Paris Games: Welcome to the Weird World of Men’s Soccer at the Olympics Kylian Mbappé wanted to be there. France coach Thierry Henry wanted it too. In the end, not even French president Emmanuel Macron could pull enough strings to free up his country’s finest soccer player to participate. Welcome to the weird world of men’s Olympic soccer. The world’s most popular sport occupies a strange space at the Games — confused by compromises and contortions that appear designed to ensure it remains a part of the roster so long as it provides the least possible disruption to teams, players, and authorities, whose priorities lie elsewhere. “It’s become a complete mishmash over the years from being something that was quite important... to something that quite a lot of people would like scrapped because the calendar is so clogged up,” soccer author Steve Menary told The Associated Press. Men’s soccer has been part of the Olympics since the 1900 Games, also in Paris. The only time it hasn’t featured since then was at Los Angeles in 1932 to help promote the newly conceived World Cup. Wind the clock forward and the World Cup is now arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet. Olympic soccer pales in comparison, and a gold medal simply isn’t the ultimate prize for fabulously wealthy players already caught up in tensions between club and international obligations and the battle to control ever-limited gaps in the calendar. The result is an international soccer tournament unlike any other, with exceptions and caveats shoe-horned in at all angles. “Football is the world’s global ritual,” David Goldblatt, author of “The Games – A Global History of the Olympics,” told the AP. “The balance of power and money and influence between football and every other sport combined — and FIFA and the IOC — has just tipped decisively in favor of football in the last 20 years. “Once upon a time the Olympics could have claimed to be the greatest sporting show on earth.” While that may still be the case for track and field and myriad other events, in terms of men’s soccer, it is firmly in the shadow of the most popular competitions like the World Cup, Champions League, and Premier League. It means that the job of assembling a squad to play at the Games is not as straightforward as picking your country’s best players. Mbappé is a case in point. “I have always had the same ambition,” the World Cup champion said in March. “I have always said that I wanted to go, but it doesn’t depend on me.” And this is where it gets tricky. FIFA’s Calendar Unlike other major soccer tournaments like the World Cup, the European Championship, and the Copa America, the Olympic men’s soccer event is not featured on world governing body FIFA’s International Match Calendar. That’s important because clubs are only required to release players for tournaments included on the calendar. In 2008, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld an appeal by Barcelona to stop Lionel Messi from competing at the Beijing Games. Barcelona eventually relented, and Messi went on to lead Argentina to gold. So despite Mbappé's desire to be part of France’s team — the decision was not his to make as he’s joined Real Madrid. And even Macron’s plea for Madrid to “free up Kylian for the Olympic Games,” didn’t work. Meanwhile, the Women’s World Cup is on FIFA’s calendar and will therefore feature the top players. Women’s soccer was added to the Olympics in 1996. An Exception It’s ironic that Barcelona fought so hard to stop Messi from competing, given the Spanish Football Federation compels its teams to allow Spanish players to take part in the Games. For Tokyo in 2021, several Spanish players had been involved in the European Championship earlier that summer. Barcelona Midfielder Pedri suffered injury problems after doubling up at the last Euros and Olympics and played close to 70 games that season. Congestion World players’ union FIFPRO has raised concerns about the demands on players in an ever-congested calendar. Following the mid-season World Cup in 2022, it said that 43% of players surveyed had experienced “extreme or increased mental fatigue.” Fears over the mental and physical health of players have seen FIFPRO demand FIFA reschedule the newly expanded Club World Cup that will take place in 2025. “Professional footballers are playing too many games,” Goldblatt said. “There is absolutely no shortage of football tournaments both meaningful and entertaining.” A Compromise While another team sport such as basketball will bring together the NBA’s finest players and famously produced the Dream Team at Barcelona in 1992, men’s soccer has had to go down a different route. A compromise, likely intended to avoid clashes with club teams, reached in 1992 made the tournament age-restricted to under 23s. That in itself is something of an oddity, given FIFA’s only age-restricted World Cups are for U17s and U20s. The move was seen as a way to expand the popularity of the World Cup at the expense of other events. “It is hard enough getting the stars to show up as it is given the calendar issues,” Goldblatt said. “I think that was just ‘Let’s get some stars in.’ It’s a sort of cobbled together thing.” The problem with a catchment of U23 also is many players by that age would already be established at top teams around the world and at international level. Take Jude Bellingham, for example, who was a veteran of two major international tournaments for England by the time he turned 19. And Another Thing To confuse matters further, an additional workaround allows each team to include three overage players. That quickly led to speculation about Messi’s participation, though Inter Miami would likely not have been too happy about its just-turned 37-year-old icon playing at the Copa America and the Olympics in the middle of the MLS season. Not that countries haven’t used the overage quota to bring in big stars. Neymar was one of Brazil’s overage players at Rio 2016 and led his team to victory. Simpler Times Men’s soccer used to be an amateur event, but that led to its own problems because different countries had different ideas about what it was to be an amateur. “Everyone had different rules. None of which matched up,” said Menary, author of “GB United? British Olympic Football and the End of the Amateur Dream.” In his book, Menary recounts how Britain played Italy at the Rome Games in 1960. “The Italian team, their rule was if you are under 21 you couldn’t be a professional,” he said. “The Italian U21 team had some of the best players Italy has ever had.” By comparison, Britain fielded a team of non-league players... and still drew 2-2. The Teams While some of soccer’s most powerful nations, such as Argentina, France, and Spain are in the field of 16 teams at the Games, the likes of Mali, Dominican Republic, and Guinea are less obvious qualifiers. The United States qualified for the first time since 2008. Brazil — winner of the last two editions — didn’t qualify. Britain, which won three of the first four editions, no longer enters a men’s team, with suggestions in the past that by doing so it could jeopardize the independent statuses of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Britain fielded a women’s team and made an exception for the men at London 2012. It may not be the strongest lineup of nations, but unlike other major tournaments, the format of the Olympics does appear to produce more surprise winners like Nigeria at Atlanta in 1996 and Cameroon four years later in Sydney. The Future It is unlikely Olympic men’s soccer will ever rival the big international or club competitions again. But it can still produce iconic moments. “In Nigeria and Cameroon when they won the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta and Sydney, that was a big deal because no African team has won the World Cup,” Goldblatt said. “For some people, it assumes significance and importance.” Copyright Source: Yueke

Denmark Rulings Show How Video Review at Euro 2024 Has Evolved Far from FIFA’s Original Vision for VAR FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Video review of soccer referees’ decisions is testing the patience and faith of coaches, players, and fans at the European Championship — much like it does in club games. When FIFA tested and shaped the Video Assistant Review (VAR) concept in 2016, there were some clear guidelines: Only overturn clear errors. Do not undermine the authority of the match referee. Give decisions within 10 seconds. How is that working out for everyone two World Cups and two Euros later, plus countless controversies in English Premier League games? Not well at all, according to Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand. “In my opinion, this is not how football is supposed to be,” Hjulmand said late Saturday after a match that swung on back-to-back technology-aided decisions from the English match officials. Instead of leading 1-0 in the 48th minute, on Joachim Andersen’s goal ruled offside, Denmark was trailing 1-0 in the 53rd, due to a penalty awarded against Andersen for handball. “Yeah, it was an even game. And then in the end, it was the referee who decided the game for us,” Andersen said. The reaction of Hjulmand and Andersen — who plays for English Premier League club Crystal Palace and is well acquainted with the work of referee Michael Oliver — summed up widespread frustration in an era of so many goal celebrations cut short. This is the tournament, of course, where the technology has seen three goals and Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku’s goal overruled by VAR. Referees also can often seem to be remotely controlled, going against FIFA’s pledge in 2016: “Never lose the authority of referees, never take it out.” “Michael Oliver is not making this decision,” Tottenham’s Australian coach Ange Postecoglou said of the penalty award during a British broadcast of the Denmark game. “If I hear one more person saying that they’re not re-refereeing a game, I will blow up. I don’t think that is why we brought in technology for that decision.” The ball clearly struck Andersen’s hand, though from a hard-hit cross at such a close distance that Oliver did not initially judge it a foul, had he thought an arm was extended in an unnatural position. While the VAR intervention was decisive, applying the strict laws of the game regarding handball was the issue for some. “The handball law is (expletive),” Alan Shearer, the former England great and BBC broadcaster, said. Hjulmand said he was “so tired of the ridiculous handball