France vs. Uruguay - As it happened

Abhay Puri brings you all the action from the Group A game between France and Uruguay.

After a cracker of a match to kick off the tournament, its on to the second game as France take on challengers Uruguay. Refresh this page every few minutes to get the latest updates. Kick off is just a few minutes away, and the starting line-ups have been announced:

France: Hugo Lloris, Bacary Sagna, Eric Abidal, William Gallas, Patrice Evra, Yoann Gourcuff, Jeremy Toulalan, Abou Diaby, Sidney Govou, Nicolas Anelka, Franck Ribery

Uruguay: Fernando Muslera, Diego Lugano, Diego Godin, Mauricio Victorino, Maximiliano Pereira, Diego Perez, Egidio Arevalo, Ignacio Gonzalez, Alvaro Pereira, Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan.

Few surprises in the Uruguay line up, while the big news in the French camp is that Florent Malouda has been left out in favour of Abou Diaby, with Raymond Domenech seemingly reverting to a 4-2-3-1 system. a bit of history: The last two meetings between this pair have finished scoreless, while France have won just one of their five matches against Uruguay, losing twice and drawing twice.

The teams are out of the tunnels, and the start of the game is imminent.

1 min - And we are up and running, as the French kick off. Both teams have started tentatively, losing the ball in midfield and attempting cross-field passes that are being easily intercepted.

3 min - France win a throw-in on the edge of the final third - Evra picks out Anelka, who dribbles it into the corner, where Mauricio Victorino relieves him off possession. Uruguay then win a free-kick in their own half and hoof it upfield towards Forlan, but Diaby intercepts easily.

5 min - Both sides are looking tentative, but France get the first real opportunity after a good pass from Diaby allows Ribery to break down the left. His cross is low and incisive but Govou allows it to go past him. He really should have done better there...

7 min - Uruguay will be relieved that did not go in, and now win a free-kick after a poor tackle from Toulalan right next to the half line.

10 min - France are certainly looking stronger now, maintaining possession. Ribery attempts a cross from the left but it is easily cleared, and Diaby gathers the ball and attempts an audacious long shot that ends up nowhere near goal.

11 min - Evra gets booked for a cynical tackle after losing the ball on the left wing. Lloris mishandles the initial long ball but is able to recover before Suarez gets there.

14 min - France are looking quite lively now, they win two successive corners but are unable to get a shot on target, and Anelka subsequently heads Gourcuff's cross well over the ball.

16 min - Forlan unleashes a fiery shot from just outside the box, but Lloris is able to punch it away. Forlan demonstrated his pace there, and was able to get a shot away very quickly, demonstrating the threat that the Uruguayan strikers provide.

17 min - What a chance! Ribery wins a free-kick with a trademark run down the left, and Gourcuff's shot was headed for the top corner before Muslera dived in to save it. France have a corner, but it is cleared by a Uruguayan defender.

20 min - France are pressing very well and not allowing the South Americans any time on the ball. They pass it around before Gourcuff attempts a shot from far out that goes just over the bar. The French have certainly looked far more threatening so far.

22 min - Ribery intercepts a poor cross field pass and charges down the left, but attempts one trick too many and is dispossessed by Diego Godin. A few moments later Diaby's pass picks out Anelka, who pulls a Ribery, tries to skip past his markers and loses the ball.

24 min - Govou receives the ball in some space but is unable to make anything of it, instead giving the ball away and conceding a throw in. Forlan then manages a wonderful turn past Gallas but his pass to the left is intercepted by Sagna.

27 min - The French do not look like they are playing as a team, they have plenty of possession but continually attempt the glorious long pass or try to dribble it too many times rather than going for short passes. Gourcuff heaves the ball into the box but it is headed clear by Victorino, behind whom Anelka was lurking.

29 min - Uruguay get it to Forlan, who is out wide on the left and his cross goes nowhere near anybody in a blue shirt. Diaby then cuts past one and plays a wonderful ball into Govou's path, but Anelka runs onto it instead, despite being offside, proving my point about the French not playing with any cohesiveness. Even so, they have had the lion's share of possession and look more likely to score.

33 min - Uruguay finally maintain possession for a few moments, culminating in a Forlan pass into Suarez's path. Suarez was clean through but just offside.

35 min - Uruguay win a free-kick just ahead of the half-line, and Forlan's ball in is cleared by the first French defender. Toulalan tries to play Ribery through with a long ball, which is just overhit and cleared by Uruguay keeper Muslera.

38 min - Both sides are struggling to keep possession and the game is getting increasingly scrappy. Gourcuff takes a free-kick from well outside the box but it is straight at Muslera, who collects easily.

40 min - Uruguayan Perreira goes down after Govou's mistimed jump causes the Frenchman to clatter into his knee. Once play restarts, Abidal mystifyingly clears the ball out of play even though he was under very little pressure.

42 min - Sagna plays a ball into the box but Anelka's volley is a few yards wide. Then, once again, Ribery loses possession trying to trick his way past the two Uruguay dfenders who were pressuring him. He has been really disappointing apart from the first six or seven minutes.

44 min - Toulalan goes down after a late tackle from Victorino, and Gourcuff delivers another great ball from the resulting free-kick, but Muslera punches it clear.

