2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

Match 42 on June 25 at 5:00 PM Brasilia Time

Venue: Estadio do Maracana, Rio De Janeiro

Man of the Match: Alexander Dominguez

Ecuador

World Cup Record

09 Matches - W04, D00, L05

Manager

Reinaldo Rueda, Colombia

France

World Cup Record

56 Matches - W27, D11, L18

Manager

Didier Deschamps, France

Match Facts

Match 41 on June 25 at 4:00 PM Amazon Time

Venue: Arena da Amazonia, Manaus

                            (Shaqiri 6', 31', 71')
Man of the Match: Xherdan Shaqiri

Honduras

World Cup Record

08 Matches - W00, D03, L05

Manager

Luis Fernando Suarez, Colombia

Switzerland

World Cup Record

30 Matches - W10, D06, L15

Manager

Ottmar Hitzfeld, Germany

Match Facts

Match 26 on June 20 at 7:00 PM Brasilia Time

Venue: Arena da Baixada, Curitiba

                (Costly 31')       (E. Valencia 34', 65')
Man of the Match: Enner Valencia

Fulltime - Enner Valencia's brace wins it for Ecuador

01:05: Goal - It's Enner Valencia again. He heads in the freekick from Ayovi

Halftime and its all level at Curitiba 

00:34: Goal - Enner Valencia equalizes. The ball fell at his feet a yard from the goal and he just had to tap it in
00:31: Goal - Costly shoots it on the half volley past the goalkeeper. Honduras first goal in World Cups
00:06: Yellow Card - Bernardez makes a foul on Valencia and is booked

It's Kickoff at Curitiba

Lineups

Honduras: Valladares (c), Figueroa, Bernardez, Izaguirre, Bengtson, Costly, Garcia, Espinoza, Garrido, Claros, Beckeles

Ecuador: Dominguez, Guagua, Erazo, Paredes, Noboa, Montero, Ayovi, Caicedo, E. Valencia, Minda, A. Valencia

Referee: Benjamin Williams, Australia

Head to Head: Honduras 2-8-3 Ecuador

Match 25 on June 20 at 4:00 PM Brasilia Time

Venue: Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

                           (Dzemaili 81', Xhaka 87')     (Giroud 17', Matuidi 18', Valbuena 40', Benzema 67', Sissoko 73')
Man of the Match: Karimi Benzema

Fulltime - The goalfest ended at Salvador. France have one leg in the Knockouts
Referee blows it just before Karimi Benzema sinks in another goal

01:28: Yellow Card - Cabaye trips Dzemaili and is booked. He'll miss the next match
01:27: Goal - Inler chips it to Xhaka in the box and he finishes first time on the volley
01:22: Substitution - Griezmann comes in for Valbuena for France
01:21: Goal - What a freekick from Dzemaili, under the wall and straight in
01:17: A series of saves from Benaglin. Valbuena, Matuidi, Evra, Benzema all on target. Frantic
01:13: Goal - Benzema passes it to Sissoko who coolly places it in first time
01:09: Substitution - Drmic will come on for Switzerland, Seferovic is taken off
01:07: Goal - Benzema scores. Pogba's through ball is missed by Senderos and the French striker lunges it in
01:06: Substituton - Sakho looked injury, Koscielny replaces him
01:05: Mehmedi gets a cross in but his touch balloons over the goal
01:03: Substitution - Goalscorer Giroud leaves and Pogba comes off the bench
01:00: A series of passes from France, Benzema takes a shot, deflected out for a corner

Ten minutes into the second half, both the teams are exchanging shots on and off target but none of them are really threatening so far

00:46: Substitution - Swiss make a change at halftime, Dezemaili in Behrami out

Halftime and France are at their devastating best, Despite that missed penalty, they ran all over the Swiss

