Portugal's Fabio Coentrao tries to go past Spain's Alvaro Arbeloa during the Euro 2012 soccer championship semifinal match between Spain and Portugal in Donetsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Portugal's Fabio Coentrao tries to go past Spain's Alvaro Arbeloa during the Euro 2012 soccer championship semifinal match between Spain and Portugal in Donetsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Portugal's Joao Moutinho, left, tackles Spain's Jordi Alba during the Euro 2012 soccer championship semifinal match between Spain and Portugal in Donetsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Portugal's Pepe, right, and Spain's Alvaro Negredo go for a header during the Euro 2012 soccer championship semifinal match between Spain and Portugal in Donetsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Spain's Alvaro Arbeloa, right, and Portugal's Fabio Coentrao vie for the ball during the Euro 2012 soccer championship semifinal match between Spain and Portugal in Donetsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Portugal fans cheer before the semifinal match between Spain and Portugal at the Euro 2012 soccer championship in Donetsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? Portugal plays Spain in the first semifinal of the European Championship in Donetsk, Ukraine, Wednesday. Here's the running account of the action and pre-match buildup. All times are local to Poland.
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2122: Ronaldo shoots from 18 yards and the ball passes inches wide of Casillas' left post. Portugal playing with confidence and panache and keeping Spain defense-minded. Iniesta heads down the line with the ball. Assistant on the goal line says ball has crossed goal line. Replay shows it didn't. They must get those decisions right.
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2115: Ronaldo could have passed it but instead chooses a complex reverse switch pass. Portugal appeals for a handball inside the Spanish area but there was no deliberate intent. Spain flows forward ? whistled loudly by what appears to be a Ukrainian crowd that doesn't like the passing game too much ? and Iniesta shoots over the bar again as we pass the 30-minute mark.
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2112: PaulLogoAP: Donbass Arena definitely not full capacity, a lot of empty seats scattered. Absolutely no Portuguese section of fans in ... (via Twitter)
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2110: Hardly any atmosphere out there in the stands. You can clearly hear the players calling to each other. The occasional whistle or cheer when there's a break, but surprisingly calm given the huge stakes and local rivalry.
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2105: Nani breaks clear with a route to goal but clearly dives. He's lucky to get away without being booked. He was in a promising position out on the right. Why do that?
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2103: Ronaldo is tripped just outside the area on the left and takes the kick but fires it straight at the wall. The Real Madrid genius is warming up now and getting into the game. Spain getting very little room or possession to play their usual game, but they still look dangerous.
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2100: Two minutes later Iniesta breaks through again but shoots over. Ronaldo's been somewhat on the periphery of the game until now but he's just burst down the left and put in a cross but his final ball is a little heavy and Casillas comfortably collects. It's 0-0 ? but an entertaining 0-0.
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2056: There's not much space out there but you can count on Iniesta to find some. He dribbles through the Portuguese defense before setting up Arbeloa who blazes over the bar.
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2049: Casillas has to tip over the bar from a corner as Portugal makes a bright start, pinning the Spanish back in their own area. Spain not being allowed to have things their own way as Portugal closes down quickly, harrassing the Iberian neighbours.
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2045: And the Spanish, in red, get the game underway.
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2005: Another gamble by Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque. He's chosen Alvaro Negredo to lead Spain's attack, relegating both Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres to the bench. Negredo has played only five minutes so far in a group win over Croatia. His inclusion means Spain's coach has foregone the unorthodox 4-6-0 formation and opted instead for a traditional striker. Spain's lineup is otherwise unchanged from the 2-0 quarterfinal win over France, while Portugal has made one change with striker Hugo Almeida replacing the injured Helder Postiga in attack. The winner will play either Germany or Italy in the final in Kiev on Sunday.
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2000: Tonight's lineups:
Portugal: Rui Patricio, Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao, Joao Pereira, Pepe, Joao Moutinho, Raul Meireles, Nani, Miguel Veloso, Hugo Almeida, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Spain: Iker Casillas, Jordi Alba, Alvaro Arbeloa, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, David Silva, Xavi, Alvaro Negredo.
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1945: TrevorHuggins1: Spain will probably do a good job of keeping Ronaldo quiet in open play. The danger is a rash tackle that gives him a dead-ball opportunity. (via Twitter).
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1930: gdunbarap: As usual at Euro 2012 in Donetsk, Roman Abramovich in the VIP box next to Metalist Kharkiv owner Oleksandr Yaroslavsky fo ... (via Twitter)
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1852: The Spain team bus is on its way to the Donbass Arena, driving through the sunny streets of Donetsk accompanied by motor bike outriders.
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1850: From AP reporter Paul Logothetis: "The Spanish FA says over 4,000 fans are expected to be at the Donbass Arena, more than double the amount who showed for the 2-0 quarterfinal victory over France. They will be expecting a better reception from the team after only captain Iker Casillas stayed out after France to thank them for making the long trip, something that drew criticism back in Spain. Two days after the win, Cesc Fabregas said: "It's true we should have showed more affection toward our fans, sometimes we're just under such pressure that ... we forget about the effort they make to come and support us. I'm sorry if that upset them, it won't happen again. Hopefully we can celebrate reaching the final with them on Wednesday."
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