I remembered back then in one of Deutsche Welle's Bundesliga Kick-Off's interviews, the interviewer was asking Bayern Munich's Hamit Altintop on how is he seeing the European Championships. Given he plays for Turkey (a German of Turkish descent, to be precise), he replied that he want Germany and Turkey to meet each other.
And with Turkey winning, he added. It may sound a little far-fetched then but, as one had seen so far in this tournament, it's dangerous to write Turkey off even with injuries and suspensions (which means like there will be 13 or 14 players avaliable, no kidding!) as Germany coach Joachim Loew has said that his side can ill afford to write off injury-hit Turkey. A long list of absentees may be threatening Turkey's hopes but, their opponents are vowing to nix Turkish delight. You should see what one of the TODAY's sports writers when predicting on the outcome of the match - 'Let's chiak (eat in the Hokkien dialect) Turkey tonight'. Up to one to interpret what that implies when reading what the reporter was saying on his predictions.
What is my main worry is that the German national team will get complacent after their win over Portugal. Back then in Basel (where the semi-final for the match between Germany and Turkey will be played as well), they were the underdogs coming into the match. Even though head-to-head records between Germany and Turkey states that it's advantage Germany (and also counting on the fact that they always managed to rise to the big occasions...only lost out once in a semi-final out of the past European Championship semi-finals they had been), the last time they beat Turkey...it was in 1992. In my post of the Euro 2008-relating news (given there was a break in between before the semi-final matches), I wrote about Loew's time in Turkey (I had known since he was appointed to be the coach that he has stints in Turkey but until he spoke of his experiences, that is all I know of his Turkish adventure) in his early years as a coach. In his final press conference before the match (he actually arrived late because of the timing of the arrival from the training base in Ascona), it has been some time since he was coaching in Turkey and he feels that it will be of little benefit to his current charges (Fenerbahce for a season a decade ago and then later led Adanaspor for a campaign in 2000-01). Yes, he knows how football mean to the Turkish people (he had seen it for himself during his time there) but that is it for him. And given this match will be watched closely not only between the Germans and the Turkish community (they make up the largest minority group in Germany as close to 3 million as according to what I read in The Straits Times today...it's like almost close to three-quarter of the Singapore's population) as well back home, the Germany coach has hope for peace back in Germany as the match is going on.
Speaking of fans in Germany, German police expects parties, not clashes to happen as giant screens will be set up across the country...bringing back the famed 'Fan Mile' from the World Cup two years ago which the country hosted. I am also hoping things will move smoothly as well ever since the fact sink in for me that Germany and Turkey will face each other in the semi-finals. There will be those who will arrive in Basel today (to get a even more close-up of the action) and the fact that Germany have good records of playing in Basel this year (the 4-0 friendly win over Switzerland in March and the 3-2 win over Portugal in the quarter-final), Per Mertesacker has called on the Germany fans to play their part. And before I forget, what one needs to know about the respective coaches and key players for both Germany and Turkey and a look at the likely formations, strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Other than that, more stuff to report.
Croatia may have been the opponent many are expecting in the German national team (read: the 2-1 loss to Croatia in the group stages) but then after they were out, Arne Friedrich admits Turkey are welcome as Euro 2008 semi-final opponents (the Hertha Berlin defender also let in on how the Croatia-Turkey match affected the Turkish community back in the German capital through his girlfriend that people were celebrating in the streets after Turkey advanced on penalties). The Turkish great escape has not caught unawares in the German camp too as it leaves them weary. In view of the great escape Turkey has been pulling off (against Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia), striker Miroslav Klose has said that the fighting spirit of the Turks is his side's biggest concern. As for the sentiments in the Turkish camp, Bayern Munich's Hamit Altintop has said that there's a 50-50 chance his team will go through and in another, saying that they can win the tournament. The German-born Tukish international could meet as up to five of his Bayern teammates in the German national team and he has been telling his Turkish teammates about his Bayern colleagues.
Germany captain Michael Ballack has been speaking to the press lately. On Germany's hour of truth at the tournament is approaching, urging caution, his side must use the confidence generated from their 3-2 quarter-final win over Portugal to eliminate comeback kings Turkey, expecting 'hell' (ha, he should know when his Chelsea side met Fenerbache in the Champions League in the 2007/08 season) and tough battle against Turkey. Today, it was reported that his coach Joachim Loew is banking on his captain's amazing stamina levels which attributed to Ballack's experience of playing in the Premier League. Amazing but true trivia - Statistically, Ballack has been one of the players who has covered the most ground in the European Championship.
The so-called German virtures has been what the players in the German squad had been preaching but as Reuters's look at how Germany had progressed, it's actually all thanks to an uncharacteristic streak of improvisation. Even Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff feels that the loss to Croatia in the group stages was a blessing in disguise. Turkey's road to the semi-final is a matter of triumph over adversity. Three comebacks before the Germany encounter, need I say more? Also, it's actually Turkey coach Fatih Terim's goalkepers has been providing all the suspense. Terim's side has made themselves the 'come-back kings' of the tournament but then the man whom they call the 'Emperor' back home in Turkey, says that he refused to believe in miracles (though he also added that his side's run to the semis has caught on the attention of many). And whatever Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is saying about preparing to put his life on the line against the Turks...at first I thought it was a little dramatic of him but then again, he should remember what happened two years ago in the World Cup semi-final against Italy.
Team news now. In the case of Germany, all 23 players had trained...even Torsten Frings (who was not fit to play against Portugal). Now the only problem...should Germany coach Joachim Loew stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation which worked against the Portugese, or his favourite 4-4-2? As they always say- 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'. And the formation is my next concern, after the players' level of confidence in the wake of the win over Portugal.
Turkey's now. I need a separate paragraph given of injuries, suspensions in the Turkish camp. Coach Fatih Terim's side is almost down to the bare bones as he is even thinking about resort to playing reserve keeper Tolga Zengin as an outfield player. Alright, the latest of players not featuring - striker and captain Nihat Kahveci (he's having treatment on the injured right thigh), Emre Belozoglu is still unfit (suffered a hamstring tear following the opening group defeat by Portugal), first choice goalkeeper Volkan Demirel's appeal turned down by UEFA over pushing over Czech striker Jan Koller in their final group match (Demirel has served the first of those match bans against Croatia in the quarter-final). See what I mean.
So while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (the Frenchman is viewing the tournament as a football pundit for a TV station back in his native France) is tipping the Germans to go all the way, Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff has told Bild newspaper earlier this week that regardless of the outcome of the match in Basel, coach Joachim Loew will remain in his position (especially it was revealed over the weekend that after Germany lost to Croatia in the group stages, Loew did had thoughts of quitting which did left me in horror for a moment). What is for sure though, 'Jogi' will be allowed back in the dugout after serving out his 'punishment' during the quarter-final match against Portugal.
I will probably cry (like I almost did when Juergen Klinsmann announced he's stepping down) if 'Jogi' really does that. Okay, or maybe as I said yesterday - But if for whatever reason he is stepping down in the future, I will always remember the good things he has done (Klinsmann said on the day he stepped down about Loew - 'He was much more than an assistant to me').
