DieBruderschaft.com

PARIS -- With an unassuming group of players lighting up the European Championship, Icelands dazzling advance has been infectious.Even France, which has a recent history of rebellion, is talking up the importance of team unity as the two-time European champions prepare to face Iceland in Sundays quarterfinal.If someone wants to act like a star, well put them back in their place, France defender Patrice Evra said. The team is the star.France may be host of Euro 2016 and one of the favorites to win the tournament, but the limelight has been well and truly seized by the fearless Icelanders, who are unbeaten in four matches and dispatched England to reach the last eight.Not bad for a team from the smallest nation to ever contest the European Championship.Iceland hasnt scrapped through with ultra-defensive football. It has scored the same number of goals as France -- six -- and stands potentially 180 minutes from the final.A lot of people have underestimated the smaller nations, Evra said.No longer, although France hasnt lost to Iceland in 11 previous meetings.Icelands ascent in international football can be traced through its past fixtures with France.Now ranked 34 in the world by FIFA, Iceland was as low as 131st when it last faced France in a friendly four years ago. Even then there were flickers of optimism for the Nordic nation of 330,000. Iceland led 2-0 before France came from behind to win 3-2.It was the same final score when Iceland was last at the Stade de France in 1999 for a European Championship qualifier against the then world champion.However vast the rankings gulf has been, Iceland has been no pushover.Maybe we have players with less individual quality, if you compare our players with the French team, which has players in almost every position playing in the Champions League day in day out, Iceland joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said.Theres not many in the Iceland team that has played Champions League. In individual quality you can see that they are superior. So we have to be collective and work together to make up for it.The pressure and expectation is all on France -- and particularly striker Olivier Giroud, who hasnt found the net since the opening game against Romania when the host won 2-1.Because he hasnt scored for two games some people might criticize him and say, `(Antoine) Griezmanns scoring all the goals, Evra said.Evra highlighted how Girouds header set up Griezmann for his second -- and match-winning -- goal against Ireland in the round of 16.We need Olivier and we believe in him, Evra said.France will have to cope without the suspended duo of center back Adil Rami and midfielder NGolo Kante on Sunday. Yohan Cabaye is expected to take Kantes place as was the case when Didier Deschamps rested the Leicester player for the final group game against Switzerland.Samuel Umtiti has been tipped to fill in for Rami and make his France debut on the biggest of stages. 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Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Bobby Cox Jersey . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. One trainer happy to see racing back at Seymour is Murray Johnson, although he wont be there for the return meeting.Seymour hosts its first meeting on Saturday, 13 months after undergoing a renovation following last years Cup, but Johnson will be 200km away, saddling Take Pride in the Isuzu Handicap at Ballarat.Johnson trains at Seymour and finally has the mare in peak condition for the 1400 metres after three runs from a spell.A part of her preparation was quite difficult because we had no grass gallops or no jump-outs, Johnson said.It was hard to get the right sort of work into her and we were a bit behind the eight-ball.Shes done really well since her last race and shes probably a little late in coming to her best, but coat-wise, she looks fantastic.Johnson had Take Pride entered in the Group One Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot but believes the mare is looking for more ground after finishingg well back in a run that disappointed the trainer at Flemington on October 29.ddddddddddddAt her only start beyond 1200m, Take Pride ran fifth to Stay With Me in the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield last year.I feel I made a bit of an error as I thought she was better at sprinting, Johnson said.But going back to the Thousand Guineas we think she might be wanting to stretch out and thats what were doing on Saturday.Johnson has seven horses in work and lives opposite the Seymour course where he walks his dogs daily and says the track will be a great asset for Victorian racing.Theyve done a tremendous job, Johnson said.Its an immature track so it wont take abuse, but with maturity and as long as they dont hammer it too hard, it should be a great course for the future. 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