Tiervermittlung Frankreich » Wednesday.BIG PICTURELong Beach St.

The first European Championship with 24 teams wasnt to everyones taste.Some atrociously dull games and unambitious pack-the-defense tactics from weaker teams lent weight to critics laments that the addition of eight more nations watered down the quality of the football.But the wider door also ushered in underdogs who delighted and, in the case of Wales and Iceland, amazed. The convoluted process for determining which teams advanced to the knockout stages produced drama but also took super-brains to understand. Bottom-line: The jury is still out on whether the expanded formats pluses outweigh its minuses.Of the 107 goals before Sundays final, where France plays Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal in the tournaments 51st game, one of the best was scored in the first match. Dimitri Payets curling, left-footed late winner for the under-pressure host nation against Romania made the West Ham winger the first darling of a tournament where expected stars barely glittered, to name just goalless German forward Thomas Mueller and his Bayern Munich teammate Robert Lewandowski. The Poles record-equaling 13 goals in tournament qualifying were followed by just one more strike in France, when Poland was counting on him most.Thankfully, the group-stage departure of Russia and the last-16 loss of England, humiliated 2-1 by a country, Iceland, with a population one-tenth that of inner London, saw the back of their mindless hooligans. Fun-loving fans from surprise semifinalist Wales had the last laugh, and the slow hand-clapping Icelanders left in the quarterfinals with a last HUH! -- a battle-cry subsequently adopted by delirious French crowds when Les Bleus beat their major tournament nemesis since 1958, Germany, to make the final.In short, the 31-day tournament, held amid intense but not overly intrusive post-terror attack security, produced a harvest of both highs and lows.Heres a closer look at some of them:---HOOLIGANSThe lowest of the lows. The viciousness of seemingly combat-trained Russian thugs who charged English fans before the teams 1-1 group-stage draw in Marseille , and again in the Velodrome Stadium itself, surprised French police geared up against terror threats but not street fighting. Almost all of the 35 people injured, one critically, in the street battles were British. England fans itching for a rematch with Russian hooligans that thankfully didnt materialize disgraced themselves the following week with drunken, loutish behavior up north in Lille, met by sprays of police tear gas and several dozen arrests. And a 2-2 draw between Czech Republic and Croatia was interrupted when flares were thrown onto the pitch and Croatia fans fought among themselves.---NO KIDSA sourpuss UEFA edict against players having their children join them on the pitch for post-match celebrations was a kill-joy low. UEFA said it was concerned for small kids safety and that the European Championship is not a family party.A high was the kids of Wales players running on the field at the Parc des Princes in Paris after their dads beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the round of 16, being cheered on by Wales fans as they shot at goal with their little legs.---BORINGThose heartwarming scenes were the only redeeming feature of an otherwise teeth-grindingly dull match, of which there were more than a few. The increased total of 51 games, from 31 in the previous 16-team format, always threatened a greater likelihood of duds, as weaker squads with plenty of heart but lacking the skills to progress deep into the tournament opted for defense in numbers and hoped for goals from counterattacks. Even star-studded teams were only moderately more interesting than drying paint at times. In advancing to the quarterfinals, Ronaldos Portugal had just two attempts on target in 120 minutes against Luka Modrics Croatia, which managed none. A yawn-filled low.---THRILLING ITALYNot a contradiction in terms, thanks to Chelseas new coach Antonio Conte, who squeezed every ounce of quality out of an Italian team that ended the eight-year reign of 2008 and 2012 champions Spain with mesmerizing attacking gusto crafted onto the 3-5-2 solidity of a Juventus back-three and evergreen 38-year-old `keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Contes only foot wrong was bringing on Simone Zaza in the last minute of extra time for a penalty shoot-out against Germany in the quarterfinals. With a prancing horse run-up that made him the butt of online jokes , Zaza was one of four Italy players who failed to convert in the 6-5 penalty win for the world champions.Other 90 minutes well spent were Wales 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Belgium, lit up by Hal Robson-Kanus hip-shimmy turn and goal that put the Welsh ahead; Germanys flowing 3-0 dismantlement of Slovakia in the round of 16; and, for its wow factor, Iceland beating England -- a high for underdog-loving neutrals but not for England coach Roy Hodgson, who immediately threw in the towel.