Posted by Tamilwin
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Belo Horizonte, Brazil: Brazil know that their outstanding past record against Chile will count for nothing when the sides meet in an all-South American World Cup last-16 tie at the Mineirao in Belo Horizonte tomorrow afternoon.
The tournament hosts have lost just eight of 68 previous meetings with Chile, and have emerged triumphant in all three past encounters in the World Cup, scoring 11 goals in the process.
That run includes a comfortable 3-0 win against Marcelo Bielsa`s Chile side at the same stage of the 2010 finals in South Africa, but midfielder Willian insists that Brazilian fans should not automatically expect a repeat performance.
"Football nowadays has changed so much. Of course Brazil have beaten Chile a few times before, which is good. But we must not think about this. Every game has its own story. I am sure that Chile will be motivated and confident too," said the Chelsea player.
Brazil have yet to live up to the high expectations surrounding them at these finals despite collecting seven points from a possible nine in the group stage.
In contrast, Chile have impressed, notably in sending the holders Spain packing from the competition with a 2-0 win at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.
Only a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands in their final Group B match on Monday condemned them to second place and another meeting with Brazil.
However, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has admitted that he would have chosen different opponents for his side than Chile, who drew 2-2 at the Mineirao in a friendly in April last year and narrowly lost 2-1 when the teams clashed in Canada last November.
Striker Fred, who scored his first goal of the tournament in Brazil`s 4-1 win against Cameroon on Monday, believes it will be an open encounter against a Chile side who operate with a three-man defence and look to the class of Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal going forward.
"Chile are tactically very strong and play with great commitment. And going forward they have players who can make the difference," said the 30-year-old.
"We have seen some of their games. The way the tournament has been I think they will look to attack and Brazil will do the same."
`Here to make history` Chile have not reached the quarter-finals since they hosted the tournament in 1962, when they were eventually eliminated in the last four by Brazil.
However, the current side, coached by Argentine Jorge Sampaoli, are confident that they can capitalise on the enormous weight of pressure on Brazil and upset the odds.
"If I thought we were going to lose, I would go back to my room, collect my things and go home," said Sanchez, who will come up against his Barcelona club colleagues Daniel Alves and Neymar.
"We have respect for them, but I think we are going to beat them. We came to this World Cup to make history. We beat the world champions, and although we had a slip-up against Holland, we are going out to try and win the Cup.
"These games are to be enjoyed. We are confident and at the same time we know what we have to do to beat a team containing some of the best players in the world."
Sampaoli was left fuming yesterday when a helicopter from Brazilian television station O Globo hovered over his squad`s training session in the Belo Horizonte suburbs in an apparent attempt to glean clues as to the possible Chile line-up.
Defender Gary Medel picked up an ankle knock in training, but if he recovers, Chile should be at full strength, with Vidal set to feature after being rested for the Netherlands defeat.
Brazil are monitoring a slight back injury suffered by centre-back David Luiz in training, while Fernandinho could come into the midfield at the expense of Paulinho after impressing as a substitute against Cameroon.
The winners will go through to another all-South American tie in the quarter-finals, against either Colombia or Uruguay in Fortaleza.
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Let's start with the actual match. Italy only
needed a draw to advance, while Uruguay needed a win. Not surprisingly, Italy owned midfield possession for most of the first half, but Uruguay seemed to have the better of chances. Halftime brought a change from Italy, as Mario Balotelli -- who picked up a yellow card in the first half -- was subbed out. However, the match didn't change much, as Italy still wasn't getting too many clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities. Ciro Immobile, who was so dangerous during the Serie A campaign, couldn't seem to get on the same page with the Italy midfielders, rarely getting free in space.
And everything changed in the 60th minute, when Italy's Claudio Marchisio was given a straight red card for a reckless challenge. Some questioned the decision, but Marchisio came in studs up -- and not all that close to the ball. Down to 10 men, Italy bunkered down in a 5-3-1/5-4-0 formation and allowed Uruguay to push forward. Uruguay's Christian Rodriguez missed perhaps the best chance of the match, knocking a ball wide on an open shot from about 12 yards out.
Then came the 80th minute -- and perhaps the biggest talking point of the World Cup so far.
Uruguay star striker Luis Suarez, maybe the best player in Europe this past season, was involved in an altercation in the Italy penalty box with defender Giorgio Chiellini. On replay, it showed that Suarez appeared to bite Chiellini on the shoulder, and still photos of Chiellini's shoulder seemed to confirm it. Suarez was not discplined on the pitch, and was able to stay on.
On the ensuing corner kick, Uruguay defender Diego Godin finished a header into the back of the net to give them a 1-0 lead over Italy.
The last 15 minutes were filled with Italy bombing forward, Uruguay counterattacks -- and discussion of the Suarez incident.
