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3rd & 7 37yd

Just seen Arsene Wenger behind me. Whose on his shopping list? One thing for sure, Joel Campbell should fancy a run out at the Emirates

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/20/2014 6:22:14 PM
France's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring against Honduras.

Next up, France and Switzerland. It will be a matchup for the "footballing connoisseur to savor", writes Reuters Mark Gleeson. Translation: don't experct a goal fest. The last three games between the teams have had a just a combined two goal.

Here are the starting lineups.

France: Lloris (captain), Debuchy, Evra, Varane, Sakho, Cabaye, Valbuena, Giroud, Benzema, Matuidi, Sissoko.

Switzerland:Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Von Bergen, Inler (captain), Seferovic, Xhaka, Behrami, Rodriguez, Mehmedi, Djourou, Shaqiri.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 6:38:14 PM
First in a series I like to call "Emotional Costa Ricans on a Beach" #copacabana #worldcup instagram.com/p/ped1c-yU7l/

by RoadsKingdoms via twitter 6/20/2014 6:39:49 PM
Italy population: 60.9 million. Costa Rica population: 4.8 million. I love data. #WorldCup2014

by Brian Tracey via twitter 6/20/2014 6:41:53 PM
The French and Swiss national anthems are over, the coin has been tossed and we are almost underway.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 6:58:11 PM
And we are off!

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:01:52 PM
Benzema has the first chance of the game! He curls a right footed shot wide from the top of the D. Bengalo has it covered, but France look good. And Benzema looks like he wants to add to his two goals so far in the tournament.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:07:13 PM
I predict that a team from this hemisphere will not win this match. #WorldCup2014

by Brian Tracey via twitter 6/20/2014 7:08:20 PM
Switzerland's Steve Von Bergen has to go off injured. He took a nasty shoe to the face from Giroud. Not sure why Giroud didn't get a yellow card there.

Senderos replaces Von Bergen.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:12:14 PM
GOAL! FRANCE 1 - 0 SWITZERLAND.

Giroud rolls the ball to the center of the box for Benzema. Djourou clears for a corner. Giroud loops a header into the top of the Swiss goal from 8 yards out.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:18:23 PM
GOAL! France 2 - 0 SWITZERLAND.

A minute later (ok, technically 66 seconds) Blaise Matuidi scores for France. The Swiss play a horrible pass in their own half almost straight to Benzema. He turns and runs at the Swiss defense, then rolls the ball to Matuidi on the left. Matuidi slots it home low and at the near post. What a precise finish.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:21:03 PM
The French look so, so good right now. Matuidi again runs with the ball in midfield, and feeds Benzema in the center. Benzema runs some more and tries to sneak in a low shot through a gaggle of Swiss defenders. He does, and Bengalio has to get down to make the save.

Everytime France have the ball they look like they could score.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:26:40 PM
The Swiss have a goal rightly disallowed for offside. Xhaka thumped home a rebound from a Swiss free kick, but France had pull their line up and he was a good yard offside.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:28:25 PM
And now it should be 2-1. France give the ball away in midfield. Mehmedi breaks and shoots from 20 yards. Lloris saves but the rebound falls to Xhaqiri. He has gaping holes past Lloris to aim for, but it flies wide, maybe with a touch from the keeper.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:31:21 PM
PENALTY SAVE!

Benzema rushes down the left and at the byline, he's taken down by Djourou. Benzema takes. it's low and Benaglio gets down to his right to stop it. Cabaye tries to put the rebound into a three-quarters open goal but hits the post.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:33:37 PM
Karim Benzema is the first French player to miss a #WorldCup penalty. They'd converted all 10 previously.

by Paul Carr via twitter 6/20/2014 7:35:46 PM
Giroud scores he first French goal against the Swiss.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 7:37:35 PM
The Swiss defense looks like their cheese. #worldcup2014

by Brian Tracey via twitter 6/20/2014 7:39:33 PM
One day I hope to be known simply as Brian. #BrazilianFootballNames

by Brian Tracey via twitter 6/20/2014 7:39:38 PM
France 5-0 up against a team ranked 6th in the world. Say what you like about the FIFA rankings but Switzerland aren't bad. Far from it

by James Horncastle via twitter 6/20/2014 8:33:05 PM
It could (should? will?) be six now. Valbuena's sot is blocked and in the melee that follows, someone the ball doesn't end up in the net. This is so good (for the French) and so bad (for the Swiss).

