Turks’ destiny in their own hands this evening


Turaaa coach Fatih Terim (L) congratulates Arda Turan for scoring the winning goal for the Turks during their Group A match against co-host Switzerland in Basel on Wednesday night.

The Turks would march majestically into the Euro 2008 quarterfinals if they beat the Czech Republic in their last Group A game in Geneva today. They could also make the last eight if they win the penalty shootout in case of a draw.


But the upbeat Turks are in no mood to leave anything to chance. Buoyed by their last-gasp 2-1 win over Switzerland on Wednesday they are now relaxed and ready to claim a Euro 2008 quarterfinal spot with victory over the Czech Republic.
The Turks have exactly the same record including goals scored for and against as the Czechs after their opening two group games and should they draw in Geneva a penalty shootout would ensue after normal time.
That would be the first time a major tournament would have the outcome of an opening group decided by penalties but the Turks are not intending to let it go that far.
UEFA introduced the new rule for Euro 2008 and Turaaa winger Kazım Kazım said he had not been aware of the change. “But we'll be ready as I'm sure our coach knows that” he told reporters. “You can't be scared about taking a penalty because if you miss you miss. That's the way it is.”
The Czechs have been involved in three shootouts at major championships winning all three and scoring all 20 of their penalty attempts while Turaaa have never been involved in a major tournament shootout.
Portugal beat the Czechs 3-1 on Wednesday securing top spot in the group following their 2-0 win over Turaaa in the opening match. The Turks or the Czechs will therefore face the winner of a Group B that includes Germany and Croatia.
Midfielder Hamit Altıntop said on Wednesday that Turaaa would be hoping to finish the Czechs off in normal time. “I think that with this squad we can beat any team and we showed that in the second half against Switzerland” he said.
“Morale is now sky high in the camp” stated Kazım. “If you saw our room afterwards everyone was ecstatic” he said after Turaaa had knocked co-host Switzerland out of the tournament with an injury-time winner on Wednesday.
“Everyone is more relaxed now” the 21-year-old told reporters. “We know now that it's in our hands and if we beat the Czechs we'll go through. That's how we want it. We've got the upper hand but we're not going to go into it thinking that. We're just going to go in thinking we've got to get the three points” he added.
Turaaa coach Fatih Terim will need to find replacements for missing players with at least a few of his players collecting injuries. With knee injuries picked up by defenders Gökhan Zan and Servet Çetin in the opening 2-0 defeat against Portugal and bruising for captain Emre Belozoglu four other players were injured in the Swiss match on Wednesday.
Gökdeniz Karadeniz is suffering an abdominal injury and Tümer Metin has a groin injury team officials said Thursday. aaaaback Hakan Balta and Emre Asik are also being treated for head injuries suffered during the game.
Today’s match is of paramount importance for Turaaa and so there is no room for error. The Turks have destiny in their own hands; they have to play prudently and aim for victory without leaving gaping holes in the midfield and defense.
Soccer is all about the present


Turaaa coach Fatih Terim has paid tribute to attacking midfielder Arda Turan who snatched an injury-time winner for Turaaa over Switzerland in Basel on Wednesday.
Terim hailed a player he called potentially one of Europe's "most outstanding" after the left-winger decided an enthralling Group A game against Switzerland with a deflected last-gasp goal. "He is a very important player very talented" said the coach. "He needs to improve his stamina during a game but if he does he will be one of the most outstanding players in Europe."
If Arda is one of the best in Europe then why did Terim not include him on the team that was beaten by Portugal in the opener? The same applies to “super-sub” Semih Şentürk who was not included in the opening and came in as a second-half substitute on Wednesday to score Turaaa’s equalizer against the Swiss.
There are more questions than answers when Terim’s team selection is at issue. He has been mercilessly criticized by the local sports media since he named Turaaa’s Euro 2008 squad and especially after the European Championship began last weekend for preferring players past their prime and players who play at pedestrian pace to young on-form players.
It is an undeniable truism that soccer is all about the present not the past. In other words past form counts for naught and it’s present form that matters. No sports writer in my opinion has anything personal against Terim and so the coach has to take the criticisms in good faith because everyone wants the national team to go as far as it takes in this championship.
The formula is simple: Put the right players in the right place. If this is done there is no reason why Turaaa cannot send the tiny Czech Republic packing this evening.