An Antoine Griezmann brace in Marseille guided Didier Deschamps’ men into Sunday’s decider against Portugal.
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“The national team is everything. Unbelievable set of players, staff and most of all supporters”.
Ronaldo has overcome rumblings of discontent at the tournament, with his form and attitude subjected to microscopic analysis, to lead his side into a showpiece finale where they will face hosts France in Paris. I am very proud of that. “It’s fabulous to be in the final”.
Three minutes later, Nani, who has just completed a move from Turkey’s Fenerbahce to Valencia in Spain, instinctively pushed out his leg to deflect a Ronaldo shot past Hennessy.
Rhys Appleby, 29, from Cwmbran, said: “We didn’t think we’d qualify and we got to the semi-final and we won the group”. “We have to keep our feet on the ground”.
“Maybe it didn’t start as we wanted, but this is not a 100 metre dash, it is a marathon”.
“We’ve given everything, on the pitch, off the pitch”, Bale said of Wales stunning campaign in their first major tournament since 1958 when it took a Pele goal to beat them in the World Cup quarterfinal.
While a repeat of the Brazil rout was never on the cards, Germany could have scored a couple of times as it dominated the first half.
However, he nervelessly stepped up to score from the spot after Bastian Schweinsteiger had been penalised for handball in first-half added time.
Ronaldo equalled Michel Platini’s record of nine goals in European Championship finals matches by powering home the opener as Portugal overcame Wales 2-0 in Lyon on Wednesday to book their place in the final.
“It is my country, my flag, my fatherland, so from a personal point of view it is very important for me”. The Welsh side were the clear underdogs but after beating Belgium in the quarter finals, they were not one to be dismissed easily.
“We were unfortunate to concede a penalty a minute before half-time, that was bad luck”. “In a challenge, when you’re jumping, there are movements that you can’t really control”. It then had to cope with losing key defender Boateng, who picked up an ankle injury after an hour. A poor loss of possession by right back Joshua Kimmich allowed Paul Pogba to float in a cross that the normally safe Manuel Neuer parried feebly, allowing Griezmann to toe poke through a series of legs to deliver France their moment of ecstasy.
Germany responded well and could have pulled one back when Kimmich hit the post, before Julian Draxler sent a free-kick narrowly wide and Hoewedes headed over.
“Criticism is part of the game, we know that’s how things work in football”, he said “To be honest, we don’t think about this type of criticism”.
‘He’s always in the game, always on the ball, always wanting it, always dribbling and always trying to do something.
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After the final whistle, France’s jubilant players celebrated with the fans by performing the “Huh” chant made famous at the tournament by Iceland.