Half-Time - France 0-0 Uruguay

And that's half time, bringing to an end 45 minutes where France started positively but then seemed to lose direction. Govou had a clear chance early on, while Uruguay have looked out of sorts but not really faced any goal threats. Forlan's shot on target was the only inspiration for them, but if it continues like this, the game seems headed for a scoreless draw. See you in a few moments for the 2nd half...

48 min - The second half has started slowly once again, but Uruguay are keeping possession more effectively than they were in the first period. Ignacio Gonzalez moves it forward, trying to pick out Diego Forlan, but Abidal clears.

50 min - A good long ball from Gargano finds Forlan in the box, but Gallas was alert to the danger and is able to force the ball out of play. Gallas then goes down clutching his thigh, but is up soon after and Lloris restarts play from the goal kick.

53 min - A cross from Sagna almost finds Anelka, but the Uruguayan defence is alert and the ball is cleared away. Evra then weaves past two defenders on the left and lays it off to Gourcuff, whose shot is blocked.

56 min - Some good attacking build-up from France but they can't seem to find the final pass through, first Ribery loses it on the left, and then Toulalan attempts a long distance shot that is easily covered by Muslera. Gourcuff then finds himself in space after a good square ball from D

57 min - Evra is brought down on the left wing, and Victorino receives a yellow card for his late tackle. Gourcuff stands over the free kick and then plays it shorts to Ribery, who miscontrols his shot and fires the ball into the stands.

59 min - A cross from Ribery finds Anelka, but is a tad too high and the forward heads it nowhere near goal. Uruguay then break quickly, but Toulalan does well to get back and make the tackle on Suarez.

61 min - Uruguay make a change, Ignacio Gonzalez comes off and is replaced by Nicholas Lodeiro.

63 min - Diaby gives away a free-kick which Forlan fires very hard but straight at Lloris. Suarez is then brought down by Evra on the left, and Uruguay get another set piece, but are unable to make anything of it.

66 min - France are looking increasingly frustrated and short of options. Anelka collects the ball wide on the right and plays it back to Toulalan, whose cross is easily dealt with by the Uruguayan defence.

68 min - Toulalan gets himself booked after an awful tackle on Perreira, who was bombing down the left, and then an argument breaks out between Toulalan and Gargano. The referee attempts to calm things down, and play restarts from Uruguay's free-kick.

71 min - Thierry Henry, whose handball brought France to the World Cup, comes on for the largely ineffective Nicolas Anelka. Uruguay win a throw-in in the French half and hoist it long. Suarez wins the header and nods it into the path of Forlan, who shoots just wide. That was a good chance, and Forlan will be disappointed with his effort.

74 min - Suarez is substituted, and Sebastian Abreu comes on for Uruguay, while France replace Gourcuff with Florent Malouda. Just before the change, Gourcuff was forced into another long shot, as France are looking less and less likely to break down the Uruguayan defense.

76 min - The French continue to frustrate keeping possession, pinging the ball around in midfield and then giving it away. Uruguay are not looking particularly threatening either, but one gets the feeling they will be much more content with a draw than Les Bleus.

78 min - Malouda receives the ball on the left and takes a fearsome shot that was not too far away from hitting the target, and then Ribery and Govou both fall to the ground but fail to win free kicks.

80 min - RED CARD!!! Nicolas Lodeiro, the substitute, gets the first red card of the tournament after a late lunge on Sagna. He had been booked earlier for a tackle, and is off the pitch just 17 minutes after coming on! France now only have 10 men to break down, but the free-kick they get is easily cleared nonetheless.

82 min - Even against ten men, France are looking no more likely to score, as Ribery jigs down the left for the umpteenth time and then crosses into the stands. Sidney Govou comes off for Andre-Pierre Gignac of Toulouse.

85 min - France have nearly all of the possession, but again seem hard-pressed to find an opening. They pass it around in midfield and both Malouda and Gignac attempt shots that are blocked by Godin and Perreira respectively. Uruguay make another change, with Sebastian Eguren replacing Diego Perez.

88 min - France are really pressing hard now. Henry appeals for a handball after his shot is blocked (Oh, the irony!) and France then have a few successive corners, which are all headed clear. The entire game is taking place is Uruguay's half now, but France are unable to get any shots on goal as Uruguay are defending with all their hearts.

90+1 min - Diaby tries to dribble past about nine Uruguayan defenders on the edge of the area, and finally wins a free kick which seemed rather undeserved. Uruguay protest fervently as Henry and Ribery stand over the free-kick.

90+3 min - Henry takes the free kick but the wall is well-positioned and the ball is cleared for a throw after Diaby tried to keep it in. Uruguay take their time with the throw and the final whistle goes almost immediately after.

Full Time - France 0-0 Uruguay

So that's all from the 2nd Group A game, which was significantly less exciting than the opener between South Africa and the Mexicans. France's poor form seems to have continued, they had plenty of possession but failed to create any clear cut chances and were reduced to shooting from range or hoisting the ball into the box and hoping for the best. Uruguay, for all the hype about their strike pairing, were defensively impressive but did not create too many chances of their own either. Forlan had a couple of decent shots on goal, and considering the late sending-off will certainly be the happier of the two sides with this result. Raymond Domenech will certainly be criticized for his selections, after Sidney Govou and Franck Ribery were both largely ineffective.

So Group A is poised very evenly after the two draws tonight, stay tuned for Player Ratings, the match report and more. That's all from us for now, and do join us for tomorrow's games.