Euro 2008 LIVEBLOG: Switzerland vs Turkey

GROUP A	June 11, 20:45 CET, Basel (Switzerland)
Switzerland 1 VS Turkey 2 Yakin 32′   Senturk 56′; Turan 93′

And here’s the final goal:

And that’s the game. Turkey stays alive, Switzerland goes out painfully. Their players look shell-shocked.

90+3 GOAL!!! Turkey! On the counter, Arda Turan puts one in after brilliantly coming up the left and dodging his way to the middle for the shot. He gets a lucky deflection, but this is a good goal. Heartbreaking for Switzerland.

90+2 Switzerland almost gets a chance, but Demirel is there.

90+1 Switzerland looks like they could put one through, but Kazim throws himself at the ball and sends it down the field. Asik comes back one with his head wrapped in bandages.

90′ A shot of Asik covered in blood from a gash in his forehead from a head collision. He’s down and receiving treatment. Four minutes of stoppage time. Turkey has no more subs as Asik is stretchered off.

89′ Beautiful run by Turkey up the right. Cross goes into the box, but Kazim can’t get to it and takes out a Swiss player trying. Switzerland gets it back.

88′ Magnin clips the top of the wall and it goes high for a corner. Demirel punches it away, but to a Swiss foot. It goes back to Senderos, who is questionably called offside.

86′ Switzerland gets a corner, Turkey gets to it, but Switzerland gets it back and then Inler is slashed down at the edge of the box.

83′ The pitch is once again favoring Turkey and allowing on-the-ground play, except along the touchlines. Free kick for Turkey that is cleared by Switzerland. Switzerland then charges forward in numbers and almost puts it through– Vonlanthen delivers a gorgeous pass back to Yakin, who takes the shot. Demirel stops it but doesn’t collect it, and Yakin is almost able to follow up and put it in before Demirel grabs it. And Nihat is off, Kazim on for Turkey. Gygax on, Yakim off for Switzerland.

82′ Nihat pulls down Cabanas and gets called for it. He’s not happy about it.

81′ Turkey sends in a rather hopeful long ball toward goal, but Benaglio comes off his line to collect it.
80′ turkey sends in a nice shot towards goal, but it’s blocked.

And here’s the Turkey goal:

79′ Lichsteiner takes it up the right and goes down before he can cross. He’s certain he was fouled, but the ref isn’t buying.

77′ Turkey gets a free kick, which Tuncay sends several miles high.

76′ Turkey does some nice combination play, but in the end Tuncay sends the ball to red shirts in the box.

75′ Fernandes off, Cabanas on for Switzerland

74′ And meanwhile on the other end Tuncay sends it in toward Nihat, who can’t put it away.

73′ Vonlanthen slaloms through defenders but can’t make it past the final Servet, who then collides with another player and goes down.

72′ Demirel takes his time on the goal kick. Perhaps they’d be happy with a draw?

71′ Inler has a great opportunity but sends it wide for a goal kick.

70′ Hamit Altintop comes up limping. Not sure why.

69′ Good Swiss attack, started by Vonlanthen up the left. Eventually goes to Demirel.

67′ Nihat sends off a shot that hits Senderos’ arm, but no call. Senderos was attempting to avoid the ball, so a penalty would have been a bad choice.

66′ Barnetta off, Vonlanthen on for the Swiss.

65′ They just announced that Big Phil Scolarik, Portugal coach, will be going to Chelsea. A lot of possession swapping going on in the midfield.

64′ A bad clearance for Switzerland leads to a shot for Tuncay, but he doesn’t hit it well and it goes wide.

63′ Good chance for the Swiss. Long ball into the box, which Derdiyok gets to, but he heads it high in a way that allows Demirel to get to it.

62′ This game has suddenly gotten interesting and looks like football again. The momentum has switched back to the Turks. Turkish corner that gets headed into the air and out for a goal kick.

60′ Demirel punches it into the sky, and it bounces around for awhile before going out for another corner. Cetin heads the delivery right to Magnin, who heads it wide.

59′ Corner for Switzerland. Whistle after jostling in the box, and the ref calls for it to be taken again.

57′ GOAL!!!!! Senturk heads in a perfect cross from Turan and sends it past Benaglio

56′ Behrami takes the ball up the right side and barely gets a cross in before he slides over the byline. Unfortunately nobody is there to take advanatage of it.

54′ The field is a bit more dry, but still very unpredictable. Altintop is taken out by Derdiyok, who gets a yellow after missing the ball almost completely. Derdiyok is having fun here. What a life for a teenager.

52′ Senturk has a great chance but is offside.

51′ Turkey gives the ball up at midfield. Barnetta gets it and comes up the left but has nobody around him to help out. He takes the shot himself and it goes wide.

50′ Senderos looks like an ad for a mudbath after getting taken down near the byline. Benaglio takes the free but it goes out of play for a Turkish throw.

49′ Behrami takes the ball up the right and sends in a good cross, but Demirel is up to it.

47′ Derdiyok looks lively taking on two defenders. He gets the ball past them but is taken down when he tries to follow. Free kick ends up going to Turkey. Inler takes down a Turkish player. Free kick goes to Balta’s hand. Balta gets a yellow, deservedly. That was pretty blatant.

46′ Turks immediately look threatening. Benaglio has to come off his line and grab the ball out of the air. After a bit of play it goes out for a corner which Switzerland clears easily.

The boys are coming back on the field. Looks like at least the Turks have changed into dry clothes. And the rain seems to have stopped. Turkey is making two subs. Senturk and Topal in. They haven’t shown who’s off yet.

Halftime thoughts: The rain has created some real complications here, especially for the Turks. Passing and dribbling isn’t working here, so the team that can do accurate longballs and chip shots is the one with the advantage. Here, that would be the Swiss. It’s interesting, because before the downpour started the Turks were probably the dominant team. The rain seems to have let up a bit, but there will still be inches of standing water on the field, so the second half will be equally interesting.

Okay, here’s the goal:

And that’s the half. Switzerland 1-0 Turkey. Now I’m going to see if I can track down video of that goal.

45+1 one minutes of stoppage time. Free kick for Switzerland, which Turkey heads away and sends out for a Swiss throw. Altintop sends in a long ball, but a Swiss head gets there first.

44′ Derdiyok gets called for taking down a Turkish player. (Sorry, I really can’t see their ligh-colored numbers in this weather!!) Free kick goes to Switzerland.

43′ The Turks get a chance on the Swiss end. but Switzerland clears it away from goal.

41′ Aurelio gets yellow for taking down Behrani. Yellow seems a bit harsh for that foul. Yakin sends the free right into the wall. It eventually splashes out for a throw. Metin looks like he may have picked up some kind of knock as part of that wall.

39′ This game is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s underwater-ball. I’ll post some video at the half for those unable to watch. Turkey wins a free kick at midfield on the right touchline. Altintop sends in a nice long, high ball directly toward goal, but Benaglio is up to it and grabs it out of the air.

36′ The Swiss are doing well here with long balls and chip shots, because passing isn’t working in this weather. They do it again with a long ball to Hakin, but he’s just offside.

35′ A near miss for the Swiss! They bring it up the right, Beryani sending it in front of the goal. Hakin can’t tell where it’s going to end up, and in the end misjudges and sends it wide.

32′ GOAL!!! Switzerland. That was the most bizarre goal I’ve seen this tournament, with the standing water acting like an extra player on the field. Long ball over the top, with Demirel coming off his line and not getting there in time. It’s passed across the mouth of the goal and stops dead in the water for Hakan Yakin to tap in.

31′ Card for Tuncay for taking down Inler with a late tackle.

30′ The sideline camera is covered with water and it’s hard to see what’s going on. Nihat complains to the ref while showing that his shirt has been ripped. No call.

28′ Turkish throw from the byline. Then a Free kick to Turkey just outside the box. Magnin took down Tuncay. May have been a bit of a dive. There are about two inches of water standing in front of the goal.

Nihat sends it in, Benaglio touches it but a Turkish player (Turan?) gets a head on it but sends it into the post!

27′ Players are sliding all over the place, and it almost gives Switzerland a chance, but the player is offside.

25′ The Swiss take a long time deciding who’s taking the corner, and the Turks inch forward before the refs send them back. Barnetta sends in a nice free kick that Demirel bats out one-handed for a corner. The corner is poorly delivered by Yakin and Turkey easily sends it out for a Swiss throw.

24′ Barnetta gets the best chance so far for the Swiss, and Demirel is lucky to bat it away for the corner. Turkey gets it away, but Karedeniz takes down Magnin for a free kick in a dangerous position, a few yards outside th box.

23′ Pinball inside the Swiss six-yard box, with six players crammed together battling and splashing for the ball. In the end Switzerland gets it away.

21′ Tuncay has a good chance for Turkey, but Switzerland gets it away. Senderos does some nice acrobatics to prevent a corner.

20′ Inler takes a long shot. Demirel is there, but he bobbles it for a second. The ball has to be incredibly slick right now.

19′ Behrani can’t get to a longball and it goes out for a Turkey throw.

17′ Fernandes takes out Turan and Turkey gets a free kick. They play it around for awhile and then Switzerland gets called for another foul. Free kick for Turkey by Nihat spins away from all the players. The rain is soaking the players’ shirts and making it very hard to see the numbers, so bear with me here as I try to figure out who’s doing what.

15′ Not a whole lot going on right now. The Turks are dominating possession, but not looking convincing yet. Switzerland gets a free kick that causes some confusion in the box, but in the end it goes out for a goal kick.

12′ It is suddenly pouring down rain. REALLY pouring. The game is slowing down as Turkey plays with the ball at the back. Foul called on Nihat. HE looks innocent. I didn’t see the foul either.

11′ The Swiss send the ball up the field, but Derdiyok get his wires crossed and lets it slip by him to the goalkeeper.

10′ the ref sends Balta off the field for treatment. There were some head collisions earlier, so that might be why.

9′ Turan sends in a nice cross form the right, but Benaglio is able to jump up and snatch it out of the air.

8′ The Swiss send a cross across the face of goal, but there’s nobody there who looks like they could do anything with it. It’s sent out for a goal kick.

7′ Turks attack again, but Karadeniz is just barely offside.

6′ Turks attack (Hamit?) from the right, but Benaglio is up to it and collects the ball easily.

5′ Coach Kuhn has a rather hangdog look on his face.

4′ Good chance for the Swiss coming from Barnetta. Turkey eventually heads it back to Demirel and safety.

1′ And we’re underway. Switzerland in red, Turkey in white. And a foul right away, free kick for Turkey. Eventually forced out for a corner. Nihat sends it into the box, headed out, sent back in by Turkey. Turan commits a foul in the box and Switzerland gets it back.

-4′ Nihat has the Turkey armband with Emre injured. The midfield has been switched around quite a bit from Saturday.

-7 Now the Swiss national anthem. Most of the players aren’t singing and have a far-away look in their eyes. Perhaps thinking of Stephane Grichting?

-8′ And the boys are entering the field. The Turkish national anthem is playing. Have I mentioned yet today that the national anthems are my favorite parts of the pregame? The Turks are all singing, even Brazilian-born Aurelio. Who probably knows it’s in his best interest.

-9′ And if you’re watching the game near a computer, be sure to leave comments. The lower-profile game in any day is always a lonely one to liveblog.

-10′ Streller is injured and not even on the bench, so nineteen-year-old Eren Derdiyok is getting the start up front for the Swiss.

-15 And now they’re interviewing the Turks, who say they’re going to play nice.

-18′ Oh boy! ESPN is going to show the film from the 2005 Switzerland-Turkey riot. Where Swiss guy Stephane Grichting suffered (and was hospitalized for) an injury that makes males everywhere cringe and go pale and cover up. (Is he on the bench today?) If I were him, I think I’d want to stay far away from this game.

-20′ Looks like the biggest news is that Servet Cetin is fit to play in central defense. But Zan is out, so Cetin will be paired with Emre Asik. And of course Emre Belozoglu is also out. That’s probably the bigger injury loss.

-30-ish minutes These are the starting lineups according to BBC:

Turkey: Volkan Demirel, Emre Asik, Servet Cetin, Hakan Kadir Balta, Tumer Metin, Gokdeniz Karadeniz, Mehmet Aurelio, Arda, Hamit Altintop, Tuncay Tuncay Sanli, Nihat.

Switzerland: Benaglio, Senderos, Muller, Magnin, Lichtsteiner, Yakin, Gokhan Inler, Gelson Fernandes, Behrami, Barnetta, Derdiyok.

-35′ Okay, we’re getting ready to go here for Switzerland-Turkey. I have had WAY too much caffeine. I’m not sure this is a good thing.