After five additional minutes, Uruguay was victorious, and advanced to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, we might have seen the last of Suarez in this year's World Cup.
90' -- Five minutes of added time.
88' -- Suarez could have clinched the win for Uruguay, but he couldn't get a cross to either of his Uruguay teammates up the pitch with him, instead losing the ball twice to Italy defenders.
86' -- The game has opened up quite a bit since the goal, with Italy needing one goal to advance and Uruguay just trying to hang on. With Balotelli and Immobile subbed out, though, Italy's attacking group isn't as lethal.
Meanwhile, Uruguay is looking to counter when it can, and there is space after clearances and giveaways.
81' -- GOAL! Diego Godin heads the ball into the corner of the net!
80' -- There was an incident in the box, and replays show Luis Suarez either attempted to bite or headbutt Chiellini. Chiellini was showing his shoulder, trying to convince people Suarez bit him. The Uruguay striker has been suspended twice in the past for biting.
(GIF via @FlyByKnite)
78' -- Uruguay sub.
IN: Gaston Ramirez
OUT: Christian Rodriguez
77' -- BOOKED! Italy's Mattia De Sciglio gets a yellow card.
76' -- Álvaro González with a dangerous ball into the box, headed out by Italy. That seems to be the strategy for Uruguay the rest of the match.
75' -- Italy sub.
IN: Thiago Motta
OUT: Marco Verratti
74' -- Marco Verratti is down with what seems to be cramp. It's bothered him throughout the match. Italy has one substitution remaining.
71' -- Italy sub.
IN: Antonio Cassano
OUT: Ciro Immobile
69' -- Immobile offside on another move forward for the Italians. He's been more active this half, but has yet to truly make his mark on the match.
68' -- Another potential opportunity for Ciro Immobile, after Pirlo found him with a great through-ball. José Giménez closed him down quickly, though. The corner was cleared away.
66' -- Nearly a goal for Luis Suarez, who makes a run onto a loose ball and forays into the box, but Buffon saves his attempt with his right forearm. Buffon punches away the corner kick.
65' -- Andrea Pirlo launches one into the stands from about 30 yards out.
63' -- Uruguay sub.
IN: Christian Stuani
OUT: Alvaro Pereira
60' -- RED CARD! Claudio Marchisio has been sent off after a reckless challenge. Italy is down to 10 men for the final 30 minutes. (GIF via @FlyByKnite)
59' -- Christian Rodriguez just had the best chance of the match for Uruguay, after a beautiful lofted ball from Luis Suarez. Rodriguez's effort was poor, though, with his far-post attempt rolling well wide.
55' -- Immobile looked like he had an opening past the Uruguay back-line, but they recovered and collapsed as he entered the box.
51' -- After initially looking offside, Cavani goes down in the box and looks to the assistant referee for a whistle. No call.
46' -- Already a couple of whistles this half. Continuing the trend of the first half.
Italy sub.
IN: Marco Parolo
OUT: Mario Balotelli
Uruguay sub.
IN: Maxi Pereira
OUT: Nicolás Lodeiro
HALFTIME: A scoreless draw heading into the break. Mario Balotelli's yellow card is the biggest talking point, as it means he will miss the next match if Italy advances -- and also leaves a difficult decision on whether to play him in the second half. Italy has had most of the possession in the midfield, but Uruguay has looked more dangerous in the final third. Suarez and Cavani have only linked up on one occasion, but it took a Buffon double-save to keep things at 0-0.
As it stands, Italy would advance with a draw based on goal differential.
45' + 1 -- Uruguay's corner is cleared easily, and Chiellini is down again. Foul on Cavani, danger over.
45' -- Matteo Darmian and Alvaro Pereira are involved in a 50-50 ball, but there is a whistle for a foul on Darmian. Suarez's free kick is headed over by Italy. Corner coming.
43' -- Cavani is almost playing as a No. 10-type behind Suarez because he has to keep dropping back to mark Suarez. Uruguay might need him to push up the pitch further in the second half to man his usual spot as a second striker alongside Suarez.
40' -- A series of poor first touches from Cavani and Immobile. Cavani had some space at the top of the box, but gave it away, while Balotelli knocked it to Immobile on the ensuing counterattack, but he lost his first take-on and Uruguay regained possession.
39' -- Martin Cacares has a very audacious attempt from his own half that sails wide. Buffon wouldn't have likely been troubled by that had it been on-target, anyway.
38' -- Here was the Buffon double save:
35' -- After being helped off the pitch and getting some words of wisdom from Cesare Prandelli, Balotelli is back on the field.
33' -- Excellent short-passing from Uruguay, from Pereira to Rodriguez to Suarez, who plays a terrific one-two with Cavani, but Buffon saves Suarez's attempt and then blocks a second chance.
