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- France top group after failing to break down battling 10-man Ecuador
- Ecuador 0-0 France: World Cup 2014 as it happened
- Honduras v Switzerland: World Cup 2014 as it happened!
- Switzerland ease past Honduras courtesy of Xherdan Shaqiri hat-trick
- Manchester City agree a £12m fee for Portos midfielder Fernando
- Roy Hodgson promises to learn from Englands World Cup mistakes
- Will Nigeria be the only African team to make it to the final stages?
- World Cup 2014: Alberto Zaccheroni resigns as the Japan coach
- Uruguayan FA defends Luis Suárez, claiming bite marks are Photoshopped
- Luis Suárez 'exhibits behaviour of a frustrated child' by biting
- Ghana insist they will not boycott Portugal match despite pay dispute
- Luis Suárezs Giorgio Chiellini clash adds to story of violence and deceit
- Barcelona land Chiles keeper Claudio Bravo from Real Sociedad for £7.2m
- Leicester City reward manager Nigel Pearson with three-year contract
- Luis Suárez incident really weird, says Andy Murray
- Lionel Messi hits double in Argentina win but Nigeria go through too
- Iran slump out of World Cup with disappointing defeat to Bosnia
- Nigeria v Argentina: World Cup 2014 as it happened
- Bosnia-Herzegovina v Iran: World Cup 2014 as it happened
- Paulo Bento insists he will not resign if Portugal are eliminated
- World Cup 2014: Belgium hope for winning formula against South Korea
- Luis Suárez faces Fifa inquiry over World Cup biting incident video
- Koke signs new Atlético Madrid contract and deals blow to Barcelona
- World Cup 2014 diary: will Pelé do the presentation honours for Fifa?
- Mario Balotelli hits back at critics following Italys World Cup exit
| France top group after failing to break down battling 10-man Ecuador Posted: 25 Jun 2014 03:00 PM PDT |
| Ecuador 0-0 France: World Cup 2014 as it happened Posted: 25 Jun 2014 02:59 PM PDT A scoreless draw was enough for France to win the group, but sent 10-man Ecuador going out of the competition
OK, that's all from me. Ecuador were weird tonight, playing as if they'd be happy with the draw, even though it meant they'd exit the tournament. Needing two goals, their manager didn't bring on a centre-forward until the 90th minute, while they didn't throw the kitchen sink at toothless France until the final couple of minutes. I'm off to record the latest episode of our World Cup Football Daily podcast, so be sure to tune in when it goes up on the site, iTunes and SoundCloud later. Thanks for your company.
Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over. France fail to score against 10-men Ecuador, but top the group anyway. Switzerland's 3-0 win over Honduras in Manaus means the European side finish second in the group and will play Argentina in Sâo Paolo in the last 16. France will play Nigeria in Brasilia.
90+3 min: Ecuador get a corner, their first of the game. Walter Ayovi sends the ball into the France penalty area, where it's headed clear.
90+2 min: Ibarra wriggles into the France penalty area and pulls the ball back across the penalty area. Koscielny gets it stuck under his feet and eventually France scramble it clear.
90+1 min: Alexandre Dominguez recovers and it's a good job too. He's forced into action again when Olivier Giroud rises to head a cross straight at him. Normally so ruthless, France have missed a heck of a lot of chances today.
90 min:Ecuador send on Felipe Caicedo for Cristian Noboa. That's their third substitution (Michael Arroyo went off a few minutes ago), but their goalkeeper is currently down injured.
89 min: Paul Pogba shoots from the edge of the Ecuador penalty area, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the upright.
87 min: Loic Remy attempts to curl a shot inside the left upright from inside the Ecuador penalty area, but is foiled by another decent save from Alexandre Dominguez.
86 min: France play the ball back and forth along the edge of the final third. Enner Valencia robs possession and gives Laurent Koscielny the slip. He gallops down the left flank, only to be dispossessed by Sissoko, who was back defending.
84 min: Giroud and Benzema combine brilliantly down the left flank before the latter unleashes a surface-to-air drive from about 12 yards. Alexandre Dominguez saves his team once again.
82 min: Hugo Lloris gets down to parry a shot from Ibarra the substitute, who'd cut in from the right flank and blasted the ball at waist height from about 14 yards. The ball rebounds back into the penalty areas, but doesn't break kindly for Enner Valencia, who was hoping to pounce and take advantage.
80 min:A half-chance for Arroyo, who latches on to a pass from Ayovi and gallops down the inside right channel before slicing high and wide under pressure. He goes to ground and beats the ground in frustration.
79 min:France advance, with Pogba playing a long crossfield ball to Sagna on the right touchline. He tries to pick out Benzema, but Ecuador clear.
77 min: It seems that one goal won't be enough for Ecuador. I'm told that Switzerland's third means the South American side now need to win 2-0. France substitution: Loic Remy on, Antoine Griezmann off.
71 min:Bacary Sagna plays a wonderful cross from deep to the far post, standing the ball up beautifully for Paul Pogba. The midfielder rises, heads the ball down firmly and holds his head in his hands in horror as the ball flashes wide of the far post. I'm not sure how he missed that and I don't think he is either.
70 min: Switzerland go 3-0 up against Honduras in Manaus. They're second in the group, but will not qualify for the last 16 if 10-man Ecuador can somehow win this match.
69 min: Now Paul Pogba tries a shot from a ridiculous angle, with predictably hilarious consequences.
68 min:Ecuador free-kick wide on the right, for a foul by Lucas Digne. With five big men queuing up in the box, Michael Arroyo takes the free-kick and tries a shot from way out. The ball goes over the bar. That's a waste.
