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England’s Jude Bellingham, left, and Switzerland’s Manuel Akanji challenge for the ball during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
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Ukraine found another late winning goal in another comeback win. Georgia and Poland held their nerve in penalty shootouts. All are going to the European Championship.
The 24-nation Euro 2024 lineup was finalized Tuesday with three qualifying playoffs giving a stronger eastern European flavor to the tournament that opens June 14 in Germany.
Mykhailo Mudryk’s sweeping low shot in the 84th minute lifted Ukraine to a 2-1 victory over Iceland and a second late comeback win in the playoffs for a team representing the war-torn country.
The “home” game for Ukraine was played in neutral Poland because international games cannot be played in Kyiv for security reasons during the military invasion by Russia, whose team UEFA banned from trying to qualify.
Ukraine fans’ displayed yellow-and-blue banners criticizing Russia and its president Vladimir Putin in the stadium in Wroclaw.
“A big thank you to our fans,” Ukraine midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko said, “they helped us through these difficult times amazingly.”
Georgia and star forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will make their major tournament debut at Euro 2024 after beating Greece 4-2 in a penalty shootout. It had been a tense and testy 0-0 draw in a raucous atmosphere in Tbilisi.
Wild celebrations saw thousands of Georgia fans in a 50,000 crowd at the national stadium pour onto the field and some climbed the goalposts to sit on the crossbar.
Poland became the last team to book its ticket to Germany, beating Wales 5-4 in a penalty shootout in Cardiff also after a 0-0 draw.
Poland captain Robert Lewandowski, who had scored the first spot-kick of the shootout, could not bear to watch the action when his goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny pushed away the final penalty taken by Dan James.
“It’s big because I probably would have finished my international career tonight had we lost the game,” Szczęsny said.
Poland will go into a tough Group D with France, the Netherlands and Austria.
Ukraine is in Group F with Belgium, Romania and Slovakia.
Georgia goes into Group F to face Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Euro 2024 will be played in 10 German cities from June 14 to July 14.
UKRAINE’S MOMENT
Two years ago, Ukraine fell just short in playoffs to reach the 2022 World Cup, eventually losing to Wales with a team emotionally drained from the effort four months into their homeland’s invasion.
Ukraine would not be denied this time and twice within five days rallied in the second half and found a late goal to win 2-1. Last week, Coach Serhiy Rebrov’s had trailed 1-0 in Bosnia-Herzegovina until the 85th.
In a game of stunning goals, Iceland led in the 30th on Albert Gudmundsson’ s curling shot.
Viktor Tsygankov leveled in the 54th from just outside the Iceland penalty box, close to the spot where Chelsea winger Mudryk would win the game 30 minutes later.
Ukraine starts against Romania in Munich on June 17, then plays Slovakia in Düsseldorf on June 21 and top-seeded Belgium on June 26 in Stuttgart.
GEORGIA RISING
Georgian players have been European champions before — in the Soviet Union squad that won the inaugural title in 1960.
Now the independent republic has earned the right to make its own soccer history in Germany.
The decisive penalty Tuesday was scored by substitute Nika Kvekveskiri placed his perfect shot low into the corner to seal Georgia’s 4-2 win.
Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili had saved the first Greece spot-kick, by captain Tasos Bakasetas, then Giorgos Giakoumakis pulled his shot wide of the goal.
Georgia will start against Turkey on June 18 in Dortmund, then play the Czechs on June 22 in Hamburg, and finish against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on June 26 in Gelsenkirchen, at the home stadium of Schalke.
Georgia’s French coach Willy Sagnol knows the territory well after nine years playing for Bayern Munich.
Georgia followed North Macedonia, a debutant at Euro 2020, in taking the path opened by UEFA for a low-ranked team to rise to the big stage via their results in the Nations League competition.
Georgia and Greece played the final of a playoffs knockout bracket open only to teams that performed well in third-tier groups of the Nations League in 2022, before they failed to finish in the top two of a traditional Euros qualifying group last year.
