Results (SemiFinals)
Portugal def. Wales 2-0
France def. Germany 2-0
Portugal v Wales
Wales' unprecedented streak is finally over. They had a good run, but all good things must come to an end. They outperformed many of the top teams in Europe to finish in the top 4 of the tournament. They did better than Spain, Italy, England, Croatia and many others. They even knocked Belgium themselves. In this match, Ronaldo and Portugal came roaring through, and in a span of 3 minutes near the beginning of the second half, Portugal scored twice to take a 2-goal lead with 37 minutes to play. Then they could sit back and defend as Wales tried to break through their defense. Of course, Wales could not, and Portugal held on for a 2-0 victory, meaning they advance to the Euro Cup Final for only the 2nd time in their history (the first being 2004, where they lost to Greece 1-0).
Germany v France
This match was a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Quarterfinal, where Germany knocked France out of the tournament before winning the Cup. This time, however, the result was different. As expected, Germany was dominant in terms of possession, winning the possession battle 68-32. They completed 566 passes compared to France's 234. They were dominating going into the half-time break, but they could not seem to score. But when Bastian Schweinsteiger committed a stupid handball in the penalty area in stoppage time, France was awarded a penalty kick. Antoine Griezmann scored the penalty, and France went into half-time with the lead. Germany went from dominating the match to being behind at the break. Then Germany had to play a more attacking style of play, and, as happens often, France put the match away with a great counter-attack. Now the defending World Champs are eliminated, and hosts France get a chance to win the Euro Cup in front of their own fans in the final against Portugal on Sunday.
The Final
Portugal v France
Sunday, July 10 @ 3:00 PM ET
New Bracket (image from wikipedia.org)
Also, take a look at my Copa America blog here: copa2016usa.blogspot.com
Portugal def. Wales 2-0
France def. Germany 2-0
Portugal v Wales
Wales' unprecedented streak is finally over. They had a good run, but all good things must come to an end. They outperformed many of the top teams in Europe to finish in the top 4 of the tournament. They did better than Spain, Italy, England, Croatia and many others. They even knocked Belgium themselves. In this match, Ronaldo and Portugal came roaring through, and in a span of 3 minutes near the beginning of the second half, Portugal scored twice to take a 2-goal lead with 37 minutes to play. Then they could sit back and defend as Wales tried to break through their defense. Of course, Wales could not, and Portugal held on for a 2-0 victory, meaning they advance to the Euro Cup Final for only the 2nd time in their history (the first being 2004, where they lost to Greece 1-0).
Germany v France
This match was a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Quarterfinal, where Germany knocked France out of the tournament before winning the Cup. This time, however, the result was different. As expected, Germany was dominant in terms of possession, winning the possession battle 68-32. They completed 566 passes compared to France's 234. They were dominating going into the half-time break, but they could not seem to score. But when Bastian Schweinsteiger committed a stupid handball in the penalty area in stoppage time, France was awarded a penalty kick. Antoine Griezmann scored the penalty, and France went into half-time with the lead. Germany went from dominating the match to being behind at the break. Then Germany had to play a more attacking style of play, and, as happens often, France put the match away with a great counter-attack. Now the defending World Champs are eliminated, and hosts France get a chance to win the Euro Cup in front of their own fans in the final against Portugal on Sunday.
The Final
Portugal v France
Sunday, July 10 @ 3:00 PM ET
New Bracket (image from wikipedia.org)
Also, take a look at my Copa America blog here: copa2016usa.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment