NUMBER ONE keeper in the world?

Petr Cech looked more like a reject from the Prague Sunday League as he threw away the Czech Republic’s Euro 2008 dream.

Now new Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari — armed with Roman Abramovich’s millions — must be wondering if he needs a new man between the Stamford Bridge sticks.

Cech’s howler defined this amazing clash which will forever be known as the Quake by the Lake.



Turkey somehow qualified for the quarter-finals — despite looking down and out as they trailed the Czechs by two goals with just 15 minutes left.

Jan Koller’s header and Jaroslav Plasil’s 62nd-minute strike put the Czechs in control as Group A looked to be heading towards a predictable conclusion. And then the ground shook.

Arda Turan pulled one back for the Turks with a low shot which clipped in off the post.

A mere consolation? Don’t you believe it. Cech had looked unflappable all night as the Turks failed to impose themselves as an attacking force.

But, when a hopeful 88th-minute cross floated over from the right, the Chelsea keeper somehow took his eye off the ball and dropped it at the foot of grateful skipper Nihat, who tapped home. And moments later Nihat was at it again as he slipped through the static Czech defence and fired a shot in off the bar as Cech was left shellshocked.

But still the drama continued. As the Czechs piled forward, a goalmouth scramble saw the ball trickle past the post before Turkish keeper Volkan Demirel, obviously caught up in the mayhem of the moment, shoved Koller to the ground.

He was rightly sent off and Middlesbrough’s Tuncay — who 20 minutes earlier had looked a distraught figure as he tried to lift Turkey back into the match — had to go in goal for the closing seconds.

The Czechs were down and out and so Turkey will now face Croatia in the last eight.

How much more can we take of this amazing drama? Roll on that boring old stuff we call the Premier League.

Distraught Czech boss Karel Brueckner said: “To lose such a game is incredible. Even with four minutes to go we were winning 2-1 and to concede two goals in the last four minutes is unbelievable. You cannot make mistakes like that and expect to win games.

“We made mistakes on the second and third goals and we did not defend well — and you can’t play like that.

“In the end we surrendered to Turkey’s pressure.”

Turkey’s Hamit Altintop thought his country’s chance had gone as the Czechs led 2-0.

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He said: “To be honest, we played poorly in the first half and no one believed it was possible any more.

“We just kept playing on. But you have to say the coach made some good adjustments. He put me into midfield and we played with better organisation.

“We noticed the Czechs were losing their confidence and we took advantage of that.”

With both teams having identical records going into this all-or-nothing clash at the Stade de Geneve, the prospect of a penalty shootout loomed if the match ended as a draw after 90 minutes.

Both coaches had said that would be the worst-case scenario and it was the assured Czechs, who brought Koller back into their starting line-up after he missed the 3-1 defeat to Portugal, who dominated the first 45 minutes.

Libor Sionko thrashed a shot wide after just 10 seconds and Koller headed a free-kick over when well positioned in the 10th minute.

The goal the Czechs deserved came nine minutes later.

Juventus full-back Zdenek Grygera galloped down the right and crossed for Koller to head home his 55th international goal in his 90th appearance.

When Jaroslav Plasil added a second it looked all over — but we should have known better as this amazing championship took yet another unexpected twist.

PREM WATCH

TUNCAY (Middlesbrough): Looked lively early on but lacked ammunition as Turkish attack spluttered. Forced to go in goal after Volkan’s dramatic last-minute dismissal.

PETR CECH (Chelsea): What a howler! Gifted Turks their equaliser by dropping a simple deep cross from the right.


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