PORTUGAL vs WALES 2-0 (Cristiano Ronaldo Goal and Advert Parody)(Euro 2016 Semi-Final)
Portugal meets Wales in a semifinal match of the2016 European Championshipat Stade de Lyon in Lyon, France on Wednesday, July 6, 2016.
The winner advances to the championship game against the winner of Thursday"s semifinal between Germany and France.
Here"s what you need to know:
Who:Portugal vs. Wales
What:European Championship semifinal
Where:Stade de Lyon, Lyon, France
When:Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Time:3 p.m. USA Eastern (9 p.m. in France)
TV:ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Livestream:WatchESPN
Germany faces France in the other semifinal game, which will be played on Thursday, July 7, 2016, at Stade Velodrome in Marseilles, France.
Here"s what you need to know:
Who:Germany vs. France
What:European Championship semifinal
Where:Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France
When:Thursday, July 7, 2016
Time:3 p.m. USA Eastern (9 p.m. in France)
TV:ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Livestream:WatchESPN
NYCFC gets revenge vs. Red Bulls
No tantrums, no screaming and shouting, no condemnation by TV jury. No calls for them to be sent home and fired from their jobs.
What"s gone wrong with referees at the European Championship?
Well, nothing. In fact, with just three games to play, everything"s going right.
The referees" performances in the 48 games played so far in France have received top marks.
Soccer pundits have been forced to describe the action rather than berating the man in the middle and his assistants.
And there have been so many top performances by referees that UEFA will struggle to select the man to take charge of Sunday"s final in Paris.
Will it be England"s Mark Clattenburg, Germany"s Felix Brych or Hungary"s Viktor Kassai, all of whom have turned in impressive performances?
"Mark Clattenburg must have a great chance of that huge honor of taking the Champions League final and a major international final in the same season, now that the rules allow you to do so," said former FIFA referee Kim Milton Nielsen, writing on the "You are the Ref" refereeing website.
Clattenburg, who has not officiated since the round of 16, may fall victim to footballing politics, however, as might Brych. The German will not get the prestigious appointment if his country qualifies for the final, and Clattenburg, an Englishman, may endure the same fate ifWales a close neighbor to England beatsPortugalto make the final.
Much of the credit for the improvement in standards has been given to Italian Pierluigi Collina, now in charge of UEFA referees. He is better known for being the best referee of his generation, using charisma rather than yellow and red cards to control games, and has introduced a series of measures to help develop elite match officials.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Big team news for Wales as real Madrid star Pepe missed out for Portugal tonight with a thigh injury.
Wales have a big name missing too in the suspended Aaron Ramsey; Leicester"s Andy King comes in to replace him. In defence James Collins comes in for the also suspended Ben Davies.
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21:51Jim Daly
Well this isnt idea, heres a clip of some scuffles between fans at the fan park in Lyon.
Clearly you can see Wales fans in red clashing with Portugal fans, conveniently wearing their away green kit.
Hopefully this is just a bit of frustration overboiling or overzealous celebrating on the part of the Portuguese. Both sets of fans have been exemplary at Euro 2016 so far and it looks from the video like two small sets of fans with no-one else joining in.
21:49Jim Daly
FULL TIME! PORTUGAL INTO THE FINAL
And thats it! Wales Euro 2016 adventure is over, but what an adventure.
They have won fans and hearts with their run to the semi-finals this summer and even at the final whistle here in Lyon their fans are singing their hearts out.
On the night Portugal had too much quality for Bale and co and Ronaldo lead the line like the star he is; he was superb tonight.
This is actually the first game Portugal have won in 90 minutes so far this competition but maybe they are hitting form at just the right time.
For Wales though, this will go down as a memorable tournament and the summer they became Europes second favourite team.
21:43Jim Daly
Ronaldo nearly makes it 3-0 there.
He gets away from the Wales defence and controls a long ball well on his chest but Hennessey is out fast to close down the angle.
The Real Madrid man rounds the Palace keeper (not a sentence I ever thought Id write in a live blog) but he can only put the ball into the side netting.
That surely would have been game over although with two goals to find in the final three minutes you have to think it probably is anyway.
