[ad_1]
Key events
64 min By the way, it absolutely throws it down.
62 min Kvaratskhelia controls the ball in space, finds Tsitaishvili outside and as the fullback comes in he slides towards him… but can’t get a strong enough touch to trouble the keeper, the ball doesn’t curve straight.
62 min Something I wonder: both teams look well prepared and I wonder if those with players challenging for titles in the toughest leagues and participating in Champions League knockouts have already reached their peak. England, for example, seemed long-legged; N’Golo Kante, for example, did not.
60 min “USA Soccer Fan Association with my two cents,” says Russell Eberts. “I think the extended format is a wonderful opportunity to watch teams and players that are not usually close to our football radar. Especially in these difficult times, it is a wonderful reminder of the diversity of European countries and cultures.
Re: Discovery of Fox. I absolutely refuse to watch Fox coverage, especially when it involves former USMNT players. Somehow they all sound exactly the same and none of them will say anything interesting (except Tim Howard, but he’s over Peacock for the Premier League). I usually try to find a TV show in Spanish, even though my understanding of the language is very limited. Listening to American speakers on Fox makes my ears bleed.
60 min Another Turkey break Peters, Kakabadze reacts well after being caught to catch Guler and block him.
58 min Georgia counter, Chakvejadze crosses the center and finds Mikoutadze on the left. There are three defenders between him and the goal, so in the circumstances the corner he wins is the best he could do; it’s about now.
57 mm And he takes a flat shot that barely deflects, Mamardashvili – who looked solid – dives clear.
55 min The game now looks more like it did before the disallowed goal, Turkey has the ball and looks dangerous. As I write, Guler takes possession just outside the box, tucking inside Dvali before Kochorashvili takes him to the ground; there is no penalty, although it is more severe than our commentators think, and the referee calls the play back for a foul on the edge. Calhanoglu will picture this well, 22 yards out, just left of center.
53 min “Early shout out for the most enjoyable game of the competition so far,” says Charles Anraki, “certainly in the most basketball-like section, also the prize that the players really seem to care about it.” The crowd also runs away with the cacophony prize. And wasn’t that supposed to be a silly game between mediocrities?’
I don’t know about that – Turkey are more the dark horse of the chin – but yes, the beauty of tournaments, all sports, is the surprise of the early jazzers.
51 min Nice from Georgia, carrying the ball from right to left and finding Kvaratzhelia who passes, then goes back and beyond Kadioglu, crosses and the ball falls to Miakautadze! He spins into a shot, catching it well enough…but Ayhan and Akaidin throw their bodies in the way to block. Great protection.
49 min Georgia marauds down the right and Kkaratsheiklia is free in the middle. But the lifted ball misses him and finds Tsitaishvili, who cuts inside and outside, then fires wide.
48 min “Re Scott Carson, let it not be forgotten he also has two CL medals at home, quite a career!”
47 min Yıldız pops out on the right – I think he may have moved there – and when he crosses low, Yıldız is there! But instead of hitting with his right foot, with the direction of the ball, he tries with his left foot and the shot goes wide. It was a great chance.
46 min After a short delay we are off again. Georgia they want more of the same, for Turkey to return to where it was.
“Delighted to confirm that Turkish on Blackstock Road, called Yildiz, is still going strong,” says Alex Fleetwood, “and it’s still absolutely sensational. The grilled onion salad is worth the pilgrimage in itself.
Wonderful stuff.
Halftime Email: “When I lived just off Blackstock Road near Arsenal tube about 15 years ago,” says Ben Roberts, “the local Turkish BBQ place was called Yildiz and it was phenomenal. I have lived in Spain for the past 11 years but my mouth is watering just thinking about this place! Can anyone confirm if it’s still going strong?’
I mean you’re so close to the Green Lanes there that from a user perspective it hardly matters. What I think about Turkish barbecue is that it’s hard to go wrong: meat + fire = joy.
HALF TIME: Turkey 1-1 Georgia
A fascinating half of (European Championship) football. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
45 min We’ll have a minute added on – not sure how given we had two well celebrated goals but what to do.
45 min It was one of the best halves of the tournament so far. As I hinted at earlier, though, I don’t think we can expect the same level of freedom with knockouts; think Brazil 14 when the bands were great but the rest was meh.
43 min Kvaratskheylia is given space on the left and rushes towards Kadioglu, looking to find his right foot, but the defender watches the ball well and dunks when the time comes – despite being shown plenty of it.
42 min “The Copa America kicks off at the end of this week for Europeans who gather for evening football, writes Jean Salorio. “A 6pm start in the US means 11pm in Spain, so perfect for dinnertime viewing.”
In Spain? I think you mean breakfast.
