Surprise packets Latvia knock out Turkey

James Whelan

Latvia fought back from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw in the last 24 minutes of the second leg of their Euro 2004 playoff in Istanbul to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate after their shock 1-0 home win in Riga in the first leg on Saturday.

They join Spain and Croatia in the finals after those teams also won their playoffs last night.

Spain crushed Norway 3-0 in Oslo while 10-man Croatia won 1-0 in neighbouring Slovenia to clinch their places in next year’s finals in Portugal.

In later action Wales were playing Russia and the Netherlands were facing Scotland.

Eleven qualifiers were already known before the second legs of the playoffs with the draw for the finals taking place in Lisbon on November 30.

But the most astonishing result of all came in Istanbul where Latvia, ranked 69th in the world, overcame Turkey whose growing reputation as an emerging soccer nation received a major setback.

A stunning volley from Ilhan Mansiz put Turkey ahead after 21 minutes while a close-range chip from Hakan Sukur (64) put Turkey 2-1 up on aggregate.

But Jurijs Laizans put Latvia back in front on the away goals rule with a fortuitous strike from a free-kick after 66 minutes before Maris Verpakovskis scored his sixth goal of the competition to ensure Latvia’s shock overall win.

Although they played international soccer before becoming part of the Soviet Union in 1940, Latvia have only been playing as an independent nation since 1991 and this is their greatest soccer triumph.

Spain ensured they would be taking part in neighbouring Portugal’s party with a convincing win in Oslo thanks to goals from Raul (34), Vicente (49) and Joseba Etxeberria, who scored with a fluky 55th minute header. A weak, short clearance from Norwegian goalie Espen Johnsen went straight to Etxeberria’s head and rebounded back into the net.

Spain ran out 5-1 aggregate winners but matters were much closer for Croatia who edged Slovenia by one goal with a second half strike from the in-form Dado Prso for a 2-1 aggregate win.

It was almost unthinkable that Spain would miss out on next year’s finals despite their unconvincing 2-1 win over Norway in Saturday’s first leg in Valencia, but the Norwegians went into the second match believing they could turn the tie around.

It was a forlorn hope. Raul pounced for a typical opportunist’s strike after 34 minutes, rifling home from close range to give the keeper no chance.

Vicente effectively wrapped the tie up by putting Spain 4-1 ahead on aggregate four minutes into the second half when he shot low past Johnsen after Christer Basma failed to stop a Raul pass. Etxeberria’s header gave Spain a 3-0 winning margin.

Matters were far more tense in Ljubljana after Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Zagreb.

Prso scored the decisive goal for Croatia after 61 minutes with a shot from 10 metres Just two minutes earlier Croatia’s Igor Tudor was sent off after receiving his second yellow card for a foul on Amir Karic.

The visitors had enjoyed the better start and midfielder Robert Kovac hit the post after just six minutes with a strike from just outside the box.