2002-2003 1.Süper Lig

Week 29&30 - Analysis by Serbülent Şengün

from Gençlerbirliği-Adanaspor game

The grip is getting tighter. And now there are only four more weeks to go. The top 3 has rather turned out to a top 2, and way down at the bottom 3 teams are in deep trouble, but mathematically everything is still a mystery. The most obvious thing these two weeks was that teams at the relegation zone played more intense and better football, than teams on the top.

Considering this analysis will involve two weeks of league football, it is best to go team by team.

Teams:

Beşiktaş: Elazığspor (A) 1-0, Altay 2-0
Beşiktaş is headed to championship and they have managed to win both their games. Yet the football they play on the field is far from a team that is the league leader in the 30th week. They had to deal with serious injuries and declining form of key players, but still their squad has the depth and nobody seems to be the cure of the current disease. They have three difficult games in a row, and they have to regroup their focus, if they do not want to loose it all in the last weeks.

Galatasaray: Adanaspor: 2-2, Trabzonspor 2-1
They have no intentions of quitting the race. But rather surprisingly they have drawn against Adanaspor at home. What a game that was, at one point in the game, Adanaspor could not get out of their own penalty box, but still managed to hold on to a single point. Three Galatasaray goals were disallowed. The refereeing was hectic, to say the least. This loss of points made it imperative for Galatasaray to win at Trabzon, and so they did. Again, surprisingly Trabzonspor did not play a single ounce of football, and Galatasaray got a well deserved victory. Their will to win is respectable, but yet their disorganized football is a serious problem in the final weeks of the league. Not to mention that injuries are of no help either.

Gençlerbirliği: Altay (A) 3-3, Adanaspor 0-2
I can not believe that this has happened to them. Against Altay, they were the superior side, but yet lost the points after a last minute goal, missing plenty throughout the game. Then against Adanaspor, they were totally out of it. Obviously their mental strength was not as good as their physical strength, with one bad game against Trabzonspor in the cup final, they have totally lost their control. Yet they can still be eligible for a UCL spot considering they will play both Beşiktaş and Galatasaray in the coming weeks, but it is hard. After unarguably playing the best football in the league for so long, they have given up on the championship dream. Many people would have loved to see them succeed.

Gaziantepspor: İstanbulspor 4-3, Diyarbakırspor (A) 1-0
They are back at the form they were back when the league started. They play up tempo football, and obviously know how to score. The game between them and İstanbulspor was a great one to watch. Although both teams managed a total of 7, there were still so many positions wasted that the game could have yielded out a handball game score. The game against Diyarbakırspor was also a very lively game, but this time they got away with the three points with one goal. Things look good for them in the coming weeks. Among the teams they are going to play, only Göztepe is in a bad position in the league, the rest are probably going to be laid back, good football games. UEFA spot almost guaranteed, considering their form.

Trabzonspor: Göztepe 0-0, Galatasaray 1-2
They played awesome in the cup final, but then the magic was all gone. It is understandable as they have reached their goal, but the football they played the last two games was.... actually they did not play anything, it was just 11 guys wearing a uniform kicking the ball when it came to them. Maybe they might do something in the last 4 games, but I doubt it, they have secured their UEFA ticket so what is there to play for.

Fenerbahçe: Samsunspor 1-1, Bursaspor (A) 1-2
They are just experimenting, and that is all that can be said about them. Interestingly they do not play that bad, but yet they can not do the necessary things to win a game. Once a title contender, today it is doubtful if they can make it to the UEFA Cup.

Malatyaspor: Bursaspor 4-2, Kocaelispor (A) 3-2
Scored 7 and concede 4 against two teams which were desperately in need of points, what does that say about this team. Personally I think they are enjoying themselves. They create positions, play the counter attack tremendously esp. through Sertan, who has scored 4 of the 7 goals his team has scored. One more thing that can be said about them is that they have been merciless, and more good football can come from them now, that they have an eye on Fenerbahçe’s spot, unless they make a big stress out of it.

Ankaragücü: Diyarbakırspor 3-1, Göztepe 1-0
Just like Malatyaspor, they have been on a ride, and merciless. They played some great football against Diyarbakırspor, pleasing their fans with some delightful moments. Then against Göztepe, they just did what was enough to kill the hopes of the home team. Now their schedule more laid back, but against other UEFA cup contenders. So what will happen from now on is difficult to guess, except that personally good games can be expected.

Samsunspor: Fenerbahçe (A) 1-1, Elazığspor 4-3
Samsunspor has been in increasing form, and the results they get proves it. Once a serious candidate for relegation, now they are safe and sound in the 9th place. They played a counterattack football and managed a draw against Fenerbahçe, but the game against Elazığspor was weird. They almost lost a point in a game, in which at halftime they were up by 3 goals. Their remaining games are tough, and I personally would not be suprised if they only manage 3 in 4 games, but yet that is unimportant now, as they have avoided relegation mathematically.

İstanbulspor: Diyarbakırspor (A) 3-4, Denizli 2-1
5 goals scored, 5 conceded. Not the İstanbulspor that people have been used to this season. The Gaziantepspor game was a thriller. The Denizli game was the a key game for both sides, and the home side managed a win after scoring 2 goals in 4 minutes in the last 20 minutes, after being one down in the first half. Now they need only one point to secure everything, and that should not be hard to get, although their schedule is pretty tough.
Diyarbakırspor: Ankaragücü (A) 1-3, Gaziantepspor 0-1
After playing weeks of very solid football, Diyarbakırspor got in a slump these two weeks. But I don’t think it is anything serious, as in both games they played good, but in both games their opponents played better. Considering their form. They should be able to secure themselves easily.

Adanaspor: Galatasaray (A) 2-2, Gençlerbirliği (A) 2-0
Nobody saw this coming. Absolutely unbelievable. Two away games against second and third place holders and 4 points with 4 goals. Great football from the veteran Cafer, and goalkeeper Murat. It will be interesting if they can keep it up against Beşiktaş too. They had the toughest schedule among the lesser tier teams in the last 6 weeks, and still have it very tough, but they have sure boosted their confidence and from now on, things should be more manageable. Best performance of the past two weeks.

Denizli: Kocaelispor 1-2, İstanbulspor (A) 1-2
Once a team in the forth round of the UEFA cup, now Denizli is in the 13th spot and coach Rıza Çalımbay has resigned. I can understand some ups and downs in a team but there is no way I can understand what has happened here. Both games lost after scoring the first goal. They just cannot seem to concentrate. But they better now, because things have gotten serious.

Altay: Gençlerbirliği 3-3, Beşiktaş (A) 0-2
It was a tough schedule, and even gaining one point might turn out to be great for them, especially thinking of how they scored 2 goals in the last 13 minutes of the game, the equalizer coming in the last minute. Now they will face teams of their own caliber in the last four games, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to hold on. If they win this week against Samsunspor, they will probably get the momentum on their side, and manage to survive.

Bursaspor: Malatyaspor (A) 2-4, Fenerbahçe 2-1
They showed signs of development in the past weeks, and against Malatyaspor they played solid, but they just could not contain Malatyaspor. However against Fenerbahçe they managed to secure a win. Though the game never went the way they wanted it, being able to win was the most important thing on their agenda, and they sure are happy with the results. Their game against Elazığspor this week can be deadly to the team that looses the game, so they have to be careful. Most their schedule is against teams trying to avoid relegation, and the outcome totally depends on how well Bursaspor plays. And for God’s sake, somebody please help Okan out in the offense.

THE RELEGATION ZONE:
Göztepe: Trabzonspor (A) 0-0, Ankaragücü 0-1
They did the hard part and then absolutely lost it all at home. Maintaining a draw at Trabzon was a big success for the team as they were desperate for the point, but then not being able to even hold another goalless draw in a game where they needed the 3 points was horrible. Now they have rough games on the schedule and need at least 7-8 points to be really secure. It is really hard for them to hold after now.

Elazığspor: Beşiktaş 0-1, Samsunspor (A) 3-4
They really fight hard on the field, but things just don’t go their way. Their game against Bursaspor will be very decisive, but their remaining games are all against relegation zone teams basically, so there is still hope out there. Yet it is very very hard.

Kocaelispor: Denizli (A)2-1, Malatyaspor 2-3
First they managed to do the least expected and managed a win at Denizlispor coming from a goal behind, and then they lost it all at the Malatyaspor game. Now their fixtures are against relegation teams only. Considering their current form, I sincerely doubt that they have any serious chances. It all depends on the Fenerbahçe game, maybe if they survive that one, they might have a chance, but this scenario does not seem very likely.

Team of the last two weeks: Adanaspor SFAŞ

Managed the unexpected and the unbelievable. 4 points in two away games against 2 title contenders. Need I say more.

Player of the last two weeks: Sertan Eser (Malatyaspor)

Undoubtedly one the best counter attack players in the league. He managed 4 goals in two games, and countless accounts of trouble making for the opponents defense. He is in top form as the league comes to an end, and will be interesting to see what he has reserved for the last 4 games.