B2 TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2024 STRATFORD BEACON HERALD French forward Kylian Mbappe, wearing a protective mask, practises in Paderborn, Germany on Monday, Poland. Mbappe broke his nose during his side's tournament opener. France needs a draw against Polant the eve of France's Group D Euros match against id to guarantee advancement. FRANCK FIFE/AFP Mbappe ‘raring to go’ against Poland French star edging closer to return, but coach hasn't said if he’s cleared to play France superstar Kylian Mbappe appears closer to making a return at the European Championship. The Real Madrid-bound striker sustained abroken nosein France’s opening 1-0 win over Austria and didn’t come off the bench for the 0-0 he eee the Netherlands on coe coach Didier Deschamps didn’t give much away Monday when pressed if Mbappe was avail- able for the Group D closer against Poland on Tuesday, when he would have to wear a protective mask. “He’s getting better every day yesterday, he was in our training session, the bruise has actually gone down and he’s getting used to playing in a mask,” Deschamps said, before adding with a smile: “He wants to play, he’s raring to go. He wanted to play against the Netherlands and wants to play to- morrow against Poland.” Without referring to anyone specifically, Deschamps said he hadn’t yet “got the go-ahead from the medical team” when it came to Soseed his starting lineup. need to chat with different Riga let’s Bae ” Deschamps said, smiling agai: Abigger aig was perhaps given by one of Mbappe’s teammates. “We all know what Kylian’s qual- bi are,” midfielder N’Golo Kante aid. neThe reasons we weren’t able to hit the back of the net maybe was a lack of efficiency and maybe the fact that Kylian will be here tomorrow will help us score goals and win the game. “It is a huge advantage to have him on the team.” Kante said Mbappe was “great, decisive and dangerous” in prac- tice on Sunday. “I think he feels well,” Kante added, “and I hope this translates on the pitch tomorrow.” Mbappe woreamaskon Saturday when he playedinabehind-closed- doors match against a local team from Paderborn, the German city where the France squad is based. He has worn the mask each day in training, too. Deschamps said the mask is limiting Mbappe’s vision, but wouldn’t describe it as a “con- straint.” “Breathing, no; the way he sees, yes,” Deschamps said. Deschamps added it wouldn’t impact on where Mbappe might play in the team. “Contact will be contact, regard- less of whereyou play,” hé'said. “Whenever you got those one- on-ones, it’s about his field of vi- sion. But everything depends on the situations and where he is po- sitioned. But it’s not huge. We're talking about a tenth of a second for Kylian, a tenth ofa second is 30 metres! Yes, it’s maybe hindering (him) buti it’s something he will get used to. France will guarantee advancing to the knockout stage with a point against Poland at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion. England plays Slovenia in its final C game on Tuesday. Neg- ativity has surrounded Gareth Southgate’s team following its unconvincing 1-1 draw with Den- mark, but England still tops the group and a draw will be enough to guarantee it advances to the round of 16. Here’s what to know about the match: Match facts = England's 1-1 draw with Den- mark has sparked heavy criticism of the team, despite it topping Group C and being likely to prog- ress even if it loses to Slovenia. While England could still finish third, four points has always been enough to advance to the knock- out phase of the Euros as one of the best third-place teams. = England beat Serbia 1-0 in its opening game. = Winning the group would mean England faces one of the best third- place teams from Group D, Eor F. = Slovenia, with two points, goes depending o on results. = gainst Den- he Sue 2 a collision with Scotland’: a pee ee inits other games. Tea in England’s squad The eat on rote was halt- ed for nearly 10 minutes so Varga could get treatment colliding were due to train on Monday, with speculation Luke Shaw could play for the first time at these Euros, having missed the end of the sea- son with inju = Southgate may decide to make a change in midfield after exper- imenting with defender Trent Alexander-Arnold in_a holding role, Conor Gallagher could part- ner Declan Rice instead. = Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek was asked about the availability of es Sener Sesko and said with Angus Gunn midway through the second half. The 29-year-old Varga was car- tied off ona stretcher and takento a pee espinal He had sur- geryon M Seartiebas ee underwent a successful operation at Klinikum Stuttgart on Monday afternoon, the Hungarian soccer federation wrote on X. “According to the information of the institution’s doctors special- ae in facial i injuries, the inter- g undergone specialize individual training. By babe ae Kai ane scored a record-ex- eae 64th goal for England in the game against Denmark. = Slovenia is playing in only its second Euros and is still waiting for its first win. What they’re saying = “Wearevery aware that our per- formances need to improve, butin terms of points and goals, we're in avery similar situation to the last Euro and we're comfortable with that.” — England coach Gareth So pthent = “Perhaps England haven't yet shown everything they’re capa- ble of at this Euro. That might give them an additional push. We expect avery disciplined opponent with excellent individuals. We will have to playat ourverybest, maybe even go beyond ourselves, in order to claim a positive result.” — Slo- venia midfielder Gorenc Stankovic = “We are still masters of our destiny, with all due respect to England, who are an outstand- ing team. This will be the biggest challenge for this generation of players. But I amsure it will notbe the last. We have calmed the nerves after Serbia, we have analyzed the positives and negatives from that atch. We are ready.” — Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek Hungary forward Barnabas Varga is expected to be released from hos- el ‘othe Ae striker can leave the hospital on Wednesday.” Hungary won 1-0 with a dra- matic stoppage-time goal from substitute Kevin Csoboth to leave it with a chance of advancing at Euro 2024, though Varga will play no further part. Several of Varga’s teammates appeared to be in tears as the for- ward received treatment on the field. They held up blankets to shield Varga as he was tended to by medical staff. The Hungary players frantical- ly signalled to medical staff after the incident and several have since spoken out about how longit took for Varga to receive treatment. Varga also sustained aconcussion. “I think, yes, it took so long. I can understand, everybody under- stands the protocol, and what they have to wait, but the life is more important than the football, then the health is more important,” Csoboth said on Monday. “We wanted to push them to go (on the field), it doesn’t matter what will happen, and that’s the problem. We did not agree with them, why they did not go (on the field) immediately?” Hungary captain Dominik Szo- boszlai rushed to run with the stretcher because he was con- erned with how long it was tak- ing to bring it onto the field. UEFA insists “there was no delay in the treatment of and assistance to” MLB STANDINGS AMERICAN LEAGUE East WL Pct GB | Central NewYork 5228 650 — | Cleveland Baltimore 4928 636 15 Minnesota Boston 42.36 538 Kansas Cy TampaBay 3840 487 13 | Detroit Toronto 3542 455 15.5 | Chicago NATIONAL LEAGUE East WL Pct GB | Central Philadelphia 51 6 ee Milwaukee Atlanta 43 3, St. Louis Washington 38 3 is 1 Bitsbugh Newiork 3138 4a 138 | Cheage Miami 7 50 351 24 | Cincinnati into the game knowing it could pital on Wednesday after under- Varga. finish top or bottom of the group, going surgery on facial fractures The Associated Press CFL East GWLT F A P WeekThree Montreal 33.0 0 97 53 6 Bye:Calgary WL Pct GB West W L Pct GB | Toronto ee ay es eee ul : 6 Saskatchewan 36 Hamilton 2 4925 $53 — Seale 4535 93 % 11 0 5 551 75 Houston 3840 487 6 ‘Hamilton Seen Saturday's result re = 7 fee aon x pe 3 Toronto 39 Edmonton 36 glean 33. 2 | West GWLT F PF, 3 5 riday's result BE 2 D1 Clin ORE |. sakaichenpn as 0 98. Ti ae British Columbia 26 Winnipeg 24 British Columbia 32 10 79 76 4 2110 4 50 2 tte Edmonton 30 3.0 7 9 0 Montreal 47 Ottawa LASS od gt we | Wane 30 3 0 5 76 0 Week Fou 4533 577 = | LosAngeles 4831 608 — Bye: Sains BZ SE (5 Sandiego 4141 300 95 Thursday, booe 27 Hal ane | SenPancsco 3642 46? 13 cena ose 3641 468 85 Colorado 27 51 346 205 Be, June 28 Raptors, Barnes sign rich contract Scottie Barnes and the To- ronto Raptors have agreed to a five-year rookie con- tract extension that could be worth up to US$270 million should Barnes meet certain requirements, ESPN first reported on Monday. Barnes will make north of $200 million (about 25 per cent of Toronto’s cap) on the deal for sure, but if he makes All-NBA or wins certain awards, the amount could rise. Regardless, it’s the richest contract in Rap- tors history for the face of the franchise. The 22-year-old Barnes is coming off his first all- star selection and a season in which he averaged 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game before being shut down due to in- jury at the start of March. Barnes previously joined Damon Stoudamire and Vince Carter as Raptors to benamed NBA rookie of the year. He was the fourth pick of the 2021 draft. Toronto was unwilling to pay Pascal Siakam, the team’s former top player, the close to $200 million whelming return in Jan- uary. Siakam went on to starforthe Pacers in along playoffrun, ashe had inthe past for Toronto. Now, the Raptors are betting Barnes will follow suit. Canadians Gabriel Dial- lo and Alexis Galarneau moved tothe second round of Wimbledon qualifying with wins Monday at the All England Club. The 22-year-old Diallo, from Montreal, posted a (8), 6-1,7. ziz Dougaz. Diallo will face eighth seed Daniel Galan of Co- lombia in the second round Grand Slam main draw of his career after making his major debut at last month’s French Open, where he lost to Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori in five sets in the first round. Galarneau, 25, from Laval, Que., rallied past Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3,6-2andwill next face another French opponent in 38-year-old Richard isa a former world N Galarisentt is looking to qualify for his first Grand Slam. Canada struck gold in men’s and women’s beach volley- ball on Sunday — alongwith some continental partic- ipant passes to the 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The men’s and women’s teams claimed top spot in the NORCECA Beach Vol- leyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Mexico. Heather Bansley of Wa- undefeated in the tourna- ment and won the women’s ‘old. Samuel Schachter of Richmond Hill, Ont., and 2-0 (21-13, 21-13) in Sun- day’s gold-medal final. Three beach teams are now qualified for Canada. 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