Jun 26, 2008, 10:51 GMT
Hamburg - The international media on Thursday was torn whether to salute the famous German fighting spirit or rather lament the nation's proverbial luck at major football tournaments in the wake of the dramatic 3-2 semi-final win over Turkey at Euro 2008.
German fans cheer in the stadium ahead of the EURO 2008 Semi Final match between Germany and Turkey at the St Jakob Park stadium, Basel, Switzerland 25 June 2008. EPA/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO
British paper The Sun even managed to squeeze it all into five words.
'How typically, horribly, wonderfully German,' The Sun said after Philipp Lahm had rescued the Germans in the final minute of play after Turkey dominated most of the previous 89 minutes.
'Far from their best in fact, a pale shadow of the side that brushed aside Portugal they gave us a lesson in the most important quality. Winning when you are playing badly,' said The Sun.
'The German record speaks for itself. Sunday in Vienna will be their ELEVENTH major final since 1966.'
The Independent struck a similar line as the British papers - so often let down by the England team which even failed to qualify this time around - could not help themselves but to admire the Germans.
'How did Germany do it? The old, time-honoured tradition of holding their nerve when it mattered most, by taking their chances however few they were and never being inhibited by the greater flair and ambition of their opponents,' said The Independent.
'They wear you down, they make you believe you have a chance and then, when you least expect it, they break your hearts. Typical Germany.'
But there was far less admiration in Spain, whose team (or Russia) could be the opponent in Sunday's final.
'Germany's last breath knocks out Turkey. The team of coach (Joachim) Loew conceals its poor football with a lucky goal in the last minute,' lamented Spain's El Pais.
La Vanguardia said that 'Germany owns the luck' and added: 'The sentence from (former England striker) Gary Lineker is still valid that 11 play against 11 in football and the Germans win in the end.'
AS named the German team 'a machine without a soul' but Marca also conceded that the Turks had ultimately suffered the fate they had inflicted on the others in the previous three Euro games with their late goals.
'Turkey got to taste its own medicine,' said the sports daily Marca.
In this area at least there was agreement with England, as the Sun noted that 'THIS time it was Turkey who were out-Turkeyed.'
In France, L'Equipe said: 'Now Germany has its miracle as well. Germany was tormented by courageous Turks, who once again equalized late, before they struck ruthlessly through Lahm in the 90th minute.'
For Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, and many others as well, the final result was not a surprise - only the way it came.
'Germany in the final, Turkey beaten in the 90th minute - The result appeared fixed before the start, but the way it came was unbelievable. The team of (coach Fatih) Terim dominated the first half and was not beaten until a masterpiece from Lahm in the 90th minute,' said La Gazzetta.
Praise was heaped on the injury- and suspension-plagued Turks even though the final outcome broke their hearts.
'They say that you never remember the beaten semi-finalists but then the beaten semi-finalists so rarely put up a fight like this and in such unpromising circumstances too,' said The Independent, summing it up.
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