Sports Updates

Semi Final and Final Match Schedule FIFA 2014

Semi Final and Final Match Schedule FIFA 2014

101 Sports Updates: Semi Final and Final Match Schedule FIFA 2014

101Sports updates Quartet eye knockout stage

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fcou_kZH5a2Qdg87fj2Ij8r-KDUlshyIwnQGtwQ3IdBYR_QXWP_S-0ke0yMfaJxY1vhFCZ0AvhMCJxULNR8fhgMjwF1FkrdsBu0re_fpzH3I0N8yeuEwwEb6Hh9WPsUSo9qzEbJLYuk/s1600/knockout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fcou_kZH5a2Qdg87fj2Ij8r-KDUlshyIwnQGtwQ3IdBYR_QXWP_S-0ke0yMfaJxY1vhFCZ0AvhMCJxULNR8fhgMjwF1FkrdsBu0re_fpzH3I0N8yeuEwwEb6Hh9WPsUSo9qzEbJLYuk/s1600/knockout.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">The action continues in Brazil with four teams victorious in
their opening games vying to build on winning starts. Costa Rica were
particularly impressive in their surprise success against Uruguay, racking up
three goals for the first time in a FIFA World Cup™ match, and they now take on
an Italy team that has scored at least once in their last 15 finals fixtures.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Elsewhere, Group E rivals Switzerland and France
know each other well already. The neighbouring nations have met 36 times in the
past, with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; padding: 0in;">Les
Bleus</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="float: none; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>enjoying the upper hand thanks to a record of 15
wins, nine draws and 12 defeats. France also looked more assured in their
opener, making light work of Honduras, whereas the Swiss needed to dig deep to
secure a late triumph against an enterprising Ecuador side. The winners of the
summit meeting between the section leaders will advance if the other match ends
drawn.</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">In that game, Honduras can expect a stiff
examination from Ecuador, and will need all their defensive solidity to
frustrate opponents boasting considerable attacking flair. The history books
slightly favour the South Americans too, with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; padding: 0in;">La
Tri</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="float: none; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>earning three victories and seven draws from
their 12 encounters.</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Italy-Costa Rica (Group D), Arena Pernambuco,
Recife, 13.00 (local time)</span><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #474747; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span></b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="float: none; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;">Switzerland-France
(Group E), Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, 16.00 (local time)</span></span><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #474747; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span></b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="float: none; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;">Honduras-Ecuador
(Group E), Arena da Baixada, Curitiba, 19.00 (local time)</span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Ecuador and Honduras can make do without
training-camp spies as their respective coaches are already fully clued into
what makes their opponents tick. Ecuador boss Reinaldo Rueda oversaw the
CONCACAF hopefuls at the 2010 World Cup, no less, although his reign was not a
fruitful one. As for Honduras's Luis Fernando Suarez, he steered<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; padding: 0in;">La Tri</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="float: none; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>to
the Round of 16 at Germany 2006.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Karim Benzema's double against Honduras made him
the first France player to score two goals in a World Cup game since Zinedine
Zidane lit up the Final on 12 July 1998. Benzema came close to notching a
treble too,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; padding: 0in;">Los
Catrachos</span></em><span style="float: none; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;">'s goalkeeper
turning a shot from the Real Madrid forward into his own net. As a result, he
missed out on the team's first World Cup hat-trick since Just Fontaine fired
three goals past Paraguay in 1958, en route to ending the tournament on 13
strikes. Encouraging omens for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; padding: 0in;">Les
Bleus</span></em><span style="float: none; text-align: start; word-spacing: 0px;">?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>

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101Sports updates Quartet eye knockout stage

Quartet eye knockout stage: The action continues in Brazil with four teams victorious in their opening games vying to buil...

