Guler the thriller turns killer to conduct Turkey’s greatest night in generation | Jonathan Liew
In the 59th minute of the match, Arda Guler takes a corner kick. As he walks towards the part of the stadium where Austria's rowdiest fans are sitting, beer cups are thrown at him in a chaotic storm. The rain, which has been pouring all night, has reached its peak. Turkey is winning 1-0. Guler remains unfazed, standing alone and defiant with his arm raised against the relentless downpour.
Of course, we were already familiar with Guler. We witnessed his impressive goal from a distance against Georgia, watched his impressive performance at Real Madrid towards the end of the season, and heard the glowing praise from his teammates and coaches. We have been following the journey of this talented teenager who favors his left foot ever since his days at Fenerbahce. We were aware of his skills on the field. What remained unknown, however, was the timing of his performances.
In December, at the Golden Boy awards in Turin, Jude Bellingham talked about how Guler could become the next best young player in European football. Bellingham has witnessed Guler's skills during training sessions, observed his determination to recover from injury, and seen him working hard at the gym. However, even Bellingham could not predict how Guler would handle the challenges of noise, hostility, and pressure in the football world.
Actually, the highlight of Guler's night happens a few minutes before. It was before the amazing corner kick from which Merih Demiral scored Turkey's second goal. It was before Guler taunts the Austrian fans with a victorious gesture, before all the excitement of the final moments.
Austria has started the second half strong and is getting closer to tying up the game. After Marko Arnautovic almost scores, Guler turns to the Turkish bench and shouts in frustration, gesturing wildly and giving orders. The noise from the crowd in Leipzig makes it impossible to hear his exact words, but his message is clear: we need help. Suddenly, there is excitement on the sidelines as Vincenzo Montella brings on Salih Ozcan to add strength in midfield. Shortly after, Turkey scores again, taking a 2-0 lead, with Guler playing a key role in both goals.
If these events were just random occurrences, we could easily dismiss them. However, on a night filled with wild chaos and intense battles, Guler emerged not only as the maker but also as the leader, not just a participant but the chief, the driving force and the mastermind behind Turkish football's most memorable night in years.
Upon looking back, the aspect that remained uncertain to us was whether a young player could step up on the grandest stage when one of their key players was suspended. It was a question of whether the exciting game could turn deadly. The answer became clear in a matter of seconds.
Guler's pass led to Turkey winning the corner that resulted in Demiral's first goal of the match. This goal, although somewhat comical, was made possible by another perfect pass. After this moment, Guler shifted his focus slightly. He spent the next thirty minutes calming the chaos on the field. He dropped back from his position as a false 9 to control the ball up close, sometimes even taking on the role of a quarterback like he did in his youth. He nearly scored with an impressive 50-yard shot, reminiscent of one he took against Osasuna in March that hit the crossbar.
Even when he wasn't participating directly, he was still somehow involved: always gesturing, instructing, getting angry. He angrily shook his fist at Mert Muldur for messing up the last pass. He scolded Mert Gunok for a wayward goal kick. Sometimes he showed flashes of the same impatience we remember seeing on the sidelines in Madrid, like when he threw his bib to the ground and stormed off after Carlo Ancelotti made his fifth and final substitution.
Surprisingly, Guler's performance here was quite different from his time in Madrid. He showed a lot of talent as a young player but also seemed vulnerable. During his debut season, it was uncertain which direction his career would take.
He couldn't ask for a better coach than Montella, who is known for his admiration of talent. Montella enjoys putting together a team of talented players and watching them succeed. Whether it's a young Mohamed Salah at Fiorentina or an older Mario Balotelli at Adana Demirspor, Montella has a talent for nurturing players. He's the kind of coach who will put in a half-fit player like Guler for 20 minutes in a game that's already lost, just because he believes in giving everyone a chance.
Despite Guler being subbed out with 13 minutes left, Turkey still had a lot of work to do. Austria pushed hard. Gunok made a fantastic save in the final moments. The quarter-final will be held in Berlin, far from Turkey, a moment few could have imagined. Turkey is now seen as the underdogs on this big stage. But now they have a player who can make a mark.
