Ecuador 2 - Honduras 1

Photo by Julian Finney

Ecuador and Honduras were looking for their first points of Brasil 2014 as they faced each other in Curitiba. Never before had two opposing coaches faced teams they had both coached in previous FIFA World Cup finals, so history was made on this night. It took twenty minutes, but the first great chance of the game came from a long ball over the top from Ecuador centerback Frickson Erazo. Enner Valencia latched onto the ball and had only the goalkeeper to beat, but he sent his attempt just over the crossbar. Seven minutes later, Boniek Garcia found a wide open Victor Bernardez at the back post on a Honduran corner kick, but Bernardez was unable to knock the ball goalward. Honduras grabbed the lead at the half hour mark. A long ball forward was not dealt with well but Ecuadoran centerback Jorge Guagua. His headed clearance was blocked by the chest of Honduran strike Carlo Costly, who then drove forward and blasted a shot low toward the post from the edge of the box. Honduras had used route-one football to snatch a 1-0 lead. The lead lasted all of three minutes. Ecuadorian right back Juan Carlos Paredes shot through a crowd from the right flank. His shot deflected off Jorge Claros and ricocheted to the far post. Valencia was first to the ball, cleaned up the mess, and tied the match. Valencia made it six straight matches in which he has scored a goal for Ecuador. Bernardez hit a booming free kick from thirty-two yards out that screamed over the wall, but Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez did well to push it out for a corner kick. At the tail end of stoppage time, a ball from the right side from Brayan Beckeles was lofted to the penalty spot from where Costly was able to win the header. His shot landed flush with the far post and bounced back into the path of Jerry Bengston. Unfortunately, the ball hit Bengston's arm rather than his chest, so his goal was disallowed. The sides went into their dressing rooms level at one goal apiece after an entertaining opening forty-five.

Beckeles let fly from twenty-five yards in the first minute of the second half, but Dominguez was able to make a diving catch as the ball rose toward the upper corner. Felipe Caicedo came close for Ecuador a dozen minutes later, but his deep run was stunted by a clutch tackle from Emilio Izaguirre to relegate La Tricolor to a corner kick. he next minute, Bengston put in a shot that was actually aided on its route toward the bottom corner from a deflection of his marker, but Dominguez was able to push the ball out of harm's way. Honduras were punished for a silly foul by Garcia. Jefferson Montero was simply boxing Garcia out at the edge of the penalty box, yet Garcia felt the need to push him off the spot. Walter Ayovi swung in the resulting free kick quickly to the far post. Valencia rose highest and smacked the ball into the net with his head to put Ecuador ahead 2-1. Both teams created a few chances from distance, but there were no truly incisive attacks for the remainder of the match. Ecuador hang on and win 2-1.

France 6 pts +6
Ecuador 3 pts 0
Switzerland 3 pts -2
Honduras 0 pts -4

Goals
Ecuador
Enner Valencia 34, 65

Honduras
Carlo Costly 31

Match Reports:

Highlights:

France 5 - Switzerland 2

Photo by Christopher Lee

The two teams at the top of the Group E table squared off in Salvador today. Switzerland and France played to a draw in the group stage of Germany 2006. Karim Benzema shook himself free in the Swiss half circle, but he shot curled wide of the far post. Swiss centerback Steve von Bergen had his face bloodied by the boot of French forward Olivier Giroud and was forced off the pitch before ten minutes had elapsed. Swiss defender Johan Djourou was forced to the floor to break up a ball played into the box, giving France a corner instead of an attempted tap-in. From the resulting corner kick, Mathieu Valbuena delivered an outswinger to Giroud, who rose above Valon Behrami from a good twelve yards out to power the header on frame. Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio could only get a desperate fingertip to the ball, and it was not enough to keep the ball from entering the goal to put France ahead 1-0. On the ensuing kickoff, Benzema stole a pass from Behrami and then drove up the pitch. He passed to his left and Blaise Matuidi provided the finish at the near post to give France a second goal within a minute. Switzerland caused a turnover in the midfield ten minutes on, and Admir Mehmedi drove up the middle of the park, shooting from distance. France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris got down quickly to parry to the side, but Xherdan Shaqiri immediately chipped a pass to the far post, just out of reach for Haris Seferovic, letting France off the hook. Just when it looked as though Switzerland may have been working their way back into the match, he referee awarded an extremely soft penalty to France when Djourou mad minimal contact with Benzema. Benaglio made the save off Benzema's spot kick and then Yohan Cabaye banged his follow-up off the crossbar with the entire goal at his mercy. By now, France had already decided simply to sit back and force Switzerland to come at them. Switzerland obliged, but they were caught with two many men in attack on a corner kick. Raphael Varane hit a booming rolled clearance from his own half to spring a two-versus-two. Giroud ran down the left and played a perfect ball toward the back post which Valbuena popped up into the roof of the net. Valbuena nearly inside-outed a ball for the fourth goal, but his audacious one-timed sot was pushed away by Benaglio. France led by a score of 3-0 at halftime.