Meanwhile, Balotelli has been down after losing an aerial challenge to Diego Godin.
29' -- Ciro Immobile boots one into the stands from just inside the box.
29' -- Marco Verratti has been heavily involved for the Italians so far, generating plenty of touches in the midfield. Pirlo has been the main focus of Uruguay, which has allowed Verratti to be a playmaker.
27' -- Mario Balotelli has a speculative go from about 33 yards out off a counterattack. It rolls wide. Ciro Immobile was offside when he made his run, forcing Balotelli to attempt a shot from distance.
27' -- Nice run by Andrea Barzagli, but his shot/pass on the ground into the box is thwarted.
23' -- BOOKED! Mario Balotelli is shown a yellow card for a reckless challenge, and will miss the next match if Italy advances.
22' -- Still waiting to see some interplay between Balotelli and Immobile. They're doing a decent job of not being static, but neither play has seen many touches -- and they are not linking up at all just yet.
20' -- Alvaro Pereira plays a cross on the ground toward the six-yard box, but Cavani knocks it out of bounds for an Italy goal kick.
16' -- A couple of opportunities for Uruguay. Christian Rodriguez put in a cross, which Cavani attempted to head onto the run of Nicolás Lodeiro, but it was a kicked away. A cross back in from the left was too far. Cavani showing some good workrate on that sequence, though.
12' -- Pirlo puts in a knuckling free-kick from about 30 yards out, and it confuses Fernando Muslera enough that he has to push it over the bar. Pirlo's ensuing corner back is headed away.
8' -- A dangerous Uruguay free-kick is punched away by Buffon, but it bounces in the box and Álvaro González heads it back toward Buffon, who saves it easily. Giorgio Chiellini seemed banged up in the process.
6' -- Edinson Cavani indeed seems to be man-marking Pirlo when Italy has the ball. Cavani did the same against Steven Garrard in the last match.
3' -- Mario Balotelli needs to put together a quality 90-minute match, or at least a 75-minute shift. Disappearing for an entire half as he did in each of the first two matches could mean Italy is sent home early.
1' -- "A game that needs no sales pitch." Well said by Jon Champion.
Pregame: Lineups.
Ciro Immobile, who was a revelation during the Serie A season before moving to Borussia Dortmund, will start up front next to Balotelli. Mattia de Sciglio and Leonardo Bonucci each get their first start on the backline, and Marco Verratti slots into midfield. Daniele De Rossi reportedly has a leg injury, while Antonio Candreva was dropped. Both players started the first two games.
Sixteen players have already made a start for Uruguay in the 2014 World Cup, so there were no "new" starters named to the XI. Suarez will play in his second straight game after missing the opener, while veteran star Diego Forlan starts on the bench.
Mario Balotelli will be the X-factor for Italy against Uruguay. (Getty Images)
Uruguay vs. Italy (Group D) | Kickoff: 6/24, 12 p.m. ET | Stadium: Dunas, Natal
Match Preview: The Uruguay-Italy match was always going to be meaningful. It's the final match of the group stage, between two of the top teams in the world. Was it going to determine which team wins the group? Were Uruguay and Italy going to be in a three-way battle with England for two spots in the knockout stage?
As it turns out, most predictions about Group D were wrong – thanks to Costa Rica. The CONCACAF representatives have walked into the “real” Group of Death and knocked off both Uruguay and Italy and could clinch first place with a result against England on Tuesday. Meanwhile, only one team from the Uruguay-Italy match will advance to the knockout stage.
Uruguay was tough to figure out entering the tournament. With Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, it has two of the best strikers in the world – but it has been inconsistent for most of the past three or four years. In qualifying, Uruguay had a goal differential of 0 – giving up 25 goals in 16 games and needing a playoff to advance to the World Cup. It's been more of the same in the World Cup – although much has depended on the availability of Suarez.
Suarez didn't play in the opener against Costa Rica after undergoing knee surgery last month, and Uruguay lost 3-1. He then returned to start against England, notching two goals – including the match-winner in the 85th minute – to lead Uruguay to the victory. His first goal was set up by a beautiful ball from his strike partner Cavani, while club teammate Steven Gerrard's mistake set up his second goal.
Italy always seems to be one of the pre-World Cup favorites to make a run, plodding their way through the group stage before becoming a force in the knockout stage. Will Italy get to the next round, though? It began with a 2-1 win over England on the first Saturday of the competition, getting a dominant performance from the ageless Andrea Pirlo and a match-winning goal from Mario Balotelli in the second half.
With Uruguay and England both sitting at 0 points after the first match, it looked like Italy would have an edge in the group – but Costa Rica took it to the Azzurri and emerged with a 1-0 win. It wasn't a fluke victory; Costa Rica had the edge for most of the match.
