Turkiye Bounces Back with 3-0 Win

Turkiye Bounces Back with 3-0 Win

By Nathan L. Redd

Facing a must-win situation on Wednesday, Turkiye rebounded from their international slump with a 3-0 win over Group C rivals Hungary. Fatih Terim's squad played a good first half of futbol with opportunities to score, but they couldn't connect on their shots to take the lead. The home crowd was getting restless as Turkiye and Hungary were knotted at 0-0 going into halftime.

The second half was a different story, with the Turks taking command. Hungary's Gera picked up a red card less than twenty minutes into the second half and with only ten men, Turkiye took control. Gokhan found the back of the net in the 68th minute sending the crowd at Inonu Stadium in Istanbul into a frenzy. Four minutes later, Fenerbahce star put the home team up by two with a solid shot past Hungary goalkeeper Fulop. Hungary could never recover, and Turkiye thoroughly dominated the second half. Halil Altintop added to the scoreline in stoppage time, giving Turkiye a much-needed 3-0 win.

Turkiye held a commanding time of possession over Hungary, controlling the ball 69% to Hungary's 31%. Turkiye took eight shots, with four of them on target. Hungary, on the other hand only tested Turkiye's goal once. Turkiye also had nine corner kicks, compared to only four for Hungary.

Turkiye's performance wasn't the only good news on the day. Fatih Terim's squad received some help in Group C, as Greece and Norway drew 2-2. Moldova also holds a slim 1-0 lead over Bosnia-Herzegovina as time winds down in their match. With the win, Turkiye now moves back into second place in Group C with 17 points. Greece still leads with 19 points, and Norway sits in third place also with 17 points. Bosnia-Herzegovina is fourth with 13 points, followed by Hungary, Malta, and Moldova.

For more photos of Turkiye vs. Hungary, check out Hurriyet's photo gallery at http://fotogaleri.hurriyet.com.tr/galeridetay.aspx?cid=6105&rid=155