Key events
On whom, we learn this from Scott Murray’s blog:
Arda Güler of Turkey broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s 20-year-old record to become the youngest player to score on their Euro finals debut. The ‘Turkish Messi’ is 19 years and 114 days old; Ronaldo was a comparatively creaky 19 years and 128 days when he scored a late consolation against Greece in the opener of Euro 2004.
That match was worth the wait and the same will be so of the next one, purely because there isn’t one. I can’t lie, I’ve invested a few pounds on Portugal with my local turf accountant, because I think they’re the hardest team to stop scoring – though I’d not be surprised were Little Bobby Martínez to hamstring himself by picking Ronaldo when he shouldn’t.
Thinking more about Turkey, their defence might be a problem, but they’re sharp in attack. There’s something, too, about a youngster turning up and immediately taking control of a situation – you don’t see it often, but when you do, you know about it.
I didn’t plan to start a US-coverage riff, but I’m getting lots of thoughts on Alexi Lalas. He is not, shall we say, universally appreciated.
“Obviously better pitch management ensures, on the whole, better football,” says Kári Tulinius. “However, I do miss seeing games turn into mud baths when it’s pelting down like now. One of my favourite football matches was between Guardiola’s Barcelona and Bielsa’s Athletic, and the players were aquaplaning into tackles. Modern drainage is too good for something like that.”
Yup, anything that makes the players uncomfortable is a winner in my churlish world.
“Well Daniel,” begins Dean Kinsella, “after the petit mort of that finish I just want to reflect on the quality, right through the teams, not just the excellent Turks and the wonderful Georgians but all the so-called second division teams in this competition so far. Skills and comfort on the ball in tight spaces runs through all the players now – not just 2 or 3 stars. The ‘big’ teams had better be ready.”
Again, agreed. Keepers have feet and defenders have feet; there’s no reason to think that is limited to rich countries. I loved Romania’s performance, and Ukraine also looked handy till they went behind. For a tournament to be great, it needs some knockout classics and ideally a great team or two – I don’t think we’ve got any – but a banging group stage is decent consolation.
“Can I just say that I thought the referee was terrific,” writes Martin Gamage. “He got the mood of the game quickly – i.e. spirited rather than malicious tackles – and let it flow as much as he could. He really contributed to the spectacle.”
Agreed. And, I guess, he took into consideration the conditions – which, alongside what you say about the mood of the game, explains why we’ll never get consistency from game to game.
I know most of the post-match fuss will relate to Guler’s goal, but hold tight Georgia, who were superb. If they play like that against Czech Republic, they’ve every chance of forcing a result.
ANITDONTSTOP
I don’t know about youse (I know about youse, it’s a figure of speech) but i absolutely adored every single second of that. Teams can play the game however they want, but you only get that when both play with risk, aggression, passion and love. And I know international football is being slowly strangled by the club game, but only international football gives us atmospheres like this one.
FULL TIME: Turkey 3-1 Georgia
The ground is in absolute uproar, the Turkey fans feeling those feelings that only football can make you feel. What a sport! There is nothing, nothing like it.
GOAL! Turkey 3-1 Georgia (Akturkoglu 90+7)
This is so harsh on Georgia, who’ve been fantastic, and properly pursued an equaliser. But when someone, I don’t see who, loses out in a 50:50, Akturkoglu brings the ball away, and passes into an empty net! What a game, mates; what a joy to enjoy it.
90+7 min Georgia win another corner, Mamardashvili comes up again … but Turkey clear and have a counter, the net empty….
90+6 min Kvaratskhelia’s free-kick is superb, the keeper unable to come for it last someone get a touch, until he has to dive as it hits the far post! AND IT FALLS FOR DAVIDTASHVILI, who strikes it well enough … BUT KASHIA BLOCKS HEROICALLY! HE HAS WON THE GAME FOR HIS TEAM!
90+5 min Ozcan blunders into zivivadze and Georgia have a free-kick 40 yards out; the big goalie’s coming up!
90+3 min When there’s a one-goal deficit, the team chasing usually makes a chance, and is this Georgia’s? Kvaratskheilia isolates Kadioglu,straps him to the absolute toast he carires in his pocket, feinting inside then darting outside, and hos cross to the near post is attacked by Zivivadze, the ball flying into the middle, and with Mikautadze poised to plant home his second finish of the evening, Kochorashvili takes it away from him, leaping into a finish that bounces into the ground and wide!
90+3 min “Because international football is played between teams representing nation states,” says Joshua Reynolds, “there is always the chance for intriguing geopolitical narratives. For that reason, I really enjoy the big tournaments and always look at it as a way to learn more about things such as “Well, what DO Turkiye and Georgia think about each other and why?”
I agree. I can’t tell you how much of the nothing I know and understand about the world is because of my sport addiction.
90+2 min Turkey send on Ozcan for Calhanoglu.
90 min We’ll have six additional minutes, which is more like it. As it goes, Turkey have largely kept Georgia at arms’ length since Kochorashvili hit the bar what seems like an epoch ago.
89 min Georgia send on Altunashvili for Mekvabishvili.
89 min Calhanoglu hacks someone down – I’m afraid I don’t see who – and is booked.
87 min Celik is immediately into the action, digging out a cross from the outside the box, right-hand side, that picks out Yazici, and he’s up alone! Finish him! But he can’t direct his header into the many spaces in the goal, Mamardashvili – who’s been good – claiming easily enough.