The key in this one could be the striker battle. Suarez and Cavani can be absolutely lethal for Uruguay, and Balotelli will have to be on his game for Italy. He has the talent to be a dominant performer, but he has had consistency issues. He was essentially invisible in the first half against England and in the second half against Costa Rica; he needs to be a factor in both halves against Uruguay.
What will Uruguay do against Italy's midfield playmakers? Against England, they man-marked Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard – using Cavani on Gerrard. Would they dare use him on Pirlo too? If Italy can move the ball around the middle of the pitch and pick out passes with time, Uruguay will be on the back foot most of the game.
Posted by Tamilwin
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The Uruguayan Football Association is mounting a
defense for striker Luis Suarez, accused of biting an Italian defender's shoulder in Tuesday's Group D match.
FIFA's disciplinary committee is meeting Wednesday night to discuss the consequences for Suarez. It gave a 5 p.m. deadline to Suarez and the Uruguayan FA to submit evidence in defense of the Liverpool star, including fresh angles of the incident and witness statements.
Uruguayan FA president Wilmar Valdez said that the footage against Suarez isn't convincing, according to The Guardian.
“We've prepared another video of the game in which we discovered there was other behavior similar to Suarez's in the game which did not generate a similar reaction from the press,” he said.
Senior FIFA sources told The Guardian that they expected at least a six-game ban for Suarez from the disciplinary committee, which would be less than his other suspensions from his prior biting incidents. According to FIFA, it's up to the independent committee whether to consider his history when levying a penalty.
Suarez's actions have forced various sponsors, including Adidas, to convene for “crisis talks” in Rio, as the paper described it.
According to Suarez's lawyer, the only reason the episode is getting so much traction is because of the player involved. “We don't have any doubts that this has happened because it's Suarez involved and secondly because Italy have been eliminated. There's a lot of pressure from England and Italy,” Alejandro Balbi said. “There is a possibility that they ban him, because there are precedents, but we are convinced that it was an absolutely casual play, because if Chiellini can show a scratch on one shoulder, Suarez can show a bruised and almost closed eye.”
Suarez, for his part, accepted no blame for the controversy after the game.
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Iran went into its final Group F match against
Bosnia-Herzegovina knowing it had to score goals -- and win -- to pip Nigeria for second in the group and advance to the Round of 16. But as their opponents proved, scoring's easier said than done if you don't have talents like Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic.
Bosnia's stars each landed on the scoresheet, Manchester City striker Dzeko burying a low shot in the 22nd minute and Roma playmaker Pjanic capitalizing on an Iranian mistake in the 59th, pacing the Dragons to a comprehensive 3-1 victory. The win was Bosnia-Herzegovina's first-ever in the World Cup finals.
Bosnia finished the tournament with three points, good for third in Group F, while Iran finishes fourth with the single point earned in its opening 0-0 draw with Nigeria.
Reza Ghoochannejhad brought Iran within 2-1 in the 82nd minute, converting a low Javad Nekounam cross to ensure Team Melli would not be the only team eliminated from the tournament without scoring a goal. But a swift Bosnian counterattack led to Avdija Vrsajevic's fine finish only a minute later, putting the result beyond doubt.
Despite Iran being the team with the greater motivation -- Bosnia had already been eliminated, while an Iranian victory combined with a Nigeria loss vs. Argentina could have seen them through -- star winger Ashkan Dejagah was kept quiet as Bosnia enjoyed by far the better of play and greater number of chances. The Dragons exit as perhaps the most unlucky team in the tournament, having scored an unfortunate own goal in the opening minutes of its 2-1 loss to Argentina and seeing a first-half Dzeko goal in the 1-0 loss to Nigeria wrongly disallowed for offsides.
The good news is that with Dzeko, Pjanic and other major contributors like midfielder Tino-Sven Susic all young enough to continue with the national side, it's not difficult to see Bosnia returning for another shot in 2018.
For the full text of CBSSports.com's live commentary of the match, see below:
*************
FULLTIME: Bosnia-Herzegovina 3, Iran 1. Like the proverbial car stuck in second gear, the Iranians just couldn't effectively shift from their ultra-defensive approach in their first two games into the attacking mindset needed Wednesday. But take nothing away from Bosnia: the Dragons scored three well-worked goals and were fully deserving of the 3-1 victory.
Bosnia will go home happy to leave with the nation's first-ever World Cup win, but also depart tagged as possibly the most unlucky team in the tournament -- and no doubt nagged by the thought of what might have been without the calls that went against them vs. Nigeria.
90' -- Three minutes of stoppage.
88' -- All right, so -- it hasn't always been riveting viewing, but if you want a measure of how exceptional this World Cup has been, you can't do better than that this match has produced four goals. And it's actually opened up now, at the death, as Iran finally 1. tire 2. loosen up.
