It was a fair run, Turkiye. After producing two of the goals of the tournament and arguably the best match of the tournament so far, giving us a glimpse into a promising future with Arda Güler and Orkun Kökcü, and giving us more Balkan drama, the Netherlands has ended the Turkiye fairytale story.
They didn’t go out without a fight either. After hunkering down and stealing a win against Austria in the quarterfinal, they faced a dominant Netherlands side widely tipped to make a deep run in the final.
It promised to be a good match, especially for a Turkiye squad boasting a lot of attacking talent. Their wide, end-to-end style of soccer hinges on their creative playmakers — Kökcu, Güler, Kenan Yildiz — taking on defenders and creating opportunities with their technical skill, not a particular tactical set-up. They play a very open style of soccer, allowing them to bomb in from the flanks and launch very dangerous attacks, but leaving them exposed to the counter-attack.
Akaydin goal puts Turkiye ahead
We saw an early glimpse of how their impact in transition would play out within the first minute of the game. Memphis Depay got the ball early on the left flank, attacked, dribbled by three defenders, got into the box, and launched a shot flying over the crossbar. Turkiye got the ball, reset their defense, and built up in their usual style; fast and wide.
After some 30ish minutes of back-and-forth soccer and despite their inability to keep the ball, Turkiye found its dramatic opener through Guler. The teenager’s inswinging cross at the edge of the box met a leaping Samet Akaydin at the far post. Akaydin’s header beat a frozen Bart Verbruggen, with all mayhem breaking loose. Dramatic celebrations ensued as Akaydin’s teammates swarmed him. They tackled him and shook him with smiles filled with joy. With the goal, Turkiye had the chance to tie its best performance ever at the Euros — a semifinal appearance.
The Netherlands turned…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/uefa-euro/netherlands-fights-to-bloody-2-1-win-over-turkiye/
Author : Deolu Akingbade
Publish date : 2024-07-06 23:10:10
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