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[Elfy]

Day 13

The first three of the Round of 16 games were played today. It is now straight elimination so if your team loses they are gone for good. If games are level at the end of 90 minutes there is a 30 minute extra time and if still level a penalty shoot out.

The first game was Poland vs. @Riley's Switzerland. Poland were much the brighter of the two sides in the first half though the game was very cagey. That is until the 40th minute when Jakub Blaszczykowski received the ball in space inside the penalty area. He finished well to give the Eastern Europeans the lead.

That lead lasted until the 82nd minute. A ball was fell at the edge of the Polish area and Xherdan Shaqiri scored a sublime overhead kick. Everyone should go find a clip of this goal because it was astonishing how well he hit it.

The score stayed level through extra time and the match headed to penalties. Penalties are always tense affairs and there was only one missed penalty. Unfortunately for Switzerland the one missed penalty was Granit Xhaka who smashed his penalty wide.

Poland 1-1 Switzerland (Poland win 5-4 on penalties)

The next match was an all British affair as @baba's Northern Ireland took on @baby_becky's Wales. The first half was a cagey affair with both sides avoiding making the mistake that would cost their team a goal. Unfortunately that meant that not a lot happened as Wales struggled to get their star player, Gareth Bale, on the ball.

It took until the 75th minute for the deadlock to be broken when Gareth Bale finally found space on the wing and whipped in a very dangerous cross. Northern Irish defender Gareth McAuley tried to clear it but in doing so turned the ball into his own net for an own goal. That was the only goal as the Northern Irish pushed forward but their lack of cutting edge up front meant this was the end of their road. They can still be happy with a very good performance at the Championships.

Wales 1-0 Northern Ireland

Final game was @Musashi's Croatia against Portugal. This match was incredibly boring and neither team had a shot on target for the first 90 minutes!

The only goal of the game came with just three minutes left of extra time when Cristiano Ronaldo's shot was saved but fell into the path of substitute Ricardo Quarema. Quaresma had the easiest job in the world as he tapped the ball home from just a yard.

Croatia 0-1 Portugal

Eliminated are: @Riley's Switzerland, @baba's Northern Ireland and @Musashi's Croatia.

In the quarter finals are: Poland, @baby_becky's Wales and Portugal.

[Elfy]

Day 14

Day 2 of the Round of 16.

We started with France versus the Republic of Ireland. The hosts and one of the tournament favourites France had a really tough start to this match as the Republic of Ireland winning and scoring a penalty after just two minutes, Robbie Brady being the one to open the scoring.

It took until the 57th minute for France to be able to get back into the game when a cross from French right back Bacary Sagna found Antoine Griezzman who headed hime with ease to level the scoring.

There was a lot of momentum behind France after that goal and they took the lead just a couple of minutes later when a header across the box from Olivier Giroud found Griezzman again who shot hard and low to score what turned out to be the winner.

France 2-1 Republic of Ireland

Next was @PaddedPJs's Germany against @minachan16's Slovakia. This was always going to be a very hard game for Slovakia and the task got even harder in the 7th minute when defender Boateng found the ball dropping to him on the edge of the box, he struck it cleanly to give the Germans the lead. It could have got even better for them as well when they won a 13th minute penalty but Mesut Ozil saw his effort from the spot saved!

The Germans doubled their lead in the 42nd minute when Julian Draxler sprinted down the wing and into the box. He pulled the ball back from the byline to find Mario Gomez who finished from close range to give the Slovakians a mountain to climb.

The Germans ended the game in the 62nd minute when a corner was flicked on by Mats Hummels and Julian Draxler was left all alone to volley into the roof of the net.

Germany 3-0 Slovakia

Lastly was @BBoy's Hungary against Belgium. The game started badly for Hungary when Belgium opened the scoring when a free kick that was swung in was headed hime by Toby Alderweireld.

That was the end of the scoring for a long while until Hungary's resistance was broken again in the 78th minute when Batshuayi received a cross and had a tap in that he made no mistake with. A third was added a couple of minutes later when Eden Hazard fired home an effort from the edge of the box.

The scoring finished in the final minute of the game when Carrasco was played in and beat the goalkeeper at his near post.

Belgium 4-0 Hungary

Team eliminated: Republic of Ireland, @minachan16's Slovakia and @BBoy's Hungary

Teams advancing: France, @PaddedPJs's Germany and Belgium.

[Elfy]

Day 15

We had two games yesterday. Firstly @BabyTau's Italy took on @Dribbles's Spain. It was a clash between two giants of football but it was Italy who looked the brightest early on. In the 33rd minute Eder hit a free kick into Spsin's penalty area and following some chaos as the ball rattled around, Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini bundled the ball into the net.

There were chances for both sides after that with both David De Gea and Gianluigi Buffon being forced to make good saves. However, there were no more goals until stoppage time when an Italian counter-attack saw the ball crossed into the box for Italian striker Pelle to volley home from close range and guarantee his country the win.

Italy 2-0 Spain

The second game of the day was @Soggynappy's England playing @Lavender Syndrome's Iceland. England were overwhelming favourites here with Iceland being the smallest country in the tournament. The game started very well too when Raheem Sterling was brought down in the box and Wayne Rooney scored the resulting penalty. Seemed like the start of England cruising through to the quarter finals.

However, just a minute later a long throw into the England box was flicked on and then prodded home by Ragnar Sigurdsson to level the scores. In the 17th minute Joe Hart makes an absolute howler of an attempted save allowing Sigthorsson to give Iceland the lead.

That is how it stayed. England's players, all handsomely paid and pampered with all the resources they could ever need were beaten by a small island of 330,000 people because despite lacking in individual quality Iceland were a far better team.

England 1-2 Iceland

Eliminated are: @Dribbles's Spain and @Soggynappy's England

Qualified for the nest round are @BabyTau's Italy and @Lavender Syndrome's Iceland

The quarter finals start on Thursday and these are the matches:

1. Poland Vs. Portugal

2. @baby_becky's Wales Vs. Belgium

3. @PaddedPJs's Germany Vs. @BabyTau's Italy

4. France Vs. @Lavender Syndrome's Iceland

[BabyTau]

On 13/6/2016 at 11:32 PM, Elfy said:

[Elfy]

Day 16

Now we are into the quarter final stage there is only one game a day for the next four days.

The first quarter final was Poland Vs. Portugal and no one here had either team so I will keep it brief.

Poland, the underdogs, took the lead in the second minute of the game when a cross found Robert Lewandowski who hit a first time shot into the goal to score his first goal of the tournament.

Portugal toiled and struggled looking for an equaliser until the 33rd minute when Renato Sanches found space at the edge of the penalty area and scored a superb goal to bring the Portuguese level.

That was the end of the scoring and the match ended up going to penalties. The only penalty that wasn't scored was Poland's Kuba who had his shot brilliantly tipped wide.

Portugal 1-1 Poland (Portugal win 5-4 on penalties)

Team advancing to the semi-final: Portugal

Team eliminated: Poland

[Elfy]

Day 17

We had the second of the quarter finals tonight with @baby_becky's Wales taking on Belgium.

The game started off well for Belgium when Radja Nainggolan scored a contender for goal of the tournament when his 20 yard strike flew into the top corner. As the underdogs Wales must have felt like that could be the killing blow to their tournament as they now had to abandon their defensive shape in search of a goal of their own.

As luck would have it the Welsh found that goal on the half hour mark when a corner was swung in and captain Ashley Williams was the first to meet it and put the ball in the net and tie up the score.

It was the 55th minute when Wales found another goal and managed to take an unlikely lead. Hal Robson-Kanu executed an exquisite turn just inside the penalty area that immediately took three Belgium defenders out of the game. He then composed himself and passed the ball into the net to send the Welsh fans into a wave of happiness.

Belgium started pushing forward and putting more pressure on the Welsh goal now as they were the ones desperate for an equaliser. The final goal of the 90 minutes came in the 86th minute when Chris Gunter raced down the wing in a counter attack and swung in a perfect cross for substitute Sam Vokes who headed the ball very cleanly and scored the goal that put Wales into the semi-final of the tournament!

An amazing achievement for the country.

Wales 3-1 Belgium

Qualified for the semi-final is @baby_becky's Wales.

Eliminated from the tournament is Belgium.

[Elfy]

Day 18

Last night we had the third quarter final. @BabyTau's Italy Vs. @PaddedPJs's Germany.

It took until the 64th minute for the first goal to come between these two giants went Mesut Ozil was the first to a cross from the wing and tapped the ball home.

Thirteen minutes later Boateng, the German defender, as judged to have handled the ball in the penalty area and the referee gave the Italians a penalty. Centre back Leonado Bonucci stepped up and scored to level the scores. It was the last goal until the match went all the way to penalties.

It took nine penalties each to separate the two teams and it was Boateng, who gave a penalty away in the game who stepped up to score the winning goal.

Italy 1-1 Germany (Germany win on penalties)

[BabyTau]

anyone know any italian curse words?

[Elfy]

Day 19

Today was the last quarter final game and it was between France and @Lavender Syndrome's Iceland.

The game started very badly for Iceland as in the 12th minute Olivier Giroud was put through on goal after beating the offside trap and then firing the ball low and hard to give the home nation the lead.

They doubled their lead in the 20th minute when a corner from Antoine Griezmann met the head of midfielder Paul Pogba who headed home.

Things got even worse for Iceland two minutes before the half time break when Giroud headed the ball down for Griezmann. His sideways pass to Dmitri Payet allowed Payet to smash the ball low and hard to make it 3-0.

Just when Iceland thought they might get fifteen minutes respite at half time they conceded a fourth goal. This time Griezmann was the scorer after a superb flick from Giroud set him through on goal. He chipped the on-rushing goalkeeper to make it 4-0 to France at half time.

The second half started better for Iceland. On the 56th minute a cross swung in to the near post was met by Sighthorsson who scored a goal that at least gave the Icelandic fans something to cheer.

They weren't cheering for long though as three minutes later Olivier Giroud jumped highest to nod home a free kick and restore the four goal lead.

The final goal of the game came from Iceland's Bjarnason who scored yet another header in the 83rd minute.

France 5-2 Iceland

Iceland are finally eliminated after far surpassing expectations and France head to the semi-finals.

The semi-finals will be:

Portugal Vs. @baby_becky's Wales

and

@PaddedPJs's Germany Vs. France

These two matches will be on Wednesday and Thursday.

[Elfy]

Days 20 & 21

The two semi-finals were played over the last few days. Just a quick recap of what happened.

Portugal played @baby_becky's Wales and either a tight first half Wales's spirited defence was broken twice in a few minutes not long before the hour mark Once by Ronaldo and once by Nani. Those were the only goals of the game and meant Portugal were the first team qualified for the final.

In the other game with France against @PaddedPJs's Germany. It was two second half goals from Antoine Griezmann that secured the French victory and knocked the world champions out of the competition.

The final will be Portugal Vs. France.

[Elfy]

Just remembered I forgot to update this for the final...

Portugal beat France in the final thanks to a long range extra time goal from Eder. No one had Portugal so after nearly a month of football... No one won the competition!