86 min “So Russell Eberts refuses to watch Fox’s coverage because of its
American commentators,” accuses Martin Cobb. “Well, too bad for him because he’s missing the excellent play-by-play commentary provided by Ian Darke and Derek Rae – two of the best British football commentators in the world, in my opinion – during two of each day’s games, and the analysis of Warren Barton in the third. As an expat I am also critical of soccer coverage in this country at times, but Fox’s is top-notch during the matches in this tournament, and their studio team of European former players is
pretty good too.”
I really like Derek Rae too, but I’ll never get used to Ian Darke not doing the boxing on the radio.
85 min Two more changes for Turkey, the excellent Yildiz replaced by Akturkoglu and Celik coming on for Muldur; Georgia do Zivivadze for Kverkvelia.
83 min What were you doing when you were 19? My guess is not scoring a belter in front of an adoring crowd, but hit me up if I’m wrong. Full disclosure: I was on my gap yah, part of which involved my getting stabbed outside a discotheque, so.
82 min Mikautadze, who’s been superb, pulls left and skips past Kadioglu, but his cross finds no one.
81 min Decent.
80 min Jermaine Jenas thinks Turkey might’ve gone to three at the back; I gues they’re looking to protect their lead without sitting back to invite pressure, because they’ve still got three up.
79 min But events save me the stress of finding an apposite response, Guler taken off for Yazici and Deioral replacing Ayhan.
76 min “Have you ever seen an Arder Guler scored?” chortles Tim Pearson.
74 min Double change for Georgia, Davitashvili and Lochoshviki for Tsitaishvili and and a bewildered-looking Chavetadze.
72 min Kochorashvili, who’s been excellent, gets on the ball just inside the box, shoots … and i think a desperate lunge from Dvali is what sends it looping on to the bar and away from danger! Georgia have got such moxie – they might’ve folded after going behind, but instead they’ve found new conviction.
71 min “Just as Guler was lining up to strike that, I was saying ‘Why would you be doing that’,” admits Paul Fitzgerald.
I said “Don’t shoot, whatever you do don’t shoot” just before this goal. The lad behind me reminded me of it (once we’d peeled ourselves off the ground under the Selhurst seats).
70 min This is still a fantastic game, the crowd both loving and elevating it.
68 min Here come Turkey again, Yildiz racing down the left and finding Calhanoglu, who should shoot but instead cuts back … and Kokcu can’t quite find the finish, the ball slightly behind him.
OH MY DAYS WHAT A GOAL! Turkey 2-1 Georgia (Guler 65)
Georgia get the ball clear but Tsitaishvili overplays, caught in possession by Ayhan, the ball breaks to Guler, 25 yards out, and of course he curls a stunningly joyous finish that shaves the inside of the far post, seven-eighths of the way up! The ground goes wild, and it has every right to go wild! The youngster has announced himself!
65 min Turkey are finding it harder to find the spaces this half – partly because Georgia have spooked them a little and partly because they’re just not playing as well BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I INTERRUPT MYSELF!
64 min It’s absolutely hurling it down, by the way.
62 min Kvaratskhelia picks up possession in space, finds Tsitaishvili outside him, and when the cut-back comes, he slides at it … but can’t impart a strong enough touch to trouble the keeper, the ball skewing square not straight.
62 min Something I wonder: both these teams look properly fit, and I wonder if those with players contesting titles in the toughest leagues and involved in the Champions League knockouts have already peaked. England, for example, looked leggy; N’Golo Kanté, for example, did not.
60 min “Association football fan from the US with my two cents, says Russell Eberts. “I think the expanded format is a wonderful opportunity to watch teams and players who usually aren’t anywhere near our football radar. Particularly in these trying times, it’s a wonderful reminder of the diversity of European countries and cultures.
Re: Fox coverage. I absolutely refuse to watch Fox coverage, particularly when it involves former USMNT players. Somehow they all sound exactly the same, and none of them have anything interesting to say (besides Tim Howard, but he’s over on Peacock for the Premier League). I usually try to find a Spanish telecast, even though my understanding of the language is very limited. Listening to American announcers on Fox makes my ears bleed.”
60 min Another Turkey break peters out, Kakabadze responding well after being caught to catch up with Guler and block him off.
58 min Georgia counter, Chakvejadze marching through centrefield and finding Mikautadze to his left. There are three defenders between him and goal so, in the circumstances, the corner he wins is the best he could’ve done; it comes to nowt.
57 mim And he lamps a flat shot that barely deviates, Mamardashvili – who’s looked solid – pranging clear.
55 min The game now looks more like it did prior to the disallowed goal, Turkey dominating the ball and looking dangerous. As I type, Guler takes possession just outside the box, ducking inside Dvali before Kochorashvili eases him to the ground; no penalty, though it’s tighter than our commentators think, and the ref brings play back for a foul on the edge. Calhanoglu will fancy this alright, 22 yards out, just left of centre.
53 min “Early shout for the most enjoyable game of the competition so far,” says Charles Anraki, “certainly in the most- like-a-basketball-game section, also the players-really-seem-to-care-about-it prize. The crowd also running away with the cacophony award. And wasn’t this supposed to be a duff game between mediocrities?”
I don’t know about that – Turkey are more the chin-stroker’s dark horse – but yup, a beauty of tournaments, all sports, is the surprise early-stage jazzers.
51 min Nice from Georgia, sweeping the ball from right to left and finding Kvaratskhelia, who checks then goes back and outside Kadioglu, crossing, and the ball drops for Mikautadze! He swivels into a shot, catching it well enough … but Ayhan and Akaydin hurl their bodies in the road to block. Great defending.
49 min Georgia maraud down the right and Kcaratskheiklia is free in the middle. But the lofted ball in misses him out and finds Tsitaishvili, who chops inside and out then shoots wide.
48 min “Re Scott Carson, let it not be forgotten that he’s also got two CL medals at home, quite the career!”