In spite of their large lead, France continued to press for more goals. Valbuena worked to lay a ball off for Benzema a quarter hour after the restart, but Djourou was able to block the ball over the goal. Seven minutes on, Benzema was able to get a goal of his own. Paul Pogba swung his right leg inside-out to chip a ball past the leg of Swiss defender Philippe Senderos. Benzema was on the end of the pass, and then he nutmegged Benaglio for 4-0. Barely more than five minutes had elapsed before a fifth different French player scored a goal. Benzema slotted a ball across the eighteen-yard box to the uncovered run of Moussa Sissoko (pictured, white), who passed the ball to the far post to make it 5-0, scoring his first international goal in the process. Benaglio had to pull off a save from Valbuena, who had just received a pass from Sissoko. Moments later, he pulled a double save against Matuidi and Benzema. With ten minutes to go, Blerim Dzemaili scored of an excuse-me free kick. He scooted a ball thirty yards along the floor that miraculously went through the gap between two French players' legs in the wall and then rolled mockingly into the French goal to restore some pride to the Swiss. Shaqiri had a decent effort off a turn-and-shoot maneuver, but Lloris was able to parry off the bounce. One minute later, Switzerland scored a beautiful goal. Gokhan Inler chipped a pass thirty yards o the run of Granit Xhaka thirteen yards from goal. In one motion, Xhaka turned to watch the flight of the ball and executed a perfect volley on the run. Cabaye picked up a yellow card soon thereafter, causing him to be suspended for France's next match. France had a five-goal advantage at one point in the match, but they settle for  5-2 victory that all but assures them passage into the knockout stage of Brasil 2014.

France 6 pts +6
Switzerland 3 pts -2
Ecuador 0 pts -1
Honduras 0 pts -3

Goals
France
Olivier Giroud 17
Blaise Matuidi 18
Mathieu Valbuena 40
Karim Benzema 67
Moussa Sissoko 73

Switzerland
Blerim Dzemaili 81
Granit Xhaka 87

Match Reports:

Highlights:

France 3 - Honduras 0

Photo by Ian Walton

Porto Alegre, the southernmost site for Brasil 2014, was the site of the clash between Honduras and France. This was by far the testiest match so far at Brasil 2014, with both teams incurring multiple card-worthy offenses. The first flashpoint came when Paul Pogba of France(pictured, navy) and Wilson Palacios of Honduras got tangled. Palacios appear to step on Pogba's leg in a play where the ball was caught underneath Pogba's body. Pogba retaliate with a kick out at Palacios from the floor. Both men were shown yellow cards. Honduras were resolute in defense, but made little inroads toward the French goal. Blaise Matuidi came close to opening the scoring for France, but Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares was able to leap just high enough to tip the ball off his crossbar. The Honduran commitments to defense and aversion toward going up the pitch were remarkable. Once again, the crossbar saved Honduras when Antoine Griezmann had a go at goal. However, while centerback Victor Bernardez was off the pitch receiving treatment for a leg tweak, France drew a penalty. Palacios crashed into the back of Pogba as he readied to shot. For some reason, the referee decided to award a yellow card on the play, Palacios's second, so he was sent off the pitch in minute 43. France converted the penalty and took the 1-0 lead with them into the break.

