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Euro 2008: Germany vs. Turkey (Matchday)

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It looks like a mismatch, but can there really be such a thing in this installment of the European Championships?

Turkey is missing eight key players heading into today’s Euro semifinal against Germany (2:30pm, ESPN), but can you really write off a Turkish team that has shown so much heart and an unwillingness to give up? The Germans, the tournament favorites before the Euros began, won’t show any pity on the short-handed Turks. Not with a Euro final within reach.

As resilient as Turkey has been, the missing players could prove too much to overcome. Goalkeeper Volkan Demiral’s absence didn’t hurt, and shouldn’t hurt today, thanks to the presence of veteran Rustu Recber, but the absence of injured captain Nihat Kahveci, Turkey’s best player, along with the absences of key figures Sanli Tuncay, Arda Turan and Emre Asik will make beating the resolute Germans that much tougher.

It should be a mismatch, but if Euro 2008 has shown us anything, it’s that no results can be taken for granted. That is why today’s match should be a memorable one. And yes, I’m picking Germany to win, 3-1 (I’m not trying to jinx the Germans, really I’m not).

If you plan on watching, and will be online, please feel free to share your own thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play before, during and after the match in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Comments

  1. Obviously football hooligans must have severed the signal. In response to this blatant act of terror against ESPN (an American Institution), George Bush has declared war on Iran.

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  2. A lightning strike took out the feed for a few minutes. Will lightning strike for one of these teams before full time? We’ll find out.

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  3. I know they are having technical difficulties and so the game can’t be viewed right now, but you think ESPN would allow the announcers to at least announce the game radio-style rather than going to the studio for analysis of the first half.

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  4. 57th minute- Ballack makes a run, and a free kick is given from near dead center, about 15 yards from the penalty area. Ballack’s shot hit the wall, wasting a great chance.

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  5. 55th minute- Podolski sends a ball on the ground to Hitzlsperger, who hit a shot from just outside of the penalty area over the bar!

    The ball was laid perfectly for Hitzlsperger, who will be disappointed in his effort.

    Germany has for the most part controlled play this half.

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  6. 50th minute- Lahm goes down in the box, and the appeal for a penalty is turned down by the referee, and we play on.

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  7. 49th minute- Lahm gives away a free kick on the right side of the field, well away from goal.

    Boral overhits the free kick again, Lehman handling it much easier this time.

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  8. HALFTIME

    The last few minutes of the half calmed down a bit, but it has been a very entertaining 1st half. The Turks have been clearly the better side, but find themselves even.

    I don’t know how Turkey can be missing 8 players, and still be outplaying the Germans. It really is pretty amazing.

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  9. This match has offered a lot more than most people (me included)though it would. Turkey is showing absolutely no fear in going at Germany.

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  10. Nothing like seeing a staple gun being applied to a player’s head.

    German’s Rolfes ended up hitting his head on the back of Turkey’s Akman. Both players are on the sideline being attended to with Rolfes’ left eye/temple bleeding and the back/top of the Turkey’s Akman bleeding and the trainer/medic was last seen taking a stapler to his head.

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  11. 44th minute- Rofles is still being treated for a fash on his head, and Frings looks to be coming in for him.

    Turkey has been the much better side tonight.

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  12. Akman and Rolfes collide with each other on a header, and both player appear to have been cut open.

    41st minute- Turkey nearly with a great scoring chance, but it was dissipated by Germany. The play over the past couple of minutes has been frenzied.

    Sabri with a long shot that went just over the bar!

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  13. 37th minute- Kazim Kazim beat Lahm on a long ball in, earning a free kick for Turky inches from the penalty area on the right side of the box.

    Boral hits it and Lehman punches it away! Not a great clearance from Lehman, but the shot was hit with a great deal of power, so he didn’t have much time to react.

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  14. 33rd minute- Turkey almost gets burned on the counter again! A long ball was sent into Podolski, who ended up 1 v 1 with the keeper, but he hit it over the bar. Klose was running on his right, though he may not have seen him.

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  15. 32nd minute- Altintop with a cross from a free kick from long distance, which turned into a shot that required a diving save from Lehman! Lehman was cheating on a potential cross.

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  16. 30th minute- Semih Senturk hits a header from close range which Lehman handles easily.

    Then Germany comes back, and Klose was in the box on the left side trying to slide a ball across the goal, which was knocked out for a corner.

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  17. A great counterattack by Germany. A long ball was sent into Podolski on the left flank, who played a ball onto the ground to a streaking Schweinsteiger, who put the ball into the net!!! It’s 1-1!

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  18. Senturk hit a shot that hit off the crossbar, rebounded to Boral, who hit a shot which he mishit a bit, then hit off of Lehman and trickled into the net. Not really Lehman’s fault as he was scrambling to position.

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  19. Well, to go against the underdog, bootstrap, American dream ideals currently taking place here…I am rooting for Germany. I would love to see them win the Cup as it would be a nice followup to a great World Cup they had.

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  20. 20th minute- A ball was put near the top of the box, which the Turkish defender Gokhan Zan got to just ahead of Klose.

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  21. 18th minute- After some sustained posession from Germany, Lahm hit in a cross to Ballack just left of center in the area, which Ballack could only glance.

    The Germans have finally woken up the last couple of minutes.

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  22. 16th minute- Boral gets called for a foul on Klose, and Germany geTs a free kick, which Hitzlsperger took. Rustu came out confidently for it, and was caught.

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  23. Semih Senturk headed the ball to a teammate, who proceeded to slot the ball over to Kazim Kazim, who absoluted ripped that shot, hitting the the crossbar.

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  24. 8th minute- Lehman plays a ball short to Lahm, who was dispossed, nearly leading to a great scoring chance!

    Turkey has been the better side so far.

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  25. 5th minute- Slow start to the game, but Ugur Boral sent a low ball across the face of goal from the left flank, the first semi-tense moment of the night.

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  26. Starting Line-ups

    ——————-

    Germany:

    1-Jens Lehmann; 3-Arne Friedrich, 17-Per Mertesacker, 21-Christoph Metzelder, 16-Philipp Lahm; 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 6-Simon Rolfes, 13-Michael Ballack, 15-Thomas Hitzlsperger, 20-Lukas Podolski; 11-Miroslav Klose.

    Turkey:

    1-Rustu Recber; 20-Sabri Sarioglu, 6-Mehmet Topal, 4-Gokhan Zan, 3-Hakan Balta; 18-Kazim Kazim, 22-Hamit Altintop, 7-Mehmet Aurelio, 19-Ayhan Akman, 16-Ugur Boral; 9-Semih Senturk.

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  27. I’m always for the underdog. Turkey V. Russia in the finals. But does turkey even have 11 fit, and not suspended players for the match?

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