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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. Why weren’t the announcers at the game?

    It is annoying when Fox does it, but they are just cheap. It is more annoying when ESPN/ABC does it.

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  2. On broadcast difficulties: The problems were in Austria and not in Switzerland. In fact, the European broadcasters who quickly turned to the direct Swiss feed saw the rest of the match without problems. But the official Euro broadcast came from Vienna, where thunderstorms had wreaked havoc. ESPN, being the stiffs they are, had no idea about this or that many big European broadcasters had plugged directly to the Swiss feed. Btw, Al Jazeera showed the game uninterrupted, using the Swiss feed from the start.

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  3. Good for Lahm as he was the reason that Turkey equalized in the first place. Riveting game (what we saw of it).

    Regarding the feed: Did it occur to the guys at ESPN to turn the camera around that was showing the German fan center and show the screen they were watching? I never hated Julie Fowdy more than when I was listening to her talk instead of watching one of the best matches of this Euro. The expat Germans I was watching the game with could not believe that this was the broadcast crew.

    The Turks were like the US in 2002, the young players just did not see a reason why they could not win it all. Of course, since they placed 3rd in 2002, they actually could have and had precedent.

    Awesome match. Can’t wait for Sunday.

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  4. The show for tomorrow?

    Russia-Spain.

    More technical skill than any other matchup so far this tournament. Should be fun.

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  5. FULL TIME-

    Turkey finally feel the sting of a late game comeback. It was really unfortunate, as Turkey put in a great performance and deserved to win the match. Yet Germany came through when it mattered, and will be moving on to the final.

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  6. Boral had quite a game today. Scratch that, almost the entire Turkish team has had quite a game. They have definitely owned the majority of the match, although Germany has played better in the second half.

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  7. 90TH minute- GOAL GERMANY!!!!

    Perfect ball in to a streaking Lahm, who hits the ball emphatically into the net!

    Terrible luck for Turkey, and espn has gone away again.

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  8. Mevlut Erdinc and Gokdeniz Karadeniz in for Ayhan Akman and Urug Boral were changed for Turkey at some point.

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  9. Beautiful ball from Lahm, who cut the ball back before delivering a cross to Klose, who headed it home. Rustu came out and was caught in no man’s land.

    GOAL TURKEY!!!!

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  10. “Mr Radio Man is blaming Rustu, who has come for a cross and fluffed it, allowing Klose to nod into an empty net. Apparently”

    -Espn’s gamecast.

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  11. espn.com’s gamecast is being run by a guy listening to a radio, if you want to try to keep up that way when the video feed dies.

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  12. 73rd minute- Urug Boral rips another shot, which Lehman saves. Boral has not been shy about having a go.

    Hitzlsperger gets a shot on the other side, which is out for a goal kick.

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  13. 70th minute- Lahm tugs a shirt of a Turkish player, which goes uncalled.

    There hasn’t been a great chance since the feed has come back.

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  14. the espn annoucers are in conneticut they don’t know whats going on at the field that why they’re not commentating

    Reply

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