Meanwhile, Ronnie has set a record tonight.
21:38Jim Daly
Patricio saves from Bale
Down the other end Bale has another crack and its heading towards the bottom corner but Patricio gets down to keep it out.
Wales have their tails up here and are pressing for a goal back.
They have scored in EVERY game at Euro 2016 so far and only France have knocked in more goals than them this summer.
They are really pressing here. After that Bale shot Jonny Williams sends a couple of crosses in and one falls to Ashley Williams of all people but his drive from the edge of the box is blocked an cleared.
About 10 minutes left now for Wales to dig deep and find something.
21:36Jim Daly
Good save Hennessey!
Hennessey just saved point blank from Danilo to keep the score down.
I\m not quite sure how the midfielder managed to break through the Welsh defence but suddenly he was baring down on Waynes goal.
His shot is right at Hennessey who almost lets it go through his body but manages to spin around and claim the ball right on his goalline.
Nani slides in just in case the Palace keeper spills it but he manages to hang onto it.
Meanwhile, Portugal make their second change as Joao Moutinho comes on for Adrien Silva.
21:34Jim Daly
Bale has a pop from distance but its right down the throat of Patricio.
Wales are seeing a bit more of the ball here but the Portuguese defence is containing them well, much like the Welsh were of Ronaldo and co in the first half.
Those two quick goals have knocked the stuffing out of Wales here.
21:30Jim Daly
Ronaldo booked
Ronaldo just clattered Jonny Williams and HOW DARE HE!
Poor little Joniesta (as hes know by Crystal Palace fans for his likeness in style to the Barcelona legend. He even has a receding hairline just like the little Spaniard. And hes the nicest young man youll ever meet. Clearly Ronaldo doesnt care though.)
That yellow doesnt mean Ronaldo misses the final, though, so dont sweat Portugal fans.
Meanwhile Santos is making his first change for Portugal; young forward Renato Sanches, who has had a good game, comes off for Andres Gomes.
21:24Jim Daly
Chance for Vokes!
Well that was a chance for Wales to get back into this.
Bale cuts inside from the right and chips a ball into the box with his left peg.
Simon Church is there and beats the offside trap but cant get his header on target and it rolls wide.
I think thats his first chance since coming on and now would be a good time to mention that Simon Churchs brother plays in goal for my Sunday League team and hes a b****y good keeper.
Meanwhile, Wales have brought on Jonny Williams for James Collins as Coleman very much goes for it here.
And Collins isnt happy as Andy Lines tells us:
James Collins is substituted and is so angry he kicks out at a bottle of water by the dugout
21:20Jim Daly
CLANG!
Well, clip.
Ronaldo hits the top of the bar with a free-kick in classic Ronaldo territory.
The Real Madrid man is enjoying himself here tonight and is looking very much like the star he is.
Wales have struggled to get back into this game and are not looking anywhere as bullish as the team that played in that first half.
Theyve made two changes to try and change things: Simon Church and Sam Vokes are on for Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu and my dream about HRK scoring twice clearly hasnt happened and I clearly am not Nostradamus.
21:11Jim Daly
Oh dear. Its going from bad to worse for Wales.
A cross from the right is cleared only as far as Ronaldo on the edge of the box.
He drills a shot towards the far corner, its probably going wide but Nani is quick to poke a toe out and direct it towards goal.
He looks offside but replays show that Collins was playing him (and Sanches) just about onside.
Hennessey is wrong-footed and its 2-0 and two minutes of lapses of concentration have cost Wales here.
But there is still plenty of time for them to get back into it.
21:09Jim Daly
GOAL PORTUGAL! (Nani)
NANI MAKES IT 2-0!
PORTUGALS SECOND GOAL IN THREE MINUTES!
21:08Jim Daly
Well thats not what Portugal wanted but there wasnt really any stoping it.
Ronaldo leapt with that famous hang time to nod in a corner and really gave Hennessey no chance.
Its Portugals first chance on target all evening and Ronaldo has certainly made it count. A superb header and Portugal lead.
The ball is now in Wales court to chase this game. They did come from behind to win against Belgium didnt they so it can be done but a big effort is needed now from Colemans men.
