from a two-goal deficit to earn a last-gasp 3-2 win over the Czech Republic in a Group A thriller in Geneva last night.

The Villarreal striker grabbed a sensational double in the final four minutes to complete a memorable comeback by the Turks, who finished second in their pool and now face Croatia in a quarter-final tie in Vienna on Friday.

The extraordinary recovery in a winner-takes-all match was sparked when Arda Turan halved the deficit in the 75th minute but nothing could have prepared his side for what was to follow. Nihat, whose first goal came after a ghastly handling error by Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech, said: "Up until we went 2-0 down, we didn't play well but we didn't give up.

"The first goal was the key, the turning point, and it created concern within the Czechs.

"I managed to make the most of the mistake by their keeper to score the second and then I got the third. You don't get many games like this in tournaments like these and the feeling was enormous to see the ball hit the back of the net.

"To see that goal qualify us for the quarter-final is an unbelievable feeling. We are so happy we did it."

The Czechs, who had never lost to Turkey in 11 previous meetings, looked home and dry in the 61st minute when Jaroslav Plasil added to Jan Koller's first-half opener to put his team 2-0 ahead.

But the Turks' never-say-die attitude enabled them to mount an unlikely recovery in the pouring rain at the Stade de Geneve. And coach Fatih Terim claimed he always had faith in his side's ability to respond.

"I am very pleased to have a team that doesn't give up, that doesn't stop until the referee blows the final whistle," said Terim.

A penalty shoot-out loomed if the match had ended as a draw after 90 minutes but it looked long odds against that prospect the way Turkey played in the first half. They were dreadful and looked a team gripped by nerves as they failed to trouble Cech in the opening 45 minutes.

The more experienced Czechs, semi-finalists at the Euros four years ago, looked assured from the off and should have been more than a goal ahead at the interval.

It was one-way traffic, the ever-dangerous Libor Sionko firing just over from the diagonal in the 25th minute as the nervous Turks continued to relinquish possession.

The goal the Czechs deserved came nine minutes later, Juventus full-back Grygera galloping down the right and crossing for Koller to power home a trademark header in emphatic style from eight yards out.

That was the towering targetman's 55th international goal and the Nurnberg targetman, who will now quit international football.

The Czechs looked more tentative after the break but Plasil settled any nerves with their second just after the hour mark when he got on the end of Sionko's right-wing cross to prod home at the far post. It seemed all over but Arda set up a tense final 15 minutes when he slid home a low finish past Cech after pouncing on a Hamit Altintop centre.

When Cech spilled a deep cross from the right, allowing Nihat to force home the equaliser into an empty net with three minutes remaining, an historic shoot-out beckoned as both sides were locked together on head-to-head, goal difference and goals scored.

But worse was to come for Cech when barely a minute later, Nihat made the most of some dreadful defending to latch on to a through-ball and curl home a superb finish off the bar.

Czech coach Karel Bruckner admitted his side's defending was not up to scratch in that sensational final quarter of an hour. "After our second goal, we controlled the game and we had several chances to decide the match," said Bruckner "But then Turkey scored, we had problems on the left side and we surrendered to the Turks."

Bruckner, who will step down from the post after seven years in charge, was asked how long it would take for him to recover from the defeat. "Very many nights," said the 68-year-old.

Turkey: Demirel, Altintop, Gungor (Asik 65), Cetin, Balta, Topal (Kazim-Richards 57), Aurelio, Turan, Sanli, Nihat, Senturk (Sarioglu 46).

Czech Republic: Cech, Grygera, Ujfalusi, Rozehnal, Jankulovski, Sionko (Vlcek 84), Matejovsky (Jarolim 39), Galasek, Polak, Plasil (Kadlec 80), Koller. Booked: Galasek, Ujfalusi.

Switzerland 1-2 Turkey

Euro 2008 co-hosts Switzerland became the first team knocked out of the competition after they lost to Turkey.

The Swiss had taken the lead during a torrential downpour when a low cross slowed on the drenched pitch and allowed Hakan Yakin to tap in.

Yakin missed a glorious chance from the same spot and was punished later on when Semih Senturk headed Turkey level.

Arda Turan then broke Swiss hearts when he cut inside and scored with a shot in injury-time which took a deflection.

Portugal's win over the Czech Republic earlier on had added to the pressure on the home side as they knew a defeat would result in their elimination.

The situation meant the St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel was a melting pot of nervous tension and passionate support from the Swiss contingent at the start.

There was also an extra element of needle around the game after the two teams were involved in a mass brawl at the final whistle of a World Cup 2006 play-off which the Swiss won on away goals.

Turkey's hunger for revenge saw them look the more assured in the early stages, while the prospect of elimination weighed heavily on a lacklustre Switzerland.

The pouring rain did not help the game and the home nation had to produce some last-ditch defending before giving their crowd reason to get excited.

Yakin's stinging shot was palmed away by Volkan Demirel before the Turkey keeper excellently touched a Tranquillo Barnetta free-kick round his post.

At the other end, Turkey hit the post when keeper Diego Benaglio pushed a free-kick inadvertently against Arda Turan and the ball richocheted back off the woodwork.

The downpour had meant that the ball regularly held up on the drenched pitch and, although the atrocious conditions made the game almost impossible, this worked to Switzerland's favour.

Philippe Senderos played a pass over the top of Turkey's defence to Derdiyok and he, with the help of the soaked ground, gave Yakin the simple task of tapping in.

Yakin had another glorious chance at the same spot minutes later when Valon Behrami crossed but the Swiss playmaker sidefooted the bouncing ball unbelievably wide from point-blank range.

Turkey came out with a renewed sense of purpose after the break as the rain ceased and they grabbed an equaliser when Semih Senturk nodded in Nihat's cross.

Swiss keeper Benaglio got two hands to the header but, instead of saving, could only divert the ball into his goal.

Nihat was inches away from a Tuncay Sanli cross as Turkey threatened a winner which finally came in dramatic fashion late on.

Turkey now face the Czech Republic with both sides on three points and in a straight shoot-out for a last eight slot, while Portugal have now qualified.


Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Muller, Senderos, Magnin, Behrami, Inler, Gelson (Cabanas 76), Barnetta (Vonlanthen 66), Yakin (Gygax 85), Derdiyok.
Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Jakupovic, Djourou, Huggel, Frei, Streller, Grichting, Spycher, Degen.

Booked: Derdiyok.

Goals: Yakin 32.

Turkey: Demirel, Altintop, Asik, Cetin, Balta, Karadeniz (Senturk 46), Aurelio, Metin (Topal 46), Turan, Nihat (Kazim-Richards 85), Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Rustu, Zengin, Zan, Emre, Gungor, Boral, Akman, Sarioglu, Erdinc.

Booked: Sanli, Aurelio, Balta.

Goals: Senturk 57, Turan 90