Dreams come to an end! Turkiye eliminated by Netherlands 2-1

After falling behind 2-1, Turkey missed several opportunities to equalize, ending their journey just short of the semifinals. The team had hoped for red cards in two key moments: Barış Alper being brought down as the last man and Xavi Simons stepping on Mert Müldür’s ankle. Referee Turpin did not even call a foul for the first incident and only issued a yellow card for the second, with no intervention from VAR. Additionally, a potential penalty for a foul on Kaan in the 65th minute was also waved off.

BERLIN TURNED RED AND WHITE

Before the match, the streets of Berlin were awash with red and white. Thousands of Turkish fans paraded to the stadium, chanting and singing. They also protested UEFA’s two-match ban on Merih Demiral for making the Bozkurt gesture, with some fans making the gesture themselves. Some fans were detained by German police. Inside the Berlin Olympic Stadium, the majority of the spectators were Turkish, chanting “This is Turkey, no way out from here.”

SAMET’S TEARS

Samet, replacing the suspended Merih, scored the opening goal with a header in the 35th minute, kissing the crescent and star on his jersey. This was Samet’s first goal for the national team. However, he was forced off with an injury in the 79th minute after a harsh tackle, leaving the field in tears. Coach Montella opted for Salih to replace the suspended İsmail.

PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN AT THE STADIUM

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with his wife Emine Erdoğan and son Bilal Erdoğan, attended the match. Erdoğan waved to the fans from the VIP section.

ARDA’S ASSIST

Young talent Arda Güler continued his streak of assists, setting up Samet’s goal. In the 56th minute, his free-kick struck the post.

MONTELLA’S LATE SUBSTITUTIONS

Coach Vincenzo Montella was criticized for his late substitutions. After Holland equalized, he made no immediate changes, waiting until they took the lead to bring on Cenk for the forward line and Semih Kılıçsoy in the 89th minute, giving Semih his first appearance of the tournament.

EMOTIONS RUN HIGH

After the match, the Turkish players applauded the fans in the stands, many of them in tears, including captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Abdülkerim.

‘THANK YOU, FANS’

Salih Özcan said, “We are all emotional. I am proud of this team and thank our fans who supported us in every match.”

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS:

July 9: Spain vs. France

July 10: Holland vs. England