PORTUGAL VS WALES LIVE HD
Portugal: Patricio, Cedric, Alves, Fonte, Guerreiro, Mario, Danilo, Sanches, Silva, Nani, Ronaldo.
Wales: Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Collins, Williams, Taylor; King, Ledley, Allen; Bale, Robson-Kanu.
Big team news for Wales as real Madrid star Pepe missed out for Portugal tonight with a thigh injury.
Wales have a big name missing too in the suspended Aaron Ramsey; Leicester"s Andy King comes in to replace him. In defence James Collins comes in for the also suspended Ben Davies.
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21:00Jim Daly
HHal Robson-Kanu has 45 minutes to make my dreams come true. Literally. I dreamt last night that he scored twice to make himself joint top scorer at Euro 2016.
But the Wales striker hasnt had any sniffs at goal so far and has found things a bit difficult.
I also did dream that Julian Speroni headbutted Gabor Kiraly in the b***s as payback for keeping him out of the Palace side for years and they were both dressed as sumo wrestlers, so take from that what you will.
20:51Jim Daly
Some half time statsAs we said, Wales have had the only shot on target so far from their three attempys on goal.
Portugal have had five attempts on Hennesseys goal but none on target. He hasnt had much to do except claim one cross.
Colemans side have had more possession and a better pass accuracy so far.
Theyve also put in more tackles and the stats suggest they have been the better side so far.
But it does look like they miss Aaron Ramsey in the middle of the park there to really get things going.
20:47Jim Daly
HALF TIME: Portugal 0-0 WalesAnd that Ronaldo chance was the final action of the first half.
And really that was Portugals best chance of the game and they had to wait 45 minutes for it.
The probably should have had a penalty when Collins had Ronaldo in a headlock early in the half but the referee said no.
Down the other end Wales have threatened a few times. Bale has had a pop on goal, the only shot on target so far, and Andy King has flashed a header over.
Wales will probably be happiest so far, they have looked a threat on the break and have marshalled Ronaldo well so far.
Pretty even here in Lyon and its goalless at half time.
20:45Jim Daly
Ronaldo comes closeFirst big chance for Ronaldo and its a header, something he excels in massively.
There os a hint of offside as the ball is whipped over to the back post and Ronaldo outjumps Taylor to get to the ball first but the defender does enough to put the Real Madrid star off.
His header goes high and wide and Wayne Hennessey isnt troubled in the Welsh goal.
Ronaldo hasnt had a lot to feed off so far and cuts a bit of a frustrated figure so far.
20:44Jim Daly
Meanwhile, back in CardiffAndy Lines adds this:
Just had a text from my daughter who is at Cardiff university - all
pubs in Cardiff city centre completely full and she cant get into any
of them ... Still 100s of empty seats inside stadium - outrageous.
20:41Jim Daly
Andy Lines from inside the Stade de LyonOur man Andy Lines is in the stadium watching the action unfold and tells us:
Wales fans sing Speedo theres only one Speedo in tribute to former boss Gary Speed who died in 2011.
Fantastic tribute from the Wales fans to the late former manager.
There has been so much love for the former Wales player and coach from fans in France this summer and his father Roger paid an emotional tribute to his son on TV before the game.
You can watch that here.
20:38Richard Innes
Twitter is not enjoying these away kitsA European Championship semi-final should be all about the players skills, the managers decisions and the fans anxiety.
Sadly, as the Euro 2016 semi-final between Portugal and Wales kicked off, the internets focus wasnt on any of those things.
It was too busy being horrified by the strips the two sides were wearing.
Wales were lining up in their charcoal and lime green away kit.
Fair enough, you might think. Portugal being in their traditional red home kit probably meant the Welsh had to be in their change kit.
EXCEPT PORTUGAL WERE NOT IN THEIR HOME KIT EITHER.
This is how Twitter reacted.
20:33Jim Daly
Half an hour in: still 0-0Well weve just passed the half hour mark and its still goalless.
