Vincent Enyeama makes a save from a shot by Paul Pogba. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters
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HALF TIME: France 0-0 Nigeria
That's an excellent half of football. All it needed was a goal or
two. And so nearly got them. Never mind. Both teams have sparkled in
attack; both have done what needs to be done at the back, just about.
But you wouldn't risk the mortgage on either of them. Unpredictable and
entertaining, just how the World Cup should be. Another 45 minutes of
this, please! Plus 30 of extra time if needs be!
45 min +2: Just before the end of added time, France hoick a
simple up-and-under free kick into the box. Hoof! A bit of head tennis,
and Koscielny might be ready to send the ball whistling goalwards, but
Enyeama fingertips away, and the referee blows for excessive pushing on
France's part anyway.
44 min: Now it's Lloris's turn to make a stunning save! Mikel
shuttles the ball down the right for Emenike, who drifts inside before
whacking a purposeful shot towards the top left. Lloris is behind it to
parry strongly, all he could reasonably do, such was the pace of the
effort. The ball rebounds to Moses, who miscontrols and handles while
he's at it.
42 min: Evra is busy down the left, and his incessant
pressure forces Mikel to slice wildly into the air. Fortunately, despite
being under pressure, Enyeama leaps to collect without fuss. "Amazing
goalkeeping in this tournament," writes Ore Popoola, who is very correct
and can preach on. "Who do you think is the goalkeeper of the
tournament so far? Keylor Navas, Guillermo Ochoa or Vincent Enyeama?"
Heroes all. But I can't clear my head to make a decision. All I can
suddenly think about is Joe Hart, repeatedly nearly beaten at his near
post from corner kicks.
40 min: Valbuena and Debuchy combine down the inside-right, a
good old-fashioned one-two. The latter slams a shot from 12 yards just
right of goal. The nearest anyone's come to a goal, because unlike
Pogba's magnificent volley, Eneyeama was never getting to that.
38 min: Oshaniwa curls a long pass down the left wing and
nearly releases Musa into the area. Varane is forced to batter the ball
behind for a corner. The set piece flies over everyone's head and out
for a goal kick on the right. But Evra receives a little lecture from
the referee, having been a bit hands on with Odemwingie. Strange, the
way referees do this. He was either fouling him, or he wasn't. Anyway,
Evra's doing some of his top-drawer scowling, I'm not convinced he
totally agrees with the ref's analysis.
35 min: Pogba looks highly dangerous every time he receives
possession. First he twists and turns on the edge of the D before
attempting to release Valbuena down the right with a diagonal scoop. Not
quite, as Nigeria swarm around the Frenchman. Then Pogba tries to open
up Nigeria with a sliderule pass into the box from deep down the right
channel, but Matuidi has gone too early, and there's a bit too much pace
on the ball as well.
33 min: Perhaps the quietest minute since kick off, as France
ping it around the middle in a very patient manner. Eventually the ball
bounds through the Nigerian area from left to right, and finds Debuchy
in space, 12 yards out, just to the right of goal. The full back lashes a
wild effort deep into the stand. Skelp! I think after those 60 seconds
of mellow, we're safely back in Manic mode now.
32 min: This is a game of such end-to-end fervour that corners are not even news any more. Both teams earn one, both teams waste them.
29 min: Giroud is flinging his arms around in the extravagant
style. He is French, I suppose. But those elbows are flying very close
to Mikel's face! The referee has a word, Giroud might have scraped one
in Mikel's boat, but there doesn't seem to be any vicious intent. Still,
careful with those, will you! Meanwhile, unlike kick-off's Simon
McMahon, Phil Sawyer is not off to France on Thursday. "I do, however,
have France in the sweepstake at work," he writes, "so I got myself into
the spirit of things today by having some brie and grapes at lunch
time. Has your other reader ever made a more desultory attempt to
demonstrate their support for a team? Incidentally, my support should
ensure les Bleus go crashing out tonight. Perhaps best that I'm not off to France on Thursday." Olivier Giroud puts himself about but without too much end product. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty
Updated
26 min: Ambrose and Moses again down the right, the former
winning a corner off Evra, who is frowning quite a lot. Nobody furrows
their brow with as much intensity as Evra. France clear the set piece
fairly easily, which should ease the strain on their under-pressure
left-back's facial muscles if nowt else.
24 min: Moses and Ambrose take turns to worry France down the
right, after Nigeria escape from the aforementioned double-corner hell
on a quick break. They win a corner, and waste it. Good luck in calling
who's going to open the scoring here. Or indeed close it. It's a
marvellous end-to-end spectacle. Both teams are well up for this.
22 min: WHAT A SAVE! Pogba in acres down the middle of the
park. He sweeps a pass out right to Valbuena, who returns it hard into
the middle. Pogba, on the edge of the box, meets the ball first time and
batters a stunning shot towards the top right. It's in all the way, but
Enyeama arcs his back to tip away brilliantly! That is astonishing
goalkeeping, because Pogba creamed that. The resulting corner leads to
another corner, which leads to naught, but this is all about the shot. Vincent Enyeama makes a great save from Paul Pogba's shot. Photograph: David Gray/ReutersEnyeama tipped the ball away brilliantly to keep the score 0-0. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters
Updated
21 min: Benzema nearly brings a right-wing cross down in the
Nigerian area, six yards out. He doesn't control, and is miles offside
anyway.
19 min: GOAL DISALLOWED! Ambrose whips a ball into the area
from the right. Debuchy, at the far post, heads clear, but poorly. Musa
takes possession up down the left, and curls one into the area. On the
edge of the six-yard box, Emenike sticks a leg out and pokes the
cross-cum-shot, heading for the bottom-right-hand corner, into the
bottom left! It's a brilliant finish, but the flag goes up for offside. I
think he might just have been off, but it'd be worth looking at
again, because Evra was a step behind the rest of his defence over on
the right, and may well have been playing the man onside. Either way,
it's tight enough that you'd expect the attackers to get the benefit of
the doubt. But no. Emmanuel Emenike puts the ball in the back of the net... Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty...but he is just offside. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters
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