France's Mamadou Sakho, left, and Ecuador's Enner Valencia challenge for the ball during the group E World Cup soccer match between Ecuador and France at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) – Xherdan Shaqiri scored all three goals Wednesday to put Switzerland into the second round of the World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Honduras.
The Swiss will next face Lionel Messi and Argentina on Tuesday in Sao Paulo.
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.
Switzerland finished second in Group E behind France, which held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in the other game.
The Group E 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 79 degrees F with the humidity at 88 percent 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.
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.
And yet on Wednesday Honduras struggled to create much on the attacking end. The team's 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.
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.
Meanwhile, in Rio de Janeiro, France drew 0-0 with 10-man Ecuador to advance to the second round, while the South Americans are going home.
Ecuador was down to 10 men short at Rio's Maracana stadium after Antonio Valencia was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute for digging his studs into the leg of French defender Lucas Digne.
But Ecuador may feel upset that France center half Mamadou Sakho was not shown a red card in the eighth minute when he appeared to elbow Oswaldo Minda in the face during a France corner. Then, in a late incident off the ball, France forward Olivier Giroud jabbed his elbow in to Gabriel Achilier, who was standing behind him.
France coach Didier Deschamps made six changes to his starting lineup, knowing his side was all but assured of advancing.
France came closest to scoring when Antoine Griezmann hit the post in the 47th and then missed a string of late chances as its much-vaunted attacked failed to live up to the hype generated by last Friday's 5-2 win against Switzerland.
An inspired Ecuador went close in the 82nd when substitute midfielder Alex Ibarra broke down the right, cut inside center half Raphael Varane, and saw his powerful strike beaten away by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Moments later, France striker Karim Benzema played a one-two with Giroud but stroked a casual shot that goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez easily saved.
Dominguez had an outstanding match, denying substitute Loic Remy with a brilliant leaping save from the forward's curling shot in the 87th minute.
Giroud should then have scored in injury time but planted a free header straight into Dominguez's hands.
After France had hit the post, Ecuador almost took the lead in the 54th when Cristhian Noboa shot wide.
Ecuador kept pushing forward, knowing it had to win because Switzerland was coasting. With more space, France pressured down both flanks and Benzema teed up Paul Pogba, whose shot was well blocked.
Benzema was getting on the ball much more and he sent Blaise Matuidi through the middle in the 62nd, but the midfielder placed his shot too close to the goalkeeper.
As time for Ecuador ran out, both sides went close.
Pogba headed wide from close range and Benzema shot straight at Dominguez after cutting in from the left. Then, Edcuador's Michael Arroyo burst down the left but center half Laurent Koscielny stood him up well and he shot wide.
Pogba still had enough energy left to thump a powerful shot narrowly wide, while Ecuador's last chance came from a corner as France defended desperately to prevent an unexpected defeat.
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