Merih Demiral is the hero of the Turkish football team and Turkey in general, because he commanded the defense and scored two goals that took them to the quarter-finals of the European Championship in Germany, but equal credit goes to goalkeeper Mert Gunok.
His reaction after the Austrian striker Christoph Baumgartner's header in the last moments of stoppage time can certainly be called the save of the tournament, perhaps the save of the decade.
English commentators compare Gunak's defense with the intervention of the English Gordon Banks when he stopped the famous Brazilian Pele to score in the 1970 World Cup, but there have been many other goalkeeping feats since then that could rival Banks'.
This time the scene was played in the rain in Leipzig, not in the tropical heat of Guadalajara.
Gunnock's parade that he somehow prevented Baumgartner from scoring when everyone already saw it in the net, which would have meant overtime, will remain in the memory of everyone who watched.
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"We didn't have the necessary luck and I believe we would have won if the game had gone to extra time," Austrian coach Ralf Rangnik said after the game.
He too remembered Gordon Banks.
"We had time to equalize, but it's difficult when they have Gordon Banks in goal!".
Gordon Banks' name was on the minds and lips of many others.
“Well, this is like Gordon Banks. Unbelievable. First-class defence," shouted Matthew Epson, the former full-back of the England national team, into the BBC radio microphone.
"We've just watched a replay of Gordon Banks' intervention," commented Lee Dixon on ITV
Chris Sutton, former footballer, now a BBC commentator, had a similar remark: "The Gunnock defense is one of the best in the history of European championships".
Baumgartner (and all of us) has already seen the ball in the goal
There were some dramatic moments at this European Championship in the final seconds.
Luka Jovic's goal for a point from Serbia against Slovenia, Mattia Zakanji's goal for Italy's equaliser in 90+8. the minute he sent Croatia home or, most recently, goal by Jude Bellingham "scissors" in 90+5. minute of the match against Slovakia, when the English had already resigned themselves to the evil fate that "football (this time too) will not return home", as they like to say.
But this is about defending the goal.
Congratulations and To the Portuguese Diogo Košta who first stopped a shot by Slovenian Benjamin Sešek with his foot in the 115th minute of extra time, and then saved three shots in the penalty shootout, leading his country to the quarterfinals.
But the defense of Gunok is something really special.
Turkey led 2:1 against Austria and defended its advantage frantically.
The Austrians squeezed them into their own half, they attacked from all sides, and then it was 90+4. minute followed by the last attack.
The exhausted Turkish defense had already collapsed, Baumgartner raced into the space at the back post and headed the ball that skidded off the wet grass and into the far corner.
Suddenly, 35-year-old Gunok turned and prevented what everyone had already seen - the ball did not enter the net.
"Baumgartner did everything right, he handled the slippery terrain very well, but what Gunok did..." Epson added.
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'His job is to defend'
Turkish defender Merih Demiral, a double goalscorer, was named man of the match, but he later paid tribute to Gunok.
"Mert did a great job. We were just talking in the dressing room, I couldn't believe what I saw - maybe this is one of the best defenses I've seen in my life," said Demiral.
Italian Vincenzo Montella, the coach of Turkey, was one of the few who did not use superlatives in his comments on Gunok's defense, but he did emphasize how important he is to the team.
"I don't know... there have been many spectacular saves in football," was Montela's response when asked to rank Gunnock's defenses among the best of all time.
"I'm happy for him, happy for the team, happy for Turkey and happy for the group of players we've brought together and created and what we've done.
"Good for Mert, his job is to defend and we are very happy that he managed to save us in the last minute."
The prize for Turkey and their army of loyal supporters is a quarter-final against the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday, and Montella believes anything is possible with their support.
"We have a huge number of fans, we feel their passion and love.
"I am very happy that we have made the Turks here in Germany, but also around the world, proud," added the Italian.
Many commented on the Turkish goalkeeper's move on social networks.
"You can watch football all you want, but you won't see a better defense than this," read one.
Another added: “Absolutely brilliant. He will probably be on most lists of the best defenses of all time in the future."
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