Turkey

There’s a high chance that at least one of the Quarter Finals will go the distance and end in what some dub the ‘nightmare’ of a penalty shoot-out. We’d like to disagree with this term, as there is no more exciting way of separating two teams who have been locked for 120 minutes than the randomness of 10 spot kicks. Let’s face it, the Silver and Golden Goals just didn’t work did they? And the proposal that the teams should play until a goal is scored or all the players collapse through exhaustion just isn’t reasonable in a tournament format where they may have to play again a few days later. Amusing, but inhumane.

In fact, the Castrol Index tells us that neither team playing tonight has taken part in a penalty shoot out in a major tournament, so if it goes the distance, the nerves will surely be jangling. Not so the Germans, who – had the game last night had gone that far – would have stepped up confident in the knowledge that the last penalty missed by a German player in a major tournament was in the World Cup. In 1982.

Half of me hopes this one goes all the way so both sides get a chance to show that they can convert from 12 yards, half that it finishes in normal time in a thriller like last night.

So I’ll go for a 2-1 victory to Croatia, hard-fought and dirty.

Jack is going for a Nihat brace and a surprise 2-0 victory for Turkey.

Stats powered by Castrolindex.com

My dad was watching his first game of Euro 2008, not enjoying it very much - and 15 minutes later he was dancing about the streets with a Bodhran drum! That was quite the most spectacular finish I’ve ever seen of an international match. The Czechs seemingly through with 3o minutes to go, but 3 Turkish goals, a Peter Cech howler and sending off later - and Turkey have made it through to meet Croatia in the next round.

I’m not sure that any heat map or statistics I can put on a screen can go any way to describing the vibrancy and intensity of the action of those last 45 minutes, so let’s instead have a look at Nihat Kahveci’s heat-map, provided by the CPI, and take a look at the Turkish 2 goal hero’s possession during the match. Up and down the flanks, and roving about the whole Czech half, one can see how he was the man there to score the goals! Betshopboy picked out Nihat as a player to watch, and how right he was….

If you haven’t watched tonights game, make sure to watch the highlights (trust me) - and here’s hoping that tomorrows action is as incredible! This is Jack for euro2008statistic.com signing off with a big football related smile on my face. Viva Euro 2008!

Having ploughed a furrow (probably quite literally given the state of the pitch in the torrential rain) up and down the left flank and receiving very little attention -apart from the BBC’s Mark Bright who was virtually screaming at the Turkey side to pass him the ball – Arda Turan eventually got his just desserts by bagging himself the winner against Switzerland. His Castrol Index heat map shows that he was heavily involved in everything in and around the left corner of the penalty area, and it was no surprise that this is where he scored his – albeit fortunately deflected – winner.

Turkey’s manager Fatih Terim might want to instil in his players the need to get the match won in normal time, with good reason. The Czechs (in their many guises, well, as Czechoslovakia) haven’t lost a penalty shoot out in the Euros in all three attempts. If tonight’s game finishes level, then penalties in the group stage are looming, and that prospect should fill the Turks with dread. See below for details.

Jack thinks the Czech Republic will complete a 2-0 demolition.

Tom reckons this one is destined for a shoot out, and going on past performance the Czech Republic will go through.

These stats powered by the bods at http://castrolindex.com

The Malaysia Star (yes, that’s Malaysia in the Far East, writing on the Euros – that’s the power of football) reports that the old powerhouses of European football – France, Italy and Germany – are spent forces ‘clearly past their sell by date’ having to face up to the young guns of the Netherlands, Spain and Croatia, led by coaches such as van Basten and Bilic, who have the hunger that the likes of Domenech and Donadoni just don’t have.

Tvenne from OleOle has provided a round up of the tournament so far after each team has played two games. For those who haven’t been paying attention a chastisement - ‘shame on you’ he says ‘because you’ve missed a great tournament’. He argues that games with two ‘less skilled’ teams often provide the best entertainment (er…Netherlands vs. Italy, or France?) and quotes the Turkey vs. Switzerland game as an example of ‘just amazing’ football. He concludes by saying the Dutch are looking favourites with their goals coming from all angles and players and a goalkeeper playing at ‘possibly the best level of his career’. Or Spain.

Over at EPL Talk, The Gaffer thinks there is a player who holds the key to the Netherlands’ success, and its one that doesn’t make the headlines. Orlando Engelaar is a rangy midfielder who frustrated Italy’s attack by outjumping Toni, but also provided many of the telling passes in attack. By utilising the stats provided by the Castrol Index, The Gaffer managed to show how Engelaar changes his game depending on the opposition….cunning stuff, and it just goes to show the power of statistics in providing insights into the game.

Kevin McCarra of the Guardian sums up the Portugal performance against the Czech Republic yesterday as being edged with ‘a tinge of frustration’ – referring to the lack of total dominance shown by one C. Ronaldo. It’s not enough now for him to have ‘dangerous moments’ – he should impose ‘utter devastation’. That said, the CPI stats for the young man show that he was joint fastest man on the pitch at 29.42 km/h a whole km/h faster than in the first game. His heat maps show that in his ‘ineffectual’ first game he covered a lot more of the pitch, but when he applied himself to covering one area, he scored one and arguably set up both of the other goals.

In the Telegraph, Tim Rich reports that former Croatia coach Miroslav Blazevic has been bemoaning the apparent lack of fitness in his former charges. ‘There look to be clear problems with physique,’ he said. The stats back him up, too – in their opening game, Croatia as a team covered 105,830m, an amount that Castrol Performance Index ambassador Arsene Wenger called ‘disappointing’ when asked for his thoughts on the stats from the first few games. Averaging 9620m per man, this work rate must improve if they are to go further in the competition.

Austrian coach Josef Hickersperger knows that tonight’s game is a ‘must win’ but has promised not to throw caution to the wind and play ‘Hollywood football’, according to Lewis Rutledge from Team Talk. There have been many formations tried during the tournament so far, from the basic 4-4-2, through the 4-5-1 employed by the Czechs, to a successful (so far) Portuguese 4-2-3-1. Hickersperger isn’t going to play ‘two strikers and four attacking midfielders behind them’ in pursuit of a much needed victory. The stats don’t show clearly yet which is the most effective formation, but you can be sure a 4-0-6 isn’t the way forward.

veyDer over at OleOle has posted some thoughts before the Austria vs. Poland game this evening, and it seems he’s happy with what he sees. Comparing the speed and distance charts from the two teams’ first matches, he has noted that the Polish run faster and further in every position, even the goalkeepers!

So the dream is over for the co-hosts, who have never won a game at the Euros, although tonight they did take a lead for the first time in their history in this competition. Both teams fought against ‘incredbible conditions’ (Alan Shearer on the BBC) to serve up a thrilling second half with drama at both ends and a late winner.

Despite the conditions, the teams managed to cover plenty of ground as the half time team heat maps showed, and the final distances were up there with the teams who have played in perfect conditions. Covering 105140m and 107613m respectively, Switzerland and Turkey can hold their heads up high for playing such a good game in those conditions. The Castrol Performance Index has provided the stats that they can be proud of.

It seems the most industrious players from either side in the Switzerland vs Turkey match have both been operating on the same flank. Behrami of Switzerland (7319m)and Balta of the Turkish side (7149m) have been up and down the right and left side respectively (which of course is the same patch of grass). Maybe it’s the driest bit, who knows. Check out the heat maps below, powered by the CPI, of course.