67 min: France win two corners in quick succession. Before the first is taken, Olivier Giroud comes on to replace Blaise Matuidi, who's played well, linking up wonderfully with Benzema and Pogba around the edge of the Ecuador penalty area. Giroud gets his head on the first corner to win the second, but the next delivery is poor and Ecuador clear their lines.
64 min: Montero has had a poor match this evening, contributing little. Karim Benzema has been far more lively and wins a corner for his side after one of his long range shots from outside the Ecuador penalty area is deflected wide off a defender. Nothing comes from the set piece and Ecuador clear their lines.
63 min: Jefferson Montero off, Alex Ibarra on. A winger for a winger.
61 min: Dominguez saves his side, parrying up in the air and back into his own hands after Matuidi had run on to a beautifully weighted pass from Karim Benzema and fired towards the left upright from about 18 yards. Good effort, decent save.
60 min: France substitution: Raphael Varane replaces Mamadou Sakho in the heart of the France defence.
59 min: Lucas Digne attacks down the left, trying to pick out the spare man on the right with a cross. It's blocked.
58 min: Now France go close. Benzema tees up Pogba, who shoots low and hard from just outside the penalty area. Noboa dives in to block.
57 min: Jefferson Montero attacks down the left flank and takes on Koscielny. He beats his man but takes a heavy touch in the process and is unable to get a cross in before the ball runs out of play.
55 min:Valencia are playing a lot better now than they did when they had 11 men. Perhaps they should get somebody else dismissed. Enner Valencia gallopps down the touchline, but is dispossessed courtesy of a sliding challenge from Sakho.
53 min: Paul Pogba gives away the ball in midfield and suddenly Ecuador find themselves on the break with a three-on-two. Enner Valencia advances to the edge of the penalty area with men to his left and right. He plays it right into the path of our man with the bandage on his head, Cristian Noboa, who slips as he takes his shot and shoots wide with the goal gaping. That's a brilliant opportunity to score that's just gone a begging.
49 min: A bad night for Ecuador just got a whole lot worse. After Digne receives treatment for a couple of minutes, the Ivorian referee takes Valencia to one side and shows him the red card. Ecuador's skipper looks exasperated, but walks off without complaint.
48 min: Lucas Digne goes down looking badly injured after challenging Antonio Valencia for a 50-50 . France's players accuse the Ecuador captain of going in over the ball with his studs showing and replays show they might have a point. He made dangerous contact with the Frenchman's knee. Was it deliberate or clumsy? It's difficult to tell.
46 min: Dominguez saves brilliantly, denying Griezmann from point-blank range and flapping the ball on to the right upright, from where it ricocheted to safety. Griezmann had sprinted to the near post and stuck out a boot to poke a whipped cross from the right goalwards from about five yards.
46 min: Moussa Sissoko lashes the ball high and wide of the Ecuador goal. Was that a shot or a cross? I'm not sure. I suspect he might not be either.
Second half: France kick-off, with neither team having made any changes in personnel. Ecuador need to up their game in a big way if they're to win this match.
Meanwhile in Manhaus: Xherdan Shaqiri has scored two goals to give Switzerland a two-goal lead over Honduras. As things stand, France will go through as group winners and face Nigeria in Brasilia next Monday, while Switzerland will finish second and play against Argentina in Sâo Paulo on Tuesday.
Charles Antaki writes: "The game is such that the mind tends to wander, and when I heard Guaguas name mentioned (only once that I noticed, even though the Ecuador back line is busy enough) I remembered that guagua is the colloquial name for a bus in Nicaragua.," he writes. "Ought I somehow try to get that snippet to Phil Neville to help him inject some interest into the second half?"
Check out our leagues interactive!At the start of the World Cup, the Premier League had the most players competing. But now that England are gone home, which league will be best represented as the tournament goes on? Some Guardian employees with thick glasses and white lab coats have been busy.
45+2 min: The referee blows for half-time and a fairly dreary first half comes to an end. France have bossed the game, despite not needing to win. Ecuador have been defending with their backs to the wall and have only managed to create one decent scoring chance. They have to win, but haven't a hope of doing so if they continue playing like this. They've shown little going forward and their wingers Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero have done little or nothing.
45 min: Mamadou Sakho and Antonio Valencia clash in mid-air, with Valencia catching the Frenchman with an accidental elbow. There's another break in play while the French defender receives treatment and the fourth official signals a recommended dose of two minutes of injury team.
43 min: Ecuador get another cross into the France box, but there's nobody there to capitalise. Enner Valencia has looked very isolated on his own up front, with the rest of his team sitting very deep as they attend to their defensive duties.
40 min: Enner Valencia leaps incredibly high to beat Lucas Digne at the far post. He gets his head to it and forces Lloris to save, before Sakho hacks clear. Ecuador went close there, in a game they're almost certainly going to have to win if they are to get through to the last 16. As it is, they're struggling just to keep France at bay and will need to score whatever chances come their way.
37 min: Griezman takes the free-kick, sending the ball into the mixer, where Paul Pogba heads back across the face of goal, forcing Dominguez to tip the ball over the bar. Corner for France, from which nothing comes.
35 min: There's a lot of midfield faffery in the final third, until Walter Ayovi gives the ball away in midfield. Parades fouls Lucas Digne just outside the penalty area in the Ecuador left-back position, gifting France a penalty that might as well be a corner.
33 min: Juan Carlos Paredes picks out Minoa, whose shot from the edge of the penalty area is blocked.
