Euro 2012—Group D, Donbass Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine
France 1-1 England (second half)
Goals: Lescott (ENG) 30', Nasri (FRA) 39'
Lineups
France: Hugo Lloris, Mathieu Debuchy, Patrice Evra, Adil Rami, Philippe Mexes, Yohan Cabaye, Franck Ribery, Samir Nasri, Florent Malouda, Alou Diarra, Karim Benzema
England: Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, James Milner, Scott Parker, Steven Gerrard (C), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck
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Julian Finney/Getty Images FULL TIME: FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
That's it for me today. Be sure to check out Mikhail Turner's live blog for Ukraine vs. Sweden.
FULL TIME: FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Back in the studio, Alexi Lalas literally applauds England.
Michael Ballack is not so impressed. He criticizes England for sitting back.
Ballack looks ready to punch Alexi.
Ian Walton/Getty Images FULL TIME: FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
There's the final whistle. The big guns in Group D settle for a draw and one point each.
Both teams have to be satisfied, especially England. France looked more dangerous overall, but they rarely looked like scoring a winner in the second half.
93'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
All France in stoppage time. Short passes, then, suddenly, a dangerous shot from Karim Benzema.
Hart saves, but that was wicked.
Three minutes of stoppage time…
90'—ENGLAND SUB
Theo Walcott enters the match. Danny Welbeck departs.
90'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Nothing doing on the corner.
How about a tweet?
Matt King @TheRealMattKing
The judges from the Pacquiao-Bradley fight have already given this match to England.
89'—ENGLAND ATTACK!
Jermain Defoe leads an England attack, passing to Milner on the right side.
Milner's low cross is good, and it's deflected out for a corner.
87'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
It's all France now. England doing nothing but defending now.
France having trouble creating chances.
Lars Baron/Getty Images 85'—OOOH! FRANCE CHANCE!
England fail to deal properly with another corner.
The ball falls to Karim Benzema on the left side of the England box. He curls a shot toward the far post, and John Terry heads the ball away.
Good thing, too. That looked to be going in.
84'—FRANCE SUBS
Yohan Cabaye and Florent Malouda leave the match.
Hatem Ben Arfa and Marvin Martin come on.
Bold moves by France manager Laurent Blanc.
83'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Debuchy races onto a long, long pass and pushes over Ashley Young in the England box to win the ball.
His attempted cross is cleared.
Lars Baron/Getty Images 80'—FRANCE CHANCE!
England fail to deal with a corner. Yohan Cabaye hits a rasping volley from outside the box.
It might have been going in, but it's deflected out for a corner by Danny Welbeck.
England deal with the corner easily.
79'—FLOP!
Franck Ribery falls to the floor theatrically, rolling and writhing in pain.
He wants the ref to think it's an elbow by Johnson. It wasn't.
78'—SUBS
Two subs for England.
Midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Scott Parker leave the game
Forward Jermain Defoe and midfielder Jordan Henderson enter.
76'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
James Milner takes possession of an excellently angled long pass, then promptly receives a bumb from behind, courtesy of France's Patrice Evra.
Milner stays down on the pitch and receives medical attention.
Scott Heavey/Getty Images 74'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Glen Johnson makes a well-timed interception in the England box with France's Karim Benzema lurking.
Jermain Defoe is about to come on for England.
Scott Heavey/Getty Images 71'—BOOKING
Yellow card for England's Ashley Young. Poorly timed sliding tackle on Karim Benzema.
Good decision. No argument from Young.
70'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Ribery lays off for Malouda, whose first-time shot is blocked by Scott Parker.
That was a noisy collision.
Subs coming soon?
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In-game analysis from B/R's Sam Tighe:
Samuel Tighe @stighefootball
Second half, England's lines are clear and concise. Good organisation even the French can't break down.
Scott Heavey/Getty Images 65'—BENZEMA SHOT!
Great buildup play from France, with lots of short passing. The move ends with a dangerous-looking snap shot by Karim Benzema from outside the box.
It's right at Cobra Kai Joe Hart, who saves easily.
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Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Collin McCollough @cmccollo
France mad because England didn't stop the game for Ribery's flop. This is why this sport needs more lightsabers.
Scott Heavey/Getty Images 61'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Franck Ribery tumbles under a challenge and then stays down as England try to attack.
The French fans whistle at England for not putting the ball out.
Oh, and wouldn't you know? Ribery is quite fine.
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More on the strange atmosphere…
Graham Ruthven @grahamruthven
Deathly silence pierced only by the roar of the Mexican wave circuiting the stadium. It's just like playing at Wembley. #euro2012
58'—NO FOUL?
No Glen Johnson is toppled by Franck Ribery after burning Philippe Mexes. Again no call.
What's this ref got against England? Two clear fouls missed.
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Agreed…
#FRAvENG "on a knife's edge"...a butter knife's.
— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) June 11, 2012
Ian Walton/Getty Images 53'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Long spells of possession now for England, who seem to be going for it a bit more now.
Gerrard tumbles under a challenge just outside the box, but there's no call. I think the ref missed that one.