84' -- First, credit to Iranian captain Javad Nekounam, who stayed just onside when a cleared corner kick was lofted back into the box, then delivered a pinpoint low cross for the easiest goal Ghoochannejhad will ever score.
But Vrsajevic comes right back and fires across Haghighi from a difficult angle and in off the post. Excellent finish.
83' -- GOOOOAALLLL Bosnia! Well, that brief moment of competitiveness didn't last long.
79' -- Shot of Quieroz gesticulating intensely along the sideline. Seems a bit late for all of that, Carlos. By the by: not to continue harping on it, but Iran are 10 minutes away from becoming the only team to be eliminated without scoring at this World Cup.
76' -- ESPN's color commentator just compared the state of the match to a Sunday afternoon "knockabout" at the park, which, yeah, isn't much of an exaggeration. Actually, depending on the players involved the knockabout, we might rather watch that.
68' -- And Quieroz subs off Dejagah for Karim Ansarifard. Unless Dejagah is injured, taking off your most talented attacker when you're 20 minutes away from World Cup elimination and need three goals seems ... let's be nice and call it "defeatist."
65' -- Yeaaaahhh, that sort of sums it up for Iran: they make a series of sharp passes to transition from defense to offense, Dejagah finding Alireza Jahanbakhsh just outside the box ... and his cross-slash-shot is depressingly weak. Hard to imagine them finding a way through.
61' -- As the Ivory Coast learend the hard way as well: it doesn't matter how good your defensive shape if you give the ball away in your final third. A nice finish by Pjanic low past Haghighi, but ah, the deliciouly bitters irony: he appeared to be offsides by the narrowest of margins.
Bosnia will trade anything you like to have that call back and the correct one made against Nigeria. Tea? Gold? Immortal souls? All yours.
60' -- Mistake at the back and it's a Bosnia GOOOOAAAALLLLLLL!!! Pjanic! Good-bye, Iran.
58' -- Dejagah is caught offsides a couple of times over the past few minutes after working his way into dangerous positions. He could stand to be a little bit more precise with his positioning, but Bosnia also have to do a little bit better job of tracking him -- it remains difficult to see where an Iranian goal will come from if not from him.
54' -- Iran have flung a couple of set-piece balls into the box, but the Bosnian defense -- with Dzeko tracking back as well -- is far, far taller than the Iranian attackers and have dealt with them easily. An attack along the ground that springs substitute Heydari for a low cross (and earns a corner) proved far more productive.
50' -- As soon as Iran gain possession, they boot it forward -- mostly aimlessly -- and it's easily recovered by the Bosnian defense. Credit to Spahic and co. back there, but after Nigeria and Argentina combine for two more goals in the first five minutes, I'm just going to start liveblogging that match instead.
46' -- Second half kicks off with Dejagah getting caught offside and immediately lapses into Bosnian kickabout at the back as Iran keep 11 men behind the ball. WE HAD SUCH HOPES FOR YOU, IRAN-BOSNIA MATCH. (No, we didn't. Our hopes were modest. They remain unfulfilled nonetheless.)
HALFTIME: A look at Dzeko's goal:
HALFTIME: Somewhat unsurprisingly, Dzeko's goal is the only score of the first half, leaving Iran needing two goals to keep their Round of 16 hopes alive. The good news for Team Melli is that Argentina have another goal via Leo Messi and that if they can find those two goals, they can still advance.
The bad news is that they're never going to find them if Ashkan Dejagah doesn't play a prominent role, and he's been conspicuous by his absence thus far.
43' -- Vrsajevic is put through clean on goal by a brilliant Misimovic pass, but fires wide. Even amid general boredom of last 15 minutes, Bosnia has looked more likely to go up 2-0 than Iran has been to equalizing. Meaning that if you're Nigeria, you might want to think about being a bit less cautious and going for a win vs. Argentina -- which would hand them top spot in the group and let them miss France in the Round of 16.
37' -- Wish we could say otherwise, but there's just not much happening.
32' -- Once again Iran have a great chance that's mostly great because the player involved was offsides. At least this time Asmir Begovic had to make a save that didn't count rather than just watching a terrible miss that didn't count.
28' -- That was a fine response from Iran, but they still have a long, long ladder to climb. Not only have they not scored any goals so far this tournament -- and now need at least two to have any shot at survival -- but their coach, Carlos Quieroz, is riding a personal 480-minute scoreless streak against teams other than North Korea that dates back to his 2010 tenure with Portgual. (See the match preview below for more.)
26' -- IRAN HITS THE CROSSBAR. Masoud Shojaei makes some space for himself in the box and unleashes a nice shot from 15 yards or so. Reza Ghoochannejhad is WIDE OPEN on the rebound and would have been guilty of one of the misses of the tournament -- if he hadn't been offsides.
