Euro 08 Semi Finals: Germany vs Turkey
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:21 pm
On Wednesday, a full scale intense-but-100%-friendly civil war (euphemistically known as "Euro 08 Half Final match I") with strong intra-German influence will take place between following combattants:
GERMANY aka KRAUTLAND
QF win vs Portugal 3-2; W vs AUT 1-0; L vs CRO 1-2; W vs POL 2-0
TURKEY aka KEBAPLAND
QF win vs Croatia 5-2 a.P.; W vs CZE 3-2; W vs SUI 2-1; L vs POR 0-2
KEY PLAYERS
Germany will rely on the power soccer of Chelsea's Michael Ballack to set things straight. He the heart and soul of Germany and a defensive and offensive dynamo. Always clutch in big games, and single-mindedly thirsting for the first international victory of his career. The second key player is Bayern Munich striker/winger Lukas Podolski, who is a versatile and dangerous left footed attacker.
Turkey will miss several key players (see below), so Podolski's Bayern team mate Hamit Altintop (right midfield) will be vital for them. He is a versatile playmaking winger with a hard and precise shot. Striker Semih Senturk is theman for the important goals, scored the vital 1-1 vs SUI and the life-saving 1-1 vs CRO plus a penalty.
EDIT: I originally listed Nihat, but he is also injured now, duh!
X FACTORS
Germany's X-Man is Bastian Schweinsteiger. Horrible in the first 2 matches but superb in the QF, he is the German ace in the hole. Incredibly inconsistent, but if he swaps his usual ball hogging and bad crosses for unstoppable dribblings and deadly shots, he can decide matches alone. On the Turkish side, goalie Rustu Recber is like Two-Face: jaw-dropping lapses mix with moments of sheer genius. He can also single handedly decide matches – both ways.
MISSING PLAYERS
Man oh man, Turkey is hit HARD by injuries, red card and 2nd bookings. Goalkeeper Volkan, winger Arda Turan, defender Emre Asik and playmaker Tuncay Sanli will certainly miss the game b/c of yellow and red cards. Defenders Emre Belozoglu and Servet Cetin are injured and at least highly questionable. Gokhan Zan is playing through injury, too. On the other hand, midfielder Mehmet Aurelio will return. EDIT: Nihat is also injured and is probably done for the tourney. Backup guys who are injured, too, are Tumer and Emre Gungor.
Germany is much better off. Midfielder Frings has broken ribs, but could play… but IMHO his sub Rolfes did a great job last game.
QUESTION MARKS
Germany is the quintessential KO round team, but the defense Metzelder/Mertesacker has been looking shaky so far. Also, Germany has difficulties if they have to dictate the flow of the game, they rather let the enemy come and counter like vs POR. Turkey is so heavily hit by injuries and cards that they can hardly field anything resembling a defensive line. But as you all know, Turkey has been the master of turning games around in the last 300 seconds.
RECENT HISTORY
Barring games from prehistoric times (i.e. when Turkey played the West/East Germanies), the score is surprisingly even. In the qualification campaign for EC 2000, Turkey beat Germany 1-0 after a blunder of Oliver Kahn, and clawed themselves to a goalless draw in the return game. In 2005, Germany won the hiterto last game 2-1.
MISC INFO
I think it is time to elaborate the special relationship between our two countries. When Germany's industry thrived during the 1960s, they massively recruited foreign workers ("Gastarbeiter"), and the majority were Turkish. For a long time, Germans chauvinistically looked down at them, but just as the South Americans integrated themselves into the USA and made it a better place, the Turks integrated into Germany and made it a better place, too. Imagine a game between Caucasian U.S. Americans and Hispanic U.S. Americans, and you about know how we feel about this match here. Man, are we fired up!!
CONCLUSION
Germany is the clear cut favorite. Turkey is so heavily hit by losses that they would lose 9 out of 10 matches against GER… but only 9. Let’s see if Cinderella can do it one more time, but the odds are heavily stacked against them if they play the KO match masters Germany.