41 min …and this time Kochorashvili cleared his head.
40 min Turkey win a free kick right of center, 25 yards out, so of course Calhanoglu will shoot… directly into the wall. But Turkey earn him another chance soon, far left…
38 min “On the question of the number of teams,” says Martin Wright, “that there are too many is usually a criticism you only hear from fans in the ‘big countries’ whose teams are usually certain to qualify anyway.” For those in less successful countries (ie almost everything of Europe), the expanded ability to play in a tournament is welcome and all the benefits that come with it. There is more at stake than just the television viewing pleasure of fans of the big nations.”
I kind of agree. The reason the richer countries know they will qualify is because the tournament is so big that it is impossible for them not to. But I agree it’s great for those who can now do it, and even though it’s crazy to play 36 games to beat eight teams, we get the viewing pleasure you mention, the Georgians, say, can watch the team si and the money is shared a little more than otherwise.
37 min Here come Georgia again Kakabadze finds Kvaratskhelia moving across the face of the penalty area but can’t find space to shoot.
34 min oh man Georgia are in it now, Chakvetadze turns the top just outside the box for Kochorashvili to head back across… and there’s Mikautadze in the middle, dropping down the left and sending his volley in the same direction… but just wide of the far post ! It is game!
33 min Test for Turkey now.
GOAL! Turkey 1-1 Georgia (Mikautadze 32)
WHAT A MOMENT! Great from Kochorashvili, isolating Yildiz on the right side of the box, then lobs lollipops before popping out, crosses… and Mikautadze turns the ball into the near post! I wonder if Gunok might have saved him, but honestly, who cares? Georgia have their debut tournament goal and this that’s why we’re here! Amazing!
NO PURPOSE! Turkey 1-0 Georgia
28 min I know we all love drawing lines on screens, but a semi-automated interception tells us in seconds that the goal should be disallowed. Of course, this was technology available last season that the Premier League rejected.
27 min But was Yıldız ambushed? I don’t think the ball gets to him if Kokchu leaves it, so we can’t blame him, but I think he’s ahead.
GOAL! Turkey 2-0 Georgia (Yildez 27)
Turkare devastating Georgia now even a small loss of discipline offers them a place at the back…and they don’t refuse it! Ayhan curls a pass into the outside right channel, Güler crosses low, Koccu curls another and Yildiz clears the back stick with joyous gusto!
WHAT A GOAL! Turkey 1-0 Georgia (Muldur 25)
Turkey attack from the left – they are so comfortable on the ball – and Kadioglu, sent to the side of the box after a lovely triangle, crosses, the ball goes on the edge… whereupon Muldur, the right-back, strikes a beauty, his contact perfect and the ball howling in the top right corner! This is the goal that Pavard’s considers.
24 min “Like Justin Madsen,” says Joe Pearson, “I’m disgusted with Fox Sports. Like the food is bad and the portions are small. But I can offer an audio alternative. Talkpport (and 2) are available here in the US either via the internet or their app. Generally, if a match is not broadcast here, we can follow the coverage there.
I bet Jamie O’Hara has some knowledge of Georgia’s OOP structure.
23 min Like the long winter evenings in the Ploppy household, the first half of this first half just flew by.
21 min Ball to Calhanoglu and his touch is poor, but actually works well, allowing him to turn and shoot… wide.
20 min What I’m happy about is that even the teams that sit at the back – Romania, Slovakia and now Georgia – when they have the ball, they look to make things happen. in fact, could it be that only England deliberately stood in the way of their victory?
18 min “Can we all admit that even though we’re addicted and want more games,” Zach Neely begins, “24 teams is too many and things would be more fun at 16? So far, the group games have been more like the last few qualifiers than the actual tournament.”
It’s too much, I agree, and I’d actually wonder if the attacking conviction that most teams played with would dissipate with the knockouts. But I still enjoy it, so.
16 min Turkey are playing at a great pace – they are moving it from one side to the other as I write, every pass is on target. I hope Roberto De Zerbi is watching – and Fabian Hürzeler for that matter.
14 min come back Turkeyshort throw to Ayhan who finds Yildiz and his shot from a narrow angle is parried by Mamardashvili.
11 min Georgia don’t sit back though and create a shooting opportunity for Mekvabishvili, his shot from the edge deflecting off Kadioglu… and forcing Gunok to pounce! That was good for the keeper because he had already and understandably moved away from the ball by the time he had to clear it.
10 min This is a great start from Turkey and with Ayhan well behaved, he moves forward in time to be overtaken by Yıldız, low, hard … and against the near post! The ball went wide of the goal and he must have thought he had scored there – he caught his effort superbly.
[ad_2]
