Hosts France will be looking to get Euro 2016 off to a winning start as they take on Romania in Fridays opening game in Paris. [url=http://www.wholesaleairmaxsale.com/]White Air Max 2018 On Sale[/url] . Les Bleus get the European Championship underway at the Stade de France in Group A and are one of

Hosts France will be looking to get Euro 2016 off to a winning start as they take on Romania in Fridays opening game in Paris. White Air Max 2018 On Sale . Les Bleus get the European Championship underway at the Stade de France in Group A and are one of the favourites to lift the trophy, as well as winning their last four international games. Sky Sports Becky Williams meets some of the fans travelling to France France also have a good record when hosting a major international tournament - winning Euro 1984 and the World Cup in 1998 - and captain Hugo Lloris is hoping the home advantage will help the squad rather than be a hindrance. Every country has a different culture. It maybe didnt help Brazil in [World Cup] 2014 but for us the public are going to be a great support. We just have to take advantage of it and to be proud. Opening-game omens History dictates that it is crucial to get off to a fast start at major tournaments Romania qualified second in their group and one point behind winners Northern Ireland, remaining unbeaten through the campaign with five wins and five draws.Anghel Iordanescus men had the sturdiest defence of the qualifying teams - conceding just twice in ten games - and the manager says that despite facing a better team, his side are aiming to make the knockout stages. Dimitri Payet is in line to start for France after a strong showing in the warm-ups France are clearly superior to us. Didier Deschamps has class players available, who play in the Champions League and Europa League.Mine play in Turkey, Bulgaria, Israel and Qatar. But that does not mean that we have surrendered. We all have the same goal - to move groups. France trio Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud at Fridays training session Team newsFrance had a number of senior players pull out of the 23-man squad ahead of the tournament, with Lassana Diarra, Mathieu Debuchy, Mamadou Sakho, Raphael Varane and Jeremy Mathieu all sidelined.But the last week has seen a relatively calm period for France injuries with all the players expected to be fit for selection, including exciting youngster Kingsley Coman who has been nursing a calf injury over the last few days. Kingsley Coman could overcome a calf injury for the Stade de France West Ham winger Dimitri Payet is set to join Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann in attack, according to reports in France, meaning Manchester United striker Anthony Martial may have to settle for a place on the bench.Romania left-back Steliano Filip has been a concern with an ankle strain but he has been in training under the guidance of the medical team and should be available. Euro 2016 dark horses Which teams are capable of springing a surprise at Euro 2016? We pick out three… There are few recognisable names to English football fans, although Watford goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon and former Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches are in the 23-man squad, with the latter declaring himself 100 per cent ready after sitting out the final warm-up game against Georgia.Elsewhere, Florin Andone (hand) and Ovidiu Hoba (knock) are also fit to start for a side that have the lowest average number of caps out of the 24 Euro 2016 competitors. Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon is among the Romania squad Opta statsFrance are unbeaten in their last 10 games against Romania (W5 D5). However, four of their last five encounters have ended in draws.Romanias last victory against France was in April 1972. It was in a friendly in Bucharest (2-0). France have won their last four games, including a 3-0 victory over Scotland This will be France and Romanias third encounter at the Euros, all in the group stages. The two previous games produced only one goal, France winning in 1996 (1-0) before a goalless draw in 2008.France have won six and drawn one of their seven tournament games at the Stade de France (World Cup, Confederations Cup). Euro 2016: Ultimate guide We profile all 24 teams in action at Euro 2016, looking at their key men and chances of success... Les Bleus are taking part in their ninth European Championship finals. They have won it twice: in 1984 as tournament hosts and in 2000. Only Germany and Spain have lifted the trophy on more occasions (3 each).France have failed to score in five of their last eight games at Euro finals.Romania have never won their opening game at the Euros (D3 L1). Romania had the best defence of the qualifying sides for Euro 2016 Deschamps is leading France to their second major tournament as manager, after the 2014 World Cup (quarter finalists). He was captain the last time France won the EURO in 2000.Iordanescu is taking charge of Romania at a major tournament for the fourth time after World Cup 1994, Euro 1996 and World Cup 1998. His previous best performance was reaching the quarter-finals with Gheorghe Hagi & co at USA 1994. Anghel Iordanescu oversees Fridays training session at the Stade de France Mersons predictionFrance are the host nation and, with the likes of Payet, Paul Pogba and Martial, I fancy them to get off to a flyer as the tournament gets underway in Paris.PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 to France (Sky Bet odds 7/2) Mersons Euro predictions Mersons Euro 2016 predictions: England to open with Russia win BettingFrance are strong 30/100 favourites with Sky Bet