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The first European Championship with 24 teams wasnt to everyones taste.Some atrociously dull games and unambitious pack-the-defense tactics from weaker teams lent weight to critics laments that the addition of eight more nations watered down the quality of the football.But the wider door also ushered in underdogs who delighted and, in the case of Wales and Iceland, amazed. The convoluted process for determining which teams advanced to the knockout stages produced drama but also took super-brains to understand. Bottom-line: The jury is still out on whether the expanded formats pluses outweigh its minuses.Of the 107 goals before Sundays final, where France plays Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal in the tournaments 51st game, one of the best was scored in the first match. Dimitri Payets curling, left-footed late winner for the under-pressure host nation against Romania made the West Ham winger the first darling of a tournament where expected stars barely glittered, to name just goalless German forward Thomas Mueller and his Bayern Munich teammate Robert Lewandowski. The Poles record-equaling 13 goals in tournament qualifying were followed by just one more strike in France, when Poland was counting on him most.Thankfully, the group-stage departure of Russia and the last-16 loss of England, humiliated 2-1 by a country, Iceland, with a population one-tenth that of inner London, saw the back of their mindless hooligans. Fun-loving fans from surprise semifinalist Wales had the last laugh, and the slow hand-clapping Icelanders left in the quarterfinals with a last HUH! -- a battle-cry subsequently adopted by delirious French crowds when Les Bleus beat their major tournament nemesis since 1958, Germany, to make the final.In short, the 31-day tournament, held amid intense but not overly intrusive post-terror attack security, produced a harvest of both highs and lows.Heres a closer look at some of them:---HOOLIGANSThe lowest of the lows. The viciousness of seemingly combat-trained Russian thugs who charged English fans before the teams 1-1 group-stage draw in Marseille , and again in the Velodrome Stadium itself, surprised French police geared up against terror threats but not street fighting. Almost all of the 35 people injured, one critically, in the street battles were British. England fans itching for a rematch with Russian hooligans that thankfully didnt materialize disgraced themselves the following week with drunken, loutish behavior up north in Lille, met by sprays of police tear gas and several dozen arrests. And a 2-2 draw between Czech Republic and Croatia was interrupted when flares were thrown onto the pitch and Croatia fans fought among themselves.---NO KIDSA sourpuss UEFA edict against players having their children join them on the pitch for post-match celebrations was a kill-joy low. UEFA said it was concerned for small kids safety and that the European Championship is not a family party.A high was the kids of Wales players running on the field at the Parc des Princes in Paris after their dads beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the round of 16, being cheered on by Wales fans as they shot at goal with their little legs.---BORINGThose heartwarming scenes were the only redeeming feature of an otherwise teeth-grindingly dull match, of which there were more than a few. The increased total of 51 games, from 31 in the previous 16-team format, always threatened a greater likelihood of duds, as weaker squads with plenty of heart but lacking the skills to progress deep into the tournament opted for defense in numbers and hoped for goals from counterattacks. Even star-studded teams were only moderately more interesting than drying paint at times. In advancing to the quarterfinals, Ronaldos Portugal had just two attempts on target in 120 minutes against Luka Modrics Croatia, which managed none. A yawn-filled low.---THRILLING ITALYNot a contradiction in terms, thanks to Chelseas new coach Antonio Conte, who squeezed every ounce of quality out of an Italian team that ended the eight-year reign of 2008 and 2012 champions Spain with mesmerizing attacking gusto crafted onto the 3-5-2 solidity of a Juventus back-three and evergreen 38-year-old `keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Contes only foot wrong was bringing on Simone Zaza in the last minute of extra time for a penalty shoot-out against Germany in the quarterfinals. With a prancing horse run-up that made him the butt of online jokes , Zaza was one of four Italy players who failed to convert in the 6-5 penalty win for the world champions.Other 90 minutes well spent were Wales 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Belgium, lit up by Hal Robson-Kanus hip-shimmy turn and goal that put the Welsh ahead; Germanys flowing 3-0 dismantlement of Slovakia in the round of 16; and, for its wow factor, Iceland beating England -- a high for underdog-loving neutrals but not for England coach Roy Hodgson, who immediately threw in the towel.---HUH!The Icelandic cry will echo in memories long after the tournament, as will the symbiotic relationship, full of mutual adoration, that players and fans from the island of 330,000 people built during their adventure of a lifetime to the quarterfinals. The fans haunting rendition of their song Ferdalok (Sun shimmers in the water, see the glacier glow ...) during the teams honorable 5-2 loss to France was the spine-tingling high of a tournament that lacked an abundance of earth-shattering football but not entertaining moments.---John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicesterStitched NFL Jerseys . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. China Jerseys . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. http://www.cheapjerseysdiscount.com/ . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. Jerseys Outlet . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Cheap Jerseys . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year.Yasiel Puig has met with the?Los Angeles Dodgers fan whose front tooth was knocked out when the outfielder tossed a ball into the stands at Yankee Stadium as a souvenir.Alyssa Gerharter also came away with a busted lip from Puigs throw, which followed the final out of a Dodgers win Monday night in the opener of a three-game set in the Bronx.Puig made amends with?Gerharter and tweeted a photo of the meeting Wednesday.Gerharter described part of the sequence of events in a statement to the New York Daily News.I saw it coming at me and I remember thinking, I dont have a glove to catch this ball ... and I think I put my hands up in front of my face, Gerharter told the newspaper. I saw it was coming at me and registered that it was coming at me, and I felt it hit me.?It wasnt so much painful as it was shock, she added. So I felt it hit me and I could feel immediately with my tongue theres a hole.dddddddddddd. And I looked down at my hand and saw theres a tooth in my hand.Gerharter was taken to a hospital after being ushered to a first-aid room inside the stadium, according to the Daily News report.Everybody was going after it. And I guess we all missed, said Gerharter, who said she was in attendance with a group of 30 or 40 New York-based Dodgers fans. It was so fast that I dont think its anybodys fault for not catching it.She also shared the experience via Twitter.In our whole group there was only one person who had a glove, Gerharter told the Daily News. So everybody was trying to catch it with their bare hands. I caught it with my face. ' ' '