Euros are must-see TV

Published June 30th, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS COMMENTARY

The 2008 European Championships are almost down to the final, and pundits have proclaimed this the best and most exciting tournament since the 1986 World Cup, when Argentina’s Diego Maradona cemented his reputation as one of the all-time greats by leading his team to the championship.

We’ve seen plenty of scoring and miraculous finishes, ensuring that this tournament will be remembered long after the final whistle Sunday.

The Netherlands showed that entertaining soccer can produce good results, as they stormed to a 3-0 record in group play and tied a European Championship record with nine goals in their first three matches.
That the Dutch fell to a just as dynamic Russian team in the quarterfinals in extra time does little to diminish the excitement they brought to the event.

But, barring an exceptional semifinal between Spain and Russia and a historic finish between Germany and the winner in the final, the team most likely to be remembered 20 years from now is Turkey.
The Turks were the official Kardiac Kids of this tournament.
After a 2-0 loss to Portugal, the Turks rallied three straight times for victory, each in a more improbable fashion than the previous match.

Against Switzerland in the second group match, Turkey fell behind 1-0 and was on the verge of elimination from the tournament.
But the Turks showed the first glimpse of their magic, rallying for two goals – including the winner in extra time – to win 2-1.
Against the Czech Republic, Turkey was in an even more dire situation – down 2-0 with five minutes to play and again facing elimination.

What happened next will be relived forever in Turkish homes.
Arda Turan scored to cut the lead to 2-1, then Czech Republic goalkeeper Peter Cech, one of the best at his position in the world, flubbed a cross and Nihat was on the doorstep to equalize.
In extra time, Nihat scored again, beating an offsides trap to give the Turks a remarkable 3-2 win.
But even that drama paled in comparison to what Turkey came up with in the next match against favored Croatia.
Trailing 1-0 in extra time, and with literally one shot left to tie the match, Semih Senturk beat keeper Stipe Pletikosa for an unbelievable goal.

The Turks won in penalty kicks. In the semifinals, with half the starters out due to injuries and yellow cards, the Turks rallied again to tie Germany before Philip Lamm finished at the 90-minute mark to finally send them home.
Though the Turks are out, their contributions to this event will live on.
As for the Germans, they again reach the European finals and try to win their fourth trophy – most all-time.