Turkey progress again on wave of passionate support

HAMBURG, Germany : Turkey have twice previously progressed past the group stage at the European Championship, in tournaments hosted by countries with significant migrant communities, and it was no surprise they did it again in Germany on Wednesday.

There are almost 3 million people with Turkish roots in Germany, following a wave of migration that began in the 1960s.

There are also large Turkish communities in Belgium and the Netherlands, which was a factor in their progress to the last eight in 2000, and in Austria and Switzerland, where they got to the semi-finals at Euro 2008.

On Wednesday, the decibel levels created by the overwhelming number of Turkish fans in the Volksparkstadion had much to do with their side securing a last-16 place as they battled to stay ahead against the Czech Republic and won 2-1.

Turkey needed only a draw to advance to the knockout stage and were handed a major advantage when Czech midfielder Antonin Barak was sent off in the 20th minute for a second caution.

Even if the Czechs sabotaged their own hopes, however, as they had to win to progress, it took until four minutes into stoppage time for Turkey to secure the win.

Without the deafening support, Turkey might have buckled under the late pressure from a desperate Czech side seeking to salvage their tournament.

The Hamburg crowd would not let them, however, barracking the Czechs' every touch and raising the roof when Turkey were in possession and on the attack.

Support for most counties at the tournament in Germany has been impressive but the Turks took it up an extra notch and their players seemed to revel in it.

They will likely need similar backing when they next take on Austria. By finishing second in Group F, Turkey booked a trip south to