It was entirely appropriate that Turkey should take the lead in the 21st minute. Again Sabri was the provider. He cleverly made space from a throw-in on the left and again cut the ball back to Kazim. Again Kazim beat Lehmann with a looping chip, and again the ball came back off the bar. But this time the rebound broke kindly to Ugor, who forced the ball through Lehmann's legs despite mishitting his shot.
Three-time winner Germany elbowed its way into the Euro 2008 final after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Turkey at a semifinal in Basel on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
And what had the Germans been up to while all this was going on? Nothing at all, is the honest answer. So I suppose it was inevitable that their first venture into the Turkish box in the 26th minute should bring an equaliser.
Podolski was released on the left. There did not seem to be any particular threat, but he made enough space for himself to get his cross in, and Schweinsteiger was first to the ball to flick it into the net for the simplest of goals.
The match immediately reverted to the previous pattern with Turkey attacking and Germany struggling to keep them out. Semih had a decent opportunity, but could get no purchase on his header. Alintop sent a testing free-kick in from distance on the left. It should have been straightforward for Lehmann to deal with, but he had come a little too far from his line. He scrambled back to claw one-handed at the ball, and was relieved to see it go out for a corner. Ugor hammered another free-kick in from an angle on the right. Lehmann could only punch, the ball was not cleared, but nothing came of the opportunity.
Ayhan Akman and Simon Rolfes were involved in a clash of heads that left both players bleeding. We were treated to the sight of Ayhan having his scalp stapled together, But while Rolfes needed further treatment Ayhan was quickly back on the field to instigate a flowing move that saw Sabri shoot narrowly over.
In the 33rd minute Germany did create another opportunity, and might easily have scored. Podolski was once more released on the left, and this time the Turkish defence was out of position. Podolski had plenty of time and space to move infield and his shot was well-struck and well-directed, shaving the bar with Rustu struggling.
The second half continued in a similar vein, although it was a little less one-sided. Germany should have had a penalty in the 50th minute. Lahm moved menacingly in from the left, and as he broke into the box Sabri, charging back to provide cover, slammed into him and felled him. Referee Massimo Busacca, perfectly placed to make the call, waved away the German claims.
The standard of refereeing in these championships has been very good. It has been particularly refreshing to see referees at last having the courage to deal with one of the scourges of the modern game, jersey-tugging in the box at free-kicks and corners, and that particular phenomenon has been blessedly noticeable for its absence. But there has been an almost perverse reluctance to blow even for obvious penalties.
This was yet another blatant example, but it was not the only one. A few minutes later it was the Germans on the receiving end of Busacca’s generosity. Kazim took the ball into the German box. He had his back to goal and posed little threat when challenged by Lahm, and when he went down the commentators were quick to accuse him of play-acting.
A side-view of the action told a very differently story, Lahm quite clearly hauling hard on Kazim's shirt. The foul was as pointless as it was obvious. Busacca would not have been able to see, but his assistant had exactly the same view as the camera, and it was a weak piece of adjudication to let the offence go unpunished. The Turks did well to keep their tempers when a second or two later they won the ball back from Lahm in a threatening position, only to be blown up for a non-existent foul.
And so the match proceeded to its dramatic finale. There was the Klose goal, then the Turkish equaliser, Sabri yet again taking Lahm on the right to square the ball for Semih to score. Then Lahm showed himself rather more effective at the other end of the field with his last-minute winner. Turkey was given one final chance to pull the match out of the fire, but in the concluding action of the game Tumer Metin, just on the field, blasted a free-kick wide from an ideal position.
Both sides deserve praise for a game that was played in great spirit. There were only 31 fouls in the game, and only two cards, yellows for Turkish attackers Semih and Sabri for challenges that were rash but not vicious. The performance of the losers was as refreshing for what was not on display as for what was. There was none of the niggling, play-acting, or cynicism that has been a feature of Turkish football in the past – they seem to have come of age and put that kind of behaviour behind them.
Congratulations, then, to Germany, for once again producing a championship run whose sum has been greater than its parts. But the plaudits of the spectators will provide little consolation to the losers as they watch the final on Sunday, thinking only of what might have been.
(China.org.cn by David Ferguson June 26, 2008)