Pogba fires France as Belgium, Portugal run riot

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- A searing first-half strike from Paul Pogba handed France a 1-0 win at rivals the Netherlands as Belgium and Portugal clocked up 6-0 victories and Christian Benteke grabbed a slice of World Cup qualifying history.

Criticised by coach Didier Deschamps for his performance in Friday's 4-1 win over Bulgaria in Paris, the world's most expensive footballer emphatically replied with a towering display for Les Bleus in Amsterdam in the most eye-catching fixture on Monday.

The Manchester United midfielder's powerful hit from 25 metres out after half an hour left diving Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg able to get his hands to the fizzing ball but unable to stop it.

"I didn't speak to him (Pogba), I just said a few words to him before entering the changing rooms, 'I have confidence in you,'" said Deschamps.

"The match confirms what he is able to do. Pogba was much better in everything he did. He showed what he can do.

"We never doubted he could do it. We mustn't forget Paul is relatively young and he can still progress."

France, losing finalists on home soil at Euro 2016, are equal on seven points at the top of Group A with Sweden, who beat Bulgaria 3-0 at home in Solna. The two countries will play on November 11 at the Stade de France.

Pogba, 23, was imperial in front of a central defence made up of Raphael Varane and Laurent Koscielny, who pushed back wave after wave of Dutch attacks.

And Pogba nearly doubled his account with a header off a Dimitri Payet corner on 66 minutes just lacking power.

"If the team has a good match, I have a good match," said a defiant Pogba. "If it's a bad match, I have a bad match.

"We're not going to talk about individual performances. It's true it's not always nice to hear criticism, 'bad things' about myself. There wasn't any answer. Today it was a good team effort."

The French had a slight scare in the final minute but Hugo Lloris did well to keep out a Memphis Depay effort on the line.

"It's an important win for us, even if we could have had a larger lead," said Deschamps.

"We could have hurt them more in the first half. It's good to have got these two victories."

The Dutch failed to make it to the Euros and now sit third in the group, needing to improve fast if they are to make it to Russia in 2018.

"Our goalkeeper made a mistake which he never makes in training," said coach Danny Blind.

"We played better in the second half and we should have had at least a point because we had chances at the end of the match."

- Quick-fire -

Belgium and Portugal went on goal sprees against minnows Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands.

Belgium striker Benteke set a new World Cup record for the fastest goal ever -- just seven seconds -- on his way to a hat-trick in Faro.

Belgium top Group H on nine points out of nine, ahead of Greece on goal difference.

The 25-year-old Crystal Palace forward picked up the ball in the first action in Faro and racing towards goal with the Gibraltar defence in disarray left goalie Deren Ibrahim with no chance.

Benteke's quick-fire goal eclipsed the previous best of 8.3 seconds achieved by San Marino's Davide Gualtieri in a World Cup qualifier against England in November 1993.

Portugal, bidding to catch Group B leaders Switzerland, matched their 6-0 win over Andorra on Friday.

Andre Silva scored a hat-trick for the European champions before captain Cristiano Ronaldo netted his fifth goal in four days, with Joao Cancelo and Joao Moutinho also scoring late on.

Switzerland maintained their unbeaten run, coming away 2-1 winners from Andorra with Fabian Schaer and Admir Mehmedi scoring in either half.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Portugal stuns France to win Euro 2016

PARIS - Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder's thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday.

The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres in the 109th minute.

It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old, who plays for French club Lille after a largely unglamorous career, and a cruel blow for France and their coach Didier Deschamps.

His side had dominated the match, but squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown.

The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Portugal captain Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end after 24 minutes when he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury.

The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game's greats, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet's challenge left him in a heap on the floor.

So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware.

That was achieved, but, with Eder stealing the limelight and his own role reduced to that of a cajoling cheerleader, it was probably not how Ronaldo would have envisaged his evening panning out.

Yet having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his team mates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters.

"This is one of the happiest moments in my career," he said. "I've always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us."

Coach Fernando Santos, whose side had won only one match inside 90 minutes out of seven at the tournament, hailed a perfectly executed tactical display.

"We were as simple as doves and as wise as serpents," he said.

"Wherever we've gone there have always been Portuguese fans. This lifted our souls. It's hard to describe the players' emotions -- it's incredible."

DEBILITATING DEFEAT

For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favourites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November's attacks in Paris.

"We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions," Deschamps said.

"Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home."

For the much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fuelled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield.

His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents.

Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle.

They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman's cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six metres from goal, only for the tournament's top scorer to head a golden opportunity over.

Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw.

France's best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm's way.

While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder's header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder's moment of magic.

(Editing by Ed Osmond/Greg Stutchbury)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

France, England to unite in song and solidarity

LONDON -- A communal rendition of the French national anthem will provide the emotional centre-point as France play England at Wembley on Tuesday four days on from the devastating Paris attacks.

The stadium's bars will shut five minutes before kick-off to encourage fans to observe tributes that will include a minute's silence, the laying of flowers by team captains Wayne Rooney and Hugo Lloris and the singing of 'La Marseillaise', which England's fans have been urged to join in with.

Breaking with convention, the French anthem will be played second, with the hymn's lyrics shown on the stadium's big screens, in order to create a stand-alone moment of solidarity during which the 129 people who died in the carnage that struck the French capital last Friday will be remembered.

"We will sing that together and share in that moment," said France goalkeeper Lloris, who plays for London club Tottenham Hotspur.

"It will be sung by a great number of English people as well, which will make it stronger.

"This game is a good opportunity to represent the French nation. The French nation is more important than French football tomorrow (Tuesday)."

While British authorities have received no specific intelligence about any planned attacks, armed police will be deployed around the stadium to reassure an expected crowd of around 80,000 that will include Prince William as well as 1,400 travelling supporters.

Fans have been urged to arrive early as security checks are expected to take longer than usual, with the bags of every single person in attendance due to be searched.

Paris's Stade de France was targeted by suicide bombers during Friday's attacks, leaving four people dead including three attackers, but the Football Association said that tickets for Tuesday's game had sold at a healthy rate in the days since. Only around 100 tickets have been returned.

The FA has confirmed that the giant arch over Wembley will continue to be lit in the red, white and blue of the French Tricolor, while France's motto -- 'Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite' -- will be shown on screens outside the ground.

The match itself promises to be a curious spectacle, with players on both sides having admitted that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to focus on football so soon after Friday's horrors, which also left over 350 people injured.

- 'Night of togetherness' -
But all are mindful that the event will serve as a powerful show of unity, echoing FA chief executive Martin Glenn's declaration that "the eyes of the world" will be on Wembley.

"I'm happy the game's on," said Rooney, who is due to return to England's starting XI after starting Friday's 2-0 loss to Spain on the bench.

"It shows France wants to show these terrorists they're standing strong against them, and we have to support that.

"Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be a great night of togetherness for everyone to see, for the terrorists to see the world will go on and stand against them."

Friday's attacks claimed by Islamic State touched the France squad particularly closely. The cousin of France midfielder Lassana Diarra, Asta Diakite, was among those killed, while the sister of forward Antoine Griezmann escaped unhurt from the assault on the Bataclan concert hall.

France coach Didier Deschamps praised Diarra's decision to remain with the squad despite the fact the Marseille midfielder was "hurting to the bone".

"We can't forget," an emotional Deschamps told his pre-game press conference.

"We've had two days to get over this immense sadness. Today we're here and our energy has to be focused on preparing for this match with as much dignity and solemnity as possible."

Rooney added: "Sometimes, when bad things happen, football is the place where you feel more comfortable. Their players might take that into consideration."

Euro 2016 hosts France are seeking to record a sixth successive win, following their impressive 2-0 defeat of world champions Germany, while Roy Hodgson's England are hoping to return to winning ways after their 15-game unbeaten run was ended by Spain in Alicante.

Michael Carrick, Fabian Delph and Jamie Vardy have withdrawn from England's squad due to injury, with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ryan Mason and uncapped Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard drafted in.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com