So now you’ve had a chance to take a closer look at all the players on offer (like a horse breeder checking out the available stock before choosing which to buy), it’s time for you to make your decision on Player Of The Tournament.

The top 3 selections will go up against three chaps picked by the technical experts at UEFA. These 6 players – in one of the most convoluted procedures known to man – will then be assessed by a UEFA Technical Study Group and a winner chosen. This ensures both the public and UEFA have their say in the matter. Leading the charge so far is Turkey’s Arda Turan with 27% of the popular vote, closely followed by Poland’s goalkeeping hero Artur Boruc.

Tranquillo - he like banana!

Here at Euro2008statistics.com though, we’re throwing our weight behind the guy with undoubtedly the coolest name in football. He’ll engender a feeling of calm and peacefulness in you at the mere mention of that name, and his play for ill-fated Switzerland lit up a team that was otherwise tawdry throughout. That man, our new hero, is none other than the mighty Tranquillo Barnetta. There, feel peaceful? Now go vote!

No doubt that this semi-final left off where the quarter-finals begun, and what excitement! Never say die Turkery er.. (almost) never say dying, but this time it’s Germany scraping that last minute winner, Phillip Lahm finishing with some style to send the pre-tournament favourites through to the final.

Turkish hearts may be broken, but long will they remain in the hearts for a whole host of gutsy performances against all the odds. Even the BBC couldn’t cope with the action, old mother beeb failing time after time. The bitter cynic in me snarls that Germany haven’t been that great, and they don’t really deserve this. But with 6 goals in the last two games, perhaps they do - and noone more than Michael Ballack - who has summed up the German work-rate throughout the tournament.

Take a look at his heat map, taken from the CPI, and Jens Lehmann - if you’re reading… Feel pleased that there were players in that team to spare your blushes.

See you tomorrow….

Hands up who thought this would be a stroll in the forest for Germany… Come on, don’t lie - the poor injury-hit Turks laying down and taking a right old battering from their culturally efficient, no-nonsense neighbours. Big-game Ballack bound to pop up with several, and Germany to cruise easily into the final, dismissing the brave Turks with a sweep of their mighty hands. Well no… Because this half has been all about Turkey.

Capatalising on some mighty interesting goalkeeping from Jens Lehmann (for interesting, read bloody awful), Turkey took the lead in that storming first half, and down to some tenacious attacking flair from them, they’ve really got at the Germans. Could this be… Could this REALLY be another massive latter stages shock. I’m erring on the side of no, as I think the injury-hit Turkish side may have problems during the second half with stamina, and having no real options on the bench.

Take a look at this Semhi Senturk heat-map from the CPI for example, which goes someway to demonstrate the lads dominance upfront… We’re in for a big second half!

In response to Alexander from Clubfans.de, who argued very strongly - and with good support from the Castrol Index – that Germany will prevail against Turkey tonight, we give you our defence of the Turks.

Alexander stated that Germany have beaten Turkey 11 times out of 17, but in the last 3 games Turkey have won 2 and drawn one. Germany haven’t won against the Turks since May 1992 – over 16 years ago (!) – and that was in a friendly. The Turkish side certainly have the bragging rights here, and the fact that none of the German regime who were involved in the last victory have anything to do with the current team means that there will be an increased confidence and swagger in the Turkish team as they line up tonight.

Admittedly, Turkey have lost their first choice ‘keeper following Demirel’s ‘rush of blood’, but let’s just take a moment to consider the positions of the starting stoppers tonight in the CPI. Rustu Recber is sitting comfortably at number 8, and where is Herr Lehmann? Oh yes, I see. Down there at number 10. Despite playing 3 more games than Rustu, he still hasn’t been good enough to amass the mighty 1366 CPI points that the Turkish number 2 has gained.

And if there is one place superiority is important, no doubt it’s between the sticks. Let’s face it, Jens Lehmann doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, especially when you look at one or two of his gaffes that he has committed in the last few years. So that’s Turkey with recent history and a better keeper.

Then there is the Turkish style of play to consider. We at Euro2008statistics.com reckon that Turkey will prove difficult to break down, frustrating the Germans. They may well play 10 men behind the ball, and hope to catch them on the break as they throw more and more players at the unbreakable wall of red. Consider that Turkey have only ever scored once in the first half at the Euros, and have scored 6 of their 9 total championship goals at this tournament. That guarantees Germany are in for a tough second half, and if they haven’t got it sewn up by then are likely to face an onslaught for the last period of the match. So that’s recent history, a better keeper and a second half to blow Germany away.

What we will agree with Alexander on is that this match should bring together two nations in a friendly festival of football (the Turkish ex-pat community in Germany is huge). We also concur that whoever loses should do so gracefully and thus maintain the harmonious solidarity that has so far blessed the Euros.

That said, there’s a fair chance Turkey could cause an upset and the Germans may well start whingeing about dirty play and so forth…..let’s see how the game pans out.

Alexander from Clubfans.de has proposed a debate, in which he here attempts to justify why Germany will beat Turkey tonight. Translated from his pages.

• our recent history against Turkey is good, in 17 games 11 win, 3 draws and same number of losses with 40:10 goals

• we are placed 5 in the FIFA rankings, 15 places ahead of Turkey.

• our players have a (nominal) value of 234 million Euros compared with Turkey’s 107.

• Germany will start with all players, 6 from the Turkey team can’t play.

• The German goal keeper remembered his former powers during the tournament while the Turkish no 1 can’t play because of his red card.

