SAINT-DENIS, France -- Too small. Too frail. No future in French football. Antoine Griezmann defied plenty of skeptics by becoming the highest scorer at the European Championship.Frances hopes of a first title since Euro 2000 rest largely on the slim shoulders of Griezmann, who is on the small side for an attacking player at 1.76 meters (5-foot-9).The 25-year-old forward scored with an excellent finish and set up two more goals as France swatted aside Iceland 5-2 on Sunday to set up a semifinal against Germany.It will be great if he carries on being the top scorer in the competition, France coach Didier Deschamps said. Hes a very efficient player and is excellent technically. Well need more of the same from him on Thursday.He may be the toast of French football today, but it hasnt always been that way.There was no comfortable route through the well-reputed French football academies for Griezmann, who was so exasperated at being rejected by several French clubs for his small stature that he went to Spain as a teenager, joining Real Sociedad in 2008.How Lyon and other French clubs must cringe with embarrassment now. Even his current club -- Champions League runner-up Atletico Madrid -- may struggle to keep him.His affable and calm demeanor belies a tough interior. His difficult route to the top has made for a refreshingly blunt speaker.After Frances labored win against Ireland in the last 16, Griezmann revealed what was said at halftime -- giving a rare insight into changing room politics.We said things to each other, basically that we needed to `move our butt, Griezmann said. (Otherwise) we would have all looked like idiots.For a player of his size, he is remarkably good in the air, uncoiling his slight frame to unleash considerable power. Two of his four goals at this tournament have been headers -- which he recently said he has been practicing since the age of eight.But thats only part of what defines his game.Griezmanns awareness, touch and skill -- allied to pace, a low center of gravity and great movement -- make him extremely difficult to mark and he has the uncanny gift that top players have of finding space.When Im close to the penalty area, thats where I feel more comfortable, he said on Sunday.When hes not scoring, hes also dropping deep and spraying cushioned passes around with unwavering accuracy.He is also a lethal one-on-one finisher, as he showed against Ireland last weekend with his second goal in a 2-1 win.His goal on Sunday night, on the stroke of halftime against Iceland, was even better. Collecting Olivier Girouds delicate flick, he drew goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson off his line and then floated the ball over his shoulder for his 11th international goal.It was a finish that Barcelona great Lionel Messi would have been proud of for its mixture of technique and composure.Against Iceland, Griezmann also created goals for midfielder Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet, who has begun a habit of kissing Griezmanns trusty left boot in thanks for a goal.Its a scene that Deschamps clearly wants to be repeated on Thursday, though it is likely to be a very tight match. Well have to give everything against Germany, Griezmann said. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Robbie-Gould-Jersey/ . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Earl-Mitchell-Jersey/ .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Joe-Williams-Jersey/ . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Aaron-Lynch-Jersey/ . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-George-Kittle-Jersey/ . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Our experts weigh in on four of the biggest questions in NASCAR.Turn 1: The Xfinity race run in the rain at Mid-Ohio has generated polarizing opinions. Was it a good show?Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: From a fans perspective, yes -- entertaining for sure. From a paying customers perspective, having to sit in those conditions -- no. Its just not sustainable! It just doesnt give people the experience they paid for in terms of planning vacation, booking travel and reserving a hotel. Im not saying we shouldnt ever do it again, but there is obvious room for improvement.Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: It was a show. Was it a good show? Yes, because I like NASCAR to run the occasional race in the rain to quiet down the cries that there should be more racing in the rain. In the end, we had a nice battle between two good guys, and we had the best possible result when it came to honoring Bryan Clauson. So ... I dont want to see that every weekend, but yeah, good show!John Oreovicz, ESPN.com: It was mostly entertaining but sometimes embarrassing. I love the idea of racing in the rain when possible, but at times, the lack of traction from the rain tires made some pretty decent drivers look silly. At its best, racing in the rain showcases a drivers car control and judgment -- the late Mark Donohue used to call it The Great Equalizer. At its worst, it creates confusion and calamity. Mid-Ohio fell somewhere in between, but no one can dispute that Justin Marks did a great job and deserved to win.Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: Not in my book. That doesnt mean others didnt find it entertaining nor that the decision to race in the rain is the wrong one; it just wasnt fun throughout to watch. It was like going to a Patriots game to watch Tom Brady only for it to rain or snow, limiting his passing -- its still football but not what you had hoped to see. That being said, it was better than a Cup driver runaway win in an Xfinity race.Turn 2: Arguably the biggest short-track race of the season is this weekend at Bristol. Of road courses, plate races, short tracks and intermediates, what style of NASCAR racing do you enjoy the most?Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: I enjoy tracks that perform like short tracks, meaning road courses. Any track that requires heavy braking typically creates more action. I think this is becoming more evident in our sport.Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: To me, plate racing and road courses will always be appointment TV viewing. Those are the six races that you simply cannot get up to walk away from. No naps, no mowing the lawn, every lap means a chance for something crazy to happen. But when it comes to watching an event in person, short tracks win. You can see everything ... and theres a lot to see.John Oreovicz, ESPN.com:?Im on record as a road racing guy, yet I think of NASCAR as oval racing. But my favorite NASCAR racing doesnt happen on any of those categories of oval; I like the tracks kind of in between short tracks and intermediates -- ovals of a mile and a little more, like Darlington and Dover -- thosse high-speed tracks with a bit of character that the cookie-cutter 1.dddddddddddd5-milers cant muster. Though its a short track, Id love to see a Cup race at Iowa Speedway because I think it would be a tremendous show.Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: Short tracks, if you include anything under 1.5 miles. Those races are the ones where drivers with better cars often can make the pass, but they probably have to work to make that pass for at least a few laps.Turn 3: Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch each have five career Sprint Cup wins at Bristol. Who has the best shot to win a sixth this weekend?Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: Kyle Busch is not only the premier pick from the three -- he is a favorite across the board. He will have his hands full with Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and perhaps Kurt Busch. Im eager to see how Jeff handles the physical demands of Bristol -- it never pays to bet against him, so I wont -- but I struggle to see him setting the pace here the way he once did.Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: Kyle Busch. Strictly statistically speaking, over the last 10 races Gordon has the better numbers, but of the three its pretty clear who is in best position to win races right now.John Oreovicz, ESPN.com: With all due respect to Gordon, its got to be one of the Busch brothers. The coin flip says ... Kurt Busch!Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: Kyle Busch is ticked off with the way the current Bristol races and Gordons team, like all of Hendrick, is, well, a tick off. That leaves Kurt Busch atop the list.Turn 4: Which Virginia team has a better chance of pulling off the upset at Bristol over the next month? The Wood Brothers (well consider them Virginia even though they now have a Carolina base) with driver Ryan Blaney this weekend or Virginia Tech football against Tennessee next month?Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: The Wood Brothers winning would be a tremendous story. Im voting with my heart -- 21 car over Virginia Tech.Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: Blaney. Hes won there in Xfinity and finished 11th there back in March. Last I looked the Hokies were an 11-point underdog and I think that might not be enough. Im super reluctant to totally buy into the Tennessee hype, but Tech has a new head coach and a lot of work to do. On the bright side, have you seen the awesome Virginia Tech paint scheme that Blaney will be running at Bristol? So if he wins, Hokie Nation wins!John Oreovicz, ESPN.com: Well, its been about 20 years since I last followed college football, so the VT-UT game is another coin flip. A Blaney/Wood Brothers win would be a bigger upset and I know its the one Id like to see -- it would certainly shake up the race for the Chase just like a major upset in NCAA football would throw a wrench into the BCS standings.Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: The Hokies. Sorry, Blaney. But the Hokies only have to upset one team. Blaney would have to beat several favorites to earn his first Cup win. 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