24' -- GOOOOOOAAAALLLLL Bosnia! Edin Dzeko finds a pocket of space just above the penalty area and buries a low shot into the corner past Haghighi.
22' -- Bosnia with a spell of pressure, and Iran break on the counter ... with all of four players against seven defenders. Why are you even here, Iran?
17' -- Captain Emir Spahic has had a fairly lousy tournament in the Bosnia defense, but had a nice block there to disrupt an Iranian attack. They'll need more of that from him.
13' -- Bosnia win a free kick juuuuuust outside the penalty area, but Pjanic blasts it into the Iranian wall. Bosnia have been terribly unlucky in their two matches -- viz. their bounce-of-the-ball own goal vs. Argentina and brilliant team goal vs. Nigeria disallowed for a nonexistent offsides -- but there's also no way to say they've been sharp in the final third.
9' -- Aaaaand after that half-chance, Iran have apparently decided that if Bosnia's going to actually try and attack, they'll be fine sitting back and countering -- ineptly, so far -- as usual. In the meantime, Dzeko gets a header on goal, but there's no power behind it and it's saved.
3' -- And hey, there's Dzeko popping up in the box with a tight-angled shot that's deflected over by goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi. Could we be in store for some actual, you know, excitement in this match?
1' -- Iran touches the ball in the box only 80 seconds in, equaling their number of touches inthe box from their first two matches. That's only a slight exaggeration, which is why this game could prove interesting -- can the defense-first Iranians both attack with any real meance and maintain their defensive shape against the likes of Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic? See pur preview below for more.
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France and Ecuador played to a scoreless
draw Wednesday, which sent the French through as winners of Group E and Ecuador home.
Switzerland, who tallied six points in the group after victory over Honduras, is also through.
The French had a pile of chances, especially after Antonio Valencia was sent off for a reckless challenge. Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema dominated the midfield, but none of their tries found paydirt.
It was surprising, given the way France has scored at will throughout the tournament. Ecuador managed a few chances, as well, but the French defense was too strong.
France will face Nigeria in each team's first game of the knockout stage.
FINAL: France 0 - Ecuador 0
90'+ -- Ecuador has had the ball in the France zone for an eternity, but they've failed to put one on goal.
90'+ -- Pretty insane at this point. Free header for Giroud right to Dominguez.
89' -- Good news: Paul Pogba didn't kick it a million feet over the crossbar. Bad news: His shot was wide.
88' -- Ecuador needs two goals. Fast.
87' -- Great, curving try from Remy is stopped by a diving, fully-extended Dominguez. He has been wonderful for Ecuador.
86' -- Ecuador a decent chance on a free kick, but it was a disaster. Played short, then lost.
84' -- Another great chance for Benzema, but his strike is stuffed by Dominguez. Good shot, better save.
82' -- Ohhhhh nooo. Ecuador's best chance comes from Ibarro, who makes some nifty moves to get free and a decent shot off, but it's blocked.
81' -- Arroyo with a decent try, but as has occurred so many times today, the shot sails harmlessly wide. And high.
79' -- Benzema with a try, again. Not on target, again.
73' -- Paul Pogba just whiffed on perhaps the easiest header in the history of soccer. (Arguably.)
69' -- Free kick wasted by Ecuador as its mashed north of the crossbar. France's defense has not been pressured much of late.
65' -- Benzema and France just keep knocking at the door. Still haven't found the net. Ecuador hanging in there.
64' -- Jefferson Montero off for Ecuador. He just could not get anything going.
62' -- Couple more chances for France to no avail. This one is being dominated of late by the French side.
58' -- Pogba and Benzema nearly put this one on ice, but both players get their shots blocked. Ecuador has to be running out of steam.
57' -- Another good chance for Ecuador, but Jefferson Montero gets himself all twisted up in the box and the ball rolls out for a goal kick.
54' -- Enner Valencia leads a break and drops a ball off to Noboa who just makes an absolute mess of it. Great chance wasted.
50' -- Well this doesn't help Ecuador. Antonio Valencia goes in studs up on a tackle and is given a red card. They'll now have to push a goal across and hold France with just 10 men.
47' -- Wow. HUGE save by Dominguez, and it was almost by accident. A deflected cross by Griezmann basically ran into him. Right place, right time.
46' -- Back at it. Ecuador, again, needs a goal.
Halftime: It has been a physical half, to say the least. Lots of colliding and flying elbows, but no goals and few chances. Ecuador needs to win, and even then they'll need the Swiss to stop scoring.
44' -- Benzema has a go, but an easy save for Dominguez.
