June 21, 2008

TURKEY lived up to their billing as comeback kings with a 3-1 penalty shootout win over Croatia to put them into the Euro 2008 semi-finals.

The spot-kick lottery was called for after the side's were inseparable at 1-1 after additional time, both of those goals coming in the dying minutes of what up to then had been a forgettable affair.

Ivan Klasnic put Croatia into a 119th-minute lead - for his second in successive matches - only for Turkey to level in the first minute of time added on thanks to substitute Semih Senturk.

Croatia then fell apart, with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic shooting wide and Mladen Petric having his spot kick saved by Turkey keeper Rustu Recber, who turned from villain to hero having made a terrible mistake to gift the Croats their goal.

Turkey, making their first appearance in the semi-finals, face Germany in Basel on Thursday (EST).

But the win came at a price for Turkey, who will be missing Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan and Emre Asik due to suspension after this trio picked up their second yellow cards of the competition while Nihat went off during extra-time clutching his groin.

Turkey coach Fatih Terim, who was in charge when Turkey lost 1-0 to Croatia in Euro 96 in the group stages, was ecstatic.

"What has happened to us is unique in our history,'' said Terim, who was not in charge when Turkey made the 2002 World Cup semi-finals.

"We have become one of the great footballing nations. Our people can rejoice. And if our people are proud of us then we are proud of them."

His Croatia counterpart Slaven Bilic insisted his young side would return stronger in time for the upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

"This is not the sort of match you play on a regular basis, this is something we'll never forget - it will haunt us for the rest of our lives," he said.

"We'll probably weep for a few days but such is life - things like this happen.

"We have to go on, I've got a young team, qualification for the World Cup is imminent.

"Tomorrow is a new day, the sun will rise, and my players have a strong character and will be back even stronger.''

After Germany's drama-laden first quarter-final win over Portugal the night before, this second quarter-final was a big letdown, with chances as rare as empty seats in the Ernst Happel stadium.

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic fielded the same team that defeated Germany in the group stages, with only two players - Danijel Panijec and Rakitic - surviving from the side that lined up against Poland.

Turkey turned up at the Ernst Happel stadium with half a dozen of their first team missing from injury or suspension.

Veteran keeper Rustu came in for Volkan Demirel, sent off against the Czech Republic, and manager Fatih Terim also handed a start to London-born Kazim Kazim, who led the attack with Nihat Kahveci.

Croatia will never know how they didn't go into the lead in the 18th minute, Ivica Olic being guilty of a criminal miss.

Darijo Srna set up the move, laying the ball on to Modric who raced down the right of the box to cross for Olic only for the Hamburg striker's shot to hit the crossbar from only a couple of metres directly in front of goal.

To compound their woes, Niko Kranjcar missed with his header from the rebound.

Tottenham Hotspur signing Modric summed up the mood of frustration, banging the Austrian turf repeatedly with his fist in frustration.

The game then meandered its way, slowly, to the break, with both sides unable to mount anything much resembling a serious challenge, a 35th-minute long-range effort from Mehmet Topal aside.

More of the same in the second half and penalties were in the offing.

Croatia looked more dangerous in the rare moments they were able to break the Turkey defence, with Rustu quick to deal with a Kranjcar effort in the 58th minute.

The match had a goal from Olic shortly after but it was disallowed for offside.

Terim then made his first substitution, taking off the ineffective Kazim Kazim for Ugur Boral, and Bilic followed, bringing off Kranjcar for Petric.

Minutes later Rakitic squandered Croatia's second gilt-edged chance, his close range shot after being set up by Olic flying high over Rustu's bar.

With quarter of an hour left of normal time, Terim switched midfielder Mehmet Topal for Fenerbahce striker Senturk in search of that elusive goal.

On 84 minutes, as Croatia maintained their almost constant pressure, Rustu earned his wages and some when only his outstretched hands edged out Srna's finely struck 20-metre free kick.

Extra time produced the badly needed fireworks, but only in the dying minutes.

Croatia thought they'd grabbed the winner when Klasnic struck but unbelievably after such a turgid affair Turkey struck back with Senturk equalising with a great shot into the top left hand corner to force the spot kicks.