Brawls, biblical rain and wonder goals: Turkey vs Georgia turns Euro 2024 upside down
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You might have thought that Turkey vs Georgia was going to be the quietest game of the Euro 2024 group stage. The teams weren't very highly ranked and Georgia hadn't played in the European Championships before. But this match turned out to be more than just a regular game of football.
Maybe it was clear beforehand, before the game started. There was a lot of rain and danger because of the weather, so the German authorities recommended that anyone who didn't have a ticket should stay inside and watch the game from home if they could. They thought it would be unsafe for the fans to be outside in that weather. But later, the fans' safety was threatened by violence inside the BVB Stadium in Dortmund.
As the violence erupted, with water pouring through the arena's roof and fans jumping out of their seats to brawl with each other, doubts emerged. Can the game continue as planned? And if it does, will it still be recognizable as a football match?
The sound in Borussia Dortmund's stadium is contained and amplified in a unique way that can feel very intense and intimidating. However, on this particular occasion, the stadium was unable to contain anything else besides the deafening noise. Neither the water nor the aggressive behavior of a group of fans could be contained by the stadium.
The atmosphere was extremely tense, so much so that describing it as "cutting with a knife" would be an exaggeration. In fact, the tension could have been dispelled with something as delicate as a balloon.
I had a constant feeling of unease, like even the slightest action or idea could cause a disaster. The atmosphere was so tense that a single mistake in a football match could trigger a chaotic outbreak of anger. However, I was relieved to see that there was a decrease in violent behavior among the fans before the game began.
However, the hostility continued. Fans from Turkey, some of whom were holding flares and others who were banging drums, loudly whistled during the Georgian national anthem in a very unpleasant manner. They maintained their aggressive behavior every time Georgia had possession of the ball, as if simply holding onto the ball was an offense to the Turkish people. It's worth noting that the Turkish population in Germany is quite large.
During the first half of the match, Turkey's Kaan Ayhan took a shot that hit the post and rolled across the goal line. The spectators from Turkey were ecstatic and eagerly anticipated a goal. Finally, their wish was granted when Mert Muldur scored what could be considered as the best goal of Euro 2024.
After 25 minutes had passed, the right-back for Turkey appeared at the edge of the box. The ball was falling from the sky amidst heavy rain. Muldur managed to strike the ball with his right foot in an amazing finish that sent it straight into the top corner. The goal felt like a miracle from above!
Turkey believed they had scored another goal in less than two minutes, with Kenan Yildiz effortlessly guiding the ball into the net, but it was disallowed due to an offside ruling. However, Georgia's team and their fans quickly established their dominance just as Turkey was beginning to feel confident (using the word "game" suggests a light-hearted atmosphere that did not exist in Dortmund).
When the Turkish team made a move, the Georgian players were fired up by a physical confrontation against Giorgi Chakvetadze, which motivated them to fight back. The Georgian team was not hesitant to take action.
Georgia was in a scene that looked almost like a dystopian setting due to the rain that was spitting through the leftover haze caused by the latest flare. Despite this, Georges Mikautadze found a sense of euphoria as he managed to score an equalising goal. This happened when he made a run towards the near post and tapped the ball in, causing it to squirm under the Turkish goalkeeper, Mert Gunok.
The mid-point of the game provided a quick break, a momentary period for heartbeats and breathing to calm down, but shortly after the disorder continued.
The referee intervened when Muldur tackled Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, asking the team benches to remain composed. Another time, when Turkey claimed a penalty due to Arda Guler being tripped and pushed, the referee could have made the same request, but since the foul happened outside of the box, no penalty was given. The player involved, who is a teenager at Real Madrid, had been fouled.
The free kick ended up being fruitless, however, soon after, Guler caused more commotion. Guler, who is only 19 years old, had way too much freedom and room around the area, and he skillfully directed the ball into the top corner. The real pandemonium took place in the stands, where Turkish supporters were celebrating, but as for the shot, it was much more polished.
In the soccer match, Georgia persistently battled and came close to tying the game when Giorgi Kochorashvili controlled the ball with his chest in Turkey's penalty area. He lifted it over the defender's leg but unfortunately hit the crossbar. This was their closest opportunity to score and they also hit the post with a header during added time.
Soon after the previous attempt, Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu successfully concluded Turkey's attack by scoring the ball into an unguarded goal. The goalkeeper of Georgia, Giorgi Mamardashvili, had left his position in a last-ditch attempt to level the score.
Turkey fans were celebrating their win by shining the flashlights on their phones into the rain, which had been falling heavily for four hours. The streets around the stadium were filled with the sound of car horns honking in celebration.
During Euro 2024, a match between Turkey and Georgia took place amidst a heavy storm. Interestingly, this match resulted in both teams performing exceptionally well, creating an intense and thrilling atmosphere for all spectators.