---HUH!The Icelandic cry will echo in memories long after the tournament, as will the symbiotic relationship, full of mutual adoration, that players and fans from the island of 330,000 people built during their adventure of a lifetime to the quarterfinals. The fans haunting rendition of their song Ferdalok (Sun shimmers in the water, see the glacier glow ...) during the teams honorable 5-2 loss to France was the spine-tingling high of a tournament that lacked an abundance of earth-shattering football but not entertaining moments.---John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester Cheap Jerseys . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Cheap Football Jerseys . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale.com/ . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Cheap NFL Jerseys . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. LOS ANGELES -- Once UCLA got going, there was no stopping the Bruins.T.J. Leaf scored 21 points and fellow freshman Lonzo Ball added 20 in 16th-ranked UCLAs 114-77 victory over Long Beach State on Sunday night.If we hit a couple early, we can get really hot, said Bryce Alford, who finished with 15 points. We become really hard to guard because guys get in a rhythm.The Bruins dominated from the opening tip, topping 100 points for the third time in four games. They raced to a 19-5 lead while the 49ers missed six of their first seven shots and committed six turnovers.Theyre the best offensive team weve seen, Long Beach State coach Dan Monson said.Leaf had nine rebounds and Ball had 11 assists for the Bruins (4-0), who have blown out their first four opponents by an average of 27.7 points.I dont put any pressure on myself, said Ball, who arrived in Westwood amid great expectations. The game of basketball is fun to me, and I go out there and do what I do.The Bruins hit 12 3-pointers, including five by Alford, who made his first five before missing once.This was the best we played, UCLA coach Steve Alford said. We had great energy, great focus, did tremendous things offensively. Defensively, this was the best that weve been.Loren Jackson scored a career-high 15 points to lead the 49ers (1-4), and Noah Blackwell added 12. They had a season-high 11 3-pointers.We know now what we need to do, Monson said. We are getting some resistance from guys not doing what they need to do. Weve been exposed, which is why you play this schedule.Leaf and Ball had five dunks between them in the first half. Leaf had the first three and then Ball scored off an alley-oop pass from Isaac Hamilton and had a one-handed fast-break jam.With the Bruins leading by 40 in the second half, Ball and Aaron Holiday wowed the crowd on a fast break. Holiday tossed the ball off the glass, and Ball, trailing behind, caught it and slammed it in.I think it was his third-best dunk, Leaf said. The other two should definitely be in `SportsCenter top 10. They were three pretty crazy dunks.Alford hit four of UCLAs seven 3-pointers in the first half to help the Bruins lead 56-37 at the break.The 49ers also made seven 3s in the half, getting three in a row late, but that didnt help them reduce their double-digiit deficit.ddddddddddddeaf came out shooting to open the second half, scoring the Bruins first seven points.Alford and Hamilton hit back-to-back 3-pointers from the right corner. Hamilton finished with 18 points and Holiday had 16 points.Big man Thomas Welsh launched the Bruins on an 18-5 run that stretched their lead from 24 points to 37 points. Hamilton scored eight points and Welsh and Holiday chipped in four apiece to keep the Bruins ahead 87-50.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Bruins could move up a spot or two in the rankings after losses by No. 13 Michigan State and No. 15 Purdue.TIP-INSLong Beach St: F Gabe Levin, who came in averaging a team-leading 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds, was held to eight points. G Evan Payne had seven, under his 10.8 average. ... The 49ers fell to 1-15 all-time against the Bruins, having lost at Pauley Pavilion for the third straight year. ... They had a season-high 23 turnovers.UCLA: The Bruins had 27 assists on 46 field goals. ... They made 10 of 11 free throws and are close to averaging 80 percent from the line, a major improvement from previous seasons. ... The elder Alford turns 52 on Wednesday.BIG PICTURELong Beach St.: The 49ers have lost to three straight ranked opponents -- No. 5 North Carolina by 37 points, No. 12 Louisville by 32 and now UCLA -- while traveling 4,492 miles to play four consecutive road games. In all, they will travel over 23,000 miles by the time their nonconference schedule is completed, including a trip to the Battle4Atlantis in the Bahamas.UCLA: The Bruins have enjoyed a favorable schedule so far in November with five home games and a trip to nearby Orange County on tap. Theyll find it much tougher to start December with a visit to No. 2 Kentucky, a neutral court game against Ohio State in Las Vegas and a trip to No. 4 Oregon to open Pac-12 play.UP NEXTLong Beach St.: The 49ers visit their second straight Pac-12 opponent, Washington, on Tuesday, capping five consecutive road games.UCLA: The Bruins play Portland in an opening round game at the Wooden Legacy on Thursday in Fullerton.---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '