Turks, Czechs aiming to avoid penalties
Monday, 16 June 2008
GENEVA, June 15 (Reuters): Turkey and Czech Republic could face a penalty shootout Sunday to qualify for a Euro 2008 quarter-final clash against Croatia although both sides are determined to avoid relying on the lottery of spot kicks.
Under a new system introduced by tournament organisers UEFA at these finals, if the pair draw their Group A match at the Stade de Geneve there will be a shootout after 90 minutes to decide who qualifies as runners-up behind Portugal.
The new regulation states that if two teams playing each other in the final round of group matches draw their game and are level on points, goal difference and goals scored, then their finishing position will be decided by spot kicks.
"We will try everything to make sure the match doesn't go to penalties," Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel said at a news conference on Friday.
Volkan's team mate Arda Turan, who scored Turkey's injury-time winner against Switzerland on Wednesday in Basel, said the squad had every confidence in their goalkeeper if the scores were tied at the end of the match.
"We all trust him to do what it takes," he told reporters at the team's training base in Nyon.
Czech Repubolic have been in three shootouts at major championships, winning every one and scoring all 20 spot kicks. Turkey have never been in a shootout at a major tournament.
Czech coach Karel Brueckner has told his team they need more of the attacking football they displayed in the loss to Portugal than the dreary and disjointed effort they produced in the 1-0 win over co-hosts Switzerland in their opening match.
He seems likely to stick to the lineup which started that second game, fielding Marek Matejovsky as playmaker rather than David Jarolim and keeping faith with striker Milan Baros despite his recent lack of goals.
Under a new system introduced by tournament organisers UEFA at these finals, if the pair draw their Group A match at the Stade de Geneve there will be a shootout after 90 minutes to decide who qualifies as runners-up behind Portugal.
The new regulation states that if two teams playing each other in the final round of group matches draw their game and are level on points, goal difference and goals scored, then their finishing position will be decided by spot kicks.
"We will try everything to make sure the match doesn't go to penalties," Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel said at a news conference on Friday.
Volkan's team mate Arda Turan, who scored Turkey's injury-time winner against Switzerland on Wednesday in Basel, said the squad had every confidence in their goalkeeper if the scores were tied at the end of the match.
"We all trust him to do what it takes," he told reporters at the team's training base in Nyon.
Czech Repubolic have been in three shootouts at major championships, winning every one and scoring all 20 spot kicks. Turkey have never been in a shootout at a major tournament.
Czech coach Karel Brueckner has told his team they need more of the attacking football they displayed in the loss to Portugal than the dreary and disjointed effort they produced in the 1-0 win over co-hosts Switzerland in their opening match.
He seems likely to stick to the lineup which started that second game, fielding Marek Matejovsky as playmaker rather than David Jarolim and keeping faith with striker Milan Baros despite his recent lack of goals.