rule. Joachim was running normally. It’s a normal situation.” VAR officials also were not technically responsible for the offside judged against Denmark’s Thomas Delaney, who had been ahead of the last German defender. It was a binary ruling by the multi-camera-based Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) system conveyed to the referee from the VAR room. Another goal before scoring against Romania was similarly marginal, using a system developed since 2016. “SAOT is working very, very well, we are super happy,” UEFA’s head of refereeing Roberto Rosetti said in a review of match officials’ performance in the 36 group-stage games. After 20 corrections by VAR in those 36 games, the rate was bumped up by the three key overrules — two goals disallowed, one for each team, and the Germany penalty awarded — in the second of the round of 16 games. One of the key decisions also involved Stuart Attwell, who helped steer another English referee, Anthony Taylor, to rule out a goal for the Netherlands against France. The officials decided France goalkeeper Mike Maignan had been impeded by Denzel Dumfries standing nearby in an offside position. The game ended 0-0. The offside tech has been giving decisions within an average of 46 seconds, Rosetti said, while VAR decisions overall, which can include sending the referee to a pitch-side monitor, were averaging one minute, 36 seconds. Those are faster decisions by far than in the now-infamously erratic Premier League, yet still way beyond FIFA’s original wish for decisions within seconds to not disrupt the flow of play. “We have 10 seconds, or 12 seconds if we want, but it’s not good for the game,” said top Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers in 2016. Kuipers is now retired from games and is at Euro 2024 working for UEFA. Despite complaints and frustration about VAR, when Premier League clubs were asked on June 6 about scrapping it next season, they voted to keep it. Also, the laws on handball and offside can be changed at the International Football Association Board (IFAB). It is run by FIFA and the four British soccer federations. Ultimately, however, the soccer industry wants to live without more of the epic controversies that are part of its lore. Did England’s decisive third goal against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final really cross the goal-line? Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal helped Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, who was not born until 1987, suggested Saturday the game is now better for its technology. “I think when you value every situation, and if VAR interrupts the game and you compare it to the former days,” Nagelsmann said, “I think it’s more fair than if you have no VAR.” Copyright Source: Yueke

Carrasco Solid for 6 Innings, Guardians Capitalize on Toronto's Pitching Wildness in 7-1 Win CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Carrasco pitched six strong innings, and Austin Hedges hit a two-run single when Toronto’s pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone, lifting the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-1 win over the Blue Jays on Friday night. The Guardians scored seven runs in the second inning as Jays rookie starter Yariel Rodríguez (0-2) and reliever Bowden Francis needed 70 pitches to get three outs. It was the most pitches thrown by the Blue Jays in an inning since June 21, 1995 — 30 years to the day. Carrasco (3-6) won for the first time in six starts and avenged a loss in Toronto last week. The 37-year-old right-hander allowed one run and four hits, struck out a season-high seven — five straight in one stretch — and didn’t walk a batter. The performance probably won’t affect the Guardians’ desire to add starting pitching before the trade deadline, but Carrasco at least bought himself a few more outings. Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, who came in batting .396 while just shy of eligibility to lead the majors, went 0 for 4 and is “down” to .387. He had his hitting streak stopped at 14 games and an on-base streak end at 25. Kwan destroyed Blue Jays pitching last week in Toronto, batting .615 (8 of 13) during a three-game series. Josh Naylor also had two RBIs as the Guardians moved 21 games over .500 for the second time. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered for the Blue Jays, who lost their fourth straight. Toronto rookie slugger Orelvis Martinez got his first hit in his major league debut. The team’s No. 2 prospect, Martinez singled in the sixth, delighting a large contingent of family members in attendance from the Dominican Republic. The 22-year-old also committed an error during Cleveland’s seven-run second inning. Rodríguez made his first appearance since April 29 — and it was a brief one. He had been on the injury list for nearly two months with thoracic spine inflammation before being reinstated to face the Guardians. The AL Central leaders took advantage of an outfield misplay, five walks, and an error to open a 7-0 lead in their second at-bat. Naylor led off with a catchable shot to the gap in left-center that dropped between two Toronto outfielders for a double. Rodríguez then made it easy for Cleveland, throwing nine straight balls and walking three straight to force in a run. The right-hander struck out Brayan Rocchio before Hedges ripped a two-run single down the third-base line, ending Rodríguez’s outing after just 1 1/3 innings. Things got worse for reliever Bowden Francis as Martinez booted a grounder for an error and the reliever dropped a relay throw at first, helping the Guardians score four unearned runs in their biggest inning this season. TRAINER’S ROOM Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (calf strain) is on track to return from the injury list when his 10-day stint ends on June 25. He fielded ground balls, took batting practice, and ran the bases before the game. Bichette is scheduled to do a little less Saturday and then ramp it back up Sunday. “He’s feeling good,” manager John Schneider said. Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (elbow) pitched five innings for Double-A Akron in a minor league rehab appearance. He allowed one run and struck out four while throwing 66 pitches against Binghamton. UP NEXT In an encore of a matchup last week, Blue Jays RHP José Berríos (6-5, 3.13 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Ben Lively (6-3, 3.02). Toronto snapped Lively’s five-game winning streak with a 7-6 win on June 16. ___ AP MLB:

UEFA to Enhance Frankfurt Field After Turf Issues in England-Denmark Euro 2024 Match FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Following an England-Denmark game at the European Championship played on a field that deteriorated after days of rain, UEFA announced on Friday that it is addressing “specific issues” to improve the field's quality. Frankfurt experienced consistent rainfall this week, and the Waldstadion roof was closed for 24 hours before kickoff and during the game on Thursday to protect the field, which had been used all season by host club Eintracht Frankfurt. Chunks of turf were dislodged during England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark, and several players slipped on the slick grass in humid conditions on a 23-degree Celsius (73 F) day. “A detailed maintenance plan is in place to address specific issues and further improve quality ahead of the upcoming fixtures at the venue,” UEFA stated. Germany is set to play Switzerland in the stadium on Sunday at 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT). Frankfurt will also host Slovakia-Romania on Wednesday and a round of 16 game on July 1 for the Group F winner, which could be Portugal. UEFA has replacement fields ready to be installed if necessary. The playing surface was scrutinized this week after a formal complaint. England coach Gareth Southgate mentioned that he noticed the Frankfurt field breaking up when Belgium played there on Monday. “I’ve been a defender; when you play on a pitch like that, it puts you on edge because you are not sure of your footing,” Southgate said after Thursday’s game. UEFA noted that its expert field consultants “have seen the overall pitch rating improve consistently over the course of the previous season.” Persistent rain in Germany during Euro 2024 has exacerbated issues with fields that were relaid before the competition. In Hamburg, Poland and the Netherlands could not practice on the surface before the opening game at Volksparkstadion on Sunday. Playing surfaces have been relaid during previous tournaments with turf brought from the Netherlands: during Euro 2016 in Lille, France, and Euro 2008 in Basel, Switzerland. ___ AP Euro 2024:

Tobin Heath and Christen Press Revive Their Popular YouTube Series Ahead of the Olympics Christen Press and Tobin Heath are back. OK, maybe not on the soccer field quite yet, but their popular YouTube and podcast series, the , has returned just in time for this summer’s Olympics. The show was originally launched last year ahead of the Women’s World Cup as both U.S. national team veterans — and two-time World Cup winners themselves — dealt with long-term injuries. Heath was inspired to create a venue that explored women’s sports and fostered community — Gal Culture, as she calls it. Rather than being fodder for the media, Heath wanted to turn the tables and define the media. “So much of our sports culture has just been adopted from obviously the men’s sports culture, which honestly is very different from women’s sports culture. And I think now is the time that we actually get to kind of pick up the microphone and hold the camera ourselves and get to tell our own stories,” Heath said. “We don’t have to kind of force ourselves into what I found was a very small and narrow version of what the world was portraying as what a women’s athlete is.” The original series, which spanned eight episodes, included an in-depth discussion with U.S. captain Lindsey Horan. Each episode had views in the hundreds of thousands. The show is an extension of RE-INC., the company that Heath and Press started in 2019 with fellow soccer players Megan Rapinoe and Meghan Klingenberg. The company was part commercial, with responsibly sourced merchandise and proceeds going to causes that focused on women, marginalized communities, and human rights. It was also an advocacy platform. RE-INC. was among the varied projects that athletes created to not only build personal brands but claim ownership of the growing market surrounding women’s soccer. It came as the NWSL Players Association was seeking better wages and playing conditions. RE-INC’s more recent media platform and the RE-CAP Show is a natural extension of that community. “Everything that we do sits at the intersection of sports, progress, and equity,” Press said. “And we really feel strongly that the women’s sports community, their values, extend far beyond off the pitch to the issues that they care about — social justice, equality, queer rights, anti-racism, building new structures, and reimagining the world for the better. And so our business is a vessel to allow this community to come together and create collective action, connect through our love of sport, and begin to shake up the status quo and be disruptors.” After four knee surgeries, Press is working her way back to her club team, Angel City, in the National Women’s Soccer League. She’s joined the team at practice, although she is not yet participating in full training. Her last national team appearance was at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Over the course of her career, Press played in 155 matches with 64 goals for the United States. Heath’s journey back is more complicated. She has a cartilage issue that has required two surgeries. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said she’s not ruling out a comeback. Heath has 181 appearances and 36 goals with the U.S. national team. She last played at the club level for the Seattle Reign in 2022. “I haven’t been public about it, but I can say that I have been actively healing and trying to get back to the football pitch,” she said. “I haven’t ruled it out, to say the least. But I am definitely in my own recovery journey.” For now, the pair are looking forward to the Olympics and seeing what the future holds. So they have a lot to talk about. “I think for the first time in a few years, there’s a lot of excitement and hope around this team that felt a little bit like they were a little untethered, you know? I think with Emma being this kind of leader figure that this young group needs, it’s an exciting time and we can all be very hopeful,” Heath said. “And with an Olympics, that is always a funny tournament in itself, I think anything’s possible.” ___ AP soccer:

Las Vegas Aces Become the First WNBA Team to Sell Out Every Home Game in a Season HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces have made history by becoming the first WNBA team to sell out every home game in a season. The final tickets were claimed on Thursday for a Sept. 3 matchup against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. That game is one of two scheduled for T-Mobile Arena, which is larger than the Aces’ usual home venue. The Aces will also play Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever there on July 2. The other 18 home games for the two-time defending champions are at Michelob Ultra Arena. In March, Las Vegas also became the first team to sell out season tickets, leaving only individual game tickets available. The Aces set a team attendance record for Michelob Ultra Arena when 10,424 people attended Saturday’s WNBA Finals rematch with New York, which the Liberty won 90-82. Las Vegas set a franchise home record when 17,406 fans watched the Aces defeat the Phoenix Mercury 100-85 last season at T-Mobile Arena. The Aces led the WNBA in attendance last season, averaging 9,551 fans per game. They are averaging 10,379 this season, ranking fourth in the league through Wednesday’s games. The Fever lead the WNBA with an average attendance of 16,757, breaking their total attendance mark from last year just five games into the season. The rise in attendance comes at a time when the league is receiving unprecedented attention in its 28-year history. Much of this is due to a strong rookie class that includes Clark and Reese. The overall league attendance average is 9,195, which is on pace to be the highest in 22 years. ___ AP WNBA:

Tom Kim shoots 62 to lead Travelers, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler 3 shots behind CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim indulged in pizza to celebrate their shared birthday before focusing on golf this week. When they tee off on the big day, they’ll be competing for the lead at the Travelers Championship. On Thursday in the first round at the TPC River Highlands, Kim shot a 62, securing a two-stroke lead in the final limited field, no-cut signature event on this year’s PGA Tour schedule. Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, was tied for sixth, three shots back. Kim will turn 22 on Friday, and Scheffler is exactly six years older. The Dallas-area residents marked the occasion in advance by heading about 30 miles south to Sally’s — a New Haven institution. “I had a lot of pizza,” Kim said. “I wouldn’t do that in a tournament, but it’s my birthday and it’s kind of a tradition. Me, Scottie, we have the same birthday, so we had an early birthday celebration.” Kim birdied the last two holes to separate himself from the four players tied at minus-6 on the 6,835-yard, par-70 course: Rickie Fowler, Akshay Bhatia, Kurt Kitayama, and Will Zalatoris. Scheffler was among seven players at 5 under, a week after finishing tied for 41st at Pinehurst No. 2 — his worst performance of the year. Wyndham Clark, who tied for 56th in his U.S. Open defense, was another shot back at 4 under. Scheffler has five wins already this year and has only missed the top ten twice — including last week, when he posted his worst finish in nine majors since he missed the cut at the 2022 PGA Championship. “Definitely feel like I’m swinging a lot better than I did last week,” he said. “It’s nice to get here on some familiar surfaces and hit some good putts and see some balls go in.” Kim was even par and tied for ninth through 54 holes at Pinehurst before closing with a 76 to finish tied for 26th. On Thursday, with temperatures in the mid-90s and little wind, he had five birdies on the back nine of a bogey-free round. “Obviously a tough day on Sunday, but it wasn’t like I was playing terrible,” he said. “It wasn’t a bad week, but a bad round cost me the week. ... That gives me confidence to go out and that actually I am playing well and just trying to keep riding this momentum.” Kim’s slump lasted for a single round. Scheffler’s could be over after one week. Fowler is hoping to snap out of a season-long skid. The six-time winner on the PGA Tour has just one top-25 finish this year and none in the top 10. But he can console himself with the knowledge that things aren’t as bad as they were during a four-year winless drought that ended last year in Detroit. “I try not to go back to those times too much,” Fowler said. “Definitely not anywhere as bad as it was a few years back, but some similarities there. Having been through that and dealt with that and ultimately coming back to playing well, I can deal with just about anything.” Fowler saved par after hitting his drive into the rough on the first hole, and he thinks that might have been the kick-start he needed. He followed that up with back-to-back birdies in a bogey-free round. “Sometimes I would almost rather (do) that than birdie the first hole, because then it’s kind of downhill from there,” he said. “So, yeah, got off to a nice start. Started to see some balls go in, and making putts kind of frees up the rest of the game to where you don’t feel like you have to be perfect.” Zalatoris birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine — and eight in 10 holes making the turn — to make a brief appearance at 7 under. He bogeyed the 157-yard, par-3 16th, flying the green on his tee shot and then two-putting from 55 feet. With an 8-footer for birdie and sole possession of the lead on No. 18, Zalatoris pushed it wide right. ___ AP golf:

Ukraine Back on Track After Comeback Win Over Slovakia at Euro 2024 DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — It’s all about resilience for Ukraine at the European Championship, whether on the field or trying to inspire those at home in wartime. After being blown out by Romania 3-0 in its first match, Ukraine conceded the opening goal to Slovakia on Friday but fought back for a much-needed 2-1 win, prompting emotional scenes with their fans afterward. “Our mental strength was shown to the best of our ability on the pitch,” midfielder Mykola Shaparenko said through a translator after scoring one goal and setting up another. Ukraine’s first comeback win in the Euros in 12 years was also their third comeback win in four competitive games this year. More importantly, the Ukrainians remained in contention for the last 16 after substitute Roman Yaremchuk’s goal sealed the win. Showing that Ukraine can fight, overcome obstacles, and win “is exactly what Ukraine’s National Football Team is doing today,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on social media after the game. After two 2-1 comeback wins in the playoffs in March, Ukraine's result against Slovakia by the same score has revived the team’s campaign. The next aim is reaching the knockout stages in the first major tournament for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022. That is likely to require at least a draw against Belgium on Wednesday. Ukraine’s poor goal difference following a heavy defeat on Monday meant another loss would have put it on the brink of elimination. “Today, it was a different spirit,” coach Serhiy Rebrov said. “It was a very important win for our country, for Ukraine, for our fathers, for our supporters, and I’m sure today they were proud of the players.” Slovakia is level with Ukraine and Romania on three points in Group E. Romania and Belgium meet on Saturday. Rebrov made four changes to the team after the Romania loss, but the same fragility in defense remained — at least to begin with. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, in for Andriy Lunin after errors against Romania, made a series of saves early on but could do nothing to stop the opening goal. Ivan Schranz, who also scored the only goal in the surprise win four days ago, was left free at the far post when his marker Oleksandr Zinchenko jumped to intercept a cross which flew over his head. Zinchenko was at fault for the first goal but pivotal to the second, overlapping on the left flank to receive the ball and cross low for Shaparenko, who found space to score his first international goal in nearly three years. Bringing Yaremchuk off the bench to replace the mostly ineffective Artem Dovbyk changed the game again as he surged past the Slovakian defense to score the winner. Slovakia is fighting to prevent a repeat of the 2021 Euros, where it won its first game but lost the next two and was eliminated in the group stage on goal difference. It may have to play its next game against Romania on Wednesday without defender David Hancko, who injured his hamstring, coach Francesco Calzona said. ___ AP Euro 2024:

Yankees Cut González, Demote Marinaccio, Bring Up Bickford and Gómez in Bullpen Revamp NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees shuffled their bullpen after losing consecutive series to AL East rivals Boston and Baltimore, bringing up right-handers Phil Bickford and Yoendrys Gómez, cutting left-hander Victor González, and demoting right-hander Ron Marinaccio. New York used its bullpen for 7 2/3 innings in Thursday’s 17-5 loss to the Orioles and for six innings in Wednesday’s 7-6 defeat. The Yankees’ pitching staff entered Friday’s series opener against Atlanta with a 4.59 ERA in June, up from a major league-best 2.37 in May. “A big thing was the numbers game. Just, obviously, we’re leaning on the ‘pen heavily the last two days, so needed some coverage down there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “And talk about certain things to shake up and pay attention.” Second baseman Gleyber Torres was out of the starting lineup after leaving Thursday’s game because of right groin tightness. Boone said an MRI was negative and Torres likely will be available over the weekend. New York acquired González from the Los Angeles Dodgers in December along with second base prospect Jorbit Vivas for shortstop Trey Sweeney, the 20th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft. González, 28, had a 3.68 ERA in 27 relief appearances, allowing 13 hits in 23 1/3 innings while walking 13 and striking out 11. He was designated for assignment by the Yankees after giving up five runs — four earned — three hits and two walks over his last three outings. “That was tough because I’ve really enjoyed Vic. I respect him. He’s had some success in the league,” Boone said. “Hard getting him into a good role here, but definitely had some struggles with the strike throwing and not putting guys away a little bit and just felt like this was something over the long haul that we’re probably going to have to address.” Marinaccio, 28, was brought up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 13, sent down May 10, and recalled June 9. He allowed five runs — four earned — seven hits and four walks over 6 1/3 innings in four outings during his latest big league stint. Boone said Marinaccio took the demotion “like a pro but he’s not thrilled about it, obviously.” Bickford, 28, was released by the New York Mets in the final week of spring training and was given $217,742 in termination pay rather than the $900,000 salary he won as part of a non-guaranteed contract in salary arbitration. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees and went 2-2 with a 2.94 ERA in 22 relief appearances for Scranton, striking out 35 and walking 12 in 27 2/3 innings. His deal with the Yankees calls for a $1.1 million salary in the major leagues and $180,000 with the minors. “Tough right on right guy,” Boone said. “He’ll give you some length.” Gómez, 24, was 2-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 starts for the RailRiders, striking out 54 and walking 26 in 46 innings. He made his big league debut last September and appeared in one major league game this season, striking out the side in the ninth inning of an 8-0 win at San Diego on May 24. “The couple opportunities he has gotten up here, he’s done a nice job,” Boone said. “He’s got a lot of talent. He’s still very raw and has had some injuries in his young career.” ___ AP MLB:

Reds, Brewers, Nationals on Pace for Highest Stolen-Base Totals Since the 1990s MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz knows the distraction he causes to opposing pitchers whenever he gets on base. “It seems like they get a little bit nervous right there when I go out there,” said De La Cruz, who leads the majors with 37 steals, through a translator. With De La Cruz leading the charge, the Reds are stealing bases at a rate unseen over the last three decades. The Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals are right on their heels. No team this century has stolen more than 200 bases in a single season (the 2007 New York Mets had exactly 200). The Reds, Brewers, and Nationals are all on pace to surpass that mark as they capitalize on rule changes implemented last year to spur the running game. Cincinnati has 107 steals through its first 74 games and is on pace for 234. That would be the highest total for any team since the 1992 Brewers had 256, according to Sportradar. The NL Central-leading Brewers have 104 steals through 75 games, and the Nationals have 101 through 74 games. That puts the Brewers on pace for at least 224 and the Nationals on track for 221. No team has finished a season with over 201 steals since the 1993 Montreal Expos had 228. “As the saying goes, speed never slumps,” Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins said. “It’s always something we’ve got in our back pocket.” Major League Baseball increased the size of the bases from 15 square inches to 18 square inches last year and ruled pitchers could only disengage from the rubber to call timeout or attempt a pickoff throw twice per plate appearance. Those rule changes led to 3,503 stolen bases last year – the most since 1987 and a 41% increase over 2022 – plus an MLB-record success rate of over 80%. The success rate has dropped to 78.4% this year, but MLB teams had combined for 1,653 steals through Thursday – 70 more than at this date last year. “They got what they wanted,” Brewers first-base coach Quintin Berry said. “They wanted (stealing bases) to be a lot easier. They wanted more action on the basepaths. And with the rules and the bags and everything else, it’s more in line for base stealers. I wonder if they’re going to ever do anything to try to counter that, because it’s getting so high now, but I know fans are loving it, so probably not.” While the Reds are building off what they did last year, when they had an MLB-leading 190 steals, the Brewers and Nationals have become much more aggressive this season. The Brewers ranked 11th in the majors with 129 steals, and the Nationals were 12th with 127 in 2023. No other teams had more than 77 steals heading into Friday’s games. “Giving up one of your 27 outs on the bases is a no-no, you know, in the era where one pitch can change a game with a three-run homer,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “There’s a lot of risk in it. You’ve got to be willing to do it. Maybe teams like ours are willing to risk. You’ve got to have the personnel to emphasize it and get good at it.” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said last week he believes the Nationals can keep up this stolen-base pace but noted that they need to do a better job of picking their spots. “I don’t want to take away our aggressiveness because it’s our identity,” Martinez said. “It’s who we are. We have to do that. We don’t have those guys in the lineup hitting 30, 40 home runs. We have to push the envelope somehow and move the baseball. With that being said, we’ve had a lot of conversations the last few days about when to run, when not to run.” Reds first base coach Collin Cowgill says stealing bases now isn’t as easy as it was last year because teams are trying harder to contain the running game. Cowgill said Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitchers went to a slide-step whenever the Reds put a runner on base against them. “That just didn’t happen last year,” Cowgill said. “I think people are definitely doing a better job defending it. Catchers are more aware of it. Their stances are a little taller. They’re ready to throw more. The leg isn’t kicked out as much. I think people have done a much better job this year of controlling it and paying attention to it more so than last year, which makes sense.” But it hasn’t made much of a difference. According to Sportradar, all of MLB started tracking the number of times a runner was caught stealing in 1951. Since then, no team has stolen at least 200 bases with a success rate of over 81.3%. This year’s Brewers have been successful on nearly 86% of their attempts. The Reds have converted 81% of their stolen base tries. The Nationals have been caught stealing an MLB-high 34 times and have been successful on three-quarters of their attempts. Milwaukee players credit Berry’s scouting reports for helping them make sure they go at the right time. “We have a lot of guys who are fast and athletic and can run,” said Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, whose 26 steals rank second in the majors. “It’s part of the game. You’ve got to take advantage of it and help your team win. “Even guys who maybe aren’t as fast are stealing bases too, trying to get good jumps.” That’s the case with all three teams atop the stolen-base charts. For instance, Washington’s Jesse Winker entered this season with three steals in 610 career games. He’s swiped 11 bags already this year. Washington has five players with at least 10 steals: Jacob Young (17), Lane Thomas (16), Winker, Trey Lipscomb (10), and CJ Abrams (10). The Brewers have four players with double-digit steals: Turang, Christian Yelich (15), Willy Adames (10), and Perkins (10). Cincinnati has De La Cruz on pace for 81 steals, which would be the highest total for any MLB player since 1988. The Reds have two more players with double-digit steals (Spencer Steer with 12, Jake Fraley with 11) and five others with at least six. These three teams don’t have anyone with more than 12 homers, so they’re finding other ways to generate offense. The Brewers’ win over the Reds on Sunday was a classic example. In the third inning, De La Cruz drew a two-out walk, stole a base, and scored from second on an errant pickoff attempt. Four innings later, Turang reached on an infield hit, stole second, advanced to third on a poor throw, and scored on Yelich’s bunt single. “Just different philosophies for different teams,” Cowgill said. “We’re more get on base and cause some chaos. So are the Brewers. So are the Nationals. I just think (it’s about) the way your team is built. If we had a 50-home run guy in the middle of the order, we might be less likely to steal bases when that guy’s at the plate.” ___ AP freelance writer Patrick Stevens contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB: