Euro Wrap, June 11

Seven goals in Group A today, and the knockout rounds are beginning to take shape. We have one team topping the group and going through to the quarterfinals, and another team bottoming the group (is bottoming a word? it should be) and going nowhere.

First Portugal booked their spot in the last eight with a convincing 3-1 win over the too-timid Czech Republic, then Turkey won a dramatic underwater encounter against Switzerland 2-1 to keep their hopes alive and end the co-hosts ambitions on only the fifth day of the tournament.

GROUP A	June 11th, 1800 CET, Geneva (Switzerland)
Czech Republic 1 VS Portugal 3 Sionko 16′   Deco 8′, Ronaldo 63′, Quaresma 91′

Portugal put their names alongside Netherlands and Spain (and maybe Germany) as the most impressive teams in the tournament so far with this win. Whatever else Cristiano Ronaldo is (make your own list) he’s a dangerous son of a gun who you wouldn’t want to have to mark.

In a great opening quarter of an hour Deco scored the second scrappiest goal of Euro 2008 (winner is still Sweden’s Petter Hannsen) and Sionko equalized with a beaut of a header. But after much Portuguese attacking C-Ron made it 2-1 at the crucial half an hour to go mark. Great work by Deco on the right, but nice finish from the (currently) Man Utd winger/striker/wherever as he directed it into the bottom far corner.

Then Ronaldo beat the offside trap in injury time to put one on a plate for Ronaldo Lite, (Ricky Quaresma) who likely welcomed the opportunity to remind suitors that he’s available for a big money move from Porto please. Deco looked in the mood and even Nuno Gomes looked dangerous (if not lethal). So the future’s looking good for the Portuguese, especially with a pointless game against pointless Switzerland (see below) to follow.

Not that Portugal are unbeatable. Like any team they have their weakness. And Portugal’s weakness can be summed up in two words: “crosses” and “Ricardo”.

But the Czech Republic were too timid to capitalize, going with just one striker (Milan Baros) rather than confronting Ricardo with the imposing Koller from the get go. Karel Bruckner and friends can still make the quarter-finals, but they face a tense final game against Turkey where winner takes second spot.

And – get this – for the first time ever should the Czech Republic vs Turkey game finish in a draw after 90 minutes, there’s no drawing lots and no extra time, just straight to penalties to decide who makes the quarter-finals.

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

Heartbreak for the Swiss, as they become the first team out of the tournament. They have one game yet to play, on Sunday against Portugal, but they’re playing for pride only. After that game, Portugal is going forward and Switzerland is going home, and nothing that happens on the field is going to change that.

This match against Turkey started out normally enough, with control switching back and forth, and with Turkey perhaps having a slight advantage. But a torrential downpour started in about the tenth minute, and it didn’t take long for the field to be covered in standing water.

The rain and water affected the game in a big way, slowing (and in some cases stopping) the ball as it traveled along the ground, making accurate passing and dribbling nearly impossible. This made life miserable for the Turks, who were the more technical team. It made life easier for the Swiss, who showed their talent for moving the ball via long, high passes and chip shots.

This paid off for them in the 32nd minute, when Philippe Senderos sent a long ball in for the incredibly talented teenager Eren Derdiyok, who made the keeper come off his line and then sent the ball into a puddle in front of goal, where it sat waiting for Hakan Yakin to tap it home. Yakin almost added another minutes later but headed it wide.

And then halftime came, and the rain stopped, and the Turks came roaring back. Nihat sent a perfect cross in for substitute Semih Senturk, who headed it home in the 56th minute for the equalizer.

And 1-1 was where it stayed until the third minute of stoppage time, when Arda Turan took the ball on the left wing, dodged defenders on a run to the middle, then got a lucky deflection off of Patrick Mueller that sent the ball up over the keeper and into the net.

First the Swiss lose Frei, then they lose to the Czechs after outplaying them, and now they lose this game in stoppage time.

This can be a cruel, cruel game.

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GROUP A – Teams		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
	Portugal	2	2	0	0	5	1	6
	Czech Republic	2	1	0	1	2	3	3
	Turkey	2	1	0	1	2	3	3
	Switzerland	2	0	0	2	1	3	0

For complete standings for all groups, click here.