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MANAUS, Brazil -- Xherdan Shaqiris hat trick put Switzerland into the second round of the World Cup, and kept coach Ottmar Hitzfeld gainfully employed for at least a few more days. Shaqiri scored a pair of first-half goals and added another in the second Wednesday to give Switzerland a 3-0 victory over Honduras, a result that put the Swiss in second place in Group E behind France. "We knew that we were going to show great football today," said Shaqiri, a Bayern Munich winger. "For us, this has been really a dream to be in the World Cup, small Switzerland in the World Cup." The small Swiss will next face the not-so-small Lionel Messi and Argentina on Tuesday in Sao Paulo in what could be Hitzfelds final match. The German veteran, a two-time Champions League winner as a coach, has said this tournament will be his last. "We are really anxious for that. We also know that we are not the favourites for the match, but we are going to try for victory," Shaqiri said. "Getting to the round of 16, everything is possible. You never know." Shaqiri scored his first goal in the sixth minute, dribbling into a crowd of defenders and curling a shot into the net off the underside of the crossbar. In the 31st, he collected a pass from Josip Drmic after a defensive error and easily beat Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares. Shaqiri completed his hat trick in the 71st. Drmic did well to beat Honduras defender Victor Bernardez on the left and pass to a charging Shaqiri, who one-timed his shot past a diving Valladares. In the other Group E game, France held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw. The match at the Arena da Amazonia was the fourth and final game to be played in the Brazilian rainforest, and was the second to have an official cooling break because of the stifling heat and humidity. According to FIFA, it was 26 degrees C (79 degrees F) with the humidity at 88 per cent when the match started. Referee Nestor Pitana of Argentina made the decision to stop the match in the 39th, and the break lasted for about a minute. There was also an official break in the first half of the United States-Portugal match on Sunday. After three 6 p.m. starts at the Arena da Amazonia, Wednesdays match started at 4 p.m. But a noontime thunderstorm combined with overcast skies and a slight breeze cooled the temperature a bit after several days of sunny skies and oppressive heat. "Toward the end things were getting tougher, but we managed to deal with this," Hitzfeld said. "We ran for the ball." The extreme weather had been something Honduras was looking forward to. The Central American country has a similar climate, and they often play qualifiers under the same circumstances in an effort to gain an advantage over opposing teams. On Wednesday, Honduras struggled to create much on the attacking end, but did manage several decent attempts in the second half. The teams best chance came in the 52nd minute when striker Jerry Bengtson beat Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio but had his shot cleared off the line by defender Ricardo Rodriguez. A few minutes later, Honduras screamed for a penalty after substitute Jerry Palacios went down in the area with Switzerland defender Johan Djourou on his back, but Pitana decided otherwise. "The second half was very good. We had three or four chances to score, but to score a goal is a different story," said Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez, who said he would not continue as coach of the national team. "In a sense, we disappointed our nation." Switzerland and Honduras played each other at the World Cup in South Africa exactly four years ago, on June 25, 2010, but that match ended in a 0-0 draw and both teams were eliminated. This time, the Swiss move on and Hitzfeld has plenty more work to do against Argentina. "(Its) going to be a match that we have nothing to lose. We have a lot to gain," Hitzfeld said. "We do have a chance, even against Argentina." ------ Lineups: Honduras: Noel Valladares; Brayan Beckeles, Victor Bernardez, Maynor Figueroa, Juan Carlos Garcia; Oscar Boniek Garcia (Andy Najar, 77), Jorge Claros, Wilson Palacios, Roger Espinoza (Marvin Chavez, 46); Carlo Costly (Jerry Palacios, 40), Jerry Bengtson. Switzerland: Diego Benaglio; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Johan Djourou, Fabian Schaer, Ricardo Rodriguez; Valon Behrami, Gokhan Inler, Xherdan Shaqiri (Blerim Dzemaili, 87), Granit Xhaka (Michael Lang, 77), Admir Mehmedi; Josip Drmic (Haris Seferovic, 73). Miles Mikolas Cardinals Jersey . The Earthquakes (6-9-7) were coming off a 5-0 loss at home last Saturday to FC Dallas. Even with the draw, the Sounders (13-7-3) climbed back into a tie for both the Western Conference and overall top spot in MLS. Seattle, West co-leader Real Salt Lake and East leader Sporting Kansas City all have 42 points. Gussie Busch Cardinals Jersey . On Monday night, many fans in this city placed the blame squarely on the captain for his role in the James Neal overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/. Pistorius denied the allegation that he said to the close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" The accusation by Kim Myers provided a bizarre twist during the trial of the world-famous double-amputee Olympian, who is facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for shooting dead Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, at his home last year. Bruce Sutter Cardinals Jersey .Y. -- Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff had an opportunity to experience an entire range of emotions in his first trip back to Buffalo to face his former team. Bobby Tolan Cardinals Jersey . 