Turkey enjoy famous first
Sunday 1 January 2006
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Having been the world champions at youth level in 1989 and 1991, Portugal were hopeful that they could finally go one better than their final defeats in the 1988 and 1990 UEFA European Under-18 Championship. But for again they fell at the last hurdle, as Turkey claimed victory in their first UEFA final at any level - the start of that nation's dramatic rise from minnow status to the European élite.
Spain fall
Again the finals were an eight-team knockout affair. Both of the 1990 finalists, holders the Soviet Union and Portugal, qualified but Spain, bronze medallists last time around, were knocked out by Germany. Turkey qualified for the first time since 1983 thanks to a final-game draw in Israel.
German exit
Germany were picked as hosts in their first U18 Championship as a unified nation, their former West and East sections having each won the tournament. But on the three previous times that the finals had been a knockout event the hosts had fallen at the first, and on the fourth and final occasion before the return to a group format, Germany lost 4-0 to Portugal.
England cruise
In the other quarter-finals, Turkey cruised past Hungary 3-0, England turned on the style against Poland with a 6-1 win having trailed 1-0 for much of the first half, and Norway played out a thriller against the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), filling the place of the USSR which had dissolved the previous December. Having lost at this stage to the Soviets in 1988 in their only previous qualification, Norway trailed 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 in Hassfurt, but in the final two minutes of normal time Tarje Nordstrand Jacobsen and Rune Nordengen pulled the score back to 4-4, and the Norwegians then prevailed 3-1 on penalties.
Kocabey winner
For the four losers two 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship berths were still available, and Germany beat Poland 3-2 while the CIS defeated Hungary 3-1. But the real interest were in the semi-finals the same day. Turkey fell 1-0 down to Norway thanks to a Børge Rannestad goal on the half-hour, but before the break Hayati Köse and Mustafa Kocabey had turned the score around and they held on to win 2-1.
Marathon shoot-out
Meanwhile, there were no first-half goals in the other last-four encounter, but seconds after the interval Jamie Pollock struck for England. Kenedy equalised ten minutes later, and eventually the game went to penalties. Goalkeeper Costinha struck the first spot-kick for Portugal in what was to prove a marathon shoot-out. The teams could not be split as all eleven players on each side had an attempt, and when Costinha stepped up again the score was 9-9, and only when Pedro Henrique made it 12-11 did Portugal finally go through.
Turkish delight
England suffered more penalty misery in the third-place match against Norway, as Espen Daland cancelled out Chris Bart-Williams's opener in a 1-1 draw, and in another lengthy shoot-out the Norwegians won 8-7. In the final in Bayreuth, Bülent Yilmaz's 18th-minute goal was cancelled out before half-time by Vitor Cardoso, but Turkey were to prevail 2-1 in extra time thanks, again, to Kocabey on 98 minutes.
England bronze
At the World Championship in Australia, Portugal's grip on the title was loosened as they departed in the same group as Germany, with Turkey and Norway also faltering at that stage. Russia, taking the CIS berth, lost 3-0 to Ghana in the quarter-finals, and the African nation ousted England at the next stage 2-1. England clinched bronze 2-1 against the hosts, as Brazil beat Ghana by the same score in the final.
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