Football Soccer – Germany v France – EURO 2016 – Semi Final – Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France – 7/7/16 Germany’s Manuel Neuer attempts to claim the ball leading to France’s Antoine Griezmann scoring their second goal REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Livepic
Stade Velodrome Marseille, France 7th July 2016: Two-goal Antoine Griezmann fired France into the Euro 2016 final on Thursday when a smash and grab 2-0 victory over a territorially dominant Germany ended 58 years of tournament suffering at the hands of their neighbours.
Griezmann drove in a penalty at the end of the first half after a needless handball by German captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and poked home in the 72nd minute following a blunder by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to set up a final against Portugal in Paris on Sunday.
“We are as happy as kids, the whole country is behind us,” Griezmann said.
“This is the result of a group and of a lot of hard work from the staff. Now we’re in the final and we want to lift that trophy. Playing a final is great but it’s winning it that counts.”
World champions Germany dominated the match in terms of possession but their lack of a deadly finisher cost them and razor-sharp Griezmann, whose double took his tournament-leading tally to six, was the difference.
It was the first time France had beaten Germany in a competitive match since the 1958 World Cup, including defeats in the semi-finals of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and the quarter-finals two years ago.
The hosts will go into the final as strong favourites to emulate the teams of 1984 and 1998, who won the European and world titles on home soil.
Germany will wonder how they failed to score but, after Jerome Boateng’s handball gaveItaly a lifeline in the quarter-finals, their captain’s similarly inexplicable high hand swung the game France’s way when they most needed it.
France, roared on in a fantastic atmosphere, had torn forward in the opening exchanges.
Football Soccer – Germany v Slovakia – EURO 2016 – Round of 16 – Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France – 26/6/16 Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger in action REUTERS/Lee Smith Livepic – RTX2IBMV
Lille, France: Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirm their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance.
Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start.
The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil’s weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler.
Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals.
Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period.
DEFLECTED VOLLEY
Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland.
Ozil’s weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance.
Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea.
Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik’s cross toward the top corner.
Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0.
Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back.
Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany’s place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked.
Football Soccer – France v Republic of Ireland – EURO 2016 – Round of 16 – Stade de Lyon, Lyon, France – 26/6/16 France’s Antoine Griezmann celebrates after the game.
Victory in the last 16 clash in Lyon means France face either England or Iceland in the Stade de France quarter-final next Sunday.
Paul Pogba brought Shane Long down within seconds of kickoff and Robbie Brady, who netted the Republic’s winner against Italy, converted a penalty with just two minutes gone to give the Irish a shock lead.
But Griezmann underlined a superb performance as the main strike threat with two knockout goals in the second-half as the hosts floored the Irish.
“At this stage of the tournament you don’t have the right not to qualify,” French coach Didier Deschamps said, expressing relief at the fightback as French fans celebrated.
Ireland’s problems were compounded by playing the last 25 minutes with ten men.
Centre-back Shane Duffy was sent off on 66 minutes for bringing down Griezmann, who was through on goal.
France’s win came at a cost as both midfielder N’Golo Kante and defender Adil Rami are suspended for the quarter-final after picking up bookings.
Defeat means more heartache for the Irish in their first meeting with France since a controversial World Cup play-off in November 2009.
Thierry Henry’s infamous handball, dubbed ‘Le Hand of God’, helped seal a 2-1 aggregate victory to send France to South Africa 2010 at Ireland’s expense.
The Irish came flying out of the traps in Lyon.
A long ball caused the French all manner of problems and when Southampton striker Long tried to turn and shoot, Pogba made contact.
Brady boy –
With just 70 seconds played, referee Nicola Rizzoli pointed straight to the spot.
Brady was again the darling of the travelling ‘Green Army’ as the Norwich City winger put the Irish ahead with a shot that rebounded off a post.
It was the fastest goal at a Euro finals since Russia’s Dimitri Kirichenko scored after 67 seconds against Greece in 2004.
Celebrations erupted amongst the small band lucky enough to get one of the paltry 4,500 tickets allocated to Irish fans at the 59,000-capacity stadium.
The hosts responded by laying seige to the Irish goal.
Griezmann, twice, and Olivier Giroud both tested Irish goalkeeper Darren Randolph, as did Pogba with a long-range free-kick.
No quarter was asked or given as things got heated on the pitch with four yellow cards dished out in the first-half.
France coach Didier Deschamps injected some pace after the break by bringing on fleet-footed winger Kingsley Coman for N’Golo Kante.
The French played at a much higher tempo and Randolph was thoroughly tested by Blaise Matuidi’s shot from just outside the box on 55 minutes.
France drew level when Griezmann rose highest to meet Sagna’s pin-point cross on 58 minutes.
Randolph got a glove on the bullet header, but it was destined only for the back of the net.
Griezmann struck again three minutes later when Giroud headed down into the Atletico Madrid winger’s path to slam his shot past Randolph.