41' -- Enner Valencia skies for a spectacular header, but France keeper Hugo Lloris turns him away.
38' -- Pogba gets a header on goal but Dominguez is able to tip it over the crossbar for a corner.
33' -- Also everyone is injured in this game. Long ball, collision, two players down. Over and over.
32' -- (Bad news for Ecuador -- Switzerland is scoring at will. Now up 2-0 over Honduras. Ecuador has a ton of work to do.)
30' -- Bit of a delay, as Matuidi and Noboa knock heads in the air. Nobua's head is bleeding kind of a lot, but he's back on.
27' -- Great service nearly redirected in by Benzema, but he just misses getting his head to the ball. Had a wide open net.
22' -- Enner Valencia gets his chance over the top, but he can't get a foot on it until it's too late.
20' -- Action has been choppy, at best. Ecuador struggling to get possession, while France having trouble controlling the ball. Just as I say that Montero almost gets free in front of the net, but he can't quite get to the ball.
16' -- Good volley on goal for Sissoko is easily gathered by Dominguez.
13' -- Pretty sloppy both ways. France has dominated possession but have been unable to get a decent look at goal.
8' -- Good work from Ecuador wasted. Wonderful long ball from Antonio Valencia to Jefferson Montero, but Montero fumbles it away for a goal kick.
5' -- Couple decent looks early for France, but Pogba and Matuidi have some rough touches to start. No shots from either side.
1' -- And we're underway.
Pregame
4 p.m. ET: Quick recap: France needs to not lose by a bunch of goals, and they're through; Ecuador is tied in points with Switzerland, who is playing Honduras as we speak. Ecuador leads in goal differential, but you have to think the Swiss at least tie Honduras.
In sum, Ecuador needs a win.
3:50 p.m. ET: Didier Deschamps has mixed up the France lineup for Wednesday's match with Ecuador. He is starting almost a completely different defensive backfield, and he is resting Olivier Giroud and Mathieu Valbuena in the middle.
Ecuador, who is probably facing a must-win, is mostly the same.
France: Hugo Lloris; Lucas Digne, Mamadou Sakho, Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna; Blaise Matuidi, Morgan Schneiderlin, Paul Pogba; Moussa Sissoko, Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann
Ecuador: Alecander Domínguez; Walter Ayoví, Frickson Erazo, Jorge Guagua, Juan Carlos Paredes; Jefferson Montero, Christian Noboa, Oswaldo Minda, Antonio Valencia; Felipe Caicedo, Enner Valencia
France vs. Ecuador (Group E) | Kickoff: 6/25, 4 p.m. ET | Stadium: Maracana
Match Preview: The good news for Ecuador is that they hold a two goal lead over Switzerland. The bad news is that Ecuador is playing a dominant France side and Switzerland is facing a hapless Honduras squad.
In order to make it through to the knockout stage, France needs a win or draw or to not lose by like five goals. Those odds are pretty good, seeing as France has been a mostly dominant side behind Karim Benzema in the midfield.
Benzema has been more than an able replacement for Franck Ribery, who was kept off the team due to an injury. Olivier Giroud has, too, been an issue for opposing sides, and they'll both likely cause trouble for Ecuador.
The man for Ecuador is Enner Valencia, and he's been spectacular in the team's first two matches. He may find tougher sledding against the French, but he'll be Ecuador's best chance at pushing across a goal.
Still, for France, a draw or one (or even two)-goal loss will result in their winning Group E. Not a lot of pressure thanks to the work they've done in their first two matches.
Posted by Tamilwin
Posted on 22:49
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It was a nip-and-tuck affair from the beginning,
but Lionel Messi and Argentina were simply too much for Nigeria, winning 3-2 and taking the top spot in Group F.
With Iran's loss Wednesday, Nigeria claimed the second spot in the group and will move through to the knockout stage where it will likely face France.
Messi got started almost immediately, banging home a Angel di Maria miss in the first five minutes of the game. Ahmed Musa answered immediately for Nigeria with a brilliant finish from the side of the box.
The two sides remained tied until just before halftime, when Messi notched his second goal with a free kick that was nothing short of spectacular.
Musa got that one back in the 47th minute, but this time Argentina answered with a goal off a corner kick. Nigeria couldn't find the net again, but the two sides are both through, anyway.
Though Group E play closes later Wednesday, it would be a long shot if anyone but France wins the group. Ecuador and Switzerland are tied at three points apiece, with Ecuador holding the advantage in goal differential.
The team that stays alive and takes second place in the group will face Argentina in the knockout round.
90' -- People are just colliding and laying on the pitch. Let's just go ahead and blow this one dead.
85' -- Enyeama turns away another Argentina chance. Not a lot of defending here. Everyone seems tired and ready to go home now.
80' -- Chances now piling up, as Garay's header had Enyeama beat but it went just wide of the target.