101 sports updates France Routs Switzerland:

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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal;">France Routs Switzerland:</span></h1>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">SALVADOR, Brazil—France has been at the World Cup for two games
now and, so far, there has been no locker room explosion. The players haven't
gone on strike. And no one has been sent home for insulting the coach's mother.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">For Les Bleus, after the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">désastre</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>of 2010, this counts as progress.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">So does their 5-2 victory against Switzerland here on Friday
evening, which all but booked France's spot in the knockout rounds. A point in
its final group-stage game against Ecuador next Wednesday would be enough to
win Group E and set up a matchup with the runner-up of Argentina's group.
Switzerland, meanwhile, must better Ecuador's result when it faces Honduras.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Les Bleus have notched eight goals in Brazil now after fretting
about their ability to rack up goals throughout their qualifying campaign.
Their total for the previous three World Cups combined is 10, which includes a
run to the final in 2006.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The victory came on the fourth anniversary of the infamous
"Greve du Bus," when the players refused to train in Knysna, South
Africa. Les Bleus insist they've moved past it. In fact, after star winger
Franck Ribery pulled out of the World Cup with a back problem, the squad was
left with just four survivors of the 2010 World Cup.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">When it came up in the pre-match news conference, head coach
Didier Deschamps puffed out his cheeks and rolled his eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">For the players it may be old news. But for the fans, it has
been a long four years. Euro 2012 was a damp squib that came with its own
moments of ugliness (see: Samir Nasri publicly cursing out a journalist). And
the preparations for this tournament came with the lowest expectations in
years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Brazil is a chance for Les Bleus to restore the image. So far,
it seems to have worked. In a country where many people still believe that
rugby is the true national sport and soccer is a game for immigrants and the
overpaid, Les Bleus are riding a new wave of support. (A group of fans even
waved a flag from the separatist Basque region alongside the Tricolore inside
the Arena Fonte Nova on Friday.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5U2MsNBkToeqJna9OuRgVw0jOLqKUBBoE6AaPP4RxlyhV72qgzudhygjpYIa0JTihlLgHph-yAwAlqrT2NkL9Molh4WlKcH3gi7gWbFzKuASytBEZcZ_4zgb75QfX1e1glNS_WupAWM/s1600/france+routs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5U2MsNBkToeqJna9OuRgVw0jOLqKUBBoE6AaPP4RxlyhV72qgzudhygjpYIa0JTihlLgHph-yAwAlqrT2NkL9Molh4WlKcH3gi7gWbFzKuASytBEZcZ_4zgb75QfX1e1glNS_WupAWM/s1600/france+routs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And that comes from a perception of togetherness within the
squad.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">"The balance of a team is always fragile," goalkeeper
and captain Hugo Lloris said before the game. "You have to maintain it
daily, and you maintain it with victories."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">France took hold of the game with two goals in the space of 66
seconds in the first half. Olivier Giroud gave his side the lead with a header
from a Mathieu Valbuena corner kick before<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Karmic<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>set up Blaise Matuidi to beat the
Swiss goalkeeper with a shot at the near post.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Valbuena, the only player to appear in every game since head
coach Didier Deschamps took over in 2012, got a goal for himself to make it 3-0
before halftime. The move that led to his strike saw the team take fewer than
10 touches between defending a Swiss corner kick and the goal.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It was typical of France's new style. Set up in a 4-3-3 with
powerful runners and quick passers through the middle, Les Bleus are able to
break from deep to catch teams off balance.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">"We saw counters from France with four against two, five
against two," Switzerland defender Johan Djourou said.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The second half goals came from Moussa Sissoko and Benzema.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Benzema
has the luxury of playing alongside<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Ronaldo
Gareth Bale and Angel di Maria for his club side Real Madrid, and is often been
criticized for his low productivity with the national team. But his run of
eight goals in his last seven games for France means that he has now matched
the total for his previous 34 national team appearances, according to Opta
Sports.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And he could have had two on Friday, but his 32nd minute penalty
kick was saved by Diego Benaglio, with Yohan Cabaye smashing the rebound
against the woodwork, and although he did find the net again, the referee had
just whistled for full-time.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">"I've been convinced for a while that we could do something
here," Benzema said.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Two goals for Switzerland in the final 10 minutes—on a free kick
and a volley by Granit Xhaka—dampened the mood slightly among the
Marseillaise-belting French support. Still, one look at the scoreboard helped
fix that and, perhaps, push Knysna a little further into the past.</span></div>
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101 sports updates France Routs Switzerland:

France Routs Switzerland: SALVADOR, Brazil—France has been at the World Cup for two games now and, so far, there has been no...