LEWANDOWSKI’S FOURTH
Poland has played at every Euros edition since its star forward Lewandowski made his national-team debut in 2008, including as co-host with Ukraine at Euro 2012.
Now 35, he should be back to lead the team in Germany in a group that should have an emotional pull for him.
Poland starts against the Netherlands on June 16 in Hamburg, moves to Berlin against Austria on June 21 and finishes the group against France on June 25 in the stadium where Lewandowski starred for Borussia Dortmund for four years.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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A high-tech soccer ball that helps with more accurate offside decisions will make its European Championship debut next year in Germany after being used at the 2022 World Cup
ByThe Associated Press
November 15, 2023, 8:10 AM
A UEFA Euro 2024 Ball lays on the ground during a presentation of the new ball in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. The ball is named ‘Fussballliebe’ – ‘Footbal Love’ or ‘Soccer Love’. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
The Associated Press
NYON, Switzerland — A high-tech soccer ball that helps with more accurate offside decisions will make its European Championship debut next year in Germany after being used at the 2022 World Cup.
European soocer governing body UEFA and manufacturer Adidas unveiled the ball for Euro 2024 in Berlin on Wednesday. It is named “Fussballliebe,” the German word for “love of soccer,” and will be used at next year’s 51-game tournament from June 14-July 14.
A chip fixed on a gyroscope inside the ball sends data 500 times per second to record the point at which it is kicked. The “kick point” helps match officials make offside decisions using multiple camera angles to create 3D visualizations that illustrate player movement.
UEFA said the “connected ball technology (gives) unprecedented insight into every element of the movement of the ball and contributing to UEFA’s video assistant refereeing decision-making process.”
Adidas also supplies balls to FIFA for the men’s and women’s World Cups.
UEFA highlighted the sustainable qualities of the “Fussballliebe,” using recycled polyester and water-based ink, plus materials including corn fibers, sugar cane and wood pulp.
Adidas has pledged 1% of net sales of the ball to the Common Goal soccer charity created by former Spain midfielder Juan Mata.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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DOHA, Qatar — When Denmark meets Tunisia in the World Cup on Tuesday it will pit one of the most outspoken critics of the tournament being hosted by Qatar against one of the four Arab nations competing.
The game at Education City Stadium will also mark Christian Eriksen’s return to a major tournament after his cardiac arrest at last year’s European Championship.
Denmark has lofty goals following a semifinal appearance at Euro 2020 followed by a near-perfect qualifying campaign, while Tunisia is seeking to advance from the group stage for the first time in its sixth World Cup appearance.
Since arrival in Qatar, Denmark has been training in kits that are all black to mourn migrant workers who died building infrastructure for the tournament.
Denmark was also planning on wearing the “One Love” anti-discrimination armband along with other European teams before the campaign was dropped when FIFA threatened to hand out yellow cards.
“Imagine going on the pitch with a clear yellow card to start with. That is not possible and we have to make sure that it’s not up to the players to make that decision,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said.
Tunisia coach Jalal Kadri also addressed the armband issue.
“We are in an Arab country with Islam tradition. We have to respect the culture of other people,” Kadri said in Arabic through an interpreter. “We are here in Qatar and I think the policy in Qatar is to respect everyone’s culture and religious beliefs.”
Danish Football Union sporting director Peter Møller was critical of how FIFA president Gianni Infantino lectured the media on the eve of the tournament for attacking Qatar’s human rights record and defended the host country’s last-minute decision to ban beer from stadiums.
“Some of the things he said I don’t agree with. He talks down to journalists and us federations,” Møller said.
“On the one hand I’m surprised by it but on the other hand it says something that he used an entire speech to discuss what we and other federations are fighting against so he knows well that this is a hot potato and that he needs to deal with it the next time a host is chosen,” Møller added.
Also last week, Qatari organizers apologized to a Danish television station whose live broadcast from a street in Doha was interrupted by security staff who threatened to break camera equipment; while left-wing Danish newspaper Information announced it’s not covering the World Cup at all in protest of Qatar’s policies.