32 min:From the inside left, Michael Arroyo attempts to curl a low cross into the France penalty area for Enner Valencia to sweep home. His pass is too near Hugo Lloris, who drops to smother the ball.
31 min: Another two players go to ground: Sagna and Walter Ayovi, after a bruising collision. They both hobble away, but look fit to continue.
29 min:I'm not sure how long Noboa will be allowed continue here. His bandage is already soaked through with blood and he clearly needs a couple of stitches. Meanwhile in Manaus, Switzerland have gone 2-0 up against Honduras. As things stand, Ecuador are in big, big trouble.
27 min: Contesting a high ball in midfield, Cristian Noboa and Blaise Matuidi clash heads. The Ecuadorian comes out the worse from the exchange, but jogs to the sideline ato get an unappealing bandage and accompanying hairnet that looks a little like a condom before returning to action.
27 min: A Bacary Sagna cross from deep on the right manages to evade the reach of Alexandre Dominguez in the Ecuador goal but is also a mite too high for the lurking Karim Benzema. That's a let-off for Ecuador.
25 min: Ecuador play it long down the left flank, where Schneiderlin wins the ball and plays it inside to Matuidi. He plays it on to Pogba, who loses possession on the edge of the Ecuador penalty area. The South Americans go forward.
24 min: Enner Valencia shoots into the side-netting from a tight angle. Ecuador are starting to gain a foothold in the game, having been under the cosh for the first 15 minutes.
22 min: Phil Neville spots a tactical change from Ecuador and points out that lightning fast Jefferson Montero has moved to the right flank from the left after a quiet start, while Antonio Valencia has moved in behind Enner Valencia (no relation). Michael Arroyo has moved to the left.
20 min: SHowing uncharacteristic sloppiness, Blaise Matuidi gives away the ball in midfield, allowing Ecuador to embark on a counter-attack. The ball's played forward for Enner Valencia to chase, but Lloris rushes off his line to claim it.
19 min: Griezman gets in behind Walter Ayovi as he chases a long pass from Bacary Sagna down the right touchline. He's eventually crowded off the ball before he can get a cross in.
18 min: France in possession again, patiently playing it out from the back again. Sissoko spots a gap in the middle and goes for it, but is blocked by Oswaldo Minda.
16 min: THere's a break in play as Enner Valencia gets treatment for an injury after a collision. He hobbles to the sideline, gets his ankle sprayed with the contents of an aerosol can and then hobbles back on.
14 min: Fricksen Erazo attempts to clear the ball but fails to connect properly. The ball sits up nicely for Sissoko, who blazes a fine fine volley from distance goalwards. Alexandre Dominguez saves.
13 min: Paul Pogba plays the ball wide to Lucas Digne on the left side of midfield. He advances and plays the ball back inside to Pogba, who spots a run into the penalty area by Sissoko and tries to pick him out with a chipped pass. Close, but no cigar.
11 min: Under pressure from Mamadou Sakho, Enner Valencia gets a cross into the French penalty area from the right flank. Laurent Koscielny heads it clear and is barged over by - I think - Montero. Free-kick for France in their own penalty area.
9 min: France patiently play the ball out from the back, probing and pressing for an opening. Pogba plays the ball forward to Antoine Griezmann, who cuts in from the left, ignores a run made by Karim Benzema and drags a shot from distance wide.
8 min:With Enner Valencia looking dangerous, Mamadou Sakho plays fast and loose with an elbow in his own penalty area, but gets away with it.
6 min: France win a corner, which Antoine Griezmann takes. Antonio Valencia clears at the near post.
6 min: In Manaus, Switzerland have gone 1-0 up against Honduras. As things stand, they would qualify and Ecuador would miss out.
5 min: Phil Neville is co-commentating on this match for the BBC and ... wouldn't you know, he sounds far more confident and enthused now than he did on his very first attempt, in a performance that prompted over 400 idiots with far too much time on their hands to complain to the BBC.
4 min: Ecuador left back Walter Ayovi is put under pressure, chasing a ball back towards the bye-line with Bacary Sagna sprinting after him, breathing down his neck. The Ecuadorian clears, but not very convincingly.
2 min: Lucas Digne picks up the ball on the inside left and drills the ball low and hard into the Ecuador penalty area. The South American side clear.
1 min: Early pressure from France, who advance down the left before Karim Benzema whips in a cross from the edge of the penalty area. It's cleared, but only as far as Morgan Schneiderlin, who shoots wide.
Game on: Ecuador kick off, playing from left to right. Fricksen Erazo takes possession and plays the ball back to Jorge Guagua in the heart of the Ecuador defence.
Pre-match niceties:Hugo Lloris and Antonio Valencia exchange pennants under the gaze of the referee and his officials, who are looking highly conspicuous in scarlet red shirts. Ecuador's players wear yellow shirts, blue shorts and red socks. The French players are togged out in white shirts, white socks and white socks.
Not long now: The teams are in the tunnel preparing to be summoned into the arena. Referee Noumendiez Doue leads them out, grabbing the official match Brazuca from the Fifa-sanctioned plinth on the way. Ecuador's anthem is first.
An email from Michael Cosgrove: Ive just come across some French fooballistic history in the French press," he writes. "Didier Deschamps, referring to criticism of his apparent decision to use players from his substitute pool for tonights match, said to a journalist 'You say this is the hairdressers [coiffeurs] match, but I dont have any hairdressers.' "Why are French subs called hairdressers? There are three theories. (a) In the 1958 World Cup France hardly used any subs, and it was bandied about that all they did was trim the hair of the regulars. (b) During the 1986 World Cup, midfielder Luis Fernandez said that subs wouldnt lose any hair by sitting on the bench. (c) Parisian team Red Star once scheduled a match for a Monday afternoon, whereupon critics of the decision took to saying Why Monday? All youll have in the stands are butchers and hairdressers [who generally dont work on Mondays.] Any other theories?"
