By Mike Collett
GENEVA, June 16 (Reuters) - Turkey's pulsating 3-2 win over
Czech Republic brought the curtain down on Group A in
exceptional circumstances on Sunday night as Euro 2008 continued
to produce yet another unlikely drama.
As befits a tournament being staged in the Alpine nations of
Switzerland and Austria, the players appear to be scaling new
peaks of excitement and entertainment in almost every match.
With 18 of the 31 scheduled games completed -- and with
three first round groups still to be completed and the knockout
stage to come, the tournament is shaping up as the best European
Championship since the finals were first held in 1960.
The opening 18 games have produced 46 goals -- the same
number as in Belgium and Netherlands at the same stage in 2000
-- and five more than at this stage in Portugal four years ago.
KEY AREAS
The first 18 matches in Euro' 96, the first 16-team finals,
produced 36 goals -- but even though every tournament is special
and every one produces memorable moments, none has quite matched
this one in a number of key areas.
These include the type of football being played by almost
every team. Apart from one or two exceptions, fans have been
treated to fast, open, attacking action.
The players are, in general, showing respect for each other
and to the officials, and have been concentrating on producing
football of the highest technical calibre rather than arguing
about this decision or that.
Despite some mixed weather with supporters regularly getting
a drenching, the atmosphere surrounding the matches themselves,
in the stadiums and in the fan zones has been remarkable.
UEFA president Michel Platini said on Sunday -- even before
Turkey's remarkable fightback against the Czechs -- that the
tournament had so far been "sizzling", marked by "dazzling
individual performances". He was spot on.
ASTONISHING VICTORY
Turkey captain Nihat Kahveci personified his comments in
rainy Geneva on Sunday night by scoring twice in the last four
minutes to transform Turkey's fortunes and give them a truly
astonishing victory over the Czechs, who, at 2-0 ahead until 75
minutes played, seemed set for the last eight.
Turkey were also involved in one of the other memorable
games when they came from behind for the first time to beat
co-hosts Switzerland 2-1 in a match played in such a deluge it
looked as though it might have to be abandoned at one stage.
The Dutch have also dazzled in their opening matches,
beating world champions Italy 3-0 and World Cup finalists France
4-1 in successive matches in Group C.
While the Dutch are safely through to the last eight and
being spoken of as possible champions, Italy and France meet in
Zurich on Tuesday with one, or possibly both going out.
In the 2002 World Cup, France, then the defending world
champions and Argentina, failed to survive the group stage and
Italy went out in the second round.
Their absences were missed in the later stages, but if Italy
and France fail to make the quarter-finals here, the quality in
this competition is so good, they will not be missed for long.
Portugal have been outstanding in their wins over Turkey
(2-0) and the Czech Republic (3-1), while Spain's 4-1 win over
Russia and their resilient 2-1 defeat of Sweden has seen them
into the last eight.
David Villa's four goals, including the tournament's only
hat-trick so far against the Russians, have had Spaniards
dreaming of a first major title since they were European
champions in 1964.
With defending champions Greece eliminated, a vacancy exists
at the summit of European soccer.
If the battle to reach it is half as good as the fight to
make it out of base-camp, this tournament is going to get even
better in the remaining two weeks.
(Editing by Jon Bramley)