Eriksen’s return, though, remains one of the tournament’s most moving stories, less than 18 months after medics used a defibrillator to restart his heart as a horrified nation — and much of the soccer world — watched on as he lay lifeless on the field at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
It’s the latest step of a remarkable comeback that has already seen Eriksen return to elite soccer in the Premier League, first with London club Brentford and then Manchester United — showing he is still among the world’s best playmakers. He made his national team comeback in March, scoring two minutes after coming on a substitute in a 4-2 loss to the Netherlands. He also netted with a 25-yard shot against Croatia in the Nations League in September.
“It is special,” Eriksen said. “From the first interview I did from when I came out in public saying I wanted to come back playing, (competing at the World Cup) was my first aim.”
Inspired by Eriksen’s ordeal and the way Kjær and others helped save him, Denmark’s squad bonded together as an even closer-knit group in the aftermath — and the team’s results have raised expectations.
“We are dreaming of something big,” Eriksen said. “The belief in this squad, and from (the media), from the fans, was bigger when I came back (compared to) before.”
Tunisia has produced only two World Cup wins — the first against Mexico in 1978 and then against Panama four years ago in Russia.
But with fans from the country traveling en masse to the first World Cup in the Middle East, coach Jalel Kadri has indicated he will step down if Tunisia fails to reach the knockout rounds. That’s a tall task in Group D, which also features defending champion France and Australia.
Tunisia is also counting on loud support from Egyptians and Algerians.
“All Arab communities will be supporting us,” said Tunisia forward Issam Jebali, who plays for Danish club Odense. “We hope to live up to the expectations of each and every Arab country.”
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
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Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf
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DOHA, Qatar — Bukayo Saka has put the racist abuse he experienced at last year’s European Championship behind him, England teammate Aaron Ramsdale said Friday.
The Arsenal forward was targeted on social media after missing a penalty in the shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were also subjected to attacks.
Saka was only 19 at the time and visibly shaken by the experience in front of England fans at Wembley Stadium. But he has recovered to play a pivotal role in Arsenal’s resurgence, which has seen the London club build up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Ramsdale, who also plays for Arsenal, has seen up close how he has recovered from the experience and grown as a player.
He believes Saka will be one of the standout performers at the World Cup.
“There is no doubt about that, off the pitch and on it, he’s a more complete person,” the goalkeeper said. “I’m trying to find the right words (to describe how he’s handled it). Impeccably, probably.
“The kid’s a lovely boy, he has time for everyone, works super hard throughout every week. Very, very rarely misses a training session and used all that as motivation. The criticism, but also, more so, the love that everyone gave him, gave him an extra boost.”
Saka was one of the breakthrough talents for England at the tournament and is now a fixture in the squad.
Ramsdale said his teammate has also benefited from taking on so much responsibility at Arsenal.
“Don’t forget he had the pressure of the whole club on him last year — him and Emile Smith Rowe were our main guys — and he has dealt with that, he’s dealt with everything else,” Ramsdale said at England’s training base. “He is thriving and I can’t wait to see him thrive over here.”
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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FRANKFURT, Germany — The finalists of Euro 2020 will meet again on the way to the next tournament in two years’ time, with Italy and England drawn in the same qualifying group.
The draw for the tournament, which will be staged in Germany, was held by UEFA on Sunday.
Italy versus England was one of the standout match-ups in the Euro 2024 qualifying draw, with European giants Netherlands and France also facing each other.
Italy defeated England on penalties at Wembley last year to be crowned European champions. But the team coached by Roberto Mancini failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off next month.
Italy and England will also face Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta in Group C.
Netherlands and France are joined by Republic of Ireland, Greece and Gibraltar in Group B.
Italy manager Roberto Mancini welcomed the draw, telling Sky Sports: “I think it’s always good to play against England in Wembley. It’s a good thing.
“It don’t change nothing for us. Maybe Italy and England will be favourites in this group, but it’s important to play all the games 100 per cent.”
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The draw in full:
Group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
Group B: Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
Group C: Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia
Group E: Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group F: Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia
Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino
Group I: Switzerland. Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra
Group J: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
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