And it continued Germanys recent dominance over Fran

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- It just wouldnt be the World Cup without Germany in the semifinals. Harnessing all their big-game experience, the Germans delivered a performance of maturity and efficiency to hold off France 1-0 on Friday and become the first team to reach four straight semifinals in the sports marquee tournament. Defender Mats Hummels scored the winning goal in the 13th minute, outmuscling his marker at a free kick to glance a header in off the underside of the crossbar. Criticized for poor defending in earlier matches, Germany selected a more robust lineup and restricted a flat France team to only a handful of clear-cut opportunities in muggy conditions. "There was not much in it," France coach Didier Deschamps said. But, "we dont have the international experience Germany has." While Frances young players slumped to the ground and some shed tears after the final whistle, the Germans soberly saluted all corners of the Maracana Stadium. One job done, nothing more. And next up for Germany is a meeting with host nation Brazil, which beat Colombia 2-1 later Friday. It will be Germanys 13th appearance in the semifinals in 20 editions of the World Cup. "I guess were playing the kind of football which will give us a chance to win," said Hummels, who produced a couple of decisive blocks to snuff out two good chances for France striker Karim Benzema. "We defended well today . I think we deserve to carry on." France struggled to impose the kind of attacking game that made the team one of the most exciting in Brazil during the group stage, although Benzema -- the teams chief attacking threat -- squandered chances in both halves. Late in the first half, the Real Madrid striker seized on a rebound following Manuel Neuers save from Mathieu Valbuenas shot but his close-range effort was deflected wide by Hummels. Then, in stoppage time, he created space for himself about eight yards out at an angle, but a fierce shot was swatted away by Neuer. "We played like a team again," said Germany captain Philipp Lahm, who returned to right back in one of a string of tactically astute changes made by coach Joachim Loew. "Overall it was a good performance from us." In Loews eight-year tenure, Germany has reached the last four in every major tournament it has played -- but remains without a title since winning the European Championships in 1996. While the German team seemed comfortable at this level, the occasion was perhaps too much for a young, revamped France team playing together at the World Cup for the first time. And it continued Germanys recent dominance over France at World Cups. The most notorious of those previous meetings was in the 1982 semifinals in Spain, when Germany won on penalties following a 3-3 draw in a match marked by a late and high tackle by Germany goalkeeper Harald Schumacher on France defender Patrick Battiston that escaped punishment. That went down as one of the most riveting matches in World Cup history, but the rematch -- 32 years on -- couldnt have been more different. A turgid first half was illuminated by the goal from Hummels, who held off Raphael Varane and met a typically dead-eye delivery from Toni Kroos with a header that gave goalkeeper Hugo Lloris no chance. The warm and humid conditions played a part in the slow tempo of the game but France stepped up the pressure in the second half. Benzemas late chance got French fans excited but Germany should have been 2-0 ahead by then, with Lloris saving a low shot by substitute Andre Schuerrle on a counter-attack. "We just werent efficient enough," said Valbuena, who sat, dejected, on the field after the final whistle. "Our efforts just werent enough, its incredibly disappointing." 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Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. http://www.discountpumauk.com/. 15 in Hamburg. The fight was originally slated for Sept. 6 but had to be postponed after Klitschko tore a bicep in sparring and was forced to miss four weeks of training. Cheap Puma Shoes . After just two league games in June, Toronto (6-4-1) will go on to play seven in July plus a friendly against Tottenham. Five of those contests are against Eastern Conference opposition, meaning valuable points in the playoff race are on the line. Clearance Puma Shoes . Fabio Fognini pulled off a surprise 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray to level the best-of-five quarterfinal at 2-2 before Andreas Seppi defeated James Ward 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive match.Let the free agency fireworks begin. Canada Day is here and with it comes Free Agent Frenzy as the NHLs 30 teams storm out of the gate for signing season. Live coverage begins on TSN2 and TSN GO at 11:30am et/8:30am pt to set you up for the opening of the NHL free agent market at Noon et/9am pt. Coverage will then continue on TSN at the conclusion of Milos Raonics Wimbledon match. TSN.cas coverage includes instant signing alerts on mobile devices through the TSN GO and TSN Hockey apps, a complete list of available restricted and unrestricted free agents by team, a live, sortable signing ttracker on TSN.dddddddddddda along with video analysis and one-on-one player interviews. The ceiling for next seasons salary cap was set Friday at $69 million - up from $64.3 million. That number is a million or two lower than some projections had it after a year of record revenues. 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