ahead of the Euro 2016 opener against 12/1 shots Romania on Friday night. The tournament hosts are also 3/1 to win on home soil with Romania 100/1 outsiders. Griezmann and Pogba both to score in the match for Les Bleus is 8/1 (from 6/1), one of eight pre-match Price Boosts on offer. Check out all the big match odds here.Follow France v Romania - and every game at Euro 2016 - with our live blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps. Sky Sports Euro 2016 predictor Make your predictions with our interactive wall chart here. Mens Air Max 2018 Grey . He made another correct read. The Browns, who have been shuttling quarterbacks on and off the field all season, finally got some good news on that front: Campbells ribs are only bruised. Cheap Air Max 2018 China . -- The road to the Masters got off to a bumpy start Sunday for Tiger Woods when he withdrew from the Honda Classic with what he said was a lower back injury. http://www.wholesaleairmaxsale.com/ . - Benched Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman said he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and voluntarily entered the NFL substance abuse program more than a year ago after mistakenly taking a medication to treat the condition.TORONTO – To get himself acclimated with the talents and potential of James van Riemsdyk, Randy Carlyle went to the tape. He looked back at the 2011 playoffs when the then-sophomore winger made the hockey world take notice with seven goals in 11 games for the Flyers, including three in the second round against Boston. "We saw that again last year in the playoffs for us," said Carlyle of the 24-year-old, who scored twice in a wild 6-5 win against Edmonton on Saturday night. "He made it difficult for himself because now were going to expect it every game." van Riemsdyk is showing definite star potential in his second season with the Leafs, now with five goals in the first six games this season. He is quickly raising his game to yet another level after an explosive 2013 which saw him tally 18 goals in 48 games before notching seven points in a first round loss to the Bruins. Improvements to his craft are noticeable, the first of which lies with a powerful set of wheels. "Big guys, a lot of times they dont look like theyre covering a lot of ground, but if he gets a step on anybody, hes big and strong enough in his body position that not many people catch him," Carlyle observed. Registered at an imposing 6-foot-3 and a sturdy 200 pounds, van Riemsdyk manages to chug along quite well for a big man. Thats due in part to the work hes put in with Leafs skating consultant Barb Underhill. Just this past summer, Underhill traveled to Connecticut to work with van Riemsdyk and fellow training partners Colton Orr and Martin St. Louis. Viewing video clips of van Riemsdyk alongside Underhill, it was St. Louis, the 2013 scoring champ, who noticed the hitch, one that both agreed required fixing. The adjustment "helped me become a little bit more explosive of a skater out there". In addition to his efforts with Underhill, van Riemsdyk also credited offseason training with Ben Prentiss, with whom hes worked alongside since the summer after his first NHL season with the Flyers. "Hes done a tremendous job with me every year since as far as just getting me more athletic, more explosive and more dynamic out there," said van Riemsdyk. Such explosiveness was evident when he charged hard around the Oilers net for the fourth Toronto goal, beating Devan Dubnyk with a wrap-around which proved akin to the one he scored two nights previous in Nashville. Earlier in the evening, it was a striking presence around the net that would yield results. Parked around the blue paint of the Edmonton goal, van Riemsdyk would deftly redirect the point shot of Cody Franson, his second marker on the power-play this season. "Hes very good at tracking pucks," Franson said of van Riemsdyk. "You see a guy like him coming across and you just try and put it in an area where he can get a stick on it. Thats one of his major talents is to be able to do that." "Hes good around that tight area of the net," Carlyle added. "For a big man, hes got soft hands." It was Carlyle who prodded the more consistent use of such skills in the early days of the 2013 calendar, the coach and player just becoming acquainted upon their landing in Toronto. "Obviously Im always a guy who likes to be around the net and thats where I have to get to if Im going to score goals," van Riemsdyk said. "Thats a place I like going. I know its not necessarily the easiest part of the rink to play on, but its fun getting in there and just digging at pucks and trying to bang them in." Consistent run on the man advantage, van Riemsdyk added, has proved beneficial not only toward developing chemistry with members of the top unit, but also to the "little nuances about being in front and positioning your body and being in a good spot to be able to get those rebounds". Running shotgun on a first line that includes Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak, van Riemsdyk is getting plenty of opportunity for the Leafs, the kind he envisioned upon his disappointing exit from Philadelphia. van Riemsdyk is averaging nearly 22 minutes per game this season, adding increased responsibility on the penalty kill early on. The array of tools which made him so attractive to the organization in the summer of 2012, when they first acquired him from Philadelphia in exchange for Luke Schenn, are being realized in rapid order. van Riemsdyk is evolving into a star. Five Points 1. Incomplete victory The efforts have been neither pretty nor complete and yet the Leafs are 5-1-0 after six games, all this without