Musik » German team whose ranks have been depleted in attack and defense

MARSEILLE, France -- The European Championship semifinals promise mouth-watering matchups as the last four teams battle for a berth in the July 10 final and a chance to succeed two-time winner Spain.In Lyon on Wednesday, Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal takes on a Welsh team featuring his Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale.A day later in Marseille, world champion Germany, fresh from a nerve-rattling penalty shootout win against Italy, looks to add the European title against host France which is coming off a morale-boosting 5-2 win against Iceland.Here are a few snapshots of the final four:---PORTUGALCristiano Ronaldos Portugal is a regular feature in the latter stages of the European Championship, having reached the semifinals at four of the last five tournaments.But the team has never triumphed overall, its best coming back in 2004 when as host it lost the final to Greece.Ronaldo, who played in that match, will become the first player to appear in three European Championship semifinals.His form at Euro 2016 has been inconsistent to say the least and he will likely have to improve if Portugal is going to win its first major competition.Ronaldo has only truly shone in only one match, with a memorable pair of goals in the 3-3 draw with Hungary.In his teams penalty shootout win over Poland in the quarterfinal, Ronaldo was so out of touch that he swung and missed at two clear chances in front of goal. But he has the flair and talent to produce a touch of match-winning magic at any time and the semifinal might be the stage he has been waiting for.Portugal defensive midfielder William Carvalho is suspended after picking up two yellow cards.---WALESAlongside Iceland, Wales has been the surprise package of Euro 2016, reaching its first major semifinal.Unlike Iceland, Chris Colemans team does boast an undisputed superstar in the form of the worlds most expensive player, Bale.Though Bales three goals helped his team through the group stage, the team has shown itself to be anything but a one-man show. That depth could give Wales an edge against a rock-solid Portugal defense featuring another Madrid star, Pepe.The Welsh will be missing a key midfielder in Aaron Ramsey after the Arsenal star drew his second yellow card of the tournament in the 3-1 quarterfinal defeat of Belgium.---GERMANYGermany is looking to add a fourth European title, and its first in 20 years, to its world crown.But first it will have to get past a France side thats found its scoring touch in Marseille on Thursday. It will also have to overcome injuries and a suspension to reach the tournament decider next Sunday at the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.Joachim Loews team has been rock-solid in defense, conceding just one goal so far -- Leonardo Bonuccis 78th-minute equalizer from the penalty spot for Italy in the quarterfinal.But Germany will be weakened against France; Mats Hummels is out through suspension and Mario Gomez has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Midfielders Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger are also injury worries.One new concern may center on Germanys penalty-taking, one of its historic strengths. Though it beat Italy on penalties in the quarterfinal, German players failed to convert three from the spot, more than they had ever done before in the history of penalty shootouts.---FRANCEIn Antoine Griezmann, France has Euro 2016s top scorer. Dimitri Payet is not far behind.Griezmann lifted his tournament tally to four as France ruthlessly dismantled Iceland at the Stade de France on Sunday night; Payet netted his third goal of the tournament with another clinical finish as France gave Iceland a nightmare ending to its fairytale Euro 2016.Suddenly, the hosts confidence has shot up before it faces a German team whose ranks have been depleted in attack and defense.France still appears vulnerable in defense, conceding twice against Iceland, although they came at a time when the result wasnt in any doubt and French players may understandably have been focusing on the upcoming semifinal in Marseille.France has no suspensions or injury worries and, seeking its third European title, will also get a boost from the fanatical fans at the Stade Velodrome, where Didier Deschamps starred as a player and coach.--- Swell Water Bottle Wholesale . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Swell Water Bottle Clearance . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. http://www.swellbottlesale.com/swell-bottle-wood-sale.html . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. sWell Water Bottle Marble . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Swell Water Bottle Sale . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Henrik Stenson was baking in the hot sun of Baltusrol, chipping out of the thick grass in the short-game area until the bag of golf balls was nearly empty. One chip dropped into the cup on its last turn.I would have thought thats the perfect way to end, caddie Gareth Lord said to him.Stenson looked over at him with those ice blue eyes, finally cracking the slightest smile, and then he reached over for a fresh bag of balls.Nine days later, nothing has changed.The only difference now from when he last competed at a major is that Stensons name is on the oldest trophy in golf, and he gets to keep that silver claret jug until he returns it at the British Open next July.He is a major champion, fulfilling a boyhood dream. Asked the first drink he poured from the jug, Stenson replied, It was champagne ... and it was champagne ... and it was champagne. He knows how to celebrate.On the golf course, he knows only hard work. That doesnt stop.I think golf is a game youre never going to be finished, Stenson said. Youre never going to get to the point where youre maxed out in your ability and how youre playing, so theres always that strive to become better. I got a little perfectionist in there thats always been pushing me forward, and that can both make me and break me at times, when youre striving to be your best.But no, he added, I dont think Im going to sit back and just say, `OK, that was it. Im finished. If I look at my career, to win a major championship, that was pretty much the only thing I had not managed to achieve, and now I have that. But then at the same time, you can look ahead and try and win another one.The trap facing the 40-year-old Swede is his age.Eight other players did not win their first major until 40 or older, and only two of them won another major. Mark OMeara won the 1998 Masters at 41, and he added the British Open that summer at Royal Birkdale. The other was Old Tom Morris, who won all four of his British Opens in his 40s back in the 1860s.Stenson is a different breed.This is the guy who won the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2013, and two weeks later was so frustrated during a rain-delayed finish at the BMW Championship that he snapped off the head of his driver and then smashed up a locker at Conway Farms.The followingg week at the Tour Championship, he was asked how he could be on top of the world in Boston and lose his mind in Chicago in the span of two weeks.ddddddddddddYou dont have much experience with Swedes, do you? he said.He has a wicked temper and a dry sense of humor, and both can show up without warning. Through it all, there is an endless search to get better.Stenson had to endure two significant slumps in his career, the first one that led him to swing coach Pete Cowen. He doesnt think this is anything special because other players over a course of two decades are certain to go through bad times.Ive shown more than once Im not a quitter, he said.Still to be determined is how the quick turnaround between the final two majors -- 11 days -- affects him. It might be good to tee it up so soon after such a majestic performance at Royal Troon, where he set the major championship record of 264 and needed it to hold off Phil Mickelson.Stenson was so locked in on every shot that only when he was signing his card did he realize he tied Johnny Miller as the only major champions to win with a 63 in the final round.Then again, an extra week to let it soak in might have helped.He was inundated with interviews when he got home to Sweden, though he managed to squeeze in a few days of quiet time with his family before he came over to the PGA Championship. It wont be long after the final major that he heads to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics.Ive just got to try and get back into my game and pay attention to all the little things thats important to play good golf for me, Stenson said.Exactly how to do it, I havent been in this situation before. But Ive still got to focus on my game. Because if I dont do that, then that little form and that little edge is sure to be disappearing. Its still important to play golf and get the practice done, so thats still my priority.He is not one to get the big head, and it helps that his next major is in New Jersey.On the fourth today, I had this long putt and I left it way short, Stenson said. And someone in the stands shouted, `Does your husband play golf? Shows youre not up there on that pedestal for very long. ' ' '