3 Ohio State. Amedeo Della Valle had 15 points, Marc Loving scored a career-high 13 and the bench provided 38 points as the Buckeyes sprinted past Nebraska 84-53 on Saturday.TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on the skilled and efficient Kevin Love in Minnesota, if Danny Granger gets bought out by the 76ers, discussions of a four-point line, the steady and dependable Robin Lopez with the Blazers and Kirk Hinrichs help in the Bulls resurgence. 1. KEVIN LOVE (Timberwolves): Another monster game Tuesday night vs. Phoenix with 33 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and he goes 3-6 from 3-point range. Hes been off the charts lately and just dominates games in so many ways. You look at him and he doesnt have great explosiveness or lift in his game yet all he does is work you over. Incredibly skilled and efficient and hes very strong. Plays the game at the right pace and sees the game a few frames ahead of most. Former GM/coach Kevin McHale got ripped for selecting him out of UCLA but as we can all see now, one great big man knows another. He saw something in this guy that few others saw. Everyone knew he was good - not just this good. The fact that hes made a serious commitment to his conditioning and diet has taken his game to a whole new level. 2. DANNY GRANGER (76ers): Everyone in the NBA will be keeping an eye on what happens with the buyout negotiations here. Hes got until this weekend to get it done and be on another roster for the March 1 deadline so hes eligible for the playoffs. The big question is; does he do it? He gives up his Bird Rights if he agrees to the buyout which takes away some of his potential earning power as a free agent this summer. In addition, he can be a nice bargaining chip for Philly in a sign-and-trade this June/July. If he hits the open market, hell get lots of offers. Obviously, injuries the past few years (averaging only eight ppg and shooting a woeful 36 per cent) have really impacted him and he probably wont be right until next fall but is worth the risk if he becomes available in the next few days. Clock is ticking and its ticking real fast. 3. FOUR-POINT LINE: Is this a Hoax? Like the Justin Bieber protest in Atlanta? Really? Look, Im a fan of widening the court a little bit - Ive said it on the air many times that we see guys stepping on the sideline way too often, but a four-point shot - maybe Im too old fashioned or out of touch but I really dont want to get that extreme.dddddddddddd Enough guys in the league right now that have a hard enough time making free throws let alone adding a gimmick like this. 4. ROBIN LOPEZ (Blazers): When you reflect on great under-the-radar pickups in the summer, this has to be one of the best. What was New Orleans thinking here? Hes been an ideal complement to LaMarcus Aldridge and has allowed the All-Star to play at his natural four-spot. Hes been the anchor for their defence and has posted nice numbers at 11 ppg and nine rpg while getting close to two blocks a game. Hes been steady and dependable and plays with wonderful energy and enthusiasm. Obviously, not an A-list talent but if I had to grade his performance for the Blazers, Id give him an A for the impact hes had in transforming their team into one of the fun stories in the league along with the Suns and the Raptors as surprise teams. 5. KIRK HINRICH (Bulls): Dont let the numbers deceive you (nine ppg and shooting only 38 per cent while averaging only 4.3 assists per game) compared to his career accomplishments. This guy is a winner and is healthy again and a big part in the resurgence of his team. Outstanding defensive player who competes really hard every night. Knows how to run a team and does whatever you need when you need it. Ideal role player in their system and his energy and relentless style is typical of their organizational culture. Really respect this guy and what he brings to the table each game. Yes, limited in many ways but if you really sit and watch him you gain a greater appreciation for his contribution to the team. Numbers are nice to look at and a judgment tool for many but its also about how a guy meshes with his teammates and compliments their games and sacrifices his for the greater good. He understands what it means to be a team guy first, last and everything in between. ' ' '