21:06Jim Daly
GOAL PORTUGAL! (Ronaldo)
GOAL PORTUGAL!
Ronaldo makes it 1-0 with a stunning header!
21:03Jim Daly
Back underway in Lyon
Right, here we go. The second 45 minutes is underway at the Stade de Lyon.
Currently its goalless and if youve just joined me you havent missed too much.
Wales have been slightly the better side but really its pretty even.
It will be interesting to see how things unfold in the second half though, I suspect Portugal might change it up but really the game is there for Wales to take at the moment to be honest.
Lets see how it goes.
21:00Jim Daly
HHal Robson-Kanu has 45 minutes to make my dreams come true. Literally. I dreamt last night that he scored twice to make himself joint top scorer at Euro 2016.
But the Wales striker hasnt had any sniffs at goal so far and has found things a bit difficult.
I also did dream that Julian Speroni headbutted Gabor Kiraly in the b***s as payback for keeping him out of the Palace side for years and they were both dressed as sumo wrestlers, so take from that what you will.
20:51Jim Daly
Some half time stats
As we said, Wales have had the only shot on target so far from their three attempys on goal.
Portugal have had five attempts on Hennesseys goal but none on target. He hasnt had much to do except claim one cross.
Colemans side have had more possession and a better pass accuracy so far.
Theyve also put in more tackles and the stats suggest they have been the better side so far.
But it does look like they miss Aaron Ramsey in the middle of the park there to really get things going.
20:47Jim Daly
HALF TIME: Portugal 0-0 Wales
And that Ronaldo chance was the final action of the first half.
And really that was Portugals best chance of the game and they had to wait 45 minutes for it.
The probably should have had a penalty when Collins had Ronaldo in a headlock early in the half but the referee said no.
Down the other end Wales have threatened a few times. Bale has had a pop on goal, the only shot on target so far, and Andy King has flashed a header over.
Wales will probably be happiest so far, they have looked a threat on the break and have marshalled Ronaldo well so far.
Pretty even here in Lyon and its goalless at half time.
20:45Jim Daly
Ronaldo comes close
First big chance for Ronaldo and its a header, something he excels in massively.
There os a hint of offside as the ball is whipped over to the back post and Ronaldo outjumps Taylor to get to the ball first but the defender does enough to put the Real Madrid star off.
His header goes high and wide and Wayne Hennessey isnt troubled in the Welsh goal.
Ronaldo hasnt had a lot to feed off so far and cuts a bit of a frustrated figure so far.
20:44Jim Daly
Meanwhile, back in Cardiff
Andy Lines adds this:
Just had a text from my daughter who is at Cardiff university - all
pubs in Cardiff city centre completely full and she cant get into any
of them ... Still 100s of empty seats inside stadium - outrageous.
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20:41Jim Daly
Andy Lines from inside the Stade de Lyon
Our man Andy Lines is in the stadium watching the action unfold and tells us:
Wales fans sing Speedo theres only one Speedo in tribute to former boss Gary Speed who died in 2011.
Fantastic tribute from the Wales fans to the late former manager.
There has been so much love for the former Wales player and coach from fans in France this summer and his father Roger paid an emotional tribute to his son on TV before the game.
You can watch that here.
20:38Richard Innes
Twitter is not enjoying these away kits
A European Championship semi-final should be all about the players skills, the managers decisions and the fans anxiety.
Sadly, as the Euro 2016 semi-final between Portugal and Wales kicked off, the internets focus wasnt on any of those things.
It was too busy being horrified by the strips the two sides were wearing.
Wales were lining up in their charcoal and lime green away kit.
Fair enough, you might think. Portugal being in their traditional red home kit probably meant the Welsh had to be in their change kit.
EXCEPT PORTUGAL WERE NOT IN THEIR HOME KIT EITHER.
This is how Twitter reacted.
20:33Jim Daly
Half an hour in: still 0-0
Well weve just passed the half hour mark and its still goalless.
Its fair to say this is an even affair so far and arguably Wales have been the slightly better side.
