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MULTIMEDIA
May 27, 2012
 
 
 
 
 
 

Eagles face tough task away against Kayseri

Beşiktaş coach Mustafa Denizli (R) gives instructions to his players during a training session for today’s away Super League match against the Kayseri Anatolian Tigers.
27 February 2010 / OKAN UDO BASSEY , İSTANBUL
The struggling Beşiktaş Black Eagles, the defending Turkcell Super League champions, face the Kayseri Anatolian Tigers away at the Kadir Has Stadium this evening, knowing more than anyone that anything other than victory will not be acceptable to their disillusioned and demanding fans.

The saddest thing, though, is that the Black Eagles are not playing like champions anymore. Already ousted from all European competitions and the Ziraat Turkish Cup they also last season, the Eagles are also strugglers in the Super League.

Beşiktaş has not won either of its last two league matches, bowing 2-0 away to gritty Gaziantepspor in week 21 and drawing 1-1 at home with the Galatasaray Lions last Sunday with a late goal by Czech Republic defender Tomas Sivok in a goalmouth scramble.

The Black Eagles, therefore, are under immense pressure to return to winning ways, all the more so because at this stage last season they were already flying away with the league championship. And under-fire coach Mustafa Denizli is finding it very difficult to change the tide in favor of his Eagles.

Beşiktaş coach Mustafa Denizli running out of excuses

Denizli rued his team’s missed chances in the derby against Galatasaray last Sunday saying, “We had several scoring chances but could not convert any.”

If we may ask, “Mr. Excuses” Denizli, whose fault is it when the Black Eagles cannot convert their chances or whose job is it to right this wrong? The job of the coach, as we know it, is to do what has got to be done -- not to complain.

Denizli may be missing the services of Slovakia striker Filip Holosko, who was injured in Sunday’s match against Galatasaray. This means the coach will almost definitely start with Brazil striker Bobo and Turkey international forward Nihat Kahveci upfront this evening. But whether this duo will be able to deliver is another issue altogether.

Tolunay Kafkas’ Tigers, with 42 points from 22 outings, trail leader Galatasaray by only five points are therefore championship material. Backed by their boisterous home fans, the Tigers will be all out to make life more difficult for Denizli and his Black Eagles.

Crocs behind closed doors

The Bursaspor Green Crocs “host” Sivasspor at an empty Sakarya Atatürk Stadium today because the Crocs were ordered by the Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) Professional Soccer Disciplinary Committee (PFDK) to play this match on neutral ground and behind closed doors as punishment for the misbehavior of their fans.

Despite playing their “home” match away from home, the Crocs are in very high spirits after coming from two goals down to beat the Fenerbahçe Yellow Canaries 3-2 at İstanbul’s FB Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium last weekend.

The Green Crocs are third in the 17-team league standings going into this match, with a game in hand. And their morale-boosting away win over Fenerbahçe last weekend, Ozan İpek’s effectiveness in front of goal and the team’s growing self-confidence have made them a force to be reckoned with in topflight soccer.

Young Bursaspor coach Ertuğrul Sağlam will be missing teen striker Sercan Yıldırım. But with “super” Ozan banging in the goals with relative ease, the Crocs need fear no evil.

Live on LİG TV / 14:00 Bursaspor-Sivasspor

Live on LİG TV - HD / 19:00 Kayserispor-Beşiktaş

 
 
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© Feza Gazetecilik A.Ş. 2007, Ahmet Taner Kışlalı Cad. No: 6, Bahçelievler - İstanbul 34194 Turkey, +90 (212) 454 1454, +90 (212) 454 1497(fax)