Moments later, Ashley Young is whistled for offside.
51'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND
Steven Gerrard drills a free kick from near the midfield stripe all the way to the right side of the France box.
Glen Johnson pushes forward from his fullback position to collect it, but France's defenders close him down.
Subdued atmosphere right now. This game needs a jolt.
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B/R national lead writer Dan Levy:
BREAKING: Philippe Mexes will be leaving French national team after today's match to start a world tour with his Motley Crue tribute band
— Dan Levy (@DanLevyThinks) June 11, 2012
49'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
Milner plays a backpass to Hart, and it's nearly intercepted by France.
Whew. Close call there.
Alex Livesey/Getty Images 47'—SLAP
Ribery slaps Scott Parker in the face. The ref stops play, but no foul is called.
OK, then. Don't mess with Ribery.
Second half
France restart the game. No changes for either team.
Halftime
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Julian Finney/Getty Images 
Scott Heavey/Getty Images Halftime
So, readers, what would you do if you were one of the managers?
Should England play it safe and try for the draw? Or should they push the attack?
What about France? They seem to have the more dangerous team.
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A sampling of halftime reaction, stats and miscellany:
The England defense is set up like a foosball table #Euro12
— Dan Levy (@DanLevyThinks) June 11, 2012
From Opta:
5 - Franck Ribery has scored 3 goals and delivered 2 assists in his last 4 games with France. Kaiser.
— Opta (@OptaJean) June 11, 2012
Hehe:
When Macca says England "need a drink", he means Scotch, right?
— Jason Davis (@davisjsn) June 11, 2012
And finally:
According to twitter, Hart has gone from being the worlds best keeper... To Millwalls keeper, in the space of 10 minutes
— Ben Gorman (@Ben_Gorman) June 11, 2012
HALFTIME: FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
There's the whistle. Both teams score before the break.
It started slowly, but both teams had periods of superiority.
France ended the half on top, and England will have welcomed the halftime whistle.
45'—FRANCE 1, ENGLAND 1
France pushing for another before halftime.
Benzema slips behind the England defense and draws a save from Hart with a shot from a tight angle.
Great movement from France right now.
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Lots of snark on Twitter right now.
Harry Redknapp preparing his team talk in case France score again.
— dirtytackle (@BrooksDT) June 11, 2012
And…
One day, Samir Nasri will sign for Germany because he wants to win trophies. #StillBitter
— Tom Kinslow (@TomKinslow) June 11, 2012
Finally, something different:
Before kick-off Manchester City had never had a player score in the European Championships. Ever. 40 minutes later, they have two. #Euro2012
— Graham Ruthven (@grahamruthven) June 11, 2012
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Instant reaction to the goal:
No way Hart could see that, definitely screened a good bit on it. Nasri with a hell of a strike though.
— Drew Epperley (@wvhooligan) June 11, 2012
MORE ON THE GOAL
Excellent movement from France. A low pass comes to Ribery, who lays off for Nasri just outside the box on the left side.
Nasri shoots low at the near post, and the ball sneaks past Hart.
Hart probably should have done better there, but it was a good shot from Nasri.
39'—GOAL! FRANCE!
Samir Nasri equalizes for France!
Lars Baron/Getty Images 37'—FRANCE O, ENGLAND 1
Job done so far for England. Roy Hodgson's team deserves its lead, but can France respond?
35'—FRANCE CHANCE!
From the resulting free kick, Diarra powers a header on goal, and it's tipped up by Hart.
The rebound comes back to Diarra, whose second header trickles wide.
What a chance!
34'—BOOKING
England's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is booked for a foul on Mathieu Debuchy.
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Instant reaction to Lescott's goal.
An English goal! We're gonna win the whole thing
— The Football Ramble (@FootballRamble) June 11, 2012
From Opta:
6 - Six of the 16 goals scored so far at Euro 2012 have been headers. Bonce.
— Opta Sports (@OptaJoe) June 11, 2012
And finally:
Set pieces. In any language, in any country. #Euro2012
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) June 11, 2012
MORE ON THE GOAL
Gerrard's free kick is excellent, an outswinger moving away from Lloris.
Joleon Lescott, a central defender, slips away from his marker and wins a free header. No mistake on the finish.
30'—GOAL! ENGLAND!
Joleon Lescott heads England in front from a Steven Gerrard free kick!
28'—FRANCE 0, ENGLAND 0
France's Mathieu Debuchy pushes forward from his right back position and forces a stop out of Cobra Kai Joe Hart.
Comfortable save there for the England keeper.
Scott Heavey/Getty Images 26'—FRANCE 0, ENGLAND 0
The "cagey" play continues.
England called offside. Then a bit of boom ball from both teams. A few punts.
Come on, fellas.
22'—INJURY
England's Danny Welbeck receives attention on the pitch.
Ian and Macca are calling this opening "cagey."
How about another tweet?
"Cagey" means "this sucks."
— Jason Davis (@davisjsn) June 11, 2012
19'—FRANCE 0, ENGLAND 0
Cobra Kai Joe Hart races out to collect a back header from Glen Johnson.
