TURKEY WINS BIG GAME AGAINST ARMENIA IN BURSA

Hurriyet Daily News
Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Turkish national football team comfortably beat Armenia 2-0 in a
World Cup qualifying group game on Wednesday, despite the fact that
its fast start was slowed down with a red card.

The two teams met in Bursa for a football game that was rich in
political texture but low in sporting importance. Both teams had lost
hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the
match was still interesting because it came as the two countries take
steps toward normalization.

The game at Bursa Ataturk Stadium was watched by Turkish President
Abdullah Gul, Armenian President Serge Sarkisian and the chief of
world football’s governing body, FIFA, Michel Platini.

Turkey started the game with an attacking fashion and found the first
goal from Schalke 04 forward Halil Altintop’s header in the 17th
minute. Eleven minutes later, it was defender Servet Cetin who found
the net. Fans were expecting Turkey to widen the gap, but defender
Ceyhun Gulselam was sent off after being shown a second yellow card
in the 33rd minute, leaving Turkey with 10 men. That slowed down the
pace of the game, but Turkey was still in control, giving the visitors
few chances to score.

The home team felt the ambitious support of Bursa fans, who rarely
left the stadium in silence. The supporters’ chants pushed Turkey and
piled on the pressure against Armenia, but what was more important
than that was their calmness. Although some feared that there would
be trouble in a town where the nationalist base cannot be ignored,
Bursa fans did not seem to be interested in the political side of
the game. Most of their chants were only about the game.

Teksas, the city’s famous fan group, came closest to being political
when about 10 doves were released into the sky as a message of peace
only minutes before the game, and it was a moment to remember.

The game was also meaningful for Turkey as i ‘s the final match
with coach Fatih Terim at the helm. The experienced coach announced
his departure after Turkey failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup
following Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Belgium.

Terim was emotional after the game.

"One can be emotional when he has to leave his sons," he said of his
players. "I thank my players, who made us feel very nice things in
the past."