2010 World Cup: Turkey Not Done Yet

Before the start of the 2008 European Championship, many people expected Turkey to be roasted, carved up, and sauced!

It is not a team that has traditionally commanded respect at the top levels of world football.  But the squad that Fatih Tehrim brought to Euro 2008 put a massive scare into some of the best teams in Europe as they climbed upward through the ranks, wrongly considered in every match to be the underdogs.

They started their winning streak with a narrow win over Switzerland, which is nothing special in itself, but that team subsequently went on to defeat Portugal by two goals.

Turkey's next victim was the Czech Republic, whom they defeated 3-2 in a classic battle.  That effort was good enough that Turkish fans began to feel the first stirrings of hope. Even I got caught up in the hype myself when Turkey reached the quarterfinals (see Croatians Salivate As Turkey Comes To The Table).

The arrogance of the Slavan Bilic in declaring that his team was naturally superior to Turkey made the result of that match all the more sweet.  The effort was not without cost, however.

With his team now seriously depleted due to injuries and suspensions, everyone was starting to wonder if Tehrim would even be able to put together a complete side to face Germany in the all-important semifinal clash.

But once again the Turkish team surprised everyone with their determination.  Undaunted by the odds against them and the legacy of history, the Turks played what was undoubtedly their finest game of the tournament. 

Turkey dominated the start of the match, and it was Uğur Boral who kicked the first goal, getting Turkey away to an early lead.  Just a few minutes later, Bastien Schweinsteiger leveled the score, but it was clearly the Turkish team that had control of the half, with 15 shots at goal compared to just three from the Germans.

Late in the second half, the game took another gut-wrenching turn as Miroslav Klose headed in another goal for Germany.  Then it was Semih Şentürk's turn to be the hero, as, with only four minutes remaining, he kicked in the equalizer.

For this game to have come down to a shootout would have been a glorious achievement no matter which way the cards fell, but sadly it was not to be.  In the very last minute of regulation time, Philip Lahm kicked in Germany's third goal, effectively sealing the fate of his opponents.

While they may not have achieved the ultimate prize, there is one thing that nobody can deny: Turkey had proved once and for all that they are not chicken.

Now the Turks are faced with what appears to be another impossible task, as they attempt to qualify for a "second-chance" berth in the European stage of World Cup qualifications.  It is impossible for them to get ahead of Spain now, but they are only two wins behind Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

If Turkey can win their remaining matches, there is still a hope for them to pull ahead on points. To do that, of course, they must hope that Bosnia-Herzegovina lose at least two matches.

As usual, the Turkish team are facing what looks—on paper at least—to be an impossible task.  But they have shown time and again that they are masters of rising to the occasion.

I guess I will be as surprised as anyone to see them actually take to the field in South Africa next year, but I know I am not alone in hoping that they will.