Alternatively, you could watch this ...
Kick off is in 30 minutes. Watch this, while I go make a cup of tea ... You've got time to squeeze in @lynseyhooper & @kaitborsay latest vid from #Brazil for @btsport before the next games! http://t.co/u9hPkh5DRi
Those line-ups again, this time with added subs: France coach Didier Deschamps makes six changes to his team for the last World Cup Group E match against Ecuador on Wednesday with France all but guaranteed a place in the next round. Striker Antoine Griezmann comes in for Olivier Giroud and there are three new faces in defence with Lucas Digne, Bacary Sagna and Laurent Koscielny starting the game. Paul Pogba returns to a midfield which lacks Yohan Cabaye, who is suspended after picking up two yellow cards.
Ecuador: 22-Alexander Dominguez; 4-Juan Carlos Paredes, 2-Jorge Guagua, 3-Frickson Erazo, 10-Walter Ayovi; 16-Antonio Valencia, 14-Oswaldo Minda, 6-Cristian Noboa, 7-Jefferson Montero, 15-Michael Arroyo; 13-Enner Valencia
Attention thieves and hijackers: As much as $3 million in cash sent by Ghana's president is expected to arrive in Brasilia on a plane Wednesday in a bid to appease members of the country's World Cup squad who are unhappy at being denied bonus payments. President John Dramani Mahama has been forced to personally intervene in the latest bonus row to hit African football, which has seriously disrupted Ghana's preparations for its decisive Group G game against Portugal on Thursday.
Want to see a profile of France featuring a man who eats bicycles and the unfortunate Franck Ribery talking about how much of pleausre it's going to be for him to play in the World Cup? Of course you do.
His name is Noumandiez Doue, he's from Côte d'Ivoire and he likes reading, listening to music and dancing. Who doesn't? I hope he's better at busting moves than I am, mind.
France top the group and will win it with a draw (or even a heavy defeat) against Ecuador this evening. Their opponents are level on three points with Switzerland, but stand two goals better off on goal difference. In a nutshell: Ecuador need to match (or better) Switzerland's result to ensure they go through in second place. Alternatively, an Ecuador win of 7-0 or better will ensure they go through as group winners. We can probably rule that out, but stranger things have happened.
Good evening (BST) everybody and welcome to our minute-by-minute coverage of tonight's Group E match between France and Ecuador. Kick-off in Rio de Janeiro is at 9pm (BST), while Honduras will be playing not-out-of-it-yet Switzerland at the same time in Manaus. I'll be here with all the pre-match team news and build-up an hour or so before that, but in the meantime here's the low-down on how things stand in the group ... Continue reading... |
| Honduras v Switzerland: World Cup 2014 as it happened! Posted: 25 Jun 2014 02:54 PM PDT Xherdan Shaqiri scored a wonderful hat-trick as Switzerland beat Honduras and reached the next round
And that is that. Nothing more to report from here except that when Sepp came up on the big screen, he was greeted with thousands of boooooooooooooooos! And it is all over in the Ecuador game. That has ended 0-0 and so there is joy for Switzerland. (Ecuador are the first South American team to go out.) That's all from me. Thanks for all the emails, tweets and Prince opinions. Bye!
90 + 2 mins Chavez whips a free-kick in from the left with speed. Switzerland clear it post-haste.
90 mins Beckeles crosses from the right. Benaglio looks to have it covered but Djourou intercepts it anyway and the ball goes out for a corner. Honduras play that short and it comes to Figueroa on the edge fo the box. He aims low and hard but Benaglio is up to the challenge. There are three more minutes to play.
87 mins Just saw a flash of Shaqiri's teeth. They are picture perfect, like something from a Hollywood movie.
85 mins Dzemaili comes and Shaqiri goes. The fans give him a standing ovation.
83 mins Of course, if Ecuador score ... Ecuador support singing 'Si se puede'... "Yes, we can"
80 mins Oh Honduras, it's just not your day is it? Chavez put in a great ball behind the Swiss defence and it finds the head of Bengtson. From inches out, he tries to give his side and their fans some hope. Either side of Benaglio and that is the case. Instead, Bengtson aims right at the keeper and he pulls off a decent reaction save to keep his sheets clean.
79 mins Z.S. has been back in touch with more about Prince's house. Says Z.S: His house was big but actually fairly normal, apart from the large windmill and a huge gazebo. The grounds reminded me of a Disney forest - giant trees surrounded by perfectly mown grass. And in the center of the circular driveway was a flower garden with the Prince "symbol" done in yellow flowers surrounded by a sea of purple. In case you were wondering who owned the house, I assume. Or maybe pointing at it was an easier way for him to describe his new glyph name to others.
77 mins Both sides make a change. For Honduras, Boniek Garcia goes and Najar comes. For Switzerland, Lang replaces Xhaka.
75 mins A stat for all you funky stat fans out there. Xherdan Shaqiri: Has scored Switzerlands first World Cup finals hat-trick since 1954 (Josef Hügi vs Austria) #sui
74 mins Off goes Drmic and on comes Seferovic.
