Who got that right?!

Euro ’08, Semi-final 1: Germany v Turkey. Who got that right?!

The first 2 matches of the quarter-finals stage has now ended, with copious amounts of drama. At the halfway mark, it’s the match day underdogs who have emerged victorious, while the pre-match favourites succumbed to either the pressure of the big stage or to just a change in fortunes. No wonder they call FOOTBALL the most exciting team sport in the world….

Germany pipped as the tournament favourites initially, were proven by Croatia in the league stages, that they could be beaten and beaten with ease… The Croats had shown tremendous speed in their forward runs, especially at counter-attacks, that got the Germans stupefied, and one of the strongest defense line-ups were obliterated and almost pushed into oblivion.

They had a discoloured comeback against Austria, where they were on the back foot at most times, with only a moment of brilliance from inspirational captain Michael Ballack getting them past the Austrians and into the quarter-finals.

Going in to the quarter-finals without coach Joachim Low, who was suspended in their last league match, was not their only worry. The Germans have been followed throughout the trip by the ghost of the Holocaust, with slurs from the crowd and even the media, especially those of Austria and Poland. With one Polish tabloid going as far as to calling for the heads of the German players to be severed for the atrocities of Hitler and his brain-dead Nazis. It reached its climax, when a Swiss television network during the German National Anthem, which was so patriotically ritualised by Ballack & Co., gaffed by trickling in the subtitles of the old Nazi Anthem, an ‘error’ the network quickly said was inexcusable and found their scapegoats in 2 junior copy editors.

The Germans obviously could not undo the grave atrocities of their ancestors. They could not rewrite history.

Through all of this unwarranted racial slurs, not one word in defense nor in retaliation came from the German camp. They prepared to take all of this and bury it with their game against Portugal. Their mental toughness was unmatched and emerged deserved winners with a thumping 3-2 victory, mowing down the Portuguese, and leaving their ever animate coach Felipe Scolari, desolate...

In the other quarter-finals, Turkey, the 11^th hour specialists, who championed into the quarter-finals by desoiling the Czech and Swiss machineries in the league stage with last minute goals, were up against the effervescent coach Slaven Bilic and his pacey, organised Croatian team.

The Croats drew first blood through Ivan Klasnic’s header late into the second half of the extra-time, with only seconds left, and it seemed like the Turks were given a taste of their own bitter medicine and being handed with a last minute defeat. But, there was another twist, with Turkey's Semih Senturk scoring of, what was probably, the last play of the game, to equalise and take the Croats right down to the wire and into penalties...

Spot kicks are never a just way of deciding a winner, and yet one knows it’s the only way a winner can be chosen. It was the Croats who were left heart-broken at the end, of what was a dreadful 90 minutes of regular time culminating in high action drama. The Turks were exultant as their reserve Goalkeeper Rustu Recber, who came in place of the suspended Volkan Demirel, saved the decisive kick from Mladen Petric.

With 2 more quarter-finals to go, Netherlands and Spain would look neither to emulate the Portuguese complacency nor the Croatian indiscipline.

Although the Spain-Italy match is too close to call, you’d expect The Oranje to pile drive the Russians, deep into the Earth’s core.

But wait, is there another tack in the trend!!!!!

Anthony Palathingal

Hiddink.. Hiddink.. Hiddink...

Hiddink.. Hiddink.. Hiddink... I heard that chant during the 2002 World Cup in South Korea... The Koreans had woken up one day and found themselves in the Semi-finals of the FIFA World cup, something they could've only dreamt about.... What was a fantasy for the Koreans was a nightmare for the Spaniards and then the Italians... They played sublime football, with each time a Korean player gets hold off the ball, the tantric chant for their new found God, Hiddink, to posses the soul of the player, became stronger.... For it was he who played all their matches, especially those of the knockout stage, alone.. Well, may be not alone, they did get some passionate help from the refs, who were probably promised some Korean hookers after the match.

But Hiddink had done that country proud.... He had done more than anyone, even he, could've imagined... Critics called his success ephemeral, and that it could not last any longer than it already has.... Then it was Australia... Here he did not need help from the refs, because players like Tim Cahill were good enough to play spectacular football when possessed by his coaching. They reached the Round of 16 to face Italy, only to be undone by some poor refereeing, which resulted in a penalty in the dying stages of the match, one which Francesco Totti converted with his famous scoop.... Italy would then go on to win the Championship.... When Russia were gifted with the coaching services of Mr. Hiddink, whose salary is partly bankrolled by Mr. Roman Abrahmovic (Owner of FC Chelsea), they expected him to win titles everyday.. Even when Russia were not lined up for any game, not even friendlies, only greatness was expected of them. Such are the expectations from Moscow to Vladivostok....

The qualifying campaign for Euro 08 was nothing but forgettable... They showed grit and verve in the opening part of the campaign, defeating England and almost securing a place for Euro 08 finals, with only the lowly Israel in their way, a country not known for giving birth to any footballing greats... But they could only manage a draw from that one, leaving it to the English to decide their fate, a favour which the English gleefully returned by losing to the Croats at Wembley...

Russia started their Euro 08 finals campaign poorly with surrendering their form and eventually the match to the Spanish Matadors..... Not much was expected of them and even after defeating the completely out of place defending champions, Greece, no one expected them to even put up a fight to the Swedes... Not with Ibrahimovic finally doing some justice to his game by beginning to prove himself at the bigger international circuit...

But Russia gave them a sudden bolt by packing their bags and sending them on a Sputnik out of Switzerland....

This is Hiddink's 3rd team in twice as many years and with each team he has reached the knockout stage of a big tournament.. The Russians probably the weakest of the 3 during his tenure with the teams, face their biggest task all season, The Oranje.. Can Hiddink pull out another rabbit from his Hat, only time can tell.....

As the quarter finals start from tonight, the clear favourites are The Oranje and The Spanish, 2 teams not known to do well in the final stages of big tournaments... Italy's win over France which secured their place in the quarters against Spain, has brought in new life to the defending WORLD CHAMPIONS..... Croatia, group leaders after defeating pre-tournament favourites Germany, face the resurgent Turks..... Germany whose form seems to be spiralling downwards will face the triad of Ronaldo-Deco-Gomes and their in-form Portuguese team... Guesstimates can be and will be made in plenty, but betting on any team to reach the semi-finals would give you only as much chance as winning the jackpot in a slot machine…

But then again, as Oscar Wilde once so aptly put it, “I can resist anything but temptation.”

Anthony Palathingal