Its fair to say this is an even affair so far and arguably Wales have been the slightly better side.
They have had the best chances so far, although none of them have been clear cut, but at the other end they have marshalled Portugal well. Neil Taylor made a superb challenge on starlet Renato Sanches and Wayne Hennessey just claimed a ball into the box very confidently.
A positive start from Wales so far.
20:27Jim Daly
Mr and Mrs Bale are hereGareth Bales parents are here tonight (as youd imagine all the families of the players are lets be honest)
Here are a couple of pics of Debbie and Frank in the stands before the game clearly enjoying themselves.
Theyll be pleased with the opening 25 minutes or so, their boy has gone close a couple of times and Wales are looking good.
To be honest if either team is going to open the scoring I fancy it to be the Welsh.
20:23Jim Daly
Bale goes close againMore attempts for Wales.
Bale whips in a cross to the near post that King couldnt quite get a touch on.
Bale then had his first bit of space to run into and sped away from the Portuguese midfield but hit his shot from the edge of the box right at Patricio. Either side of him and the Portugal keeper might have had problems.
Wales have started brightly here tonight and are growing in confidence with every passing minute in Lyon. They sniff another upset here.
20:20Jim Daly
Bale just overWales have their first attempt on goal and it comes from a clever corner routine.
Joe Ledleys corner is played low to the edge of box where Gareth Bale peels away from the defence and tries to wrap his foot around it.
The angle is against him and he cant quite do it, the ball flies wide of the goal but its a nice effort from Wales there.
Clearly they are ready to try something different and that might be the way they beat Portugal tonight.
20:18Jim Daly
Andy Lines reports from the Stade de LyonOur man Andy Lines is there in Lyon tonight and hes spotted something that doesnt make him very happy indeed, especially given the enormitude of the game.
He tells us:
While the atmosphere inside the stadium is fantastic - there are many many empty seats dotted around.
Shocking ...I reckon must add up to several hundred. Great shame for real fans who were desperate to come.
20:15Jim Daly
Cheeky ballboyLook at this cheeky young man!
One of the ballboys has managed to get into the Portugal team photo AND get a selfie with Ronaldo.
I guess we all would given the chance wouldnt we? Or would you not have the b***s to attempt this.
Clearly this young man wont be getting asked back to be a ballboy by UEFA again but something tells me me wont care one bit.
Moment of a lifetime for this young chap here tonight in Lyon and Ronaldo seemed to see the funny side.
20:11Jim Daly
Portugal want a penaltyJames Collins first involvement tonight is to head away a Nani cross under pressure from Ronaldo.
He does this but also appears to have his right arm all over the Real Madrid star - almost has him in a headlock.
Portugal want a penalty and lets be honest it probably was a spot kick, but the referee - who apparently is a billionaire who referees games just for un (!) - waves away their protest.
Bit of a let off for the Welsh there.
20:09Jim Daly
This is why both teams are in their away kitsMy question has been answered thanks to Wales Online.
According to UEFA rules, the home team is usually entitled to wear their first-choice kit in any tie throughout the tournament.
For tonights match Portugal are on the home side of the draw - meaning that, in normal circumstances, they would be able to play in their predominantly red home kit in Lyon.
However, for this contest, the Portugese first-strip has been deemed to be too close in darkness to Wales charcoal and lime green away kit, and is considered to be a colour-clash. Fernando Santos side will instead be wearing their light green away colours for tonights semi-final.
On top of that, it is understood Wales attempts to therefore wear their favoured red home strip have been blocked, although it is not known whether this was by UEFA or Portugal.
Wales were allowed to wear their home kit despite being the designated away team against Russia in the group stages after the Russians agreed to a request from the FAW.
There is some bad news for Wales though... The Welsh away strip has only made one other previous appearance in this tournament - in the 2-1 defeat to England in the second match of the group stage.
20:07Jim Daly
Two away kits. Why?Were five minutes in and its pretty even so far but the main question for me is...why are both teams wearing away kits?
