Soccer-High-energy Turkey march on to last eight after Austria triumph
LEIPZIG, Germany - "Turk ahead, Turk forward", words from a Turkish patriotic song, and proudly displayed on a banner by the Turkey supporters at Leipzig Stadium, and their team took those lines to heart to beat Austria 2-1 and advance to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
With Turkey deprived of their suspended captain Hakan Calhanoglu and defender Samet Akaydin, due to a mixture of ill discipline and a card-happy referee in their last game, Austria came in as favourites.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick's high press, aggressive football was the talk of the tournament, but from the off it was Turkey who took the game by the scruff of the neck and never let it go.
The opening was played at a frantic pace, and a corner in the opening minute led to Turkey taking the lead through Merih Demiral, and they looked the more energetic side and the one with more desire, while Austria laboured to find a breakthrough.
Another corner early in the second half brought a second Turkish goal, and another for Demiral, and though they understandably began to run out of energy, they never lost their heart.
In March Austria had humbled Vincenzo Montella's side 6-1, with Michael Gregoritsch scoring a hat-trick, but Rangnick left him on the bench in Leipzig, and he did manage to pull one back after his second-half introduction.
Turkish teenager Arda Guler showed a calmness beyond his 19 years, orchestrating everything in the middle of the field, directing his team mates, calling them forward when Austria had the ball at the back and constantly looking for possession.
In the end, Turkey did need an excellent late stop from keeper Mert Gunok to save them from extra time, which would have been heartbreaking after all their effort, and another 30 minutes may have been too much to hold out.
Optimism was low coming to Germany for Turkey, who reached the Euro 2008 semi-finals, but failed to advance past the group stage at the last two tournaments and haven't qualified for a World Cup since their third-place in 2002.
They failed to win any of their four friendlies in 2024, drawing one, with Italy, and losing to Hungary and Poland, two sides which went out at the group stage, along with their hammering by Austria.
But, there is a spirit in the side which has taken them this far, scoring an added time winner over the Czech Republic to reach the last 16, and it was even stronger against Austria.
"It is unworthy of the Turk to stop, Turk ahead, Turk forward!" goes the lyric from the 10th Year March, a song written to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Turkey, and used to inspire a team to play without fear.
It seemed only fitting that the early goal should be scored right under that banner, sending the Turkish fans into delirium.
Awaiting in the quarter-finals are the Netherlands, who lost to Austria and finished behind them in the group stage, but before that, with the massive Turkish population in Germany, the celebrations of the win over Austria will go on long into the night.
- (Reuters)
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