Portugal and France do battle in surprising semi-final matchup
After knocking off the defending champions in the quarter-finals, France prepare to meet Portugal in Wednesday’s semi-final match. Neither France nor Portugal were expected to progress this far into the tournament. Both sides have made improbable runs by defeating some of the world’s elite teams in the knockout stages.
The two nations now face each other in a re-match of the Euro 2000 semi-final, which France won 1-0 thanks to a Zinedine Zidane penalty.
Portugal eliminated the Netherlands in the Round of 16 with a 1-0 victory, but they needed a penalty shootout to get past England in the quarter-finals. France’s road to the final four wasn’t any easier. Les Bleus knocked off a young but talented Spanish team in a relatively straightforward 3-1 victory in the second round. Then they played a near perfect quarter-finals game to earn a 1-0 result against defending world champions Brazil.
When the French struggled in their opening two matches, critics were quick to jump on them for being too old to compete. But Raymond Domenech’s side quickly answered back with convincing wins in their last three matches. Plus, with captain Zidane and midfielder Patrick Vieira in top form, France are playing as well as any team in the last four.
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This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. He led Brazil to victory at the Japan-Korea World Cup four years ago. Scolari also guided Portugal to the Euro 2004 finals, where they eventually lost out to Greece. With Scolari at the helm, Portugal can feel confident about their chances of reaching the World Cup final for the first time in their country’s history.
Tottenham v Blackburn - Match Preview - 19 November 2006
Two sides looking for something to spark their seasons clash at Ewood Park on Sunday as 15th-place Blackburn hosts 12th-place Tottenham.
Rovers are favored to win at home at 2.50, and Spurs are set at 3.00. A draw is rated at 3.30.
Blackburn fought hard, but were shut out 1-0 at home by Manchester United last weekend. Blackburn were outshot 16-10, and were booked four times in the fixture.
Robbie Keane's 24th-minute penalty was not enough as Spurs were beaten 3-1 at Reading in their last league match. Spurs led in both shots and possession, but their defence could not hold firm.
Tottenham have won five and drawn twice of their past ten matches with Rovers, who hold a 10-9 lead in goals scored.