Wales are in their black change strip with yellow trim and Portugal are wearing their turquoise shirts, shorts and socks.
Surely one of them should be in their red home kits or else whats the point of literally everything. What next, third kits all round? Everyone in black and the refs in colourful kits?
Sometimes man, I dunno, modern football gets me down.
20:01Jim Daly
Bellamy and Giggs on SpeedFormer Wales players Craig Bellamy and Ryan Giggs are pundits on iTV tonight and they made this emotional tribute to Gary Speed.
Everyone is thinking about the late Wales boss tonight, this is his team that Coleman took over after his death and has achieved huge things with.
All the players have been talking about Speedin the run up to tonights game and the late coachs dad Roger is also here in attendance tonight.
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19:56Jim Daly
Anthem watchThe players are out and its time for the national anthems.
First up is Wales and the players are ALL belting it out. As is Coleman and his staff on the bench.
The fans of course are proper going for it. Fantastic moment here in the Stade de Lyon, every game the Welsh have smashed that anthem.
The Portuguese anthem is a jauntier affair but the players go for it also, including Ronnie who knows all the words.
Fair play both teams.
Andy Lines adds:
National anthem followed by Dont take me home ... and then a powerful rendition of Men of Harlech
19:46Andy Lines
More from Andy LinesAndy Lines is inside the Stade de Lyon and is watching the players put through their paces ahead of kick-off.
Theres only 15 mintues to go now until were underway here tonight.
Both teams have now finished warming up and have returned to their respective dressing rooms.
The ground staff have switched the sprinklers on.
The sun is setting behind the main stand and only ten percent of the stadium is still bathed in sunlight.
19:45
When Coleman met RonnieChris Coleman vividly remembers the last time his path crossed with Cristiano Ronaldos.
Ronaldo was the young winger who scored a breathtaking solo winner to defeat his Fulham side in February 2007.
Within a couple of months, Coleman had been sacked from his first managerial job, while Ronaldo was toasting his first Premier League crown with that late winner at Craven Cottage a turning point for both men.
During the intervening nine years, the Wales manager and the Portuguese superstar have taken very different routes to arrive at tonights Euro 2016 semi-final here.
Read more here.
19:40James Whaling
Gary Speed"s dad fights back the tears in TV interviewGary Speeds dad Roger had to fight back the tears in an emotional television interview ahead of Wales Euro 2016 semi-final against Portugal this evening.
Speaking to the BBC, Roger revealed his wife Carol had not travelled to France for the match as she feared the emotion of the occasion would get the better of her.
He admitted he struggled to compose himself when speaking about tonights clash,report Wales Online.
Its a very emotional game, Im in tears talking about it now, he said, before bravely saying Ill be alright, Ill be alright, as he paused to compose himself.
Gary would tell them to go out and do your best for Wales. We are Wales, you do your best.
Im very proud but dont take it away from Chris (Coleman). He has done a great job and Im behind him all the way for what hes done.
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19:37Richard Innes
The 13 chants you will hear Wales fans sing tonightWant to be a Wales fan right now? Desperately want to disown your disgraced nation and jump on the massive Welsh bandwagon as they head into the last four at Euro 2016?
Youre not alone.
As Gareth Bale and co prepare for their European Championship semi-final against Portugal, football fans everywhere are suddenly proclaiming their love for Chris Colemans Wales squad.
Which is why this detailed guide to Wales fans 13 favourite chants and songs - lovingly put together by our friends at Wales Online - should come in very handy
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19:37
Wills loves WalesThe Duke of Cambridge has sent a good luck message to the Welsh football team , saying he and Prince Harry will be watching their Euro 2016 semi-final againstPortugal at home and cheering them on to the final.
England fan William congratulated rivals Wales for reaching the final four and for progressing much further than England did!
The Duke - who is one day expected to become the Prince of Wales and who supports Wales at rugby - praised the teams togetherness, passion and sense of self-belief, saying this was unmatched throughout tournament.
