Nihat enters Turkish football folklore
June 16, 2008 at 8:19 am | In Turkey | 1 CommentTags: Nihat Kahveci, Turkey, Turkish football
Scoring two goals in the last three minutes to turn a group-stage exit into a quarter-final berth is not usually part of an international captain’s duties. But it was no ordinary night for Nihat Kahveci in Geneva.
Vital goals
Facing the Czech Republic for second place in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group A, Turkey trailed 2-0 and looked down and out. Arda Turan then pulled one back before Nihat – who had criticised his own lack of goals before the game – then had an inspired three minutes, poking in when Petr Čech dropped the ball before racing clear to slot in the winner. Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was subsequently sent off and, like Mehmet Aurélio, will be suspended against Croatia in Vienna on Friday, but the mere fact that Turkey will play that game is a tribute to Nihat, given the Carlsberg Man of the Match award by the UEFA Technical Team.
‘Devastated’ Čech reeling from KO
June 16, 2008 at 8:16 am | In Czech Republic | Leave a CommentTags: Chelsea, Czech Republic, Nihat Kahveci, Peth Cech, Tomas Ujfalusi, Turkey
Petr Čech said the Czech Republic’s elimination from UEFA EURO 2008™ “summed up his season” as he struggled to come to terms with a remarkable final group match against Turkey, who shattered the Czechs’ hopes of a quarter-final place with two moments of wonderful opportunism from forward Nihat Kahveci.
Absolutely devastated
Čech, who was at fault for Nihat’s first goal but had no chance with his spectacular second, admitted it would take a while to recover from the 3-2 defeat which not only ended the Czechs’ interest in the EURO but also ended his hopes of winning a trophy this season. “We are absolutely devastated,” he told euro2008.com. “It’s hard to believe what just happened. We felt we played very well in the first half and were in control of the game. Jan [Koller] gave us the lead and when we went two goals up there did not seem any way back for Turkey.
Who needs a penalty shoot-out?
June 16, 2008 at 8:06 am | In Czech Republic, Turkey | Leave a CommentTags: Arda Turan, Czech Republic, Jan Polak, Jaroslav Plasil, Libor Sionko, Marek Matejovsky, Nihat Kahveci, Petr Cech, Tuncay Sanli, Turkey, Zdenek Grygera
From the moment it became clear that second place in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group A could be decided by a penalty shoot-out between Turkey and the Czech Republic, most neutrals were willing the fixture in Geneva to be drawn, if only for the sheer novelty value. But who knew that regulation time would provide a marathon of drama that made the sprint of spot-kicks superfluous?
Improbable conclusion
It was exciting enough when Arda Turan pulled a goal back not long after the Czech Republic had doubled the lead. Then, when Nihat Kahveci took advantage of a real rarity, a Petr Čech fumble, in the 87th minute, penalties were somehow back on and in circumstances of heightened excitement. Except that Nihat struck again to make it 3-2 with one minute of normal time remaining, for Turkey’s second consecutive late winner. Yet even that was not the end of it, as Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was dismissed for a push on Jan Koller when the ball was out of play – that last detail meaning makeshift replacement Tuncay Şanlı did not have to face an immediate spot-kick and then perhaps several more.
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
