By President-Elect Gunay Evinch
June 25, 2008 / Basel: A top-form Germany squeezed in a goal in the 90th minute against a Turkish substitute line-up barely to win 3-2 in a Euro 2008 semifinal and advance to the final. On June 29, the Germans will take on the winner of today's other semifinal, between Spain and Russia.
Though depleted by injuries and suspensions, a Turkish side predominately made of substitutes and first-timers dominated the first half against a timid German side.
In his first ever national game, Ugur Boral of Fenerbahce placed the Turks ahead in the 22nd minute, rebounding from Turkish Cypriot Kazim Kazim's shot that hit the German crossbar. The saying that a team is most vulnerable in the minutes following its goal, held ever so true, as the Turks failed to hold their guard and permitted unmarked Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger to equalize only five minutes later from an easy cross.
The second half started with a confident German side. In the 79th minute, Turkish keeper Rustu Recber misjudged a German cross, and unforgiving Miroslav Klose headed in to put the Germans ahead 2-1. With only 10 minutes left, all eyes were again on a Turkish miracle. And low and behold, in the 86th minute Semih Senturk of Fenerbache, hero of the Croatia quarterfinal, latched on a brilliant cross from Galatasaray's Sabri Sarioglu and slotted the ball in the tiny space between the German keeper Lehmann's left foot and the left post to equalize 2-2. However, the Turks were to be beaten at their own game, as Philipp Lahm, eluding rookie Gokhan Zan of Besiktas, stole into the penalty area and fired past Recber to seal victory for the Germans in the 90th minute.
Euro 2008 will be remembered for the Turks' fighting spirit, as they placed in the top-4 of Europe's 56 teams. All 23 players of the Turkish line-up played brilliantly, valiantly, and burned themselves into world soccer's memory cells and captured the hearts of soccer lovers worldwide.
Watch out World Cup 2012! Turkey next take on Armenia in Yerevan on September 6 in their first World Cup 2012 UEFA Group qualifier.