导出博客文章MARSEILLE, France -- France is heading back to soccers elite, and Antoine
Griezmann is the man leading the way.Griezmann scored both goals to give France
a 2-0 win over world champion Germany on Thursday and a place in the European
Championship final against Portugal.It was a victory built as much on German
errors as it was on Griezmanns skill, with a handball in the box and a poor
defensive pass paving the way for his goals.But that didnt matter to the fans
who made Marseilles Stade Velodrome ring with the sound of the Marseillaise,
Frances national anthem. Their team won this tournament in 2000, two years after
lifting the World Cup, but it hasnt had a trophy since then.Developed as a
player in Spain, Griezmann has been the star of the show for France, leading a
high-scoring team with six goals, twice as many as any other player in the
tournament.I think theres a lot of happiness around France tonight, said coach
Didier Deschamps, whose team faces Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal on Sunday at the
Stade de France.This team has everything it needs to be loved, Im very proud...
Its fabulous to be in the final.Griezmann, who could have completed a hat trick
in the 86th minute but shot straight at goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, was already
looking ahead.Were very happy, he said. We have to keep our feet on the ground.
We still have a match to go.For Germany, defeat cost it the chance to add the
European title to the World Cup it won in 2014.It had gone 50 years unbeaten
against host nations at major tournaments, dating back to its loss to England in
the 1966 World Cup final and encompassing a famous 7-1 humbling of Brazil in the
2014 World Cup semifinals.While a repeat of the Brazil rout was never on the
cards, Germany could have scored more than once as it dominated the first half.
But it was denied by poor shooting from Thomas Mueller, who ended his tournament
scoreless, and a save by Hugo Lloris to block Emre Cans bouncing shot.France
took the lead from the penalty spot in first half stoppage time after Bastian
Schweinsteiger handled the ball in an aerial challenge with Patrice
Evra.Griezmann stepped up to score, striking the penalty hard to Neuers right.I
really wanted to take a penalty in a big match like that. I was very composed, I
didnt think twice, Griezmann said.It was the second time in as many games that
Germany had given away a spot-kick for handball. Jerome Boateng blocked the ball
with an arm above his head in the quarterfinal against Italy.Its just bad luck,
just an unlucky action, Germany coach Joachim Loew said of the penalty. In a
challenge, when youre jumping, there are movements that you cant really
control.Trailing in a match for the first time in the tournament, Germany could
not recover its previous dominance after halftime. It then had to cope with
losing key defender Boateng, who picked up an ankle injury after an hour.The
German defense had not conceded from open play all tournament, but it fell apart
for Griezmanns second goal in the 72nd minute. A sluggish pass by Benedikt
Hoewedes to right back Joshua Kimmich was cut out by Paul Pogba and Neuer could
only palm away the midfielders cross to Griezmann, who finished with
ease.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.We had chances to come back, Neuer said. We played a good European
Championship and its very bitter to go out.Loew insisted his team had played
better than France but had been denied by bad luck, including the injuries and
suspensions that hit four key players -- Boateng, as well as defender Mats
Hummels, midfielder Sami Khedira and forward Mario Gomez, with the latter three
missing the game.Loew, who is under contract until the 2018 World Cup, said he
was not sure of his future.France, while not always reassuring in defense, came
through victorious in its first game of the tournament against genuinely
top-class opposition.After the final whistle, Frances jubilant players
celebrated with the fans by performing the Huh chant made famous at the
tournament by Iceland.Across France and in the French team, the attention was
firmly on the diminutive Griezmann after another decisive performance. Hes our
little man that gives us that bit extra, teammate Olivier Giroud said.
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should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of
money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of
those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so
they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.
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effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that
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18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole
when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After
opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies
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Saddledome on Tuesday. UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is
calling for an Olympic truce and urging all warring parties to lay down their
weapons and put aside differences during the upcoming Summer Games in Rio de
Janeiro.The U.N. chief said in a video posted on Twitter on Tuesday that the
International Olympic Committee and the United Nations work closely together for
global harmony and peace.I congratulate all the athletes and all the supporters
and fans wwho will be filling the sporting arenas of Rio in the weeks ahead, Ban
said.dddddddddddd The Olympics and Paralympics celebrate the best of
humanity.The 193-member U.N. General Assembly has passed resolutions since 1993
calling for an Olympic truce, but countries continue fighting wars whether the
Olympics are on or not. ' ' '
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