Here in Germany, we erupt in civil war, but in the most positive way. NOBODY will even THINK of NOT watching this match. MAN O MAN, this will be the most FUN match EVER. I expect oceans of German black-red-gold and Turkish red half moon crescent flags on the streets at Wednesday evening, and huge masses of people shouting and screaming in happy anarchy. If TUR should win, then they should win it all, but I OF COURSE firmly think that GER will end the Turkish highflying with a 2-0 win. Right, Gulcan? (small German-Turkish insider joke)
GERMANY aka KRAUTLAND
QF win vs Portugal 3-2; W vs AUT 1-0; L vs CRO 1-2; W vs POL 2-0
TURKEY aka KEBAPLAND
QF win vs Croatia 5-2 a.P.; W vs CZE 3-2; W vs SUI 2-1; L vs POR 0-2
KEY PLAYERS
Germany will rely on the power soccer of Chelsea's Michael Ballack to set things straight. He the heart and soul of Germany and a defensive and offensive dynamo. Always clutch in big games, and single-mindedly thirsting for the first international victory of his career. The second key player is Bayern Munich striker/winger Lukas Podolski, who is a versatile and dangerous left footed attacker.
Turkey will miss several key players (see below), so Podolski's Bayern team mate Hamit Altintop (right midfield) will be vital for them. He is a versatile playmaking winger with a hard and precise shot. Striker Semih Senturk is theman for the important goals, scored the vital 1-1 vs SUI and the life-saving 1-1 vs CRO plus a penalty.
EDIT: I originally listed Nihat, but he is also injured now, duh!
X FACTORS
Germany's X-Man is Bastian Schweinsteiger. Horrible in the first 2 matches but superb in the QF, he is the German ace in the hole. Incredibly inconsistent, but if he swaps his usual ball hogging and bad crosses for unstoppable dribblings and deadly shots, he can decide matches alone. On the Turkish side, goalie Rustu Recber is like Two-Face: jaw-dropping lapses mix with moments of sheer genius. He can also single handedly decide matches – both ways.
MISSING PLAYERS
Man oh man, Turkey is hit HARD by injuries, red card and 2nd bookings. Goalkeeper Volkan, winger Arda Turan, defender Emre Asik and playmaker Tuncay Sanli will certainly miss the game b/c of yellow and red cards. Defenders Emre Belozoglu and Servet Cetin are injured and at least highly questionable. Gokhan Zan is playing through injury, too. On the other hand, midfielder Mehmet Aurelio will return. EDIT: Nihat is also injured and is probably done for the tourney. Backup guys who are injured, too, are Tumer and Emre Gungor.
Germany is much better off. Midfielder Frings has broken ribs, but could play… but IMHO his sub Rolfes did a great job last game.
QUESTION MARKS
Germany is the quintessential KO round team, but the defense Metzelder/Mertesacker has been looking shaky so far. Also, Germany has difficulties if they have to dictate the flow of the game, they rather let the enemy come and counter like vs POR. Turkey is so heavily hit by injuries and cards that they can hardly field anything resembling a defensive line. But as you all know, Turkey has been the master of turning games around in the last 300 seconds.
RECENT HISTORY
Barring games from prehistoric times (i.e. when Turkey played the West/East Germanies), the score is surprisingly even. In the qualification campaign for EC 2000, Turkey beat Germany 1-0 after a blunder of Oliver Kahn, and clawed themselves to a goalless draw in the return game. In 2005, Germany won the hiterto last game 2-1.
MISC INFO
I think it is time to elaborate the special relationship between our two countries. When Germany's industry thrived during the 1960s, they massively recruited foreign workers ("Gastarbeiter"), and the majority were Turkish. For a long time, Germans chauvinistically looked down at them, but just as the South Americans integrated themselves into the USA and made it a better place, the Turks integrated into Germany and made it a better place, too. Imagine a game between Caucasian U.S. Americans and Hispanic U.S. Americans, and you about know how we feel about this match here. Man, are we fired up!!
CONCLUSION
Germany is the clear cut favorite. Turkey is so heavily hit by losses that they would lose 9 out of 10 matches against GER… but only 9. Let’s see if Cinderella can do it one more time, but the odds are heavily stacked against them if they play the KO match masters Germany.
Here in Germany, we erupt in civil war, but in the most positive way. NOBODY will even THINK of NOT watching this match. MAN O MAN, this will be the most FUN match EVER. I expect oceans of German black-red-gold and Turkish red half moon crescent flags on the streets at Wednesday evening, and huge masses of people shouting and screaming in happy anarchy. If TUR should win, then they should win it all, but I OF COURSE firmly think that GER will end the Turkish highflying with a 2-0 win. Right, Gulcan? (small German-Turkish insider joke)