Photo courtesy of Flags Information
The FIFA Under 20 World Cup will commence in late June and will take place in Turkey, a nation that is hungry for international success. The 70 million plus fans have suffered heartbreak after heartbreak in the past 11 years. Now, with their country finally playing as host, they have a chance for glory.
In 2002, the senior national team finished in third place during the World Cup co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. They lost to Brazil for the second time in the semis and were forced to settle for a 3-2 victory over co-host South Korea to go home with bronze medal necklaces. In 2008, Turkey lost 3-2 in the semifinals to Germany in the EURO competition of that year. Fatih Terim, current coach of Galatasaray, was head coach at the time. Now, Turkey are on the verge of missing out on WC 2014 in Brazil after a few less than par performances have caused them to give up costly points. With that in mind, the Under 20 squad have the hopes and dreams of Turks around the world pressing on their shoulders.
This is going to be a tournament where 24 teams are split into six groups of four, where each team will face off once against one another. Turkey hosts Colombia, El Salvador, and Australia in Group C. Arguably, the Colombians are the best side of the four, but Turkey have the advantage of playing on home turf with their fans expected to cheer them on non-stop. In a nation where soccer is the main sporting obsession, this is surely going to be a tournament to remember for every single team, especially the hosts.
