Euro semifinals: Netherlands against England after beating Turkey

BERLIN (AP) — The Netherlands dug deep to return from behind and beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and e-book its place within the European Championship semifinals.

An personal objective from Mert Muldur within the 76th minute, solely six after Stefan De Vrij canceled Samet Akaydin’s first-half header for Turkey, was sufficient for the Dutch within the final of the quarterfinals.

“It was actually a battle at present,” De Vrij stated. “The Turkish group they’ve a giant coronary heart, lots of high quality. Ultimately we did properly and we deserved the win.”

The Netherlands turned the sport round after after 1.97-meter-tall (6-foot-5) striker Wout Weghorst made his entrance for the second half.

“He’s all the time preventing up entrance, serving to the group. And we began to maintain the ball, create probabilities,” De Vrij stated. “Then we scored two targets and the entire group fought till the top.”

The Netherlands will face England within the second semifinal in Dortmund on Wednesday. Spain faces France within the first on Tuesday.

“The gamers confirmed tonight a giant coronary heart,” Dutch coach Ronald Koeman stated. “We needed to endure however lastly it’s an amazing success.”

Turkey was with out defender Merih Demiral, who was suspended for 2 matches by UEFA for making a nationalistic hand gesture after scoring in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Austria. The gesture is utilized by Turkish nationalists and related to an ultra-nationalist group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on the sport after he modified his plans due to the diplomatic row with Germany over Demiral’s gesture.

German inside minister Nancy Faeser had stated Demiral used his celebration “as a platform for racism” and federal minister Cem Özdemir, a German politician of Turkish descent, stated the gesture “stands for terror, fascism.”

Many Turkish followers made the gesture on their technique to Berlin’s Olympiastadion, and once more throughout Turkey’s nationwide anthem earlier than the sport.

The Dutch made a greater begin, however Turkey’s defenders dug in to restrict the affect of Cody Gapko, Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay. Turkey lined up with 5 on the again with out the ball, because it had within the win in opposition to Austria, and progressively improved.

Akaydin rewarded a interval of Turkish stress by scoring within the thirty fifth. Arda Guler delivered a butter-soft cross for the defender to move in off the underside of the crossbar.

It set off wild celebrations amongst Turkey’s teaching workers and followers. Guler was swamped within the teaching space with hugs, whereas followers within the west finish of the stadium set off flares. Most stayed standing after the objective.

Turkish supporters tremendously outnumbered their orange-clad counterparts in a metropolis that’s dwelling to a big neighborhood of individuals with Turkish roots. Most are descendants of Turkish “visitor employees” who arrived in what was West Germany to assist rebuild the post-war economic system. Germany is dwelling to some 3 million Turks or individuals with Turkish roots, making them the nation’s largest ethnic minority, and the group has loved fevered help at Euro 2024.

Koeman, who received Euro ’88 as a participant with the Netherlands, reacted to his group’s half time deficit by sending on massive ahead Weghorst, whose presence gave the Dutch wingers a goal.

Guler hit the put up with a free kick, but it surely was an remoted effort throughout a interval of intense Dutch stress that lastly paid off within the seventieth when De Vrij was left free to move in Depay’s cross.

All of a sudden the Dutch supporters could possibly be heard once more, and so they had been cheering once more shortly afterward when Gapko compelled the personal objective from Muldur by getting in entrance of the defender to Denzel Dumfries’ low cross.

“We didn’t begin the second half very properly and fell behind,” Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu stated. “After their second objective, we turned to lengthy balls. Such issues occur. It’s an honor to have come this far.”

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This story and its headline have been corrected to point out that the Netherlands’ second objective was dominated as an personal objective by Turkey’s Mert Muldur, not a objective from Cody Gakpo.

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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024