I rode the boat from Kadıköy to Beşiktaş with plans to meet an American friend, Michael, for beer and then take him to his first Turkish football match: Beşiktaş-Gençlerbirliği. The game had more riding on it than just being entertainment. Hanging in the balance were BJK's chances of qualifying for a European slot in the Lig, Gençler's potential total escape from the threat of relegation, and perhaps some momentum going into the Turkish Cup Final in May, as both teams are favored to play each other there.
All of that did not seem like enough to excite either side very much before the game.
The Beşiktaş market area was buzzing with fans, but it was not that raucous madhouse I had experienced on earlier occasions before other (less-important) matches. Was it that the weather had cooled off since the afternoon? Was it the result of high expectations for victory against a weaker Gençlerbirliği side? Or was it the collective sigh of the Beşiktaş community having already had every hope for success shattered this season? Some combination of them all perhaps.
I can't say anything much for the Gençler fans either. They were a rather motionless group of 30 who didn't seem to want to be there. Even after the game had been equalized, there wasn't much activity coming from their corner of the stands. They left the stadium just as quickly as everyone else, not really interested in reveling in what should have felt like victory for them.
As for the game, you've already seen the highlights. 2-2. But what jumped out at me and the fans around me during the game were Simao's solid performance throughout, Hilbert's excellent support in the first half yet blunder-ridden second half, and Ismail Köybaşı's struggles near the end of the game. Up 2-0, the atmosphere in the stands felt more like a baseball game than a Beşiktaş match. People were conversing quietly, taking their bathroom breaks, and munching on sunflower seeds. That lackadaisical attitude reflected onto the field, and Beşiktaş were punished for it.
All in all, my friend and I had a great time at the game. Sure it was quiet for a Beşiktaş match, but it had everything else I had hoped for: a couple of excellent goals, a close game, few cards and decent weather. Beşiktaş controlled the game and played much better overall, but two big mistakes is usually all it takes to ruin a party.
As for the teams, Beşiktaş still stands a chance of getting that 4th place slot in the Süper Lig, but it looks like they'll have to direct their energies toward getting to Europe via the Turkish Cup. If Beşiktaş make it to the final (as they are fully expected to at this point), it will be a tough and close game no matter who they play. Should that opponent be Gençler, from last night's result I think we can expect it to be a close and unpredictable game.
Gençlerbirliği is safe from relegation. They were safe even before their Ankaragücü brethren picked apart Bucaspor in the highest scoring match of the season. At this point, for Gençler to be relegated, Bucaspor would have to win 4 of their next 5 matches, with Gençler losing all the rest of their games. Of course, Galatasaray and Sivaspor would have to do better than that as well. At the time of this writing, Bucaspor has the 4th-toughest remaining schedule of any team in the Lig, and Gençler has the 2nd-easiest.
Though this match didn't start a rivalry, it might later be revealed to have been the onset of a long and deeply felt grudge between these two clubs. For while Beşiktaş may come to greatly regret this 2-2 draw, it might not be the last of the bitterness and defeat in store for them, suffered at the hands, or shall I say the feet, of Gençlerbirliği.
