PST: Live blogging France-England in Euro 2012

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Four teams have yet to play their first games of Euro 2012, but that changes today when Group D finally takes the field. I say finally because our England lean has kept the Three Lions on our radars throughout the weekend. Now, England?s openers with France is finally here.

That game kicks off at noon Eastern, with co-hosts Ukraine opening against Sweden in Kiev at 2:45 p.m. Eastern. For most, seeing those teams on the schedule will mean one thing: Zlatan Ibrahimovic is taking center stage. The Milan icon will be orchestrating Sweden?s attack opposite a former Milan icon, Andriy Shevchenko.

We?ll be updating you on the day?s significant events below. In the interim, here?s some pre-match reading:

And now that you?re through skipping over the bullets, here?s Monday?s action:

(All times Eastern)

1436 ? France 1-1 England - Hodgson makes his first change, bringing on Jordan Henderson for Scott Parker. England fans may not like that, but the central midfield was looking ragged for England. Granted, Gerrard seems to be the player having the most trouble maintaining his positioning, but there was some speculation Parker?s Achilles isn?t 100 percent. Perhaps that?s motivated the move.

France has just forced two corners, with Yoann Cabaye nearly putting a hard shot on goal (where it not for a partial block from Welbeck). England hasn?t found that second win, they?re relying more on Oxlade-Chamberlain to get them into attack (and playing some long balls), and you can?t help but wonder whether a draw is looking pretty good.

But now Ox is also out. Jermaine Defoe is on.

1425 ? France 1-1 England - Another offside call against England. Augmenting the previous update, Gerrard and Parket, in particular, seem to be fading.

1421 ? France 1-1 England ? England?s starting to look a little tired. France is holding a lot of the possession (after England?s early second half spell), and the effort getting back into the defensive shape isn?t the same for England. When France runs at people (be it Ribery, Evra, Nasri), the defense seems a step slower reacting. Benzema just put a thumping shot on Hart (saved), but we?ll have to see where this is going. Perhaps they just need a second wind.

1410 ? France 1-1 England ? >England has their first prolonged spell of possession, holding the ball for well over a minute before a long ball from Lescott?s met with a whistle. Ashley Young is offside for the third time tonight.

1402 ? France 1-1 England ? Whistle blows. No changes for either side.

1402 ? France 1-1 England, Halftime - Teams are coming back out. Stats: Possession: France 58-42; Shots: France 8-2; Shots on goal: France 6-1.

1347 ? France 1-1 England, Halftime ? Intermission, and the score is fair, even if the numbers say France controlled the period. By halftime, France was certainly on the front foot, but this is the type of game England would have been happy with before the opening whistle. Roy Hodgson needs to find one other way to get his team into attack if three points is a possibility, but for now, England?s given a good account of themselves.

1340 ? France 1-1 England ? England?s midfield is too deep and can?t get out to contest a Samir Nasri shot from 20 yards out. As Steven Gerrard is trying, he may have screened Joe Hart, because this isn?t a shot that normally gets past the Manchester City `keeper. Near post, hard but savable shot, it?s in the back of the net. Nasri, one of France?s best players thus far, has equalized.

1336 ? France 0-1 England - France nearly pulls it back. Dead ball on their right flank sees Nasri whip a cross to just short of the penalty sopt. Alou Diarra heads a powerful shot on goal, but Joe Hart blocks it up. It falls to Diarra who, rushed, puts it wide. England stays in front.

1331 ? France 0-1 England - Steve Gerrard, from a dead ball, puts a ball in from the right to the middle fo the six, and Joleon Lescott puts it home. It?s 1-0.

A number of France errors led to a goal that was very preventable. Patrice Evra?s cheap foul gave up the kick. Lescott was able to separate himself too easily from Alou Diarra, who shouldn?t have had the assignment of marking Lescott. The ball was too close to goal not to be caught ? the cross floated enough for Lloris to come get it. All of those errors combined to give England the lead.

1223 ? France 0-0 England - Danny Welbeck is down, getting some treatment. He had an ankle problem at the beginning of camp, but he seems fine now. The match has settled in as you? expect it. England?s letting France come onto them (particularly in the middle), and the pressure on France comes in those first moments of transition. We saw Steven Gerrard hit a nice long ball for Young in the 14th minute. That was encouraging for England. France ? England?s going to let them shoot from 22-24 yards all day. Beyond that, Nasri seems like he?ll have to create something.

1216 ? France 0-0 England - England just generated their first chance of the match, and James Milner should have scored. Ashley Young has time on the ball 30 yards out, six yards from the defense. Milner makes a run in from the right, and Patrice Evra never breaks out of a trot. A through ball puts Milner in, Hugo Lloris takes a bad angle, and one touch from the England winger leaves him with an empty net. His legs fail him, though, and he?s left lunging for a ball he puts into the outside of the side netting. Ruined chance.

1211 ? France 0-0 England - France has forced a couple of corner kicks, and thanks to a nice diagonal pass from Yoann Cabaye, have generated the one moment of danger. France looks to be the better side thus far and are holding much more of the ball. Bringing Samir Nasri in from the right, they have a lot of attackers toward the center and left, creating a numbers problem for England.

1201 - Countdown is done and they?ve kicked off in a Donetsk that?s said to be very warm. England?s moving from right to left.

1155 - Teams are finally walking out on the field in Donetsk in that beautiful new stadium. England?s in all whit. France wears blue. Next update will be at kickoff.

1124 - Your lineups for England-France:

England: Hart, Johnson, Cole, Terry, Lescott, Gerrard, Young, Milner, Parker, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck SUBS: Green, Butland, Baines, Jones, Jagielka, Walcott, Henderson, Downing, Carroll, Defoe.

France: Lloris, Debuchy, Evra, Rami, Mex?s, Cabaye, Rib?ry, Nasri, Malouda, Diarra, Benzema SUBS: Mandanda, Carrasso, R?veill?re, Koscielny, Clichy, Valbuena, Matuidi, M?nez, M?Vila, Martin, Ben Arfa, Giroud.

Big news? As Steve told you about earlier, Ox starts for England. It?s not entirely unpredictable given he started against Belgium. It just runs counter to our image of Roy Hodgson.

For France, no surprises.

My picks for today: 2-1 for France, though I don?t feel great about that one, and Sweden by the same score.
ProSoccerTalk is doing its best to keep you up to date on what?s going on in Poland and Ukraine.?Check out the site?s Euro 2012 page?and look at the site?s previews, predictions, and coverage of all the events defining UEFA?s championship.

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