He added: Harry and I will be watching the game from home tonight, cheering you on. We are all now celebrating your success, and hope it continues through to the final.
See what else Wills said to Wales here.
19:32Jim Daly
More from Andy Lines at the Stade de LyonOur man Andy Lines is making his way into the stadium for tonights game.
He tells us:
Tens of thousands of Wales fans have made the trip across the channel.
The first sound of Dont take me home ... are heard inside the stadium.
Supporters are desperate for one last heroic effort to see them get to
the final in Paris this weekend.
Security is so tight here my rucksack was searched four times before
entering he stadium.
There are armed police snipers on the roof of the main stand.
19:31Jim Daly
England fans backing WalesHow did you get on in that How Welsh Are You quiz from earlier? Good? Bad?
Feels like everyone is backing the Welsh tonight, especially England fans frustrated and how badly their team did this summer.
Props to Joe Phelan for a classy edit of his Three Lions shirt to turn it into a Welsh jersey.
You almost cant make out the original England badge such is the expert level of this editing.
19:28Jim Daly
Life imitates FIFA...and things get weirdSo this is weird.
I took Wales to the Euro 2016 final on FIFA 16 last year and now its happening in real life. And Im sort of freaking out.
I started career mode last year with Crystal Palace alongside my flatmate at the time Callum. The deal was that I would play with Palace each week and he would play as the opposition. So he got to play with a different side each week and I got to build up my Eagles squad. It quickly became an addiction and thanks to both working freelance we pretty much played all day every day.
I was offered the Wales job after taking the Eagles to fifth in the Premier League in my first season Excited to play with Gareth Bale I accepted and to be honest they are a brilliant international side to play with on FIFA. Just stick Bale up front on his own, the pacy Lloyd Isgrove on the wing and watch the goals roll in.
While my Palace team won the League Cup and qualified for the Europa League, my Wales team had to prepare for the European Championships .
Having found a decent formula in the final few friendly matches before the tournament (Bale up top) I was confident of doing ok, but not what was about to unfold.
See what happened here.
19:25Jim Daly
Here are some pics of the Welsh team walking around the Stade de Lyon pitch ahead of kick-off.
They seem in good spirits in the French sunshine and Aaron Ramsey is there to support them, even though he is suspended for tonights game after picking up a (rather harsh) yellow card in the second round win over Belgium.
No idea what Chris Coleman is doing in that bottom pic and theres Bale assisting Robson-Kanu in the first photo. Will he be doing more of that on the pitch later?
19:21
Bale confident of keeping Ronaldo quietGareth Bale believes Wales can keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet and reach a first major tournament final.
Bale takes on his Real Madrid team-mate in the Euro 2016 semi-final on Wednesday as Wales battle it out with Portugal.
A lot of the talk ahead of the clash has been about Bale going up against his colleague but the Welshman is confident his side can tame the Portugese superstar and make the final.
The 26-year-old said: Of course hes a fantastic player, everybody knows what he can do.
More from him here.
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19:21
Made to waitWelsh Euro 2016 star Joe Ledley has cancelled his wedding - because his team is doing far better than expected and is into the semi-finals
Teammate Gareth Bale revealed the news this afternoon as Wales prepare for the showdown with Portugal on Wednesday evening.
Ledley was due to get married on Saturday but has now called it off after their sensational run.
It comes after defender Chris Gunter was forced to miss his brother tying the knot later this week and will become Best Man by Skype.
Read more here.
19:20Jim Daly
Look where Sav isRobbis Savage isnt at the game tonight, hes on holiday but hes put this on Instagram.
In Barbados it is cloudy, he says.
Got my seat by the bar, come on Wales!
We can do it; 2-1 Wales
How I wish I was in Barbados right now Ill be honest. I would happily live blog the Wales game from there with Sav if Mirror Footballs budget would stretch to that. Ill even buy my own drinks, thats how dedicated to this new venture I am.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/match-centre/portugal-vs-wales-live-score-8044837
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