THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016 18 Wales boss stays away Euro 2016 minefield DINARD: Wales boss Chris Coleman insisted yesterday he everything’s possible in football, but one minute you’re tournament. Having waited 58 years to be part of a major FAN FERVOR is not yet trying to plot a path through the minefield of right there and everything’s great, the next you take your tournament, this is unchartered territory for Wales and the European Championship knockout rounds. eye off the ball and everything’s fallen down. “Whoever is it knock-out football will bring with the possibility of a And Coleman indicated he could make changes to down the line that’s when you get on with it and take care penalty shoot-out. But Coleman has no plans to spend the team that brilliantly beat Russia 3-0 for their last 16 of the business in front of you. There’s no talk in my camp time specifically working on honing down a list of poten- match against Northern Ireland or Turkey in Paris on about who could be next after the last 16. No way, I would- tial spot-kick takers. Several Wales players stay behind after Saturday. With myriad routes possible in looming rounds n’t allow that. “There’s not a team in this tournament who training to work on free-kicks and practise penalties. The before Wednesday’s final games, Coleman said he was can think like that, not even Germany or Spain, We’ve seen manager feels no need to do any more than that. staying away from the guessing game. the games are so tight. Once we find out who is next we’ll “I would say three days out of five naturally a few guys “I’ll tell you how I look at it-and players and staff-the focus on it and put everything into that challenge.” just grab a ball after training and take penalties,” he said. only pathway I am thinking about is the first 45 minutes Wales’ win over Russia saw them leapfrog England in “We could practise every day and the guys won’t miss. on Saturday and how we find our way through that. Group B to advance into a last 16 clash with Northern But how do you recreate 50,000 people breathing down “The second pathway is at half-time and those second Ireland or Turkey. A win then and Belgium and Croatia are your neck and all the eyes on the world are on you when 45 minutes. If it goes to extra time or penalties, whatever the likely obstacles standing in the way of a remarkable you need to put in the back of the net? it is, beyond that I promise I’m not saying we can play this run to the final in Paris on July 10. England, by contrast, “If it comes our way we’ll try and deal with it the best side or that side,” Coleman said. “We have to have feet face the runners-up in Group F in the next round and we can.” Wales’ win over Russia in Toulouse on Monday firmly on the ground here. Everyone’s talking about this would need to negotiate their way past the likes of France, ranks alongside the finest ever by a Dragons side in their possibility or that possibility. “We have seen before that Germany, Italy or Spain be in with a chance of winning the 137-year international history. —AFP LENS: Turkey’s forward Burak Yilmaz (2nd L) heads the ball during the Euro 2016 group D football match between Czech Republic and Turkey at Bollaert- Delelis stadium in Lens on Tuesday. — AFP Turkey remains in contention with 2-0 win over Czechs LENS: Turkey rebounded from two losses at the who beat Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech at the near post us to find solutions,” Terim said. “Now we’ve got our team European Championship to beat the Czech Republic 2-0 with a first-time right shot. “I am very happy, I scored a spirit back. If we advance, I think we have a long way to on Tuesday and keep alive its chances of reaching the very important goal in a deciding game,” Yilmaz said. “It’s go. I would be really frustrated if we are out.” knockout stages from Group D. been a good night and a good goal for me. I hope we’ll The 18-year-old Mor looked particularly sharp for With their team having failed to score in its defeats to advance.” As the Czechs pushed forward, they also Turkey, smashing a shot wide from inside the area in the Spain and Croatia, some Turkish fans celebrated with opened up their defense for the Turkish attack. first half and cutting in before missing the target on firecrackers and flares that landed on the pitch after the Ozan Tufan doubled the lead in the 65th minute, another fast counter in the second. second goal at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. hammering a rising shot past Cech from close range fol- “He was our saviour tonight,” Terim said. “He made his Turkey must now wait until the final group matches lowing a free kick by Selcuk Inan. ‘ “It’s a huge disap- presence felt.” Volkan Sen’s low drive just missed the tar- are played on Wednesday to discover whether it can pointment for us,” Cech said. Ahead of the tournament, get in another good chance of the first half, while cap- advance as one of the four best third-place teams. the Arsenal keeper had said he would decide after Euro tain Arda Turan headed over the bar 15 minutes from Croatia won Group D after beating two-time defending 2016 whether to retire from international football. He the end. For the Czechs, Tomes Sivok almost equalized champion Spain 2-1 to finish with seven points. didn’t immediately comment on it Tuesday. For Turkey, six minutes after the opening goal. But set up by Borek Spain has six points, Turkey has three and the Czechs there is still hope. Dockal’s cross, his effort hit the post. are eliminated with one point, 20 years after their team The Czechs clearly missed their creative force, injured reached the final and 40 years after becoming European CONFIDENCE IS GROWING captain and playmaker Tomas Rosicky, and squandered champions as Czechoslovakia. Both teams in Lens on “If we advance, we can do what we did in Euro 2008, their chances. “The first goal really changed the match a Tuesday needed a win to advance. Turkey coach Fatih because our confidence is growing now,” Terim said. lot,” said Czech coach Pavel Vrba, whose side had drawn Terim stuck by striker Burak Yilmaz, despite his disap- Eight years ago, Turkey came back from two goals down 2-2 with Croatia in its previous game. “We didn’t manage pointing performances in earlier matches, and the act of to beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in their final group game, to stop their breaks. We had some chances in the first faith paid off. Yilmaz struck early, rounding off a swift a result sent the Turks on the road to an eventual spot in half but we didn’t score. “In the second half we started to counter attack just 10 minutes into the game. Emre Mor the semifinals, their best ever result. play in a more simple way but lost it in midfield. Our tac- broke down the right flank before crossing for Yilmaz, “We still have some problems, but now it’s easier for tics from the Croatia game didn’t work this time.” — AP Czech Republic facing need to overhaul ageing squad NICE: For the Czech Republic, it’s time to give youth a chance. Following its group stage exit from the European Championship, the Czech Republic has little option than to replace its aging starts with the next gen- eration of players. For this tournament, Czech coach Pavel Vrba stuck with an experienced group of players, many of whom came from the domestic league, such as 34-year-old Sparta Prague forward David Lafata, who failed to repli- cate his club form. The Czech Republic was the third oldest team in France. Its youngest player was the 23-year old backup goalkeeper Tomas Koubek. Some of the squad, such as goalkeeper Petr Cech and midfielder Tomas Rosicky, even played at Euro 2004 when the team made the semifinals only to lose to eventual champion Greece. There’s speculation that Cech, 34, and Rosicky, 35, will follow Lafata and midfielder 34-year-old Jaroslav Plasil in announcing their retirement from international football. The Czechs were eliminated from the tournament after earning only one point from their three Group D matches. The 2-0 defeat to Turkey on Tuesday, which confirmed its early exit from Euro 2016, was particularly disappointing. “We were taught a great lesson at the European Championship and we will learn from it,” Vrba said. “The three matches showed us that football is played in a dif- ferent way than we play at home. The pace of the game and the quality of players at this level are unbelievable.” Turkey could be an example for the Czechs going for- LENS: Czech Republic’s defender Roman Hubnik (L) and Czech Republic’s midfielder Josef Sural react at ward. Its coach Fatih Terim fielded 18-year-old forward the end of the Euro 2016 group D football match between Czech Republic and Turkey at Bollaert-Delelis Emre Mor in the match.