| 21.06.2008 |
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| Congratulations must got to Turkey for putting out the team most likely to do a "Greece" this year (and, in doing so, taking over that mantle as unfancied and unlikely potential European champions) but I cannot hide my disappointment that Croatia are now out of the tournament. Friday night's quarter-final between the two surprise packages was a horrible game for 119 minutes until Ivan Klasnic gave what Slaven Bilic and his team thought was a last gasp winner, before Semih Senturk volleyed the equaliser with the last kick of the game. This proved to be too much for Croatia's broken players and their hearts and legs were gone by the time penalties arrived. Even Bilic, who I rated as the most exciting and progressive coach at Euro 2008, couldn't lift his players after being robbed of a hard-fought victory at the death. Turkey again showed what a resilient and persistent team they are by playing not just to the end of regulation time with the belief that they could get something from the game, but 30 minutes beyond that and into the make-or-break scenario of spot-kicks. Their spirit was the winning factor in the end.  Croatia for me were the better team going into this game. They played with verve and confidence with the growing belief that they could shock the continent. With the scalps of many of Europe's top teams nailed to their dressing room wall, they had every right to think so. But on Friday, they were undone by a team that may not excite of enthuse as much but certainly don't know what it means to quit. Turkey deserve their semi-final place against Germany and it will not be the foregone conclusion that everyone thinks it will be when the two teams meet for a place in the final. Turkey will be missing Arda Turan, Tuncay Sanli, Volkan Demirel and Emre Asik through suspension but such hardships are unlikely to undermine a growing belief in Fatih Terim's squad that Turkey have a destiny to fulfil at Euro 2008. Whether sheer hard work, boundless energy and that faith will be enough to overcome Germany, we will have to wait and see but Joachim Loew's boys will not underestimate a team which has made it this far against many odds. It would have been interesting to see how a newly restored Germany would have dealt with having a second go at Croatia in the semis, the only team to have beaten them so far. But instead we will a very different yet no less interesting clash. We can expect blood-and-guts displays from both teams as their cultural and historical links add extra spice to the most important game in their shared sporting history. As for Croatia who prepare to head home today, the future remains bright. With Slaven Bilic in charge - and if anyone has any sense he should be the man to continue to lead them - Croatia should look to the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign which starts in September with optimism. Besides, they face England again and we all know how that turned out last time.  |
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