• amongst the top defenders each a German and a Turk, but the Turk is injured

• amongst the top mid-fielders of this tournament are two Germans but no Turkish players.

• or amongst the top strikers where two Germans (Podolski placed even 3^rd [of all]) will meet two Turks but, guessed right, the best striker Nihat is injured. (short info for clubfans on the side: Charisteas is ranked 16 on the power rating, before Ibra… and only short after Torres, …).

• this all you could quote but still nobody will be able to tell you how the match tonight will end. Perhaps that’s the nice part of football.

• Turkey has team spirit, determination heart and passion (in their baggage) – and filled with confidence after the prelude loss against the Portugese all three games were bended in sometimes dramatical fashion.

• Germany in contrast – meanwhile oscillating between overestimation (sometimes from outside, sometimes from inside) and depression – towards an inner belief made up from a mix of ability, tactics and team spirit, one can win that tournament

The development of the game will be decisive, if Germany is able to impose their game on Turkey, as they did with Portugal and the Czechs, than I do not believe Turkey can repeat their previous games (the Croatia match left off since the Croatians didn’t want anything but to deny Turkey to play). In my opinion too much of the individual league of the injured Nihat and Emre are missing. And for a match played from secured defensive they miss the good playing Volkan as well as Servet or Emre. - If Germany will reasonably get into their play, and chances will arise and the one or other may be used, than this will be a match developing as anybody will have guessed BUT football can process totally different, one penalty, a situation, an injury, a sending-off, an individual error or a Turkish team intoxicated at the chance of victory. This is what makes this sport so fascinating.

One can only hope that both teams not imitate the cowardly football of the other teams (who deserved their retirement from the tournament) but their good capacity as yet, particular since they depended upon. Than this could become a football party amongst friends Because particularly here in Frankfurt Turks are living in exile very close to Germans so that one is almost unable to recognise any borders– last but not least some of the enlarged circle of players from the Turkish national team are grown up in Germany or having family bonds there. Also remarkable that German trainers, like Daum and Feldkamp or now also Skibbe, gain high reputation in Turkey.

Germany against Turkey – nice that this match once became reality in a semi final of an European Tournament. May the better win and the underdog – also their fans – turn out fair losers. In any case there will be a storm of ecstasy in Germany tonight - either in red or black-red-yellow

Will she be that happy tonight?

Tonight’s first Euro 2008 semi-final sees a German team seemingly steadied after a shaky group stage (the narrow 1-0 against Austria seeming almost as big a shock as the loss against Croatia), pitted against a Turkish side who just keep on delivering in the final seconds of games.

The key, though, might be down the right flank for both teams. A fresh from suspension Schweinsteiger dominated Germany’s last game, scoring one and providing the other two, whereas the player once bought for his club by a fan who’d won a soft drinks promotion might be forced to make the running for the Turks (Colin Kazim-Richards, for anyone who doesn’t know). The heat maps from the Castrol Index show how right-sided these two players are, and as we all know, wide play in this competition makes a heck of a difference. So which wide guy will make the headlines tonight? And which team has the best left back capable of handling the attacking threat?

Whoever is put in charge of keeping the German back four awake for the first 80 minutes had better be good at his job, because if they are a bit sluggish come the last ten, their defence may well have a problem as the Turkish ‘it’s not over until it’s over’ mentality sees them charging forward in ever-increasing numbers. Turkey have scored only one first half goal in their championship history, and with 8 of their 9 goals coming in the second halves of their matches, odds on this occurring again must be fairly short.

Tom thinks this might go all the way, with Turkey providing a massive end of game push to tie the game at 2-2.

Jack reckons that the Teutonic maestros will triumph 2-0.

Stats powered by Castrolindex.com

Ah – has been an enjoyable day today, and as much as my heart hankers for more football (48 away from Euro 2008 seems an awful long time), it has been nice to enjoy the break somewhat. However, while others slumber – we continue to keep an eye on the news, and have a quick round up of just a few things we thought you may find interesting.

Firstly, as a site who have extolled the virtues of Michael Ballack since the beginning of the tournament, it’s pleasing to see that one of the best footballing managers in the world agrees with us. Step forward Arsene Wenger who has this to say on the industrious playmaker…

“He makes final balls, good passes, he makes the difference in midfield when it’s needed and when you need him to score a header, he’s there as well. So you can’t fault him. I’m happy for him, because he didn’t always get the respect he deserved when he played in Germany. He leads now. He was quiet for a long time. I felt too quiet. He was leading by example but not with his communication.  It looks like in this tournament he is leading by both.”

Love him? Hate him? Remember, you can vote for your player of the tournament on the CPI about now.

In other news, it will come as no surprise that the Spaniards are a little nervous of the Russians this time around. Cesar at World Cup Blog sums it up nicely suggesting “All jokes aside, this Russian squad is quite different from the side Spain disposed of with ease 4-1 just a few weeks ago. They’re quick, they’re aggressive, they have tremendous pace and they believe they can win this” – and with the possibility of missing Marcos Senna for Thursday’s match, we’d suggest that this is going to be a right-royal scramble.

Oh, and our pal The Gaffer has put up an interesting point of discussion over at EPL Talk – is The European Football Championship better than the World Cup? He says “Over the years, the World Cup has become more about the experience and less about the football. There are many reasons for this, but a major one is the over-commercialization of the sport.” – Do you agree? Pop over and join in the argument…