The Netherlands fought hard to come from behind and defeat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday, securing a spot in the European Championship semifinals.
Mert Muldur’s own goal in the 76th minute, shortly after Stefan De Vrij had equalized Samet Akaydin’s first-half header for Turkey, sealed the victory for the Dutch in the final quarterfinal match.
“It was a real battle today,” De Vrij commented. “The Turkish team has a lot of heart and quality. In the end, we performed well and deserved to win.”
The Netherlands turned the tide after Wout Weghorst, a 1.97-meter-tall (6-foot-5) striker, entered the game in the second half. “He’s always fighting up front, supporting the team. We began to control possession and create opportunities,” De Vrij explained. “Then we scored two goals and the entire team fought until the final whistle.”
Next, the Netherlands will face England in the second semifinal in Dortmund on Wednesday, while Spain takes on France in the first semifinal on Tuesday.
“Tonight, the players showed great determination,” said Dutch coach Ronald Koeman. “We had to endure some tough moments, but in the end, it’s a fantastic achievement.”
Turkey played without defender Merih Demiral, who received a two-match suspension from UEFA for making a nationalistic hand gesture after scoring in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Austria. This gesture is associated with Turkish nationalists and an ultra-nationalist group.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the match after changing his plans due to a diplomatic dispute with Germany over Demiral’s gesture.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser criticized Demiral, stating that his celebration “used racism as a platform,” while German-Turkish politician Cem Özdemir described the gesture as representing “terrorism and fascism.”
Many Turkish fans also made the gesture on their way to Berlin’s Olympiastadion and during Turkey’s national anthem before the game.
