Last-Minute Heroics: The Unlikely Savior of Euro 2024
This is Euro 2024, and this scenario feels familiar: a game-saving header in the final seconds of added time beyond the regulation ninety minutes. While Luka Jovic's spectacular goal against Slovenia extended Serbia's journey till the last day of the group stage, Christoph Baumgartner's header breathes new life into Austria's campaign, pushing the match into extra time against Turkey in the pre-quarterfinals. At 93:59, the score was on the verge of being Austria 2-2 Turkey.
On examining the image, it's tempting to celebrate the late goal and the composure of the scorer, particularly given the dramatic setup—an epic narrative that football pundits dream of recounting endlessly.
Turkey initially took the lead with Merih Demiral scoring in the 57th second and then doubling it in the 59th minute. Michael Gregoritsch narrowed the gap with a goal in the 66th minute. The ensuing hour witnessed Austria's relentless offensive onslaught countered by Turkey's resilient defense. Rain poured down, adding a cinematic touch to the proceedings. The crowd, clad in Turkish red, oscillated between silent prayers and raucous cheers. It was arguably the standout match of the knockout stage, if not the entire tournament, culminating in a special Euro 2024 moment: the last-second goal.
However, no one informed the man in green—Mert Gunok.
At 35 years old, Gunok isn't among the star attractions in a Turkish squad teeming with youthful promise. Transitioning from basketball to football, he earned his first cap 12 years ago and has amassed just 31 national appearances. He blossomed as a goalkeeper relatively late, facing stints as a backup before finally securing a starting role at Istanbul Basaksehir at 30. Despite being part of Turkey's goalkeeper rotation under coach Vincenzo Montella alongside Altay Bayindir and Ugurcan Cakir, few anticipated Gunok as the team's primary choice. His profile outside Turkey remained obscure. Yet, there he stood.
As Baumgartner soared through the air, evading Ferdi Kadioglu to create space for himself, perfectly timing his leap to meet Alexander Prass's whipped cross, Gunok exemplified why Montella placed faith in him.
Baumgartner executed a flawless header: clean connection, directional precision across the goalmouth, and a forceful bounce off the ground to exploit the slippery surface. Any attacking coach would applaud such technique. What followed, however, defied belief.
Halting his initial motion towards the near post, Gunok lunged—there's no other way to describe it—to his right, fully stretched out parallel to the ground, extending his massive hands to palm the ball away to safety. Not only did he reach the ball in time, but he also steered it behind for a corner, thwarting Marko Arnautovic's lurking presence in the six-yard box. This decisive play marked the climax of the match, with Turkey prevailing 2-1 and advancing to the quarterfinals.