Rodriguez lumped the ball long and over the top. Drmic, who had come short and ran into the space behind him, collected the ball on the edge of the area on the left. He stepped over the ball and left Bernardez looking foolish. Around that time, Shaqiri came steaming into the box and Drmic found him with a simple pass. From a few yards out, Shaqiri poked the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Honk the hat-trick klaxon. PHOTO: Shaqiri (@XS_11official) scores the 50th hat-trick in #WorldCup history #HONSUI - http://t.co/vihqevL5Qa pic.twitter.com/rYt6Sm2cxC
69 mins Don't forget there is another game going on tonight. Barry Glendenning has the latest on that one. Honduras, nmeanwhile, have a corner. It lands in the hands of Benaglio.
66 mins Jerry P gets the first yellow card of the game for an industrial-strength challenge on Schär.
65 mins "Z.S. is having you on," reckons Andrew Kupfer. "Everyone knows that Prince favored Georgian gardens of pressed gravel." Say it ain't so Z.S, say it ain't so.
64 mins It's a real shame that the standard of refereeing has not matched the standard of football at this World Cup.
62 mins Honduras are furious and they have every right to be as they have just been denied a stone-waller of a penalty. Wilson P sends it long to Jerry P in the box. Inside the box, he controls the ball and is about to shoot before Djourou bundles him to the ground. It is as clear a penalty as you will ever see.
59 mins And now it is Shaqiri's turn to be set up inside the area. Mehmedi is the provider this time. From close range, Shaqiri shoots for home but Valladares is swift off his line and his shoulder gets in the way of the shot.
58 mins Drmic exhibits some nice movement and finds himself in some space inside the Honduran box. Shaqiri picks him out but his effort at the near post fails to trouble Valladares.
56 mins Inler picks the ball up inside the Honduras half. He looks up, transforms into Pirlo and chips a beautiful pass into the path of Mehmedi. Unfortunately for Switzerland that is were the fun ends as Mehmedi was ruled offside.
55 mins "Z.S's tale of mowing Prince's yard reminds me of the guy I met who used to mow Kim Thayil's (lead guitarist of Soundgarden) yard," says Daniel Stauss. "Which always struck me as an odd job, because I had assumed that Kim Thayil's house would be surrounded by a moat filled with lava or, at the very least, a desolate wasteland studded with those giant steel tank trap spikes. Rock stars, what are you gonna do?"
52 mins Honduras won't get any closer to scoring than this. They had held possession well before a delicate ball into the box split the Swiss defence and found the run of Bengtson. He rounded Benaglio and tapped the ball home but Rodriguez came to rescue for his goalkeeper and cleared the ball off the line.
49 mins Jerry Palacios wins a throw wide on the left, neat the corner flag. It eventually comes back to him and he curls a dangerous ball across the face of the Swiss goal. Bengtson comes diving in at the back post and misses the ball by this much. If he had stayed on his feet he might have reached the ball and got his side back int he game.
47 mins Chavez goes through the back of Lichtsteiner near the corner flag on the right. Shaqiri whips it the resulting free-kick and Honduras get it out. It only goes as far as Inler on the edge of the box. He screws his shot well wide.
46 mins "I used to play in a mess-around rock-covers-for-parties band type thing with some friends," confesses Matt Dony. "I managed to convince them to play a Purple Rain/Sad But True medley. Beauty and brutality. I'm still proud of it. And, if we're widening the criteria of top Prince work, I'll throw Gold in as one of the very best."
45 mins And we are back. There is one sub to tell you about. Chavez is on for Honduras and Espinoza does one.
Who would have thought? HT #HON 0-2 #SUI http://t.co/ORWu30jOWT It was a fouly first half: HON doing most of theirs in attacking areas pic.twitter.com/TwYVfrUJiW
And that is that for now. As it stands, Switzerland are going through. See you back here in a few moments.
45 mins Espinoza has done a shoulder-barge on Lichtsteiner, that almost had the Juve man in the row A and yet he manages, somehow, to get away without a yellow card. There are two more minutes until break time.
44 mins The spray is brilliant isn't it? Spraying the field as dance. #HONvsSUI pic.twitter.com/buh7S4awJe
42 mins And now Benaglio is down. He crashed into Lichtsteiner's knee going up for a corner. Ouch. But he is a tough on and within minutes he is back on his feet and looks like he is going to be OK to continue.
40 mins Costa is down and out. He is limping off from here it seems like he hurt his left hamstring and will be replaced by Wilson Palacios' brother, Jerry Palacios. Costa looks very upset on the bench. Poor chap.
38 mins Finally! Someone emailing in with some sense. And that somebody is Z. S. Here is what Z. S has to say: As someone who was 12-years-old and living in Minneapolis when Purple Rain came out (and who, as a teenager, worked for a lawn mowing company and occasionally mowed Prince's house, which had a large yellow and purple windmill in the back yard), I feel like it's important that you know that you are entirely correct about Purple Rain. But if you don't believe me, here's what Revolution drummer Bobby Z had to say about it: Purple Rainis just one of those moments, as a band, that you live for. From the first moment of rehearsal, when I heard the strains of it on Princes piano, to the last time we played it live at the Myth, just last May with him. He calls it medicine, and it is; it just really has something about it, the way it crescendos, the way it crashes, and the way the guitar solo takes you to a place where you just feel different about your life. No matter what, when you hear those opening chords of Purple Rain, you just stop time somehow, and just listen."
35 mins Honduras look deflated now. It's hard to see a way back for them.
This one is not as spectacular as the first one but Switzerland will not give two or three of four hoots about that. Bernardez makes a horrible error in the Honduran half failing to cut out a Inler pass and that gives Drmic some time and some space, wide on the left. After a touch or two he plays in Shaqiri, whose has made an intelligent run. Shaqiri, though on goal, takes his time and waits for Valladares to make a move before calmly slotting the ball past the keeper into the lower right corner of the net.
