Match 10 - France v. Honduras
posted by The Blue Devil @ 2:19 PM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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- Match 3 - Spain v. The Netherlands
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111 Comments:
The team news out of Porto Alegre for this afternoon's match-up:
France - Lloris, Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, Evra, Pogba, Cabaye, Matuidi, Valbuena, Benzema, Griezmann. Subs: Ruffier, Cabella, Giroud, Mavuba, Mangala, Sagna, Digne.
Honduras - Valladares, Beckeles, Bernardez, Figueroa, Izaguirre, Najar, Palacios, Garrido, Espinoza, Bengtson, Costly. Subs: Lopez, Chavez, Montes, Garrido, Palacios, Martinez, Delgado.
The French backroom staff seems to have gone down the Germany 2006 route and coordinated their outfits, sporting dark blue suits and open-necked white shirts. They look pretty good, but remains to be seen whether they stick with this approach on the touchline. Hopefully.
Teams in the tunnel this afternoon. Looks like a lovely day at Porto Alegre.
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It sure us. Great to enjoy the pleasure of your company.
And we're away at Porto Alegre, with the customary anthems. Poor show there from the hosts.
They were still working on the bathrooms and parking lot yesterday. What a joke.
Shocking work from the Brazilians.
Jerry Bengston runs the ball out of play - that's his forte.
Definitely a pro Honduran crowd.
A lot of Hondurans in the crowd, starting up the "Ole" chants. A bit early for that, I suspect.
The cartoon villain Patrice Evra picks up a yellow card early doors.
Evra with a meaty challenge on Najar and booked for that. Najar in the streets of Alex
First set piece opportunity for the French now.
Paul Pogba wins my "Spent Too Much Time Working on his Hair" award for this match.
Wilson Palacios with a foul just outside the box. Balbuena with a training ground routine gone wrong.
And another free kick from around the same spot.
Well stated Bob. A great cosmetology observation.
Cheers, mate. There are plenty of candidates.
Valbueno over yet another free kick now.
Valbuena not pleased with the challenge by Ysaguirre.
Chance! The ball falls to Matuidi who hits it first time. The keeper did well to save it onto the bar.
Oh. The free kick was headed away then Valladares tipped a short from Matuidi off the top of the bar.
The Brazi ref will need to produce some cards if the Hondurans continue to resort to their thuggish tactics.
Bloody hell, this is boring. We're only 20 minutes in and Les Bleus are already boring the pants off me.
Well wide by Cabaye.
Important France coach clothing update: Deschamps has kept his suit on, the rest seem to have changed into trackies.
Booooooooooooo.
The frame of the goal comes to Honduras' rescue again and Greizmann hits the upright.
Greizmann heads off the bar from a cross by Evra.
Another chance goes begging as Benzema plants a header well over the bar from Cabaye's cross.
This tim nBenzemoi heads over from a cross by Vàlbuena.
Pogba seems to have lashed out at a Honduran player and now all hell has broken loose.
A fight breaks out after Pogba was fouled then henlashed out.
Yellow cards all round for that bit of nonsense.
Pogba and Wilson palacios both booked.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It's been more or less all France so far, but Honduras have a couple of half attacks, one of which ends as Najar shanks a cross from the right way over the bar.
Maynor Figueroa tries to reprise that goal he scored for Wigan at Stoke a few years ago from just inside his own half, but the under-worked Hugo Lloris just peers at at the ball quizzically as it sails high, high over the bar.
As usual, Benzema - Mr. Fancy Pants Read Madrid - has been stinking it up like a block of camembert left out in the sun.
Gooner has just called for Olivier Giroud to come on in the second half and I couldn't agree more. This has been abject stuff from the French.
Hello Gents,
I'll be around for a few minutes, before I put Sofia to bed. This has been the most unbalanced match of the tourney so far. Total French domination, but without much vision. The midfield is physically strong, but without Ribery, it lacks imagination.
Penalty to France and Wilson Palacios goes for a second yellow! Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.
Ok. game over.
Though they are missing Ribery, I think Griezmann is a pretty intelligent, useful player. He's my favorite frog so far.
The Goober called it. Wilson Palacios sent off for a second yellow as he foulwdbPogba in the box.
Goal. Big deal.
Welcome, Red Devil. This has been my least favorite match of the tournament so far. France are clearly the superior outfit but because of Deschamps conservative approach, they've made heavy weather of breaking down the Hondurans.
Benzema scores from the spot. Not a great penalty but the keeper Valladares went the other way.
Goal .Benzwmoi blasts in the penalty.
Happy Father's Day, Red Devil!
What better proof could there be that this match does not matter than the fact that Benzema actually scored?
Three minutes of stoppage time.
Wow. I completely forgot that it is Fathers' day. I was too busy taking care of the kids ;)
Cabaye booked for a naugty challenge.
Well, I noticed that Chiara posted on FB earlier that she thinks of Father's Day as a March event. Is that the Italian tradition?
Welcome Red Devil. Happy Father's Day.
Half-time - 1-0 France
The French should be able to see out a comfortable victory now.
