Final, 5-2 France: It’s all over at the Stade de France. Les Blues win and progress to the semifinals.
France’s Euro 2016 dream lives on, and Iceland’s ends as the hosts brush past the tournament’s Cinderella team in an entertaining quarterfinal. The game was effectively over by halftime, but Iceland snatched two goals during a second-period comeback effort that ensures it will leave France with the respect of its fans, opponents and the wider soccer world.
Giroud, Griezmann, Payet and Pogba scored for France, giving Les Bleus their biggest win in a European Championship since 1984. Iceland’s Sigthorsson and Bjarnasson kept the game close with second-half strikes. The result was the highest-scoring game in a Euro since 2000.
France will face Germany on Thursday in the semifinal.
That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion coming up on NESN.com/soccer.
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90th minute, 5-2 France: There will be two minutes of added time in the second half.
90th minute, 5-2 France: Full credit to Iceland and its fans. The team hasn’t given up, despite France’s considerable advantage, and fans haven’t stopped singing in support.
86th minute, 5-2 France: Sissoko misses the target by a lot, as France looks to restore its four-goal lead.
84th minute, 5-2 France: Iceland scores again.
Bjarnason bombs forward from the back line and heads home a cross from Ari Skúlason.
83rd minute, 5-1 France: The Iceman cometh. Eidur Gudjohnsen, 37, enters. Sigthorsson exits.
80th minute, 5-1 France: France makes its final substitution, replacing Payet with Kingsley Coman.
72nd minute, 5-1 France: Eliaquim Mangala replaces Koscielny in France’s second substitution.
Mangala and Umtiti, France’s center-back pairing, have played a combined eight games for their country.
70th minute, 5-1 France: The game is turning into an end-to-end contest, as Iceland throws players forward and France quickly counter-attacks.
63rd minute, 5-1 France: Ragnar Sigurdsson forces Lloris to make a fine reflex save after heading Johann Gudmundsson’s corner kick on target.
60th minute, 5-1 France: Andre-Pierre Gignac replaces Giroud in France’s first substitution.
Giroud was on yellow-card watch. Head coach Didier Deschamps removes the France striker to protect him from suspension … and a hat trick.
59th minute, 5-1 France: Giroud earns some revenge, restoring France’s four-goal lead.
Payet drove a free kick from 50 yards out into Iceland’s penalty area. Giroud out-jumped Ingason and headed the ball past Halldorsson.
58th minute, 4-1 France: The referee shows Birkir Bjarnason a yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Giroud.
Bjarnason will be suspended for the semifinal if Iceland overturns France’s lead.
56th minute, 4-1 France: Iceland is on the board.
Sigthorsson poked Sigurdsson’s cross past Lloris at the near post.
52nd minute, 4-0 France: Pogba misses with a shot from around 40 yards out.
50th minute, 4-0 France: Payet shoots over Iceland’s goal, as France opens the second half looking to add to its lead.
46th minute, 4-0 France: The second half is under way.
Iceland made two substitutions during the interval. Alfred Finnbogason and Sverrir Ingason enter. Kari Arnason and Bodvarsson depart.
Halftime, 4-0 France: That’s the end of the first half. France is up by four and has one foot in the semifinals.
France started scoring early against Iceland and never stopped. Giroud, Pogba, Payet and Griezmann all have a goal to their names, as France turned its dominance of possession into chances and opportunities into goals.
The home fans at the Stade de France are in raptures, as their team blew Iceland away in the first half.
Reality has crashed Iceland’s dream
45th minute, 4-0 France: Griezmann adds a fourth for France. It’s a rout at the Stade de France.
Giroud flicked a pass behind Iceland’s defense for Griezmann, who raced in alone on the goalkeeper and finished with a delightful chip.
Griezmann also is in rarefied air, as far as Euro 2016 and French soccer is concerned.
43rd minute, 3-0 France: Payet scores France’s third goal.
Sagna crossed from the right side into Iceland’s penalty area. Giroud’s knock-down header fell to Griezmann, who laid a pass off to Payet. The France playmaker shifted his feet and shot accurately past Halldorsson.
40th minute, 2-0 France: Sigurdsson’s free kick floats dangerously into France’s penalty area, but it flies straight to Lloris, who collects it.
38th minute, 2-0 France: After two step-overs, Payet passes to Matuidi, who shoots wide from 22 yards out.
France remains in cruise control and also is turning on the style.
33rd minute, 2-0 France: The hosts remain in complete control of the contest.
Iceland is in uncharted territory, having never trailed by two goals at Euro 2016. It might be time for Iceland to consider using Plan B, as France is entirely comfortable with the current proceedings.
24th minute, 2-0 France: Iceland’s long throw-in gives France a real scare. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson meets a flick-on header inside France’s goal-mouth but shoots over the bar.
21st minute, 2-0 France: Kolbeinn Sigthorsson misses the target, as Iceland looks to reduce the deficit.
20th minute, 2-0 France: Pogba heads home a corner kick, and France doubles its lead.
Antoine Griezmann delivered the corner kick. Pogba rose over Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and headed it home.
It’s Pogba’s first goal at Euro 2016.
We thought France might score a headed goal against Iceland but didn’t see Pogba doing so.
12th minute, 1-0 France: Olivier Giroud has given the hosts the lead.
It came after a lengthy spell of France possession. Blaise Matuidi lofted a pass over the Iceland defense. Giroud ran behind and shot through Halldorsson’s legs for the goal.
Giroud now has two goals at Euro 2016, and his hot streak moves him into French soccer royalty.
Sixth minute, 0-0: France combines nicely atop Iceland’s penalty area to create its first opportunity. Dimitri Payet shoots on goal, but it rolls straight to Halldorsson, who makes the save.
Third minute, 0-0: Iceland has the first shot on goal, as Gylfi Sigurdsson shoots right to Hugo Lloris. The France goalkeeper saves it easily at the near post.
Kickoff: The France-Iceland Euro 2016 quarterfinal is under way.
Pregame: Expect France to dominate possession, but the big test will be whether Les Bleus can turn that control of the game into quality goal-scoring chances and finish off Iceland.
Iceland prefers to concede possession, but that strategy hasn’t prevented it from scoring as many goals as France has at Euro 2016, albeit on 44 fewer shots.
France replaces Rami with Samuel Umtiti — a player who makes his debut on one of the biggest stages the soccer world has to offer.
Iceland has a height advantage, which Rami must help France nullify. He’ll join Laurent Koscielny at center back.
Just as we thought, Iceland names the same starting lineup and makes Euro history.
2:30 p.m.: Here are the starting lineups:
France
Iceland
2 p.m. ET: Either France will end the biggest Cinderella story at the 2016 UEFA European Championship or Iceland will spoil the hosts’ party.
The teams will meet Sunday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis in the Euro 2016 quarterfinals. France is favored to progress to the semifinals, but Iceland already upset the odds by qualifying for the tournament, then continued to stun the soccer world by reaching this stage of the competition.
Despite its good form, France knows it can reach a higher level. France has won seven of its last eight games, including three of four at Euro 2016. Its only blemish was a goal-less draw against Switzerland in the group stage. Slow starts have prevented France from sending the home fans into a state of euphoria, and Iceland offers a chance to reverse the trend.
Iceland is nothing short of the darlings of Euro 2016, being the smallest country ever to compete at a European Championship or a World Cup. But Iceland has captivated the soccer world, drawing two and winning two of its four games at Euro 2016. Coaches Lars Lagerback and Helmir Hallgrimsson have used the same starting lineup throughout Iceland’s Euro 2016 campaign. Expect them to do the same against France.
France will be without midfielder N’Golo Kante and defender Adil Rami. Both are suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.
Iceland has no suspended or injured players. We reckon goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson will be as busy as he has been throughout Euro 2016.
The winner of this quarterfinal will face Germany on Thursday.
France-Iceland kicks off at 3 p.m. Join us right here for all the action from Saint Denis.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/UEFA.tv