The match has slowed down a bit…
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Instant reaction to Milner's miss:
Milner was too English there. Should have gone down like those pesky foreigners, or Ashley Young.
— Tom Adams (@tomEurosport) June 11, 2012
16'—FRANCE SHOT!
Yohan Cabaye tests Joe Hart from 25 yards.
Hart saves well low and to his left.
Nice effort from both players.
Clive Mason/Getty Images 15'—ENGLAND CHANCE!
James Milner slips behind the France defense after through ball from Ashley Young.
Milner rounds Lloris but can't steady himself. He shoots wide, but it should be 1-0 England.
What a miss!
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I knew they were up to something…
#England doing an excellent job of luring France into a false sense of security. #Euro2012
— louis hamwey (@thecriterionman) June 11, 2012
Scott Heavey/Getty Images 11'—FRANCE SHOT!
Samir Nasri takes a low shot from just outside the box on the left side.
The ball rolls wide of the near post, but not too far off.
10'—FRANCE COUNTER
Yohan Cabaye frees Franck Ribery with a through ball to the left side.
Ribery bursts into the box but can't get off a shot.
Corner to France, and it's dealt with easily by England.
Scott Heavey/Getty Images 9'—FRANCE 0, ENGLAND 0
England still with the better part of possession, but they haven't troubled France at all.
Tight game so far, with England edging it slightly.
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Already so bleak?
England's fans in Donbass Arena: 'We're going home in a coffin' #euro2012
— daniel taylor (@DTguardian) June 11, 2012
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Glad we cleared that up…
Three minutes in and we've established the 'home' side is actually Russia... (judging by the chants, anyway) #Euro2012
— Dominic Fifield (@domfifield) June 11, 2012
5'—FRANCE 0, ENGLAND 0
Benzema wreaks some havoc in the England box and wins a corner for France.
Samir Nasri takes it, and England defend it well.
Ian Walton/Getty Images 3'—OX GETS GOING
Oxlade-Chamberlain steals a French pass and tears toward the goal. His pass is off the mark, but that's a good start from the 18-year-old.
2'—FRANCE 0, ENGLAND 0
England with all the possession early. Ashley Young plays Danny Welbeck behind the defense, but Welbeck is whistled for offside.
Any English fans getting sick yet?
Kickoff
England start the match.
Almost time…
France wearing all blue and moving left to right on my screen.
England wearing all white and moving right to left.
The captains meet at midfield.
Pregame
The teams have emerged from the tunnel. Time for the national anthems.
Clive Mason/Getty Images Team news
France will line up pretty much how everyone expected. Karim Benzema leads the attack, and Franck Ribery will menace the wing.
England boss Roy Hodgson, on the other hand, sprung a surprise, handing a start to 18-year-old Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
How's that for the conservative Mr. Hodgson?
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Latest on the England support.
Uefa said yesterday only 724 tickets left but still an awful lot of empty seats here in Donetsk and only 10 minutes to kick off.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) June 11, 2012
Pregame
Michael Ballack says England always has high expectations. Yes, that's true, but probably not as much this time.
The camera cuts to Ian Darke and Steve McManaman. Ian complains about the "sweltering" temperatures in Donetsk.
It's 86 degrees Fahrenheit with 29 percent humidity. So, in other words, it's a pleasant spring day down here in the South.
Pregame
The pregame ESPN telecast features a new studio host. Bob Ley is looking much better this morning.
Pregame
The ESPN telecast finally begins, only 15 minutes or so before kickoff.
Gotta love that extensive pregame coverage.
Team news
Big news for England today, with 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting in the midfield.
Some aren't impressed:
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's probable starting position tonight: twitpic.com/9va1e7 (@RichardTeague)
— Stupid Football (@StupidFootball) June 11, 2012
France lineup
Here it is:
France (as expected): Lloris, Debuchy, Evra, Rami, Mexès, Cabaye, Ribéry, Nasri, Malouda, Diarra, Benzema
— Tom Adams (@tomEurosport) June 11, 2012
Pregame
Not to leave out France:
21 - France are unbeaten in 21 games (W15 D6), currently the longest unbeaten run of all teams at EURO 2012. Candidates.
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) June 11, 2012
But…
7 - France have failed to win any of their last 7 games at major tournaments, equalling their longest run, from EURO 60 to WC 78. Sacrebleu.
— Opta (@OptaJean) June 11, 2012
Pregame
I'll have the France lineup for you as soon as it's out. In the meantime, here are some pregame tweets from inside the stadium.
So jealous of this one…
The view from here. Media position inside The Donbass Arena, Donetsk. yfrog.com/nx9z4apj
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) June 11, 2012
Not so much on this one…
This picture from the FA's @StuartMawhinney shows why England players need insect repellent twitpic.com/9uyiev #euro2012
— daniel taylor (@DTguardian) June 11, 2012
The England lineup is out. Here it is, via the FA's official Twitter account:
#England team confirmed v France - Hart, Johnson, Terry, Lescott, Cole, Milner, Parker, Gerrard (C), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Young, Welbeck #EC
— TheFA.com (@thefadotcom) June 11, 2012
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