Our national team faced off against Portugal in the second match of EURO 2024 Group F. This match attracted a lot of attention from soccer fans, and Portugal won 3-0.
The goals that gave the opposition the victory were scored by Bernardo Silva, Samet Akaidin (kk) and Bruno Fernandes.
This goal ensured Portugal’s progression to the next round with six points, but our national team still had a chance until the final match.
In their columns after the match against Portugal, writers Uğur Meleke, Engin Kehale and Murat Fevci Tanurlu explained the reasons for the defeat.
The ratings are as follows:
Uulu Meleke: The only team to make four changes to their starting eleven
Eleven teams won their first group match at the European Championships. Three of these eleven (Germany, England, Slovakia) played the same eleven they used in the first match in the second match. Seven (Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Holland, France, Portugal, Romania) made one change to their starting line-up. Only one team, Turkije, started the second match with exactly four changes…One of them was injured. One was fatigued. Two of them were teacher’s choice.
If you go to a big tournament, you need a clear 11, a clear game plan, a clear strategy. Before Germany played their first group game, everyone knew the German 11 by heart. England had 10 of their starting 11 decided, but there was probably only one question mark, and that was who would partner Declan Rice… Poland beat Wales in the playoffs in March and their starting 11 was reduced to one. Similarly, Turkey played a friendlies. Unfortunately, they were late in building the skeleton of their staff. Although they won the match against Georgia, they played against Portugal with four changes. Why are these four changes made? Well, the reason for the goalkeeper change is injuries. The fact that three of the remaining 10 players on the field are different means a 30% change. Stability is important in a short tournament. Germany will play with the same 11, England will play with the same 11, and France will play with the same 11 except when necessary. They are making four changes. Interesting…
1- The midfielders should have been more athletic, not more aggressive.
Frankly, I was not hopeless about this match. I was excited by Montella’s successful transition drills against Croatia and Germany. But yesterday Montella let me down. I think the Italian lost the match before he even took the field. Putting two of the most talented players in Turkish football, Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, on the sidelines and forming a brave front trio with Yunus, Barış and Kerem, already means a clear change of attitude. It means no interest in the ball. It means chasing counterattacks.
In Orkun, it is in decline.
But yesterday Portugal made us big changes in the midfield. With only two athletic players, Parinha and Vicinha, they beat our trio (Kahn, Orkun, Hakan). The only change I expected (possible) in the starting line-up for this match was that Ismail Yuksek would start instead of Orkun, if he was ready. We also saw Orkun tired against Georgia. There is a clear regression in Orkun.
2- Use ARDA like Bellingham
Last season, Real Madrid’s main plan to win two big titles was to place Rodrigo Vinicius on the wing and Bellingham in a false nine role. In fact, that’s what we did in part against Georgia. At the beginning of the second half, Barish Kenan went on the wing and Arda played 30 minutes in a false nine role. He already scored a goal in that match. Against Georgia, the section where we were best was between 50 and 80… and in that section we used Arda as well as Bellingham. My colleague Hayrullah Ünal from Bein Sports noticed and warned me. Arda also played that role once or twice for Real Madrid.
3- How did Arda Güler get tired?
Of course, we respect Montella and Arda Güler. The Italian coach had already said that Arda Güler had been tired for two days. Yesterday, our young star did not feature in the starting 11. But almost everyone in the press asked us what Arda’s problem was and we struggled to answer.
“It’s exhausting,” I said.
“Just one game?” they said.
“Seasonal fatigue perhaps?” I said.
“Is he tired of sitting?” they said.
I was a little upset, a little sad. Then rumors circulated (unofficially) that he had a groin problem, but the word Montella used in his pre-match statement was “fatigue.”
4. It’s like all 7 million of us are here today!
International journalists visiting Germany from all over the world were amazed at the state of German streets yesterday. Everything was red and white, and Turks were everywhere. The Portuguese had taken a keen interest in the tournament, but yesterday they were almost invisible. A Portuguese journalist friend of mine, who was interviewing football fans in the fan zone in the city centre, told me that he had spoken to a Turk who had come overland from Uzbekistan. When I told him that there are 3 million Turks living in Germany and over 7 million in Europe, his comment was: “It’s as if they are all here today.”
Engin Kehale: “Czech Republic needs a better Montella”
The Portugal squad’s comments before the Turkiye match were a bit erratic. As if with one voice, they spoke about our defensive weaknesses and the problems we have in retreating as a group. Of course, this opinion was not theirs alone, but it was very interesting to hear them say it so openly before the match.
Montella, on the other hand, seemed calm and set his sights on the Czech Republic. He was determined not to start any players against Portugal who might not be fully fit for the third leg. Frankly, I was hoping for a national team match that would live up to the Portuguese’s words. I thought we could establish a more effective structure along the lines of Yunus Akgün-Kerem Aktırkol. I was wrong.
We were confused throughout the game.
We were a mess. We were a mess, not just in one position, but throughout the whole game. For the first goal, the defensive line was in disarray with Bernardo Silva free, and for the second goal, Samet Akaydoun forgot the Defense 101 rule and did not give a back pass to the goal frame. We got into trouble with Zeki Celik, but he broke through by pulling five meters back the offside line for the third goal. It is not very realistic to blame this game on Arda Güler. Not a profile that imposes its own system on the opponent, but a profile that destroys the opponent’s system. There is always the possibility of pulling a rabbit out of the hat, but it would be misleading to evaluate the general problem through that.
We bow to power
Let’s admit it. We got through the Georgia game with more skill than play and a bit of luck. Against Portugal we succumbed to the power of the opposition. I would say we have become a fun team, a fun team to play with, a fun team to play with. Is this game helpful? No. Has it reduced our chances of getting out of the group? Not even once. But I have to say that if we can’t find the right setup on the field, we have an incredibly difficult game against the Czech Republic…
Murat Fevzi Tanırlı: Who was worse, Zweyer or Montella?
Did the referee affect the outcome of the match? The Germans didn’t have many chances because of the state of the defense. But it is unacceptable for a referee of this level to block the players’ path, have problems with participation, or blow the whistle late in position in the highest level tournament. It was unfortunate that he fell when he tried to sit down in his seat. The referee does not only enforce the rules of the match. The game plan works according to the team.
The new appeals procedure has benefited children
The foul criteria was good, but was changed to a simple delay due to contact. With the A-Nationals’ anger factor rising after conceding two goals in 30 minutes, a new appeals procedure was applied to the kids, this time in the cup. Any dissenters other than the captain were given a yellow card.
Alex Ferguson: Defense wins championships
Our enthusiasm for the Georgia match was replaced by people who wanted to take photos of Cristiano Ronaldo diving onto the field three times and watching the birds wandering around with the Portuguese goalkeeper. If you ask me if referee Zweier was in the worst ranking after the defense and Montella, I can’t say he made a crucial mistake. A manager who can plan midfield and attacking options depending on the opponent. But I couldn’t guess that Montella was such a “fan” that he watched Samet’s own goal. Alex Ferguson’s simple definition is “Defense makes you a champion.” Samet covered his mistake with a crucial intervention in the first match, but the truth remained the same.
If you make a mistake in all three lanes, you have no other choice.
For players who don’t fit into the three lanes of Fenerbahçe, Panathinaikos and the national team, it’s unacceptable that you can’t make replacements among all these names, that you can’t replace players who play in Europe and that you can’t find duos that work well together at one go.