00:45: Benzema is at the goal again, Benaglio makes a block this time
00:45: Inler to Xhaka who shoots but Sakho blocks the shot
00:43: Valbuena hits it on target, Benaglio beats it away
00:40: Goal - Swiss corner, Benzema takes control sets up Giroud who's well clear, he passes it to tin coming Valbuena. He scores
00:39: Benzema is plowing his way into the box from right side, Senderos manages to hold him
00:32: Benzema's penalty is saved by Benaglio, rebound to Cabaye who slams it on to the crossbar
00:31: Djourou takes down Benzema in the box, Penalty for France
00:30: Xhaka shot blocked, Shaqiri shoots it across the face, Seferovic couldn't reach it, out for goal kick. Great chance for Switzerland
00:27: Inler's cross Xhaka shoots it in, but he's offside
00:24: Benzema on the run, he runs past the defense, tries to push it through, straight to Benaglio

Two goals for France in 66 seconds. What a turn of events. The Swiss are shellshocked

00:18: Goal - Benzema's through ball to Matuidi, he's loose and he puts it in the near post
00:17: Goal - Valbuena swings in the corner, Giroud is up above all and heads it in. 100th World Cup goal for France
00:09: Substitution - Senderos replaces the injured Von Borgen
00:07: Giroud tries to to clear the line and his high boot catches Von Borgen on his face, getting some treatment. He's bleeding, he'll be taken off shortly
00:06: Benzema at the edge of the box, he tries to curl it in, just wide of the right post
00:01: Rodriguez has the first chance, Shaqiri sets him up, Debuchy blocks it

It's Kickoff at Salvador. It's a 250th game between European sides at a World Cup
The winner of this game will have a guaranteed place at the Knockouts

Lineups

Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Von Bergen, Inler, Seferovic, Xhaka, Behrami, Rodriguez, Mehmedi, Djourou, Shaqiri

France: Lloris, Debuchy, Evra, Varane, Sakho, Cabaye, Valbuena, Giroud, Benzema, Matuidi, Sissoko

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers, Netherlands

Head to Head: Switzerland 12-9-15 France

Match 10 on June 15 at 4:00 PM Brasilia Time

Venue: Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre

(Benzema 45' (p) 72', Valladares 48' (OG))                                
Man of the Match: Karimi Benzema

Fulltime and France takes all the three points

01:23: Yellow Card - Garrido gets a card for a tackle on Matuida
01:18: Substitution - Giroud comes in for France, Valbuena leaves the pitch
01:12: Goal - This time its Benzema again for sure
01:05: Substitution - France makes a change, Cabaye out, Mavuba in
01:04: Matuidi hits the side netting
00:58: Substitution - Honduras replaces Najar with Claros
00:57: Substitution - Sissolo comes in for Pogba for France
00:55: Valladares saves Benzema's effort this time
00:53: Yellow Card - Oscar Garcia cautioned for a tackle on Evra

Goal-line technology hiccup, even it's confused, but the goal stands

00:48: Goal - Benzema Scores, Goalline Technology confirms, the goal is credited to Valladares as an own goal though

Halftime - A very physical half

00:45: Valbuena freekick on target, Valladares saves
00:45: Yellow Card - Cabaye is booked for the foul
00:45: Goal - Benzema coolly converts the penalty
00:43: Red Card - Pallacios is sent off, its his second yellow
00:43: Penalty - Palacios tackles Pogba in the box
00:41: Benzema's shot blocked by Beckeles
00:27: Yellow Card - Both players are cautioned
00:26: Palacios and Pogba tackles each other, both are down
00:25: Nice run from France but Benzema header is over
00:23: Greizmann header rattles the post again
00:15: Matuidi hits the crossbar, so close. Valladares just manages a touch
00:08: Yellow Card - Evra is booked for the tackle
00:07: Evra is down, he's the one who made a tackle on Najar
00:06: Garrido saves Greizmann effort
00:01: Palacios on target straight away, blocked

The teams are ready, both have a point to prove

Lineups

54 Matches - W25, D11, L18

Didier Deschamps, France

06 Matches - W00, D03, L03

Luis Fernando Suarez, Colombia

Referee: Sandro Ricci, Brazil

Head to Head: France 0-0-0 Honduras

Match 9 on June 15 at 1:00 PM Brasilia Time

Venue: Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha, Brasilia

(Mehmedi 48', Seferovic 93')   (E. Valencia 22')      
Man of the Match: Shaqiri

Its all over, Referee blows for fulltime. What a game, what a second half

01:30: Goal - Another substitution pays off, Seferovic scores for Swiss
01:24: Yellow Card - Djourou is booked for a foul on Ayovi
01:17: Substitution - Montero goes out, Rojas replaces him - Ecuador
01:15: Substitution - Drmic is replaced by Seferovic - Switzerland
01:10: Substitution - Ecuador makes a change, Arroyo in Caicedo out
00:53: Yellow Card - Paredes is booked for a challenge on the goalkeeper

Mahmedi equalizes for Switzerland #SUI 1-1 #ECU http://t.co/t7vcHGJxK1
— Krishnakanth K V (@kvkk) June 15, 2014

00:48: Goal - Mehmedi equalizes, he just came in
00:46: Substitution - Stocker is replaced by Mehmedi for Switzerland

Halftime, Ecuador increasingly taking control of the game

00:44: Montero on target, Djourou blocks

Top class stuff from Dominguez, he keeps Ecuador ahead #SUI 0-1 #ECU http://t.co/t7vcHGJxK1
— Krishnakanth K V (@kvkk) June 15, 2014

00:37: Shaqiri short corner and shot on target. Dominguez pulls off another save
00:36: Inler shot saved by Dominguez
00:33: Lichtsteiner in the box, good play by the swiss. Corner

Ecuador are dangerous from headers and they proved it...

00:25: Noboa blocks Shaqiri's shot

Enner Valencia takes Ecuador to a lead... #SUI 0-1 #ECU http://t.co/t7vcHGJxK1
— Krishnakanth K V (@kvkk) June 15, 2014

00:22: Goal - Enner Valencia heads in the Ayovi cross from a freekick
00:19: Rodriguez sees his effort pushed away by the keeper
00:18: A Valencia on target, Lichtsteiner makes a save
00:16: Shaqiri shot, Dominguez saves

Lineups

28 Matches - W09, D06, L14

Ottmar Hitzfeld, Germany

07 Matches - W03, D00, L04

Reinaldo Rueda, Colombia

Referee: Ravshan Irmatov, Uzbekistan

Head to Head: Switzerland 0-0-0 Ecuador

Goalkeepers:

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille), Mickael Landreau (Bastia)

Defenders:

Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United), Lucas Digne (Paris St Germain) Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)

Midfielders:

Yohan Cabaye (Paris St Germain), Clement Grenier (Olympique Lyon), Blaise Matuidi (Paris St Germain), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United), Mathieu Valbuena (Olympique Marseille)

Forwards:

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad), Loic Remy (Newcaste United), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)

Goalkeepers:

Diego Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg), Yann Sommer (FC Basel), Roman Buerki (Grasshoppers)

Defenders:

Johan Djourou (Hamburg SV), Michael Lang (Grasshoppers), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (FC Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo)

Midfielders:

Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (FC Basel), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Forwards:

Josip Drmic (Nuremberg), Mario Gavranovic (FC Zurich), Haris Seferovic (Real Socieded), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg)

Reserves:

Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Timm Klose (VfL Wolfsburg), Silvan Widmar (Udinese), Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen), Fabian Frei (FC Basel), Pajtim Kasami (Fulham), Pirmin Schwegler(Eintracht Frankfurt)

Goalkeepers:
Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Luis López (Real Espana)

Defenders:
Maynor Figueroa (Hull City), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Osman Chávez (Qingdao Jonoon), Juan Pablo Montes (Motagua), Arnold Peralta (Rangers), Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Juan Carlos Garcia (Wigan)

Midfielders:
Wilson Palacios (Stoke City), Roger Espinoza (Wigan Athletic), Luis Garrido (Olimpia), Jorge Claros (Motagua), Andy Najar (Anderlecht), Oscar Boniek Garcia (Houston Dynamo), Mario Martinez (Real Espana), Marvin Chavez (Colorado Rapids)

Forwards:
Carlo Costly (Real España), Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Rony Martínez (Real Sociedad de Honduras), Jerry Palacios (Alajuelense)