Historic Moments in Iceland

In the fourth match of UEFA Nations League B, Group 4, our National Team faced Iceland away. Despite falling behind 1-0 in a game played on a very heavy pitch, the team managed to win 4-2. Additionally, many firsts occurred during the match played in Iceland.

Our National Team faced Iceland in the UEFA Nations League B, Group 4, fourth match. The match took place at Laugardalsvollur Stadium in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. After falling behind 1-0, ‘Our Boys’ came alive in the second half.

The team ended the first half trailing 1-0, but in the 63rd minute, Irfan Can Kahveci scored a brilliant goal, bringing the score to 1-1. Later, Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty in the 67th minute, putting our National Team ahead. However, in the 83rd minute, Andri Gudjohnsen scored, bringing the score to 2-2.

In the final moments of the match, Arda Guler took the spotlight. After Kerem Akturkoglu pressured the goalkeeper and won the ball, Guler found the net with the loose ball.

In the 90+5th minute, Kerem Akturkoglu shined again, scoring a clever long-range shot from outside the box, sealing the game with a 4-2 victory.

With this result, Turkey increased its points to 10 and maintained its lead in UEFA Nations League B, Group 4. Iceland remained in third place with 4 points.

Great Misfortune: Calhanoglu
Hakan Calhanoglu missed the first penalty in the 53rd minute. Our goal was disallowed because Hakan slipped and made two touches on the ball during the penalty kick.

Irfan Can Achieved a First
Irfan Can Kahveci, who scored two of his four goals from outside the box in his National Team career, celebrated scoring in two consecutive matches for the first time while wearing the Turkey jersey.

Captain Took Charge: 20!
Captain Hakan Calhanoglu scored his 20th goal for Turkey against Iceland, becoming the sixth player in the history of the National Football Team to reach this number.

Top Scorer Against Iceland
Kerem Akturkoglu, by scoring the fourth goal for the National Team against Iceland, earned the title of the player who has scored the most goals against Iceland.

Highest Win Rate Belongs to Montella
Among coaches who have managed at least five official matches in the history of the National Team, Vincenzo Montella holds the highest win percentage with 67% (8 wins in 12 matches).

Burak Akin: It’s Disrespectful to Montella
In the pre-match interview, the Italian coach stated, “They are physically stronger than us, so I chose the players with the highest technical ability.” Despite being down 1-0 at halftime, Montella did not deviate from his game plan in the second half. We had more possession and increased our attacking efficiency. Our tempo was much higher. By quickly moving the ball and disrupting the opponent’s defense, we scored consecutive goals and returned to Turkey with three points.

Some statistics…
During Vincenzo Montella’s tenure:

•   We won away against Croatia for the first time in our history.
•   We finished first in our group for the first time in the European Championship Qualifiers.
•   We won away against Iceland for the first time in our history.
•   Montella holds the highest win percentage among coaches who have managed at least five official matches for the National Team (67%, 8/12).

Given these facts and statistics, the idea of questioning Vincenzo Montella after even the slightest loss, or speculating about replacements, is absurd. It’s important to recall the pre- and post-EURO 2024 period. The coach has proven himself with both team management and results on the field, earning great respect and credit.