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A national hero in Turkey, striker Hakan Sükür has
had a disappointing World Cup campaign, failing to score
a single goal.
Sükür can make up for his lacklustre performance, however,
if he can manage to rediscover his form and score against
Brazil in Wednesday's semifinal.
Sükür's scoring impotence at the World Cup betrays
the reputation of this potent striker.
Sükür is without peer when it comes to aerial skills,
boasts tremendous dribbling ability and has a blistering
shot. Prior to the World Cup, he amassed an incredible
strike record, scoring 35 goals for his country in 70
games.
Born September 1, 1971, Sükür was a child prodigy,
making his professional debut for hometown club Sakaryaspor
at the age of 16. Two years later, after establishing
himself as a starter for the modest Turkish side, he
was signed by Bursaspor.
His stay at Bursaspor was short lived, lasting only
two seasons before Istanbul giants Galatasaray came
knocking. He made an immediate impact, scoring 19 goals
in his first season and helping Galatasaray win another
league title.
During his first year in Istanbul, he earned his first
international cap for Turkey, playing against Luxemburg
on March 25, 1992. He played a big part in helping Turkey
qualify for the 1996 UEFA Championship held in England.
With nothing left to prove in the Turkish league, Sükür
made the big jump to Italy's Serie A, singing with Torino
in 1995. He never caught on in Italy and Galatasaray
quickly bought him back after only five games.
The move turned out to be the best thing for his career,
as Sükür scored an amazing 38 goals in his first season
back with Galatasaray. Things only got better as he
helped lead Galatasaray to victory in the 1999/2000
UEFA Cup final over Arsenal.
Once again, Italy beckoned him and he signed with Inter
Milan the following season. However, like his previous
Italian sojourn, Sükür struggled to earn a place in
Milan's first team.
Frustrated, he went to Parma and begun to rediscover
his form, helping the Italian side avoid relegation.
Now, at the age of 30, Sükür has reached the apex of
his international career with his best chance to win
a World Cup medal. If Turkey are to upset the mighty
Brazilians in the semifinals on Wednesday, it'll be
up to Sükür to provide the firepower.
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