David Clarkson from the outset (suspension) and regulars Nik Kulemin and Mark Fraser (injuries) more recently. A game of shinny with the Oilers on Saturday nearly ended in defeat. Instead, as they have throughout the first two weeks of the season, the Leafs managed to grind out a win, albeit it barely on this night. With just 31 ticks left in regulation and the home side down 5-4, it was Joffrey Lupul playing hero, the 30-year-old scoring his second of the game and fifth this season. Breaking loose for a 3-on-1 rush minutes later, Dave Bolland would bury his second game-winner of the season in overtime. "My teeth are going to be ground down by the 20-game mark if we continue to play the way we did tonight as far as exchanging chances and mistakes," Carlyle smirked afterward. Cheap Air Max 2018. As they have been at various points in the early stages this season, the Leafs were sloppy and error-prone against the Oilers, yielding a number of high-quality opportunities in critical areas. Jonathan Bernier rescued some of those miscues with terrific play in his previous four games – .971 save percentage – but he could not erase them once more on Saturday, yielding five goals on 31 shots. "It was a game of mistakes and each team seemed to capitalize on one anothers mistakes," Carlyle said. "The fortunate part for us is we were on the right end of it." 2. Bollands way A ready-made favourite of the head coach, Bolland added to his resume with another game-winner on Saturday. "To get the true read on Dave Bolland is when you come to practice," Carlyle preached shortly after the game. "He does every drill at the highest possible speed. He practices like a pro. Hes trying to make himself better every day. Some of our younger players could take notice to that." Carlyle said such a message has been imparted to the Leafs youth. "We have a motto," he continued, "that if your skill level is at one level and if your will or your ability to work doesnt match that skill level or exceed it, youre not going to get any better. Its guys like Dave Bolland that sell your program and help coaches in leading by example and showing the way." 3. Franson/Rielly Saturday proved a difficult night for the Leafs second pair of Cody Franson and Morgan Rielly. The duo was caught on the ice for four of the five Oilers goals. "It was just one of those nights where thats the way it was going," Franson said afterward. The 26-year-old made good on a rough night in some respect in overtime though, outmuscling Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the puck in the defensive zone before springing the odd-man rush which would ultimately result in Bollands game-winner. 4. Eakins return A seventh round selection in 2007, Carl Gunnarsson first met Dallas Eakins when he was in charge of player development for the Leafs. Eakins had traveled to Sweden to watch Gunnarsson while he was still in the Swedish Elite League, offering tips and advice to the late round pick after games. The now 26-year-old would then play for Eakins when he moved to the bench for the organization as Marlies head coach in 2009. "He was a fair guy and thats all Ive heard from the guys thats been down there too," Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report. "If youve got that reputation I guess its just a matter of time before you get that job in the big league." Gunnarsson would play only 12 games for Eakins in the AHL that fall before joining the Leafs and never looking back. Upon his exit, the now Oilers coach had a simple message. "He told me he didnt want to see me again," Gunnarsson recalled. "And Dallas can keep a straight face too. I knew it was a joke, but still hes looking at me, Gunnar, get out of here I dont want to see you again. Just looking back at that, I take it as a good thing." Eakins spent eight seasons in the Leafs organization before landing the top job in Edmonton. He was an assistant coach at the AHL and NHL levels, the director player of development and finally the head coach with the Marlies. Saturday marked his return to Toronto. 5. Eakins return Pt. 2 Like countless others who played for him in Toronto, Eakins made an impact in just 16 games on Troy Bodie. The now 28-year-old was a Marlie late in the 2009-2010 season. "He made you want to play for him and want to win for him," Bodie told the Leaf Report. "And if you lost you felt bad; you honestly felt bad that you let him down. He just had that way about him. Its not a coaching style you see very often." "Whatever the players wanted he gave them rather than some coaches thinking I think this is what they need," Bodie continued. "He was really good at reading his players and seeing what they needed and catering to it." Stat-Pack 22 – Goals for the Leafs after six games, good for an average of 3.67, fourth-best in the league after Saturday. 21:59 – Ice-time for Paul Ranger on Saturday, a season-high. 1 – Career point for rookie David Broll, who helped set up Joffrey Lupuls first goal of the game. 8 – Points for Joffrey Lupul, who sits second in NHL scoring behind only Sidney Crosby. 6 – Points for Mason Raymond, including a pair of assists on Saturday. 6 – Points for Nazem Kadri in six games this season, including a goal and an assist on Saturday. .946 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier after yielding five goals on 31 shots against Edmonton. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 PK: 3-4 Quote of the Night "My teeth are going to be ground down by the 20-game mark if we continue to play the way we did tonight as far as exchanging chances and mistakes." -Randy Carlyle following Saturdays 6-5 victory. Up Next The Leafs host the Wild at the ACC on Tuesday. ' ' '