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 8:35:46 PM
Samir Nasri would have been a great addition to that French wall. Oh, wait..

by Ben Walsh via twitter 6/20/2014 8:39:31 PM
#benzemabravery RT @tariqpanja : #SUI get one back as free kick finds balls shaped hole in #FRA wall. 5-1

by Ossian Shine via twitter 6/20/2014 8:40:42 PM
GOAL (AND NOT A FRENCH ONE!)

Dzemaili takes a free kick and just blasts it through the three-man French wall. Now we have a game on our ha... Nope, still not a chance for the Swiss in this game. Although they still have a chance to get out of the group and lose to Argentina!

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 8:42:48 PM
ANOTHER NON-FRENCH GOAL!

Xhaka scores. 5-2.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 8:47:20 PM
Sick assist sick volley by Xhaka

by Football Vines via twitter 6/20/2014 8:49:33 PM
A fitting end to the match! Karim Benzema score with the FIRST TOUCH after the referee has blown his whistle. So bizarre. Nevermind three goals, Benzema should have four when you include the missed penalty!

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 8:53:06 PM
I said there'd be more goals! I've been treated to 17 goals in 3 games in Super Salvador. #backofthenet

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/20/2014 9:13:05 PM
Swiss coach Hitzfeld: It's was truly a very bleak day for us" - after getting thumped 5-2 by France

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/20/2014 9:37:22 PM
Benzema walks into press conference dressed in a sharp suit to grab his man of the match award. #biggrin

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/20/2014 9:38:14 PM
France crush sorry Swiss 5-2:

Free-flowing France blew away in-form Switzerland with a three-goal first-half barrage en route to a thumping 5-2 World Cup Group E win on Friday that virtually assures them of qualification for the second round.

France blasted two goals within 66 seconds as Olivier Giroud headed them into the lead after 17 minutes and Blaise Matuidi added a second almost straight from the restart, while Mathieu Valbuena got a breakaway third late in the half after Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio had earlier saved a Karim Benzema penalty.

Benzema added the fourth and his third of the tournament in the 67th minute and Moussa Sissoko came off the bench to complete the rout six minutes later before Blerim Dzemaili's free kick and a smart volley by Granit Xhaka made things look better for the Swiss.
Giroud sends the ball square for the right winger Valbuena, who slams the ball home past.

by walsh.benjamin 6/20/2014 10:00:29 PM
GOAL! HONDURAS 1 - 0 ECUADOR.

Costly takes the ball down off a long ball that Ecuador's defense can't deal with. He strikes it low and hard to the near post.

It's their first goal in the World Cup since 1982!

by walsh.benjamin 6/20/2014 10:32:47 PM
GOAL! HONDURAS 1 - 1 ECUADOR.

Ener Valencia puts it in from a yard at the left post. Game on!

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 10:36:09 PM
This match is going to rock just like the Res Hot Chili Peppers. ECUvHON #WorldCup2014

by Brian Tracey via twitter 6/20/2014 10:38:33 PM
Ecuador have a dangerous free kick on the right. Ayovi takes it and tries to go near post. Corner to Ecuador. It's taken by Ayovi and Noboa gets a good flick at the near post but it flies past everyone in yellow shirts for a goal kick.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 10:44:02 PM
Here's teh Ecuadorian equalizer. As Fusion says, this is what happens when your brain shuts down. Beckeles just lost his man at the back post.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 10:47:43 PM
Disallowed goal! Costly hits the post with a header, and the rebound is put home by Bengston. Problem is, he's offside and handles the ball.

He gets a yellow card for complaining that the right decision was made.

by walsh.benjamin 6/20/2014 10:49:24 PM
HALFTIME. 1-1.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 10:50:11 PM
Brian Phillips: "The FIFA Fan Fest, where the men's room is worshipped as a kind of god."

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 10:57:01 PM
We'er back. Halftime change for Honduras: Emilio off, Garcia on for Honduras.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/20/2014 11:04:58 PM
"France showing spirit of '98, says Deschamps" - reuters.com/article/idUSKB…

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/21/2014 12:28:55 PM
"Deschamps pays tribute to dazzling Benzema" - reuters.com/article/idUSKB…

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/21/2014 12:29:21 PM
"Police smash major World Cup betting ring in Macau" - reuters.com/article/idUSKB…

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/21/2014 12:33:03 PM
Slide finger across throat. Where it all went wrong with England telegraph.co.uk/sport/football…

by Paul Hayward via twitter retweeted by ossianshine 6/21/2014 12:33:06 PM
Shameful that @rizmc got racially abused by fellow England fans in Brazil while singing patriotic chants goo.gl/F89Kck

by Sunny Hundal via twitter retweeted by ossianshine 6/21/2014 12:53:47 PM