They have had the best chances so far, although none of them have been clear cut, but at the other end they have marshalled Portugal well. Neil Taylor made a superb challenge on starlet Renato Sanches and Wayne Hennessey just claimed a ball into the box very confidently.
A positive start from Wales so far.
20:27Jim Daly
Mr and Mrs Bale are here
Gareth Bales parents are here tonight (as youd imagine all the families of the players are lets be honest)
Here are a couple of pics of Debbie and Frank in the stands before the game clearly enjoying themselves.
Theyll be pleased with the opening 25 minutes or so, their boy has gone close a couple of times and Wales are looking good.
To be honest if either team is going to open the scoring I fancy it to be the Welsh.
20:23Jim Daly
Bale goes close again
More attempts for Wales.
Bale whips in a cross to the near post that King couldnt quite get a touch on.
Bale then had his first bit of space to run into and sped away from the Portuguese midfield but hit his shot from the edge of the box right at Patricio. Either side of him and the Portugal keeper might have had problems.
Wales have started brightly here tonight and are growing in confidence with every passing minute in Lyon. They sniff another upset here.
20:20Jim Daly
Bale just over
Wales have their first attempt on goal and it comes from a clever corner routine.
Joe Ledleys corner is played low to the edge of box where Gareth Bale peels away from the defence and tries to wrap his foot around it.
The angle is against him and he cant quite do it, the ball flies wide of the goal but its a nice effort from Wales there.
Clearly they are ready to try something different and that might be the way they beat Portugal tonight.
20:18Jim Daly
Andy Lines reports from the Stade de Lyon
Our man Andy Lines is there in Lyon tonight and hes spotted something that doesnt make him very happy indeed, especially given the enormitude of the game.
He tells us:
While the atmosphere inside the stadium is fantastic - there are many many empty seats dotted around.
Shocking ...I reckon must add up to several hundred. Great shame for real fans who were desperate to come.
20:15Jim Daly
Cheeky ballboy
Look at this cheeky young man!
One of the ballboys has managed to get into the Portugal team photo AND get a selfie with Ronaldo.
I guess we all would given the chance wouldnt we? Or would you not have the b***s to attempt this.
Clearly this young man wont be getting asked back to be a ballboy by UEFA again but something tells me me wont care one bit.
Moment of a lifetime for this young chap here tonight in Lyon and Ronaldo seemed to see the funny side.
20:11Jim Daly
Portugal want a penalty
James Collins first involvement tonight is to head away a Nani cross under pressure from Ronaldo.
He does this but also appears to have his right arm all over the Real Madrid star - almost has him in a headlock.
Portugal want a penalty and lets be honest it probably was a spot kick, but the referee - who apparently is a billionaire who referees games just for un (!) - waves away their protest.
Bit of a let off for the Welsh there.
20:09Jim Daly
This is why both teams are in their away kits
My question has been answered thanks to Wales Online.
According to UEFA rules, the home team is usually entitled to wear their first-choice kit in any tie throughout the tournament.
For tonights match Portugal are on the home side of the draw - meaning that, in normal circumstances, they would be able to play in their predominantly red home kit in Lyon.
However, for this contest, the Portugese first-strip has been deemed to be too close in darkness to Wales charcoal and lime green away kit, and is considered to be a colour-clash. Fernando Santos side will instead be wearing their light green away colours for tonights semi-final.
On top of that, it is understood Wales attempts to therefore wear their favoured red home strip have been blocked, although it is not known whether this was by UEFA or Portugal.
Wales were allowed to wear their home kit despite being the designated away team against Russia in the group stages after the Russians agreed to a request from the FAW.
There is some bad news for Wales though... The Welsh away strip has only made one other previous appearance in this tournament - in the 2-1 defeat to England in the second match of the group stage.
20:07Jim Daly
Two away kits. Why?
Were five minutes in and its pretty even so far but the main question for me is...why are both teams wearing away kits?
Wales are in their black change strip with yellow trim and Portugal are wearing their turquoise shirts, shorts and socks.
Surely one of them should be in their red home kits or else whats the point of literally everything. What next, third kits all round? Everyone in black and the refs in colourful kits?
Sometimes man, I dunno, modern football gets me down.
