Support The Moscow Times!

Latvia Sours Turkish Delight

LONDON -- Latvia ousted World Cup semifinalist Turkey to reach the European Championship for the first time on Wednesday, earning a 2-2 tie in Istanbul to triumph 3-2 overall in the playoffs.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy scored a hat trick as the Netherlands overwhelmed Scotland 6-0, and Spain cruised into the finals with a 3-0 victory at Norway.

Croatia also made it to Portugal by winning 1-0 at neighbor Slovenia.

The big surprise was in Istanbul.

Turkey needed just 20 minutes to wipe out Latvia's 1-0 first leg advantage when Ilhan Mansiz hit the target in the 20th minute.

When veteran striker Hakan Sukur made it 2-0 on the night in the 64th minute, it looked as if the Turks were going to the finals.

But Latvia, runner-up to Sweden in Group 4, hit back with goals by Juris Laizans (66th minute) and Maris Verpakovskis (77th) for a tie that stunned the Turks in front of their own fans.

The Dutch went to the Amsterdam Arena trailing Scotland 1-0 and facing the possibility of missing out on Euro 2004, as well as the last World Cup.

But Wesley Sneijder started a feast of scoring with the first after 13 minutes before his free kicks set up the next two.

Van Nistelrooy, back in the starting lineup after a fallout with the coaching staff, helped himself to three, while Frank de Boer and Andre Ooijer also hit the back of the Scottish net to the dismay of former German coach Berti Vogts.

Despite holding a 2-1 first-leg lead over the Norwegians in Oslo, Spain faced the embarrassment of not making it to the finals at neighbor Portugal.

But strikes by Raul Gonzalez, Rodrigues Vicente and Joseba Etxeberria by the 56th minute put the Spaniards well out of reach of the Norwegians, and the visitors were celebrating long before the end.

The lopsided loss means that Norway coach Nils Johan Semb has failed to get the team to the Euros, as well as missing out on the World Cup. Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Denmark made it to both.

Croatia gained a 1-0 victory at Slovenia to advance to the finals 2-1 on aggregate, having been held 1-1 at home in the first leg.

Two minutes after Juventus defender Igor Tudor had been ejected for a second yellow card in Ljubljana, 10-man Croatia went ahead through AS Monaco's Dado Prso.

The victory meant it gained its second appearance in the finals and maintained an unbeaten record in eight matches against its neighbor.

Croatia reached the quarterfinal at Euro '96 in England and then went on to finish third at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more