Opinion: It’s Turkiye time at Euro 2024
What if the signature highlight of Euro 2024 is not a memorable winner, à la David Trezeguet’s golden goal, or an iconic strike of the ball, such as Marco van Basten’s majestic volley?
What if — and it would be rather appropriate, given the nature of this tournament to date — it’s not even a sequence that ends with the ball in the back of the net, but rather preserves a result by keeping it out?
By now, four days after his astonishing, Superman-in-full-flight foiling of Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner in the final seconds of Turkiye’s round of 16 triumph, there isn’t a person in world football, nevermind Europe, who doesn’t know of Mert Gunok.
Ebrahim Noroozi / The Associated Press Turkish goalkeeper Mert Gunok makes one of the top plays of Euro 2024 against Austria.
In fact, “Gunok” will probably become — if it isn’t already — a name, even a term, that evokes a specific, unforgettable act of heroism.
Say “van Basten,” for example, and one’s mind will locate the film of the Dutchman’s spectacular hit from an impossible angle in the final of Euro ‘88. Say “Banks”, and what the brain will conjure is the England goalkeeper’s leaping denial of Pelé at the 1970 World Cup. Gunok’s save was almost identical, as agitated Austria manager Ralf Rangnick conceded on Tuesday.
“Remember the ‘Gunok’?” It’s caught on already.
Yet, the 35-year-old shot-stopper, having spent his entire career in Turkiye, is just one of the unlikely figures who has suddenly — quite suddenly — turned the Crescent-Stars into a vigorous underdog at a competition that has been somewhat drowsy.
Merih Demiral is another.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Juventus cast-off scored twice against Austria, doubling his international total with a pair of headers won through sheer will. Like Gunok to Banks, Demiral’s performance can be likened to that of Lilian Thuram against Croatia at the 1998 World Cup.
The France defender was 26 years old and had earned 32 caps before scoring twice in that semifinal. He never scored for his country again.
Similarly, Demiral is 26 and had played 47 games for Türkiye when he notched his third and fourth international tallies. He also touched the ball 61 times and completed 90 per cent of his passes while not committing a single foul. (It is, however, necessary to mention that his premeditated goal celebration revealed a far-right extremist alignment that Germany’s interior minister has since condemned as an act of “racism.”)
Then there is Arda Guler.
The 19-year-old Real Madrid playmaker has been one of the few box office attractions at these Euros. Like club teammate Jude Bellingham, he can play almost anywhere in almost any role and inevitably assumes he is destined to be one of the greatest footballers of his generation.
The thing is, nothing he has shown so far, despite the brashness of youth, gives any indication that he’s overestimated himself.
Guler’s is the engine that drives his team forward. Loaded with lung power, occasionally temperamental and elegantly left-footed, he is that rare creator-disruptor-leader who somehow combines conviction, industry and panache.
A quarterfinal win over the Netherlands today in Berlin (2 p.m., TSN), paired with an England victory against Switzerland in Dusseldorf (11 a.m., TSN), would set up an intriguing head-to-head between Guler and Bellingham. Of course, much would have to align before that semifinal could kick off in Dortmund.
The Dutch, for one, greatly impressed in their 3-0 dispatching of Romania in the round of 16, and the English have yet to demonstrate competence for more than 30 seconds at a time.
Switzerland will fancy their chances of progressing to a first major semifinal in their history; though Turkiye, for that matter, have managed the feat only twice.
Nevertheless, in addition to those key individuals who’ve already thrilled their nation, the Turks will have a number of things going for them in today’s match — as well as in a prospective semi-final.
Captain Hakan Calhanoglu will be back from suspension, as will centre-back Samet Akaydin, although manager Vincenzo Montella may prefer to stick with the three-man backline that did so well against Austria.
The venue, meanwhile, will be decked in red and white, what with the tens of thousands of Berliners of Turkish descent who live in the capital.
A Dortmund semifinal would also be a sort of home match for Turkiye. North Rhine-Westphalia is home to more members of the Turkish diaspora than any other region in the world (largely the result of a migrant workers program in 1960s and ’70s West Germany), and the loud, colourful and occasionally intimidating atmosphere created by the fans would only be to their team’s advantage.
As if to underscore the excitement back in Turkiye, where tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters celebrated the defeat of Austria, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rearranged his schedule so as to watch today’s quarterfinal at the Olympiastadion in person. It might as well be a national holiday.
Of course, the revelry will be short-lived if they can’t actually go on and beat the Netherlands. And history is not on their side.
Turkiye have won only four of their 14 matches against the Oranje, and they’ve tended to implode after flattering to impress – failing to qualify for a single World Cup after making the 2002 semifinals, and taking until now to enter the knockout phase of a European Championship after their final four appearance at Euro 2008.
Montella insists that his current side has “soul,” that it’s buoyed by what he’s called a “really visceral” response of passion among its supporters. And having been embarrassed in a 6-1 friendly loss to the same Austrians back in March, this is a group that clearly learns from its mistakes as well.
And yet, you just feel another action of immense significance will be required to see Turkiye into next week. Another “Gunok.” Probably two or three or four more of them.
Euro 2024, while not providing reliably interesting football, has been a tournament of moments. Turkiye have thrived in it, and win or lose today they’ve already delivered what could well end up being the most unforgettable one of the lot.
X @JerradPeters