79' -- Ahh, Musa almost got his hat trick goal, but his shot's blocked in the box.
78' -- Argentina tries a sneaky free kick ball into the box, but Lavezzi volley is blocked by Enyeama.
74' -- Musa tries a volley in the box but it sails waaaaaaaay too high. And far.
73' -- Back and forth action, but, frankly, pretty sloppy.
65' -- Michael Babatunde stretchered off after getting hit in the hand with a shot. It didn't look good for him.
63' -- And Messi is coming off. Not a bad day's work.
62' -- Great chance wasted by Nigeria right on the doorstep, but the shot easily caught by Sergio Romero.
60' -- Messi just misses his third as his one touch in front of the net goes begging.
57' -- Finally some breathing from both sides, though Argentina still pushing the action and dominating possession.
49' -- And Rojo answers off a corner for Argentina. What is with these two and the opening five minutes of halves?!
48' -- GOAL!! And we're even! Musa matches Messi, puts in his second.
Halftime: Nigeria had a pretty indifferent approach to the last few minutes of the half, but the result Wednesday probably won't matter. With Bosnia-Herzegovina up 1-0 on Iran, chances are slim this Nigerian side gets sent home, even with a loss.
45'+ -- Welp, not this time. Messi gets a free kick again at the top of the box and gets the better of Enyeama. Just an amazing goal -- his fourth in three games. That little man is truly unbelievable.
44' -- Messi nearly beats Enyeama with a masterful free kick, but it's knocked clear. Quite a duel between these two.
37' -- Sergio Aguero down and he's coming off. He waved off the stretcher and left the field under his own power, so we'll assume he's okay for the knockout stage.
33' -- Ew. Enyeamagoes up and takes an elbow in the lower abdomen area. He's okay, but that was close.
30' -- Di Maria tries a lefty blast far post that nearly sneaks past Enyeama, but the Nigeria keeper knocks it out for a corner.
29' -- Bad touch by Messi. That was weird.
27' -- Great try from distance for Odemwinigie, but his shot sails just a touch high.
25' -- Messi nearly got his second but couldn't get a toe to di Maria's shot, which was skittering wide.
18' -- Okay, it was going to be tough to live up to the first five minutes of this game, but Nigeria and Argentina haven't come close. Lots of lost possession. Get it together, guys.
10' -- Argentina remains on the attack, but Enyeama blocks one and another misses wide.
4' -- UM OKAY. Terrific, terrific finish by Ahmed Musa, and we're even. Quite a start.
3' -- That was fast. Lionel Messi (of course) blasts though an early goal off a rebound.
1' -- And we're off. It will be interesting to see if Nigeria plays for the draw or goes for the win and the top spot in the group.
Pregame
11:50 a.m. ET: Important to note, the last time these two sides met in a competitive match, in the 2010 Cup, Nigeria keeper Vincent Enyeama had Messi's number.
Argentina still emerged victorious, 1-0.
11:45 a.m. ET: The mission is simple for Nigeria: don't lose. A draw is all the Nigerians need to move through to the knockout stage.
Here are the lineups for both sides.
Argentina: Sergio Romero; Marcos Rojo, Ezekiel Garay, Federico Fernandez, Pablo Zabaleta; Javier Mascherano, Fernando Gago, Angel Di Maria; Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero
Nigeria: Vincent Enyeama; Juwon Oshaniwa, Joseph Yobo, Kenneth Omeruo, Efe Ambrose; Ogenyi Onazi, John Obi Mikel; Michel Babatunde, Peter Odemingie, Ahmed Musa; Emmanuel Emenike.
Match Preview: The hard part is over for Argentina; now it's just about positioning.
Lionel Messi ripped a late goal to beat Iran last week, securing a spot in the Round of 16 for Argentina. A win or draw against Nigeria Wednesday puts them atop Group F and probably avoiding a French side that has looked dominant in its first two matches.
The situation is quite different for Nigeria. A win and they are atop Group F, while a loss coupled with an Iran win could see the Nigerians back home. Though it's not likely, given that Iran would have to make up some points in goal differential, which should be a problem for them, seeing as they haven't scored a goal yet.
In any event, this match still holds significance, even though it seems likely both sides will go through. The top side in Group F should have at least a slightly easier road through the knockout stage, given that they'll face Ecuador or Switzerland rather than France in their first match.
One thing that's for certain is that Argentina will have the decided advantage in the stands. Porto Alegre, where the game will be played, is near the Argentina-Brazil border. According to the Associated Press, more than 50,000 Argentina fans are expected to make the trip.
Aside from that edge, the talent is certainly on the Argentine side. But again, all Nigeria needs is a draw to lock up a spot in the knockout stage for the first time since 1998.
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