Agreed, Blue Devil. France is about control first, so it is pretty boring stuff. It's a weird mix between a few talented, skilled players, plus a lot of fast, strong athletic players, who are a bit lacking on precision. Thus, it always seems to break down right before the end.
Oh man, there goes CONCACAF's sterling record.
Valladares punches away the free kick from Valbuena as France lead 1-0 at the half.
Boniek Garcia has come on for the Revs Jerry Bengtson.The second half is underway.
My New England Revolution Jerry Bengston has gone off to be replaced by Boniek Garcia, while Bernardez has been replaced by Osman Chavez.
GOAL! The first real workout for the goal-line technology as Benzema whacks one in off the upright.
2-0!
It's really an own goal as Benzema didn't score. But definitely over the line on the FIFA goal-line technology-enhanced replay.
Benzema scores again? That means the result was never in question.
So that's 33 goals now in 10 matches. 3.3 goals per game - marvelous action for the punters. And more to come!
I wonder if Boniek Garcia is named after Zbigniew Boniek, Poland's all-time great?
Goal! 2-0 OG by the Honduras keeper as. Benzema had a shot come off the post. Goal line technology to the rescue.
That was my thought. I wouldn't have imagined that there were lots of Poles living in Honduras, no?
Boniek Garcia booked for a horrible foul on Evra.
And - speak of the devil - our boy Boniek picks up a yellow for some distincly ungraceful action there, hacking down Evra.
Oh - Matuidi has a clear chance but is foiled by Valladares.
So has there been some unbridled celebrating on the streets of Tuscany after last night's heroics, Red Devil?
Great save by Valladares from Matuidi off a pass from Greitmann. Sissoko on for Pogba.
Jorge Claros on for Alex's Najar.
Hugo Lloris could have been taking a nap this afternoon.
Cabaye off and Mavuba on now.
Most of the area here was sleeping before the match started last night. Now they are all claiming they watched the match, but I am dubious. They don't get really excited until they win elimination matches, and they did not really feel great rivalry with the British.
Into the side netting by Matuidi off a pass from Bwnzema.Should have scored. Mavuba on for Cabaye.
That sounds positively condescending, Red Devil. I'm offended. ;-)
YUm. Benzema sandwich.
A rare Honduran attack as Boniek Garcia shot at Lloris.
The Italians understand their rivalry with and domination of the German, but other than that, it is the Argentines and Brazilians with whom they feel greater rivalry. I don't know if they feel much vis-a-vis the French (2000 and 2006 finals). Overall, the Italians -as soccer fans - are very insular, and just don't know much about other countries. Add to that how young the British team was, except for Rooney and Gerrard, they just did not know players who are up and coming EPL stars (like Sterling).
Horrible foul by Figueroa on Valbuena. not even a card.
Another absolutely scything challenge from Figueroa there. And no card from the lenient referee. Harry Redknapp must be calling some Honduran agents.
3-0 France as Benzema finally gets on the board. No question this as the Real man found the roof of the net. Great strike.
Hattrick by Benzema. Could there be a more deserving golden boot winner? He could easily have 6 goals after the group phase. I was not impressed by Switzerland or Ecuador.
So Benzema has a brace and almost a hat-trick.
GOAL 3-0. Benzema drives it in the roof of the net after a couple of blocked shots off the free kick.
Nor I, Red Devil. I had heard a lot about Shaquiri, Xaka and Drmic but wasn't impressed.
Just saw the replay of the goal. Goalkeeper closed his eyes.
Only two. The second was an OG by the keeper.
So, is the 2nd goal officially an own-goal?
And Gooner is pleased to see his boy Olivier Giroud up off the bench.
Agreed about the earlier match. Hilarious that the keeper closed his eyes.
Yes - o.g. by Valladares. Probably had his eyes closed on that one too.
Goober is delighted as Giroud is on for Valbuena.
Agreed with Bob about the second goal.
Blue Devil, what did you mean, thuggish?
that was close to the hattrick
LOL! These Hondurans learned their football from the death squads, I suspect. Shockingly, only Palacios was carded today. I suspect that FIFA gave referees a directive to let a lot go. I've never seen such lenient officiating in a major tournament.
It's great, the Italian commentators are talking about the player of the match trophy that Benzema will receive today. They claimed it is the ugliest trophy in sport. Anyone seen it who can cofirm?
Three minutes of stoppage time.
I haven't, actually. Surely there 64 of those things hanging around, are there?
Well that's quite enough of that. The French will be happy to have survived that with their limbs all intact.
France easily defeat the thuggish Honduras 3-0.
Hey Boys
France win by three nil
Hondy become only the third team after Cameroon and Greece not to score
Bob, you have a mac as well. Is there a way to update the little pop-up window in our blog chat? I always end up having to comment before it updates (hence I am so chatty).
Next game could be the match of the day, if Bosnia have a good game. They are not quite Croatia-quality, but they are quite latin in style, so they may match up well with Argentina.
He Red Devil
I have a Mac and I have my mouse set to have a right click and just reload
Looks done and dusted for the Argues.
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