With France in top gear, Duffy’s desperate lunge clipped Griezmann’s ankle on the edge of the area and Rizzoli had to show the Irishman the red card on 66 minutes.
Only Irish determination, and a lack of a final touch, prevented Griezmann finishing with a hat-trick.
Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday.
The Portuguese came from behind three times as Ronaldo, who also set a tournament record of 17 appearances, finally rediscovered his touch to help Portugal make the last 16, where they will meet Croatia in Lens on Saturday.
Group F winners Hungary finished above Iceland, who also qualified after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Austria in Paris, and third-placed Portugal.
Football Soccer – Hungary v Portugal – EURO 2016 – Group F – Stade de Lyon, Lyon, France – 22/6/16 Hungary’s Balazs Dzsudzsak celebrates after scoring their second goal REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Hungary will play the Group E runners-up, which will be decided later on Wednesday between Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, while Iceland will face England.
Ronaldo equalised twice in the second half after Zoltan Gera’s early strike was cancelled out by Nani just before the break. Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak had twice put his side ahead before Ronaldo burst into life with a double strike.
“We’re happy as we’re still in the tournament. It was a tough game but we created chances and se scored goals,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.
Portugal had promised the goals would flow and they did.
Like in their previous two matches against Iceland and Austria, Portugal enjoyed sterile possession in the early stages and rarely troubled their rivals with a flurry of crosses easily dealt with by the Hungarian defence.
With Ronaldo totally subdued, Hungary looked more likely to score through sporadic but dangerous raids.
In the 19th minute, the 37-year old Gera took a half-cleared corner into his stride and unleashed a fizzing low-half volley past Rui Patricio from 25 metres.
Rocked by the setback, Portugal nearly fell two goals behind several minutes later after Patricio was forced to parry a stinging shot by the hardworking Akos Elek.
However, Ronaldo, struggling for form at Euro 2016, released Nani with a defence-splitting pass and his strike partner beat Gabor Kiraly with a neat finish from inside the penalty area three minutes before the break.
The Hungarians were back in front in the 47th minute as Dzsudzsak beat Patricio with a free kick.
After throwing a reporter’s microphone into a lake earlier in the day during a morning walkabout, Ronaldo produced his best moment of the tournament in the 50th, beating Kiraly with a clever back-heel after good work by Nani.
Hungary took the lead for the third time.
Having had another free kick blocked by the wall, Dzsudsak took the rebound in his stride on the edge of the area and fired a speculative shot which sailed past Patricio.
Hungary’s joy was short-lived, however, as Ronaldo levelled with a thumping header after a superb cross by substitute Ricardo Quaresma, drawing an eruption of joy from the Portuguese fans behind Kiraly’s goal.
Football Soccer – Czech Republic v Turkey – EURO 2016 – Group D – Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France – 21/6/16 – Turkey’s players celebrate after the match. REUTERS/Carl Recine
LENS, FRANCE
Turkey snatched a Euro 2016 lifeline with a 2-0 victory over Czech Republic on Tuesday that secured third place in Group D and left them waiting to see if they had done enough to reach the last 16.
After defeats to Croatia and Spain in their first two games, goals by Burak Yilmaz and Ozan Tufan gave the rejuvenated Turks hope, although they need results to go their way when the group stage concludes on Wednesday.
Should they go through, Turkey will face either Wales in Paris or hosts France in Lyon. The Czechs, however, will definitely go home, having finished bottom of the group with one point from three matches.
The Turks opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Arda Turan sent Emre Mor scampering away down the right before he crossed for Burak Yilmaz, who ghosted in to send a simple first-time shot from close range flying past Petr Cech.
The Czechs almost levelled soon afterwards when Borek Dockal headed against the foot of the post and Tomas Necid could not reach the rebound, before the latter awkwardly volleyed another good chance over 10 minutes later.
Although Turkey looked a lot more resilient than they had in their opening two games, they were on the back foot for much of the first half and the Czechs had plenty of chances to score.
Full back Pavel Kaderabek missed two great opportunities, firing a shot that Turkey keeper Volkan Babacan saved with his foot before the defender blazed wide following a slick attack down the right.
Babacan also pushed a stinging shot from Jaroslav Plasil wide as the Czechs started to find some space on the flanks.
Turkey came out all guns blazing in the second half and Emre Mor could have put them two up as he picked up a long ball and drifted in from the right before clipping a shot just over.
Yet seconds later Babacan had to make another smart save at the other end from Vladimir Darida.
Moments after Turkey were raging at an offside call that went against them, Ozan Tufan sent thousands of Turkish fans into ecstasy as Mehmet Topal teed him up to smash an unstoppable shot into the top corner from a tight angle.
The goal was greeted by a half-dozen flares lighting up the Turkish end of the ground, with some being thrown onto the pitch during the ear-splitting celebrations.
Their spirits lifted by the goal, the Turks battled for every ball in a superb defensive effort, never letting the Czechs settle as they weathered the storm to hold on for a precious victory.
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