Round of 16 - Match #5 - France v. Nigeria
posted by The Blue Devil @ 11:30 AM
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!
Monday, June 30, 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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Previous Posts
- Round of 16… Game #4
- Round of 16… Game #3
- Brasil '14 - Day 18
- Round of 16…. Game #2
- Round of 16… Game #1
- Brasil 2014 Predictions Game - Group Stage Update
- Brasil '14 - Day 15
- Brasil '14 - Day 14
- Brasil '14 - Day 13
- Brasil '14 - Day 12
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Morning, everyone. Here is the team news for this afternoon's opener:
France - Lloris, Debuchy, Varane, Koscielny, Evra, Pogba, Cabaye, Matuidi, Valbuena, Giroud, Benzema.
Subs: Ruffier, Landreau, Sakho, Cabella, Griezmann, Mavuba, Mangala, Sagna, Digne, Sissoko, Remy, Schneiderlin.
Nigeria - Enyeama, Ambrose, Yobo, Oshaniwa, Omeruo, Musa, Onazi, Mikel, Moses, Odemwingie, Emenike.
Subs: Ejide, Agbim, Uzoenyi, Gabriel, Egwuekwe, Odunlami, Oboabona, Azeez, Nwofor, Uchebo, Ameobi.
Referee: Mark Geiger (USA)
Didier Deschamps has made six changes after taking some downtime against Honduras, with Olivier Giroud recalled and Yohan Cabaye back from suspension:
Nigeria make one enforced change, with Victor Moses replacing Michael Babatunde, who broke his left wrist against Argentina (or had it broken for him by a shot from the Gigi Riva de nos jours, his own team-mate Ogenyi Onazi)
Mark Geiger, the NJ schoolteacher who has been so impressive so far in this World Cup, gets another match today. Well done, the MLS!
Here come the sides now.
La Marseillaise - still the greatest anthem.
And we're away - Allez Les Bleus!
France in their change strip of white and blue whilst Nigeria are wearing their traditional all green.
The French may well get some joy through Debuchy running against Stephen Ambrose who's an unconventional right back.
The French are giving up far too many silly fouls in dangerous areas. Fortunately, it's only the likes of Emenike behind them.
Nigeria have the ball in the net but Emenike had strayed offside.
Oh - Pogba with a great volley from Valbuena's cross. Great save by Nyema.
Moses and Ambrose take turns to worry France down the right. They win a corner, and waste it. Good luck in calling who's going to open the scoring here. Or indeed close it. It's a marvelous end-to-end spectacle. Both teams are well up for this.
Ambrose and Moses again down the right, the former winning a corner off Evra, who is frowning quite a lot. Nobody furrows their brow with as much intensity as Evra. France clear the set piece fairly easily, which should ease the strain on their under-pressure left-back's facial muscles if nowt else.
Lloris is lucky to pick up a foul after he flaps at one.
Very even contest so far with some chances at both ends.
Giroud is flinging his arms around in the extravagant style. He is French, I suppose.
Oh come on, now. Debuchy goes for an extravagant wasteful volley instead of recovering possession.
Valbueno looks like a representative of the Lollipop Guild.
Half an hour in. This is a game of such end-to-end fervour that corners are not even news any more. Both teams earn one, both teams waste them.
James Rodriguez is still the Golden Boot leader at present with five under his belt. Benzema and Mueller could have something to say about that today. Both are on four.
Moses looks to Geiger for a foul but the American ref waves on. He hasn't put a foot wrong yet.
Pogba looks highly dangerous every time he receives possession. First he twists and turns on the edge of the D before attempting to release Valbuena down the right with a diagonal scoop.
Great French move but it lands at Debuchy's feet and he lashes it wide. Wish that had fallen to Giroud.
Another really promising attack goes begging for France.
Two minutes of stoppage time to come.
Geiger is definitely not going to be on Victor Moses' Christmas Card List. He falls again looking for support from the no nonsense ref.
We're back on at Brasilia for the second half. France are certainly the favorites here, but the Nigerians have given them a match. 0-0 at the interval.
Koz concedes an early corner to Nigeria.
No changes so far from either side. Nigeria have started the livelier.
Matuidi picks up a yellow for an ugly challenge on Onazi.
Onazi looks as if he won't be able to continue. Possible ligament damage.
Koz concedes another corner. The French look a bit rattled. They weren't really tested in Group E.
Gabriel comes on for the stricken Onazi.
Giroud has enjoyed a couple of good performances at this World Cup, but this hasn't been one of them. He's hooked for Griezmann. Gooner would be happy if that's the last we see of him in Brazil.
France haven't achieved much since the restart. Griezmann goes on a wander down the left, but is quickly stopped in his tracks.
France really on the backfoot here. They'll be lucky to get through this one now.
France finally get a move together, Griezmann whipping a ball into the area from the left. Enyeama, against character, flaps at the far post, the ball nearly dropping to Pogba, who is shaping to shoot from eight yards. Oshaniwa contorts his body in mid air and just about manages to hack clear.
Oh - a real chance there as Benzema streaked through on goal. Enyema saved it and then Victor Moses hooked it off the line. Another good use of goal-line technology.
Twenty minutes left for the deadlock to be broken.
Griezmann has made a difference. He's scuttling around the Nigerians' feet, dragging the defence this way and that. A little backflick to Benzema, and the striker's in space. He wallops a low shot inches wide of the left-hand post.
A couple of quick corners in succession for the French.
Oh - Cabaye has a header off the underside of the bar. France knocking at the door late on. They must finish Nigeria off while they're back on their heels.
Nigeria resorting to fouling Valbuena now.
Oh - Nyema denies Benzema once again. Free header. In fairness it was a good height for the keeper to tip over.
GOAL! Allez Les Bleus! Pogba finally scores for the French.
Set pieces are the Nigerians Achilles Heel once again. Nyema has been excellent today but he mishandled that on to Pogba who merely nodded it back toward goal.
1-0 France!
France merely have to survive the next eight minutes or so and they'll be through to a quarter final.
Pogba launches a gorgeous long pass down the left channel. Griezmann, who has been excellent since coming on, takes the ball down and lashes a rising diagonal shot towards the top-right corner from 20 yards or so. Enyeama tips over spectacularly, and Mikel heads the resulting corner clear.
Gabriel, with time in the middle of his own half, dispatches the ball deep into the stand down the right. France enjoyed watching that, with the clock ticking the way clocks tick.
Uche Nwofor comes on to spark the offense; Victor Moses trudges off.
This will not be a popular win in Brazil, judging by the noise in the stadium. European sides have underperformed in this tournament but there will still likely be four European sides out of the last eight.
GOAL! Griezmann seals it for France with a nifty finish from an acute angle from the clever set piece routine. Valbuena with a slide rule pass.
2-0!
On the replay, it looks as if it's an own goal by Joseph Yobo. Even Efan Ekoku finds the Nigerian response to the French goal "toothless."
Moussa Sissoko coming on late for Valbuena who's been France's orchestra leader today. Great performance.
Deep into added time. France made hard work of this but in the end they win comfortably and could have won by more.
That's that, then. France are through and on course for a collision with the old enemy Germany in the quarters on July 4th!
Germany have their work cut out for them here!!
Germany have their work cut out for them here!!
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