In the first instance of use of goal-line technology, France were awarded their second goal of the match. Benzema latched onto a ball and then shot across his body. The ball ricocheted off the far post and would not have gone in but for the fact that it caromed off Valladares and back into the goal. It looked as though Valladares managed to stop the ball with his hand on the line, but the technology deemed it a goal. France were now up 2-0 and were looking to bury Honduras under a heap of goals. Benzema should have completed his brace, but after receiving a pass at the penalty spot, he could not make clean contact, and Valladares parried the ball away. Mathieu Valbuena nearly had their third soon thereafter, but his driven ball zoomed wide of the far post. Honduras had no way back at this point and were simply fighting to maintain pride for the rest of the second half. With just under twenty minutes to go, Benzema finished off the match. He gathered the ball after a teammate's shot deflected wildly into his path. He had plenty of time to gather himself before smacking the ball in at the near post for a three-goal lead. France coasted to the finish line with little trouble, and they win 3-0 to jump atop Group E.

France 3 pts +3
Switzerland 3 pts +1
Ecuador 0 pts -1
Honduras 0 pts -3

Goals
France
Karim Benzema 45 PK, 72
Noel Valladares 48 (OG)

Match Reports:
http://www.espnfc.us/team/france/478/blog/post/1884589/benzema-from-belarus-to-brazil
http://soccer.si.com/planet-futbol/2014/06/15/france-honduras-world-cup-commentary-recap-group-e
http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/4/blog/post/1884336/france-overcome-Honduras
http://www.espnfc.us/team/france/478/blog/post/1885268/mature-france-performance-sees-honduras-off

Highlights:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/videos/highlights/match=300186496/index.html

Switzerland 2 - Ecuador 1

Photo by Phil Walter

The capital city Brasilia finally hosted it first match of Brasil 2014, the Group E opener between Switzerland and Ecuador. Both teams appeared to dedicate the opening minutes to acclimatizing themselves to the atmosphere of a FIFA World Cup finals. Ecuador seemed readier earlier. The only offense Switzerland were mustering came from right back Stephan Lichtsteiner. However, Lichtsteiner was guilty of a decisive foul near his own area when beaten by Jefferson Montero. Walter Ayovi sent in a short side-of-the-box free kick over the two-man wall and into the Swiss six-yard box. For some reason, absolutely no defender made the run with Enner Valencia (pictured, blue), who then finished an easy point blank header to put Ecuador ahead 1-0. Johan Djourou (pictured, red) appeared to be most at fault on the play as he pulled out of Valencia's area as the ball came. Ecuador were ahead 1-0 after the first forty-five.

Switzerland pulled even early in the second half. Ricardo Rodriguez misplaced his corner kick for Switzerland. He was aiming for the runners in the box, but his ball straightened out. Luckily for him, Admir Mehmedi was paying attention even though his job was merely to provide traffic in front of the goalkeeper. The ball came to Mehmedi, and he held off his marker, Ecuadorian centerback Jorge Guagua to nod the equalizer into the goal. The Swiss looked to have nudged ahead through a goal with just over twenty minutes left in the game. However, Josip Drmic was called offside on the play because it seemed that Granit Xhaka had made a touch on the pass, but replays showed that Xhaka in fact hopped completely over the ball. Drmic was onside when the initial pass was released, but his goal was disallowed. Ecuador nearly nosed back in front when Valencia beat Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio to a ball twenty-one yards away from goal, but Steven von Bergen in defense for Switzerland cleared the mess away. Both teams were going for glory in stoppage time. Ecuador were caught with too many men up the pitch when Valon Behrami tackled Michael Arroyo in the Swiss box and then broke off on a last-minute countreract. Behrami take a hard tackle at midfield and got up to keep running. The referee played advantage, giving Behrami a chance to pass to Rodriguez up the field. Rodriguez flew down the left side of the pitch and picked out the run of Haris Seferovic to the near post. The ball evaded the only two men defending on the break, so Seferovic popped an easy finish into the roof of the net. Switzerland win the match 2-1 in this most dramatic of finishes to claim the full three points.

Goals
Switzerland
Admir Mehmedi 48
Haris Seferovic 90+3

Ecuador
Enner Valencia 22

Match Reports:
http://soccer.si.com/planet-futbol/2014/06/15/switzerland-ecuador-world-cup-commentary-recap-group-e
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=6/news=schweizer-siegermentalitat-von-der-bank-2372800-2373038.html

Highlights:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/videos/highlights/match=300186494/index.html