Turkey reaches Euro 2008 semifinals
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-21 10:08

Croatia striker Ivica Olic hit the crossbar in the 19th minute from close range after a low cross from Modric, but both teams were too often guilty of taking the wrong option in the final third of the field.

Recber, playing for the suspended Volkan Demirel, preserved the scoreline in regulation time when he made an amazing one-handed save from a free kick by Srna in the 83rd. Recber was also the goalkeeper that helped Turkey reach the 2002 World Cup semifinals, where the team lost to eventual champion Brazil.

Both teams made their European Championship debut at Euro 1996 and played each other, with Croatia winning 1-0 with Bilic playing in defense as Turkey finished the tournament in England without scoring a goal.

The only other previous matches between the teams had resulted in draws, 1-1 in 1997 and 2-2 in 2004.

The Turks were missing Emre Gungor (calf), Servet Cetin (hip and knee), Emre Belozoglu (groin), Tumer Metin (groin), while Demirel and defensive midfielder Mehmet Aurelio were both suspended.

Recber was playing his 117th international match, but he failed to come for a through ball in the 11th and only a timely intervention by a defender prevented Srna's pass across goal reaching a teammate.

Eight minutes later, Srna threaded a pass behind the defense and Modric's low, sweeping cross was thundered against the crossbar by Olic from inside the box, and Niko Kranjcar's follow-up header went wide.

Tuncay Sanli, one of eight Turkish players a yellow card away from missing the next round, was booked in the 27th. He was again on the wrong side of the referee's decision 10 minutes later when he was denied a penalty after a collision with defender Josip Simunic in the box.

Arda was booked in the 48th to also be ruled out of the next game, before Turkey almost gave up a goal when Gokhan Zan's backheader was intercepted by Olic and his headed centering ball was hacked away near the line.

A neat turn from Modric and slide pass put Kranjcar in on goal in the 57th, but he had no backlift on his shot and Recber saved down low in one of the few on-target attempts.

Tuncay almost broke the deadlock in extra time after he finished a driving run with a shot that forced Pletikosa to palm the ball away in the 96th.

Emre Asik became the third Turk to be ruled out of the next game after being booked in the 18th minute of extra time as the game looked to be heading for a scoreless draw.

Both teams had reached the quarterfinals once before: Croatia in 1996 and Turkey four years later in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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