Netherlands into Euro 2024 semifinal against England after beating Turkey

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BERLIN (AP) — The Netherlands dug deep to come from behind and beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and book its place in the European Championship semifinals.

An own goal from Mert Muldur in the 76th minute, only six after Stefan De Vrij canceled Samet Akaydin’s first-half header for Turkey, was enough for the Dutch in the last of the quarterfinals.

“It was really a battle today,” De Vrij said. “The Turkish team they have a big heart, a lot of quality. In the end we did well and we deserved the win.”

The Netherlands turned the game around after after 1.97-meter-tall (6-foot-5) striker Wout Weghorst made his entrance for the second half.

“He’s always fighting up front, helping the team. And we started to keep the ball, create chances,” De Vrij said. “Then we scored two goals and the whole team fought until the end.”

The Netherlands will face England in the second semifinal in Dortmund on Wednesday. Spain faces France in the first on Tuesday.

“The players showed tonight a big heart,” Dutch coach Ronald Koeman said. “We had to suffer but finally it’s a great success.”

Turkey was without defender Merih Demiral, who was suspended for two matches by UEFA for making a nationalistic hand gesture after scoring in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Austria. The gesture is used by Turkish nationalists and associated with an ultra-nationalist group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was at the game after he changed his plans because of the diplomatic row with Germany over Demiral’s gesture.

German interior minister Nancy Faeser had said Demiral used his celebration “as a platform for racism” and federal minister Cem Özdemir, a German politician of Turkish descent, said the gesture “stands for terror, fascism.”

Many Turkish fans made the gesture on their way to Berlin’s Olympiastadion, and again during Turkey’s national anthem before the game.

The Dutch made a better start, but Turkey’s defenders dug in to limit the impact of Cody Gapko, Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay. Turkey lined up with five at the back without the ball, as it had in the win against Austria, and gradually improved.

Akaydin rewarded a period of Turkish pressure by scoring in the 35th. Arda Guler delivered a butter-soft cross for the defender to head in off the underside of the crossbar.

It set off wild celebrations among Turkey’s coaching staff and fans. Guler was swamped in the coaching area with hugs, while fans in the west end of the stadium set off flares. Most stayed standing after the goal.

Turkish supporters greatly outnumbered their orange-clad counterparts in a city that’s home to a large community of people with Turkish roots. Most are descendants of Turkish “guest workers” who arrived in what was West Germany to help rebuild the post-war economy. Germany is home to some 3 million Turks or people with Turkish roots, making them the country’s largest ethnic minority, and the team has enjoyed fevered support at Euro 2024.

Koeman, who won Euro ’88 as a player with the Netherlands, reacted to his team’s half time deficit by sending on big forward Weghorst, whose presence gave the Dutch wingers a target.

Guler hit the post with a free kick, but it was an isolated effort during a period of intense Dutch pressure that finally paid off in the 70th when De Vrij was left free to head in Depay’s cross.

Suddenly the Dutch supporters could be heard again, and they were cheering again shortly afterward when Gapko forced the own goal from Muldur by getting in front of the defender to Denzel Dumfries’ low cross.

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“We didn’t start the second half very well and fell behind,” Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu said. “After their second goal, we turned to long balls. Such things happen. It’s an honor to have come this far.”

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This story and its headline have been corrected to show that the Netherlands’ second goal was ruled as an own goal by Turkey’s Mert Muldur, not a goal from Cody Gakpo.

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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024