2008 AVRUPA ŞAMPİYONASI ÇEYREK FİNAL VİZESİ

drama lifts Turkey into next round
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

6/15/2008 5:08:43 PM


Nihat Kahveci (L) scored the late goals for Turkey (photo: AP Photo/Murad Sezer)
GENEVA, Switzerland -- Nihat Kahveci scored two goals in three minutes late in the match Sunday to finish off an incredible comeback and give Turkey a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic for a spot in the European Championship quarterfinals.

Kahveci equalized in the 87th minute after a mistake from goalkeeper Petr Cech, and then added a second in the 89th to cap Turkey's second straight rally in the rain.

Kahveci profited from an unlikely blunder from Cech, one of the world's greatest goalkeepers, who fumbled a simple cross. With the game seemingly heading for a penalty shootout, the Czech defence fell apart and Kahveci scored the decider with a precise inside-foot shot that bounced off the bar and into the goal.

Jan Koller had given the Czechs the lead in the 34th, and Jaroslav Plasil added another in the 62nd. Arda Turan started the comeback for the Turks in the 75th by finishing off a sweeping move with a low drive that Cech could only deflect off his post and past the line.

Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was red-carded in injury time for knocking down Koller, and will miss the team's quarter-final match against Croatia on Friday in Vienna. Midfielder Tuncay Sanli replaced Demirel in goal for the final seconds.

The Czechs scored in the 34th when defender Zdenek Grygera crossed into the area for Koller. Even though the towering forward had to lean his 2.01-meter (six-foot-seven) frame backward, he still got enough power and precision on the header to send it to the upper right corner. Demirel threw himself at the ball but could only push it onto the underside of the bar and into his net.

The Czechs took a 2-0 lead in the 62nd under a steady rain when Libor Sionko sent a low cross into the area and Plasil threw his whole body sliding into the ball. Again Demirel got a touch of the ball, but not enough to keep it out.
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