Three times a charm

It's almost becoming a formality. Turkey escaped at the death for the third game running, dumping favourites Croatia out of the tournament.

118 minutes of mind numbing football could not have given an indication of how dramatic the final minutes would be. Rüştü Reçber's mistake had allowed Luka Modrić to cross the ball for substitute Ivan Klasnić to head home after 119 minutes of play, sparking wild scenes of celebration among the Croatians. Even Slaven Bilić joined in the celebration on the pitch. This may have taken their minds off the game for a crucial minute, one which proved to be very costly, Semih Şentürk slamming home an equaliser in the 122 minute, the latest goal ever scored at the European Championships. How the mighty have fallen.

Missing three of your five penalties doesn't help either. Modrić, Ivan Rakitić and Mladen Petrić all failed to convert their spotkicks, making Turkey's job much easier. They converted all three of theirs, putting them through to their first ever European Championship semifinal where they will face Germany. All the major talking points were in the last three minutes of play and the penalty shootout. Very few highlights throughout the rest of the match, the best of the lot being Ivica Olić hitting the bar and Mehmet Topal's 30-yard drive that was narrowly off target. Croatia had the game in their hands. With a minute to go, defense should have been their ultimate priority, not to mention the fact that victory was not yet secure. Many of them had already moved on to thinking about the semifinal before the game was up and this clearly had an effect on them in the penalty shootout. They did not believe they should've been there and completely lost focus and thus were dumped out of the tournament. For Turkey, their fairytale continues and they will hope to deal a similar blow to Germany's hopes. They now have the belief that they can go all the way and that destiny may be on their side. I certainly wouldn't write them off. Lightning usually doesn't strike twice, let alone three times. You wouldn't bet against them being fourth time lucky anymore.

Moving on to the sensational, open secret of the day, Cristiano Ronaldo has finally come out of the closet, announcing his desire to "complete his dream" by moving to the world's biggest football circus, otherwise known as Real Madrid. Ungrateful, narcissistic prick. Well a world record fee and a player should suffice for the world's best player. But you'd expect him to show a bit more respect to Sir Alex Ferguson and Man Utd, the two elements in the equation that made him who he is today. Instead he says, "It is my opinion. That is why I don't mind if people get upset. It is my decision. It is what I want." Notice the blindingly obvious constant in that quote. I, me, my. All what he wants. And apparently the decision was taken before the Champions League final. Talk about focus on the season, he was already planning for the next one!

What has he done for Man Utd? In his time they've won an FA Cup, a League Cup, two Premiership titles and the Champions League. Quite an impressive tally of trophies. And he achieved all of this in five years. From an immature 18-year-old, Sir Alex and his team fashioned Ronaldo into a purebred, terrorising opponents on the right wing while maintaining his unnaturally prolific goalscoring rate. For all he's won at Man Utd, he's no legend yet. David Beckham's right foot has done more for Man Utd than Ronaldo. As has Eric Cantona, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Roy Keane, Denis Law and many others I've left out. He may be one of the best players United have ever had, but that does not make him a legend. He certainly has a whole lot more going forward than Keane but Keane is still held in higher regard than Ronaldo. Judging by achievements, he has certainly repaid Man Utd's £12m investment in him. But doesn't he want to establish himself as a legend at the biggest club in the world? Sure if he ends up staying (which he won't), he'll get attacked by fans and the press for a whole season but another standout season and it'll all be forgotten. He's only 23. It's not as if he's heading towards 30 and wants a new challenge. There is still so much more to be achieved at Man Utd.

"It is a dream, a step forward," says Ronaldo. In which world is Real Madrid a step forward? They may be the world's richest club but they are definitely not the best team in the world. He also said, "For me, it is a great opportunity and, as Scolari says, that train passes by only once and we have to take advantage of it." That train may only pass once but would you give up a first class seat on your train to take a second class seat on that train? If Ronaldo had any sense of loyalty and sense, he wouldn't even have thought about leaving for Madrid. Going there would only herald the return of the Galactico era, one in which every player was a global icon but could not pass the ball among themselves. In the end it's his choice and as of now it looks like being an extremely unwise one. Maybe he will return to Manchester in a few seasons' time, with his tail between his legs, making up for lost time. For now, Madrid fans can lick their lips while United fans lick their wounds. However, no player is bigger than any one football club, and it is certainly not the first time United will have sold a key player only to bounce back stronger. Ronaldo may be full of himself but United, or rather Sir Alex will never let him influence them.

A quick prediction for tonight's game between Russia and Holland. Russia are definitely second favourites to win but tonight's game should be full of intricate passing patterns and beautiful football all over the park. Guud Hiddink is not known for dour, defensive tactics. While this may prove to be Russia's undoing against the Dutch, it can certainly work in their favour and in Andrei Arshavin, they have a true superstar. Marco van Basten's team will know what they have to do against the Russians. If they play to their capabilities and in the same manner that they have played throughout the tournament, they will be through. I'm tipping Holland but I wouldn't place a bet on it. Whatever it is, tonight's game promises much for the neutrals and I can't wait to watch it.