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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 11:32 a.m., Sunday, June 15, 2008

Soccer: Turkey scores 2 late goals to advance

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press Writer

GENEVA, Switzerland — Turkey stunned the Czech Republic with three goals in the final 15 minutes, including two in three minutes, for a 3-2 victory today that lifted the Turks into the European Championship quarterfinals.

The Czechs were in control 2-0 on goals by Jan Koller and Jaroslav Plasil before Turkey staged its comeback in the rain. Arda Turan scored in the 75th minute, Nihat Kahveci tied it off a mistake by goalkeeper Petr Cech, and Nihat won it in the 89th with a sharp shot off the crossbar and into the net.

Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was red-carded in injury time for knocking down Koller. Midfielder Tuncay Sanli replaced him in goal for the final seconds, but did not face a shot.

Turkey plays Croatia in the quarterfinals Friday in Vienna.

Nihat profited from an unlikely blunder by Cech, one of the world's greatest goalkeepers, who fumbled a simple cross. Nihat put it into an unguarded net as thousands of Turkey fans erupted in cheers.

With the game seemingly heading for a penalty-kick shootout, the Czech defense fell apart and Nihat scored the decider with a precise inside-foot shot.

Koller gave the Czechs the lead in the 34th, and Plasil added another in the 62nd. Turan started the comeback for the Turks in the 75th by finishing off a sweeping move with a low drive that Cech could only deflect off his post and past the line.

The Czechs scored first when defender Zdenek Grygera crossed into the area for Koller, the nation's career scoring leader. Even though the towering forward had to lean his 6-foot-7 frame backward, he still got enough power and precision on the header to send it to the upper right corner. Demirel threw himself at the ball, but could only push it onto the underside of the bar and into his net.

The Czechs took a 2-0 lead in the 62nd under a steady rain when Libor Sionko sent a low cross into the area and Plasil threw his whole body sliding into the ball. Again Demirel got a touch of the ball, but not enough to keep it out.

Portugal had already clinched first place in the group and will play the runner-up in Group B on Thursday in Basel.