Two for him and two for Switzerland.
30 mins "Ottmar Hitzfeld has something of Jack Nicholson's Joker's eyebrows, eyes and forehead so I think that we should pay tribute to him by mentioning Prince's musical score for the Tim Burton Batman film," emails Steven Hughes.
28 mins Djourou gives away a free-kick on the half-way line, just to the right of the centre circle. Honduras switch it long to the left. Garcia is the receiver and he tries to scamper towards the end line but an excellent challenge from Schär stops him in his tracks.
26 mins Figueroa has just taken down Claros, his own player. He does like a tackle doesn't he?
24 mins Switzerland, over the last few minutes, have decided to sit deep and allow Honduras to have the ball and do all the running. Given the temperature and humidity this seems to be a smart move. You saw how too much running in these type of conditions hurt Italy and England.
21 mins Honduras have their first corner of the game. Switzerland looked weak at set-pieces in their last few games and this one is no different. The corner is not well hit but Mehmedi I think still manages to scuff his clearance before Beckeles scuffs his shot on goal.
19 mins Rodriguez gives away a free-kick just inside his own half. This is a chance for Honduras to launch it long and try exert their muscle in the opposition box. Instead they play it short and lose possession almost instantly. The Swiss bench, meanwhile, are worried about Shaqiri. Think he is holding his wrist.
17 mins "Lets Go Crazy was the best song from that album," matter-of-facts George Demas. "When Doves Cry is number 2. But none of them beats Raspberry Beret."
16 mins Shaqiri does a great first touch to take the ball past Figueroa. Figueroa ain't like that though and takes the Swiss man down. That results in a free-kick just outside the Honduran box. Xhaka takes it but the wall stands stong. The ball goes out for a corner. Espinoza clears it at the back post.
13 mins Honduras have recovered from that early blow and are startling to knock the ball about a bit. Just outside rhe Swiss box, though, it comes to an end after Behrami is taken down by Bengtson.
11 mins Honduras get their attack down the right. Boniek Garcia and Bengtson combine but the latter's return pass is overhit and Switzerland are given a goalkick.
9 mins "Purple Rain isn't even the greatest song on that album, let alone ever written," reckons Matt Dony. "That would be either When Doves Cry or I Would Die 4 U. End of."
Oh this is something special all right. Very special. Shaqiri gets the ball wide on the right. He holds off Garcia and cuts inside and despite the pressure of some more Honduran defenders who failed to get tight to him and the fact that he is moving away from the goal, he curls the ball into the top left corner of the net. Valladares stretched but got nowhere near it.
Lionel Messi eat your heart out.
5 mins The turf is cutting up already. Parts of it look like the face of a teenager blighted with pimples.
4 mins And here is the first real opening in the game. Palacios loses possession just outside his box. Drmic capitalises on that and breaks down the left. He cuts a smart ball across the goal towards the feet of Shaqir. Valladares comes out to put him off and after a bit of penalty-area pinball, Honduras clear the danger.
2 mins "You can't be arguing that the greatest song of all time is a Prince song not written by Prince, can you?" asks Steven Forstneger. "Or is that whole thing about Wendy & Lisa giving him the jam tape in the movie just a narrative device? But just up and down that soundtrack, Darling Nikki and Take Me With You are superior. Not to mention the first minute of Let's Go Crazy." We'll all pretend that Steven didn't type that about Darling Nikki and Take Me With You, shall we? Kool and the gang.
1 min Here we go then. Switzerland are in red and playing right to left. Honduras are in white and doing the opposite. It is they who get us going. The humidity, incidentally, is at a whopping 88%.
Sepp is in the house.
The teams are out on the turf. The mascots are waving to their proud parents, who are far too busy taking photos and/or videos to really see the actual event. Arms get wrapped around shoulders and lungs get wrapped around anthems. The handshakes are conducted in an orderly manner and we are almost at rumbling time. Excited much?
569- Carlo Costlys goal against #ECU is the only goal that #HON have scored in their last 569 minutes of #WorldCup action. Scant
Is there anybody out there?
Purple rain, though. Think that we can all agree that it is the greatest song ever written, right? Right. Glad we had this conversation.
The last time around.
All these fans in paint. Head to toe, arm to arm, nose and knee in paint. Paint, paint, paint. How long does that take to do? And why? Dear God, why?
That Prince song you were promised.
Honduras: Valladares (c), Figueroa, Bernardez, J Garcia, W Palacios, Bengtson, Costly, Boniek Garcia, Espinoza, Claros, Beckeles. Subs: López, Escober, Montes, Izaguirre, J Palacios, M Martinez, Delgado, R Martinez, Najar, Garrido, Chavez. Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Inler (c), Xhaka, Behrami, Rodriguez, Mehmedi, Drmic, Djourou, Schär, Shaqiri. Subs: Sommer, Bürki, Ziegler, Senderos, Lang, Barnetta, Seferovic, Stocker, Dzemaili, Fernandes, Gavranovic, Von Bergen. Honduras vs Switzerland: Team Lineups #HONvsSUI pic.twitter.com/ZBNaI1s0Ha
Look at your phone. Look at the top right hand of your computer. Look at the calender on the wall made up of pictures of the daughter and the husband with the kids, smiling on the beach, picnicking in the forest, crying over spilled ice-cream. You know what date it is right? Of course you do. It's 25 June 2014, silly. Doesn't seem too significant at first, does it? But it is and it should be ringing bells like Sunday at twelve o'clock. Think about it for a minute there while the rest of us amuse ourselves with Chinese finger traps. Got it yet? Well? Seriously? Come on now. Ah here, this is embarrassing. Sure we'll just tell you. It's 30 years since Prince released Purple Rain; 18 years since Jay Z (or Jaÿ-Z as we was known then) released Reasonable Doubt; and it's four years since Honduras put a stop sign in front of Switzerland's hopes of qualifying for the last 16 in the World Cup. All signs point to Switzerland then. But even if Carlo Costly didn't sound too confident when asked about his side's chances "we're still hopeful and we've got faith that everything will turn out well. That's what we're clinging on to" you can be confident that they are going to fight hard for 90 minutes. They did so against England in their warm-up fixture and they did so against Ecuador. In the former fixture, they committed no less than 16 fouls. In the game against France, it was no less than 15.  |
| Switzerland ease past Honduras courtesy of Xherdan Shaqiri hat-trick Posted: 25 Jun 2014 02:53 PM PDT |
| Manchester City agree a £12m fee for Portos midfielder Fernando Posted: 25 Jun 2014 02:42 PM PDT Portuguese club confirm a deal with English champions City deny they will sell Álvaro Negredo to Atlético Madrid Continue reading...  |
| Roy Hodgson promises to learn from Englands World Cup mistakes Posted: 25 Jun 2014 02:31 PM PDT Manager will digest lessons but wont have to submit FA report Focus will switch to Euro 2016 campaign starting this autumn Roy Hodgson has vowed to learn from Englands mistakes at the World Cup but will not have to submit a formal report on what went wrong to the Football Association. At their former base overlooking São Conrado beach, the rooms once inhabited by the squad and the FAs 80-plus support staff have been filled by French fans and officials as the World Cup moves on without England. Continue reading... |
| Will Nigeria be the only African team to make it to the final stages? Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:59 PM PDT Stephen Keshis Super Eagles are through to the last 16 and fellow African sides can take inspiration as they bid to join them Continue reading...  |
| World Cup 2014: Alberto Zaccheroni resigns as the Japan coach Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:59 PM PDT Italian takes responsibility for group stage exit Coach: I decided the tactics and how we play Continue reading...  |
| Uruguayan FA defends Luis Suárez, claiming bite marks are Photoshopped Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:30 PM PDT Fifa insiders expect six-match ban as the punishment Fowler: I wouldnt be surprised if he left Liverpool now Daniel Taylor: Suárez adds to story of violence and deceit The Uruguayan Football Association has gone on the offensive in an effort to save Luis Suárez from a lengthy ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini, claiming he is the victim of a smear campaign by the Italians, the English media and the Brazilian hosts. As Suárez came under pressure from his sponsors, fellow professionals and Fifas disciplinary committee after sinking his teeth into Chiellinis shoulder, the Uruguayan FA attempted to circle the wagons. Continue reading... |
| Luis Suárez 'exhibits behaviour of a frustrated child' by biting Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:19 PM PDT Emotion rather than reason triggers infantile biting say psychologists, who are urging the striker to seek help Continue reading...  |
| Ghana insist they will not boycott Portugal match despite pay dispute Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:05 PM PDT Ghana players have not received appearance bonus President of Ghana intervenes to try to calm situation Ghanas players have promised that they will not boycott Thursdays crucial World Cup group game against Portugal after an extraordinary row over appearance money that has forced the countrys president to intervene. The issue has cast a huge shadow over their preparations and had still to be resolved when they trained at the Estádio Nacional on Wednesday night. James Appiah, the Ghana coach, said that an agreement was close when he spoke at his pre-match press conference, but he also admitted that he had suffered sleepless nights dealing with the problem and expressed his dismay that his players had not been paid long before. Continue reading... |
| Luis Suárezs Giorgio Chiellini clash adds to story of violence and deceit Posted: 25 Jun 2014 12:55 PM PDT Uruguayan hero has been so indulged by his apologists that he is starting to believe that there is a conspiracy against him Uruguayan FA claims bite marks are Photoshopped Earlier this year, an American sportswriter by the name of Wright Thompson travelled to Uruguay to speak to some of the people who knew Luis Suárez to try to get a better picture of his background. Thompson had heard of one story going back to Suárezs childhood, of him being sent off in a youth match and head-butting the referee and how one witness had described the victims nose bleeding like a cow. He wanted to know if it was true. He wanted to find the referee. Thompson went to Montevideo and spent weeks on the case. Everywhere he went, there was a common theme. Everyone defended Suárez, he recalled. He trawled to the end of the internet and he tracked down Enrique Moller, the local attorney who reviewed all youth league disciplinary problems. Moller remembered an incident involving the 15-year-old Suárez, but said he had no details. At Nacional, where Suárez played his youth football, they told Thompson all the records were lost. At the national library, he searched the bound volumes of El País and El Observador but found nothing. Continue reading... |
| Barcelona land Chiles keeper Claudio Bravo from Real Sociedad for £7.2m Posted: 25 Jun 2014 12:36 PM PDT The 31-year-old joins Barça on a four-year deal The Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has signed a four-year deal to join Barcelona from Real Sociedad for a reported 9m (£7.2m) rising to a possible 12m. I am happy and calm with this transfer, Bravo said at Chiles World Cup base. It is a big step in my career and I am very proud of having taken that step, but this is not the time to talk about my transfer, he said. Chile play Brazil in the last 16 on Saturday. Continue reading... |
| Leicester City reward manager Nigel Pearson with three-year contract Posted: 25 Jun 2014 12:26 PM PDT City back in Premier League after 10-year absence Pearson: This club has genuine ambition Continue reading...  |
| Luis Suárez incident really weird, says Andy Murray Posted: 25 Jun 2014 12:14 PM PDT Tennis star says there's 'obviously something not quite right' after Uruguayan striker appeared to bite Italian opponent Andy Murray has said he believes there is something "not quite right" about Luis Suárez, after the Uruguayan striker's latest biting episode. The defending Wimbledon champion said the incident with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, was "just wrong". "It looks really weird, seeing a person bite someone else," Murray said. "I don't know how that would come into your thinking. Well obviously he's not thinking there's obviously something not quite right there, because I think it's the third time he's done it now." Continue reading... |
| Lionel Messi hits double in Argentina win but Nigeria go through too Posted: 25 Jun 2014 11:13 AM PDT This is a great World Cup and it has a great soundtrack. To the tune of Bad Moon Rising, Nigeria and Argentina scored five more goals when they did not really need to score any. There were two each for Ahmed Musa and for Lionel Messi, the latter becoming the tournaments joint top scorer alongside Brazils Neymar. Both teams progressed and these finals will be a better place for their presence. They could have played out a draw, ambled their way to a flat and mutually beneficial conclusion, but instead there were two goals after just three minutes. Three more were to follow. There was only one disappointment: that Alejandro Sabella chose to replace Messi with half an hour remaining. It made sense when there are bigger moments ahead but some of the thrill had gone. It was already 3-2 and there would be no more goals. Argentinas fans packed this stadium and the streets outside. More than 100,000 of them travelled to Porto Alegre and they sang the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic with their own lyrics. Youll see Messi bring the cup back to us, it runs. Continue reading... |
| Iran slump out of World Cup with disappointing defeat to Bosnia Posted: 25 Jun 2014 11:06 AM PDT Argentina played their part and won in Porte Alegre, yet Iran could not rouse themselves to take advantage and progress at Nigerias expense. Iran needed a win by a couple of goals to finish second, but goals are evidently not their speciality. For more than 80 minutes it looked like they would fail to trouble the scorer for a third match in succession, and in the end said a meek goodbye to the tournament, allowing Bosnia to record a convincing first win at their first World Cup finals even if their overall experience was soured by a poor refereeing decision. Continue reading... |
| Nigeria v Argentina: World Cup 2014 as it happened Posted: 25 Jun 2014 10:56 AM PDT Lionel Messi scores twice as Argentina claim top spot in Group F, while Nigeria, buoyed by a brilliant display from Ahmed Musa, also advance  |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina v Iran: World Cup 2014 as it happened Posted: 25 Jun 2014 10:55 AM PDT Bosnia-Herzegovina got the win their efforts in Brazil deserved. Iran at last got a goal. But both teams are going home Continue reading... |
| Paulo Bento insists he will not resign if Portugal are eliminated Posted: 25 Jun 2014 10:49 AM PDT Coach committed despite expected World Cup exit The federation trust me and the president trusts me Paulo Bento has insisted that he has no intention of resigning if, as expected, Portugal are eliminated from the World Cup on Thursday. Portugals hopes of reaching the last 16 are hanging by a thread after picking up only one point from their opening two matches but Bento, whose contract as coach expires in 2016, said that he plans to remain in charge of the team regardless and retains the full support of the federation. Bentos position has come under the spotlight after two disappointing performances at the World Cup, including a 4-0 thrashing by Germany. Portugal looked like they were going to be out when trailing 2-1 to the USA on Monday but Silvestre Varelas equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time has given them a lifeline. Continue reading... |
| World Cup 2014: Belgium hope for winning formula against South Korea Posted: 25 Jun 2014 10:21 AM PDT Eden Hazard says attacking approach will inspire more fear Aim is to finish top of Group H with emphatic performance Continue reading...  |
| Luis Suárez faces Fifa inquiry over World Cup biting incident video Posted: 25 Jun 2014 10:16 AM PDT Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings into allegations Uruguay's Luis Suárez bit Giorgio Chiellini during the game against Italy. If found guilty, the Liverpool striker could be banned for a maximum of 24 matches or two years. Continue reading...  |
| Koke signs new Atlético Madrid contract and deals blow to Barcelona Posted: 25 Jun 2014 10:11 AM PDT Midfielder coveted by Barça extends his contract to 2019 Juanfran also commits himself to new contract Continue reading...  |
| World Cup 2014 diary: will Pelé do the presentation honours for Fifa? Posted: 25 Jun 2014 09:43 AM PDT Giorgio Chiellini the victim becomes a Uruguayan media target; and you cant trust a bank in the forecasting game Continue reading...  |
| Mario Balotelli hits back at critics following Italys World Cup exit Posted: 25 Jun 2014 09:32 AM PDT Striker has received some discriminatory comments Im Mario Balotelli. I didnt choose to be an Italian Mario Balotelli has reacted to harsh criticism some of it discriminatory for Italys group-stage exit from the World Cup, as the fallout turned into an ugly hunt for scapegoats. Balotelli was not the only one to lose but he was certainly disappointing, said the Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago, who oversees all sports in Italy. Next to a video with someone saying: Mario, youre really not Italian. Go away, Balotelli posted a long reply on Instagram. Im Mario Balotelli. Im 23 years old and I didnt choose to be Italian, Balotelli wrote. I strongly wanted [to be Italian] because I was born in Italy and have always lived in ITALY. Continue reading... |
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