Established 1961 15 Sports Monday, June 14, 2021 England’s Sterling sinks Croatia as Austria see off North Macedonia LONDON: Raheem Sterling ignited England’s games and we can still reach our objective of mov- Euro 2020 campaign as the Manchester City for- ing into the next round.” ward’s clinical finish sealed a 1-0 win against Croatia in their Group D opener yesterday. Gareth England hold firm Southgate’s side were struggling to break down England host neighbors Scotland in their sec- Croatia until Sterling struck in the second half at ond Group D match on Friday before taking on the sunbaked Wembley. Czech Republic in their final game of the first The 26-year-old’s first goal at a major tourna- stage on June 22. Southgate’s surprise decision to ment - in his 13th game - was the perfect riposte to select Kalvin Phillips proved an inspired move as, critics who questioned Southgate’s decision to along with Sterling, the Leeds midfielder was select him instead of Jack Grealish. Sterling has England’s most accomplished performer. endured a chequered relationship with England fans Manchester City forward Phil Foden, his hair after being hounded following his tame performanc- bleached blond, has drawn comparisons with es at Euro 2016. England legend Paul Gascoigne, who sported the He also struggled to hold down a place with same eye-catching hair cut during Euro 96. Premier League champions City this term, culminat- In the absence of the injured Harry Maguire, ing in his lacklustre display in their Champions Tyrone Mings and John Stones were up to the task League final defeat against Chelsea. But, days after as England’s center-backs held firm to clinch a vic- he was given an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday tory in their opening European Championship Honors List for his anti-racism campaigning, game for the first time. Sterling enjoyed a perfectly-timed moment of Meanwhile, substitutes Michael Gregoritsch and redemption. Marko Arnautovic scored late goals as Austria In a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final sealed a 3-1 victory over major tournament debu- won by Croatia, England were hampered by a lack tants North Macedonia in their Group C opener at of cutting edge until Sterling came to the rescue. Euro 2020 yesterday. Sterling’s winner eased the tension at Wembley and Stefan Lainer put the Austrians ahead early on in got fans bellowing ‘Football’s coming home’ in the Bucharest, but 37-year-old captain Goran Pandev LONDON: England’s forward Raheem Sterling scores his team first goal past Croatia’s defender Sime Vrsaljko hope England can emulate their run to the semi- levelled before the half-hour mark to become the during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group D football match at Wembley Stadium yesterday. — AFP finals when they hosted Euro 96, and maybe even second-oldest scorer in Euro history and delight the win a major tournament for the first time since the vocal Macedonian fans. Macedonians yesterday, Austria struck against the pass too close to Dimitrievski. 1966 World Cup. But Gregoritsch diverted home the deciding run of play in the 18th minute as right-back Lainer But North Macedonia continued to press and “I’m so pleased for Raheem. He was dangerous goal 12 minutes from time and Arnautovic added a met Marcel Sabitzer’s cross at the back post to vol- levelled in the 28th minute as Austria goalkeeper all game. His goalscoring record suggests we should third to ensure Austria claimed their first-ever ley past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. Daniel Bachmann lost the ball as he slid out to col- have faith in him and I think he was motivated to European Championship win and struck first blood Lainer celebrated by holding up a shirt with the lect it after some comical defending, and Pandev show that,” Southgate said. In truth, this was a far in a group also containing the Netherlands and words “Eriksen stay strong” after Denmark mid- gleefully accepted the gift to slot into an empty net. from convincing performance, but Southgate will Ukraine, who meet in Amsterdam later in the day. fielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in It was a record-extending 38th goal for the for- take heart from the way his team kept their nerve on Austria next visit the Dutch on Thursday, while their game against Finland on Saturday. It was the mer Inter Milan forward for his country, making him a pressure-packed occasion. North Macedonia stay in the Romanian capital to first time Austria had taken the lead in a European the second-oldest player to net in the tournament Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic added: “We have lots face Ukraine. Championship game. They quickly threatened a after Austrian Ivica Vastic at the age of 38 against of optimism. We are looking forward to our next After a bright start by Igor Angelovski’s second goal as Sasa Kalajdzic turned Sabitzer’s Poland in 2008. — AFP Czech Republic seek revenge on Scotland for COVID, race rows Muamba says Eriksen GLASGOW: Scotland’s first match at know him so well that I can’t imagine a major tournament for 23 years is him saying anything racist. I also tried collapse brought back laced with acrimony for the Czech to convince the boys in the locker Republic, who travel to Hampden room about that.” today having been forced into a last- On the field, Kudela’s presence will harrowing memories minute change of training camp and be missed. Without him, Slavia were LONDON: Fabrice Muamba has spoken about without suspended defender Ondrej swept aside by Arsenal in the Europa how watching Christian Eriksen receive life-sav- Kudela. Kudela was hit with a 10- League quarter-finals and the Czechs ing treatment at Euro 2020 brought back emo- match ban for racially abusing Rangers are not blessed with strength in depth tional memories of his own cardiac arrest as a GLASGOW: Czech Republic’s players attend an MD-1 training session at Hampden midfielder Glen Kamara when Slavia at center-back. “When it comes to doctor warned the Dane was unlikely to play Prague visited Scotland in the Europa Ondrej and his case, the entire team Park yesterday on the eve of their UEFA EURO 2020 Group D football match against Scotland. — AFP again. Eriksen received CPR as his distraught League last 16 in March. can feel it and we would like to have teammates formed a circle around him to shield The widespread condemnation of Ondrej with us,” Czech Republic assis- the stricken player from the view of 16,000 Kudela in Britain has not been reflect- tant manager Jiri Chytry said this week. the start of Euro 2020 as the Scottish “I personally would be happier if we stunned fans in Copenhagen on Saturday. ed in his homeland, where Slavia and government refused to ease its strict were in a single place and had the base The Finns won 1-0 thanks to a Joel Pohjanpalo many of his club and international ‘Nobody wants to risk anything’ coronavirus rules for close contacts of camp in Scotland. But I also under- header in their first-ever appearance in the teammates have stood by the 34-year- But his ban has not been the only a positive case. Scotland’s own bid to stand nobody wants to risk anything,” European Championship but Eriksen’s plight old and claimed there was a lack of bump in the Czechs preparations. qualify was nearly derailed by those said Burnley striker Matej Vydra. overshadowed the match. Muamba, the former evidence against him. “I fight for Thanks to qualifying automatically, rules when key players Kieran Tierney To stir the pot even further, the Bolton midfielder who collapsed after suffering a Ondra all the time,” Tomas Soucek, months before Scotland did so via the and Ryan Christie missed a playoff Czech FA even failed in a late attempt cardiac arrest during a televised FA Cup game in who starred in the Premier League for Nations League playoffs, Jaroslav semi-final against Israel due to a posi- to get the match switched from 2012, tweeted “Please God” following the inci- West Ham this season told Czech pub- Silhavy’s men had snapped up the tive test for Southampton’s Stuart Hampden due to the strict travel rules dent. “To watch it from that distance and not lication Idnes. Scottish national team’s normal base in Armstrong. that prevent travelling fans from knowing the expectation of what was going to “I believe that he did not tell him Edinburgh with the first two of their Under those rules, one positive case attending without spending 10 days in happen - it’s scary,” he told the BBC. “It’s credit anything racist, there was no evidence, Group D matches in Glasgow before in camp could force a host of players quarantine. By contrast, Scotland will to the medical staff that they’ve come in and they but a lot of people on the islands (the facing England at Wembley. into isolation. As a result, the Czechs be roared on by home fans for the first did an amazing job on Christian.” UK) condemned him and he received a However, those plans had to be will be based in Prague and fly into the time since Nov 2019, with 12,000 in Muamba said he was impressed by how severe sentence. I find it absurd. I changed just over two weeks before UK for all three of their group games. attendance. — AFP Eriksen’s teammates had surrounded him to “pro- tect the whole situation”.