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Key events
90 minutes +3: The disallowed Dutch goal will be a big #TalkingPoint anyway.
The The Netherlands now mount something resembling a late attack. Gakpo looks annoyed. They get a roll. But, as almost always tonight, nothing happens.
90 minutes +2: “Both sides are resorting to the ‘big boy hoof’ to break the deadlock,” emails Kev. “Petrus Crouch vs. Pierre Crouch.”
90 minutes: We will have five added minutes. France win a corner after a good save by Weghorst. Verbruggen clears the ball.
Poland, mind you, goes out if this stays 0-0.
90 minutes: “It’s not a crime to be in ambush, just to be ‘active,'” emailed Dan Bayford.
“And seeing as the keeper didn’t even move, I don’t see Dumfries interfering in the game.”
89 minutes: Danger for the Dutch! Rabiot is clear France to the left. He nudges a pass across the six-yard box, looking for Coman, but it’s a poor pass and it bounces to safety at the far end.
Mbappe won’t be coming, which, let’s face it, has to be perfectly fine considering he broke his nose earlier in the week.
86 minutes: Giroud gets on the end of a lifted ball in the box in that Sheringham way of his. He nods a clever header back to the penalty spot, looking for Griezmann, but the ball is cleared by De Vrij. Good protection.
85 minutes: Until the last five minutes. The ball is played in the middle of the park, as Bob Buna would say.
84 minutes: Anyway, onward and upward. My prediction for this is 4-3 to The Netherlands. What about you?
83 minutes: If the Dumfries offside was so obvious (I get a few emails) then why is a five minute VAR check necessary?
82 minutes: Deschamps sits forward in his place, forcing his players to find a breakthrough. We are approaching the first 0-0 draw of the tournament. Can the Dutch find a way? I can France nick one?
80 minutes: Kante comes forward in midfield. He appears to be fouled but gets nothing.
78 minutes: Big is Wout! Weghorst on, Depay off for The Netherlands.
Big Ron [Koeman] will now aim to hit Weghorst’s gun full force.
77 minutes: Free kick for the Dutch in an advanced area. Depay to take. He sailed it towards the far post where Hernandez cleared it for a corner.
75 minutes: Coman and Giroud are in favor France. Thuram and Dembele are out.
Gertrude, Vermann and Wijnaldum for The Netherlands. Frimpong, Schouten and Simons went out.
75 minutes: A Dutch goal would really put the cat among the pigeons. We would have been guaranteed a gripping and exciting finish to what was an unimpressive match. But on [Premier League] the officials found reason to disallow a goal. It’s frustrating and maybe even a little embarrassing.
NO PURPOSE! Netherlands 0-0 France
It’s a disallowed goal for The Netherlands. Simons’ efforts are appreciated. Is it much of a surprise that Premier League officials are responsible for an absurdly long VAR review? And ultimately disallowing a goal that probably should have stood? It seems very harsh to call an ambush on Dumfries when he is not in Meignan’s line of sight. But I’d like to give it another look when there’s no smoke coming out of my keyboard.
VAR check – a goal for the Netherlands!?
Gakpo feeds Depay. Depay turns quickly and takes a shot that is cleared by Mainyan. Simons takes the ricochet and the celebrations begin… VAR checks. Was Dumfries ambushed? He was standing near Meignan, on the right side of the door (from the Dutch point of view) … but not in his line of sight. I guess that might be allowed.
67 minutes: Upamecano receives France moving forward again. Everything is at hand in the Dutch defense. Dembele strikes with his left foot from inside the penalty area. Deschamps covers his head in his hands and howls desperately on the bench. Is it simple one of those nights?
65 minutes: WHAT?! France are again. Thuram’s stunningly incisive strike from the edge of the area nets Dembele. Then it’s on to Kante and Griezmann is supported by a good pass from the former Chelsea player. He has the ball and a chance to shoot from close range at the far post… but he plays it again! In fact, it is a rescue of Verbruggen. But it really, really should be 1-0 France.
64 minutes: “More than one preview has noted that these two teams have two of the best defenses in the tournament,” emailed Kari Tulinius. “And it was pretty much that kind of game.”
63 minutes: Chance France! Kunde, who was very good, crosses well from the right. That man again, Chuameni, leaps to head the ball towards goal from a central position… but it goes narrowly over the bar! It was more like that.
60 minutes: Thuram shoots from the boundary. Go wide. Simmons and Chuameni then go side by side in midfield, but there are also some studs flying around. Simons falls in a heap. He looks in pain. What is the referee like? Free kick for France, I think? Strange.
59 minutes: Kante sprints down France to the left. He cuts back and passes to Chuameni. The Real Madrid player takes a speculative shot from distance which – yes, you guessed it – goes wide for a goal. And thus the person who writes MBM is bound to write: this moment sums up the match so far.
57 minutes: What’s going on right now? On the field, not much really. The fans gleefully make a lot of noise, but the entertainment in the show isn’t really the thing to get you out of your seat. Or from your couch. There is still time…
55 minutes: Depay hits the free kick against the wall.
53 min: Simons looks to inject some pace and play a smart give-and-go down the left. It turns out to be a simple giveaway, but it buys space for Ake to advance down the left corner. No option in the middle for the Dutch though… they keep the ball well enough and Simmons, looking lively at the start of the second half, wins a free kick in a dangerous area, central and just outside the area.
52 minutes: Kante on France there is a view of the door from a distance. He delivered a low shot that always went over the bar. Deschamps appears to be chewing his nails on the bench.
52 minutes: attack on France. The Netherlands protect. Now the Dutch come again with Frimpong sliding a good-looking pass into the box, looking for Depay on the right. France is dealing with it.
50 minutes: Frimpong catches Hernandez as the French defender looks to return a pass to his keeper. Free kick. This match stubbornly refuses to get really fun.
48 minutes: Saliba feeds Kante in the center of midfield. The Frenchman has a surprising amount of space to turn and time to pass. He looked for Rabiot at an angle, but the ball popped out for a throw to The Netherlands.
47 minutes: Dembele has Ake on toast on the French right. French toast? He just kicks the ball past him and runs. Simple stuff though as he goes over it and the ball rolls in for a goal.
Start of the second half!
Will we see Killian at any stage?
No changes from either manager at half time.
Brilliant orange. But can their team get them a result?
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