Thursday, June 27, 2024

Euro 2024

Every four years, the nations of Europe play their own soccer tournament in the summer -- it's like a miniature version of the World Cup.  (In 2021, of course, it was delayed by a year because of COVID.)  This year they are in Germany.  For the last few weeks, they've been going through the group stages, and the knockout games start on Saturday.  Here is your Sweet 16:

Spain v. Georgia
Germany v. Denmark
Portugal v. Slovenia
France v. Belgium
Romania v. Netherlands
Austria v. Turkey
England v. Slovakia
Switzerland v. Italy

Here are the last ten finals:

1984:  France 2 - 0 Spain
1988:  Netherlands 2 - 0 Soviet Union
1992:  Denmark 2 - 0 Germany
1996:  Germany 2 - 1 Czech Rep. (golden goal)*
2000:  France 2 - 1 Italy (golden goal)
2004:  Greece 1 - 0 Portugal
2008:  Spain 1 - 0 Germany**
2012:  Spain 4 - 0 Italy
2016:  Portugal 1 - 0 France (after extra time)
2021:  Italy 1 - 1 England (3-2 on penalty kicks)

*Golden goal means "sudden death" in American.  The Europeans experimented with sudden death in the late 1990's and early 2000's, but they didn't like it, so they went back to extra time.

**That Spain team also won the World Cup in 2010.  In other words, they won three major tournaments in a row.  It was probably the best National Team since Pele's Brazil teams won the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

106 comments:

  1. Terry Meiners, a Louisville radio guy, just tweeted that Rick Pitino's "most joyous era was at UK. During his tenure at U of L, the practice facility door code was 1-9-9-6."

    I really hope that's all true. Because the Pitino years were my most joyous era as a fan.

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  2. With the Number 3 pick in the first round, the Houston Rockets took Reed Sheppard of the University of Kentucky.

    With the Number 8 pick in the first round, the San Antonio Spurs took Rob Dillingham of the University of Kentucky. The Spurs then traded Dillingham to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

    With the Number 47 pick in the second round, the Orlando Magic took Antonio Reeves of the University of Kentucky.

    Justin Edwards of the University of Kentucky was undrafted, but he has signed a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Under such a deal, he can play for both the 76ers and the 76ers' G-League team, which appears to be the Delaware Blue Coats.

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  3. Apparently the Wizards have a G-League team called the Capital City Go-Go, and the Go-Go play in the Entertainment and Sports Arena in southeast D.C. I have never heard of the Go-Go or the Arena.

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    1. The Go-Go went 20-14 in the 2023-24 season.

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    2. Anyway, that closes the book on the John Calipari Era at Kentucky. Since Rupp retired, here are the UK coaches ranked by winning percentage:

      Rick Pitino: 219-50 (.814) (1 NCAA, 3 Final Fours)
      John Calipari: 410-122 (.774) (1 NCAA, 4 Final Fours)
      Tubby Smith: 268-83 (.760) (1 NCAA, 1 Final Four)
      Joe B. Hall: 297-100 (.748) (1 NCAA, 3 Final Fours)
      Eddie Sutton: 88-39 (.693)
      Billy Gillispie: 40-27 (.597)

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    3. Mark Pope's record at B.Y.U. was 110-52 (.679)

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    4. Nate Oats's record at Alabama is 117-54 (.684) (1 Final Four)

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    5. On WJFK-FM this morning, the radio host told us that he expected the Wizards to become competitive in the 2027-28 season, although he thought it might take one more year after that.

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    6. To be fair, this host was very excited about the Wizards' future. He assured us that now they have a plan. The callers were less optimistic.

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  4. Meanwhile, the U.S. men's soccer team is losing 2-1 to Panama in the Copa America, even though the game is being played in Atlanta. It's really stunning, honestly, that in all the years since the World Cup came here in 1994, the United States just doesn't ever get any better. Thirty years ago, they reached the Round of 16 in the World Cup, and were outclassed by Brazil. Two years ago, they reached the Round of 16 in the World Cup, and were outclassed by the Netherlands. They have never produced a truly world-class player, or a world-class coach, or a truly competitive team. Their peak was probably the 2002 World Cup, when they reached the quarter-finals, but that was over 20 years ago.

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  5. They just aren't good, and they don't ever seem to improve.

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  6. So here was their starting lineup for this game:

    GK: Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest) (ENG)
    DF: Antonee Robinson (Fulham) (ENG)
    DF: Tim Ream (Fulham) (ENG)
    DF: Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) (ENG)
    DF: Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach) (GER)
    MF: Giovanni Reyna (Nottingham Forest) (ENG)
    MF: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) (ENG)
    MF: Weston McKennie (Juventus) (ITA)
    FW: Christian Pulisic (Milan) (ITA)
    FW: Folarin Balogun (Monaco) (FRA)
    FW: Timothy Weah (Juventus) (ITA)

    With a few exceptions in Italy, most of these guys are playing for second-tier teams. Meanwhile, their coach is a guy who coached two seasons in Sweden (where he went 18-11-17) and then coached the Columbus Crew (where he never won the MLS). There's just no way a team like that is going to go deep into a serious tournament, and so of course their upcoming elimination in the group stage is no big surprise.

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  7. It just feels like, for whatever reason, none of our best athletes are willing to devote themselves to soccer. I can understand this -- world-class soccer players usually start working for a professional club when Americans are still in high school. But I think at this point it's safe to assume that unless America somehow gets a world-class striker (like the Iowa women's team getting Caitlin Clark), we probably aren't going to advance from our level. After all, Mexico's been trying even longer than we have, and they never win these tournaments either.

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  8. On Twitter, the fans all want the USA coach fired. And I can certainly understand that. But unless they're willing to hire a world-class coach from Europe, it's hard to see how a new coach would do any better.

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  9. Meanwhile, in Berlin, the Round of 16 kicks off with a match between Switzerland and Italy, the defending champion in this tournament.

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  10. It's 85 degrees in Berlin, and after 15 minutes we've already had multiple stoppages due to players claiming to be injured. I'm pretty sure Switzerland is just hoping to hang on for penalty kicks.

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  11. I was wrong -- Switzerland has scored! The Swiss lead 1-0 after 39 minutes.

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  12. Switzerland comes out and immediately scores again! They lead 2-0, and Italy is going out of this tournament. Very poor stuff from Italy.

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  13. Here's the Swiss lineup:

    GK: Yann Sommer (Internazionale) (ITA)
    DF: Fabian Schar (Newcastle Utd) (ENG)
    DF: Manuel Akanji (Manchester City) (ENG)
    DF: Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino) (ITA)
    FW: Dan Ndoye (Bologna) (ITA)
    MF: Remo Freuler (Bologna) (ITA)
    MF: Granit Xhaka (captain) (Bayer Leverkusen) (GER)
    MF: Michel Aebischer (Bologna) (ITA)
    MF: Fabien Rieder (Rennes) (FRA)
    FW: Ruben Vargas (FC Augsburg) (GER)
    FW: Breel Embolo (Monaco) (FRA)

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  14. The winner of this game will play the winner of England/Slovakia in the quarter-finals. I don't know anything about Slovakia, but I don't think England can beat this Swiss team.

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  15. I'm listening to Casey Kasem's countdown from June 24, 1972. Number 15 that week was "Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast," by Wayne Newton. That's a great song that I don't hear enough. I'm surprised no one ever made a country version of this song.

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  16. Number 14: "Rocket Man," by Elton John.

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    1. I really like Elton John. But Bernie Taupin is my hero.

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  17. Number 13: "I Need You," by America

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  18. It's so weird seeing Italy chase the game. They usually like to get up 1-0 and run out the clock.

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  19. Number 12: "Amazing Grace," The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Casey points out that this is the only song recorded by active military personnel to make the AT 40.

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  20. Number 11: "Sylvia's Mother," by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

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  21. Number 9: "Oh, Girl," the Chi-Lites

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  22. Number 8: "Last Night I Didn't Get to Sleep at All," The Fifth Dimension

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  23. Italy has yet to mount a serious threat to Switzerland's goal.

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  24. On this date in 1990, Fernando Valenzuela pitched a no-hitter against the Cardinals. That's the only MLB no-hitter I have ever watched live on TV. (I saw Kumar Rocker throw a no-hitter for Vandy to beat Duke in the 2019 Super Regionals).

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  25. Number 7: "Lean on Me," Bill Withers

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  26. Number 6: "Troglodyte (Cave Man)," The Jimmy Castor Bunch

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  27. Switzerland rolls to an easy 2-0 victory, and the holders are out.

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  28. Number 5: "I'll Take You There," The Staple Singers

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  29. Number 4: "Nice to Be with You," Gallery

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  30. OK, now FOX takes us to Dortmund, Germany, where the German National Team is about to host a game with Denmark.

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  31. Number 3: "Outa-Space," Billy Preston

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  32. Number 2: "Song Sung Blue," Neal Diamond

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  33. Number 1: "Candy Man," Sammy Davis, Jr. This was Sammy Davis's first number-one song, and his first top ten song since 1955. It is number one for the third week in a row. I am rarely nostalgic for the 1970's, but this song really is the 1970's at its best.

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  34. Say what you want about Germany and Denmark, but they both have strong flags.

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  35. Here's the German team:

    GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) (GER)
    DF: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) (GER)
    DF: Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid) (ESP)
    DF: Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) (GER)
    DF: David Raum (RB Leipzig) (GER)
    MF: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen) (GER)
    MF: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) (GER)
    MF: Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich) (GER)
    MF: Ilkay Gundogan (captain) (Barcelona) (ESP)
    MF: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) (GER)
    FW: Kai Havertz (Arsenal) (ENG)

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    1. On paper, at least, that looks like a proper national team.

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  36. 15 minutes: Germany 0 - 0 Denmark. The Danes almost wholly on defense, as you would expect.

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  37. Halftime: Germany 0 - 0 Denmark

    Here's the Danish team:

    GK: Kasper Schmeichel (Anderlecht) (BEL)
    DF: Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace) (ENG)
    DF: Jannik Vestergaard (Leicester City) (ENG)
    DF: Andreas Christensen (Barcelona) (ESP)
    DF: Alexander Bah (Benfica) (POR)
    MF: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla) (ESP)
    MF: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) (ENG)
    DF: Joakim Maehle (Vfl Wolfsburg) (GER)
    FW: Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge) (BEL)
    MF: Christian Eriksen (Manchester Utd) (ENG)
    FW: Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester Utd) (ENG)

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  38. And there it is! In the 47th minute, the Danes appear to score a stunning goal after a wild scramble in the penalty box. But, of course, we have to sit through a video review.

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  39. According to the video review, the Danes were offsides and the goal doesn't count:

    50 minutes: Germany 0 - 0 Denmark

    If you think video replays are annoying in our sports, you should try watching soccer.

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  40. Now we have another video replay -- and this time it shows that Denmark committed a handball. That's a penalty shot for Germany, and Kai Havertz does a beautiful job of getting the ball past the goalkeeper and into the corner.

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  41. And there it really is. In the 67th minute, Germany launches a lovely counter-attack: one long pass from Bayern Munich's goalkeeper to Jumal Musiala, a midfielder for Bayern Munich. Musiala is clearly onside, he beats everyone to the ball, he races up the field, and he slams a whistling shot into the corner. That puts Germany up 2-0, and that should do it.

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  42. Final: Germany 2 - 0 Denmark. Germany rolls on. They will next face the winner of Spain v. Georgia.

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  43. England reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, and reached the finals of the Euro tournament in 2021. In the 2022 World Cup, they reached the quarter-finals before going out to a very strong France team. So England has been on a run, and their fans had high hopes for this tournament.

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  44. But it's almost over for England in the Round of 16. They trail Slovakia 1-0 in injury time, and they will soon be eliminated.

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  45. When the round 16 began, it looked as though England and Italy would be meeting in the quarter-finals. Instead, we are going to get Slovakia v. Switzerland.

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  46. England is to soccer as Indiana is to men's college basketball -- if Bobby Knight never coached Indiana. The type of coach who could win trophies at England is exactly the type of coach that England would never hire.

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  47. Next up, we have Spain v. Georgia.

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  48. Wait! Hold the phone! Four minutes into injury time, almost 70 minutes after Slovakia took the lead, England have scored! On their ninth corner kick of the game, the ball bounces in front of Jude Bellingham, who uses a BICYCLE KICK to score. Roy of the Rovers stuff!

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  49. Just for that, we will list England's starting lineup:

    GK: Jordan Pickford (Everton) (ENG)
    DF: Kyle Walker (Manchester City) (ENG)
    DF: John Stones (Manchester City) (ENG)
    DF: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) (ENG)
    DF: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle Utd) (ENG)
    MF: Kobbi Mainoo (Manchester Utd) (ENG)
    MF: Declan Rice (Arsenal) (ENG)
    FW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) (ENG)
    MF: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) (ESP)
    FW: Phil Foden (Manchester City) (ENG)
    FW: Harry Kane (captain) (Bayern Munich) (GER)

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  50. Full Time: England 1 - 1 Slovakia

    Now we get 30 minutes of injury time.

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  51. Bellingham is only 21 years old and amazingly talented, but he's been poor for England in this tournament so far. Apparently, the English fan base was having a huge argument about whether he should be playing when he scored the game-tying goal.

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  52. And suddenly England are rampant! Only two minutes into extra time, Harry Kane heads in a goal, and England are up 2-1. They tore open the Slovakians on that play.

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  53. 95 minutes: England 2 - 1 Slovakia

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  54. 100 minutes: England 2 - 1 Slovakia

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  55. Halftime of Extra Time: England 2 - 1 Slovakia

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  56. 110 minutes: England 2 - 1 Slovakia

    It is painful watching England try to hold a lead.

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  57. Slovakia just feeding ball after ball into the penalty box, and England struggling to clear.

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  58. 115 minutes: England 2 - 1 Slovakia

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  59. Final (after extra time): England 2 - 1 Slovakia

    Amazing stuff from England, who advances to meet Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

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  60. This is the fourth major tournament in a row that England have reached the quarter-finals:

    2018 World Cup: Semi-finals (lost to Croatia)
    2021 Euro: Final (lost to Italy)
    2022 World Cup: Quarter-finals (lost to France)
    2024 Euro: ??????

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  61. England may be the Purdue of soccer, not Indiana.

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  62. That Bellingham goal was a thing of beauty -- one of the best goals you'll ever see.

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  63. Here is Spain's team:

    GK: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao) (ESP)
    DF: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) (ESP)
    DF: Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad) (ESP)
    DF: Aymeric Leporte (Al Nassr) (KSA)
    DF: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) (ENG)
    MF: Pedro Gonzalez (Barcelona) (ESP)
    MF: Rodrigo Hernandez (Manchester City) (ENG)
    MF: Ruiz Fabian (Paris Saint-Germain) (FRA)
    FW: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) (ESP)
    FW: Alvaro Morata (captain) (Atletico Madrid) (ESP)
    FW: Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao) (ESP)

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  64. Spain completely dominated the game for 18 minutes, but could not score. Suddenly, Georgia hit them with a counterattack, and when Georgia crossed the ball into the Spanish penalty box, the ball hit a Spanish defender and bounded into the goal. Georgia takes the early -- and stunning -- lead.

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  65. In the 39th minute, Spain tied the game. It's now 1-1 early in the second half.

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  66. In the 51st minute, Ruiz Fabian heads in a goal, and Spain is now up 2-1.

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  67. As the game proceeds, Georgia has to take more chances on the attack. Of course, that opens them up to a counterattack, and in the 75th minute Nico Williams hammers home a third goal for Spain.

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  68. Spain will play Germany in the quarter-finals on July 5, and that game will feature two really good teams.

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  69. The show is on now. With rain falling, Dani Olmo -- who came on as a substitute in the 52d minute -- bangs in another goal, and Spain leads 4-1 in the 84th minute. Ironically, if Georgia hadn't scored at all, Spain would have probably beaten them something like 2-0. But that goal woke Spain up, and they have really put Georgia to the sword in the second half. Welcome to the Big Leagues, Georgia!

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  70. Full Time: Spain 4 - 1 Georgia. Spain was awesome in the second half.

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  71. So two of the quarter-finals are set:

    Spain v. Germany
    England v. Switzerland

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  72. Now we have the toughest matchup in the Round of 16: France v. Belgium. In 2018, these teams met in the semi-final of the World Cup, with France winning 1-0.

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  73. France and South Carolina are the only places I know of that use the rooster as their symbol.

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  74. In the 85th minute, Randal Kolo Muani, a forward who normally plays for Paris Saint-Germain, beats his defender and blasts home an excellent goal that will probably win the game for France.

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    Replies
    1. Technically, this was an own goal because his shot bounced off the defender.

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  75. Full Time: France 1 - 0 Belgium

    France advances to await the winner of Portugal v. Slovenia

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  76. 27 minutes: Portugal 0 - 0 Slovenia

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  77. Full Time: Portugal 0 - 0 Slovenia
    (Portugal wins 3-0 on Penalty Kicks)

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  78. So now the quarter-finals look like this:

    Friday, July 5:
    Spain v. Germany
    Portugal v. France

    Saturday, July 6:
    Romania or Netherlands v. Austria or Turkey
    England v. Switzerland

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  79. That upper bracket (Spain, Germany, Portugal, France) looks very strong.

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  80. The Netherlands rolled over Romania without too much trouble: 3-0.

    And so we come to our last Round of 16 game: Austria v. Turkey.

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  81. Turkey takes an early lead.

    10 minutes: Austria 0 - 1 Turkey

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  82. In 1954, the World Cup was in Switzerland, and the semi-finalists were Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Uruguay. That was the last time Austria won a knock-out game in a major tournament.

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  83. So the quarter-finals look like this:

    July 5:
    Spain v. Germany
    Portugal v. France

    July 6:
    Netherlands v. Turkey
    England v. Switzerland

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