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NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia — France picked up two trophies in 1998: One, of course, was the country’s only World Cup title, won on home soil.

Mason Shaw grew up tossing sliders and strikes just a few kilometres north of Bellingham on I-5 in Ferndale, Washington.

Spencer Carbery had dreams of skating in the NHL when he was coming up through Saanich Minor Hockey, Racquet Club, Peninsula Panthers in Junior B and Cowichan Valley Capitals of the BCHL.

QUARTERFINAL > More World Cup coverage at timescolonist.com/sports/world-cup-soccer Friday, July 6 Game 57 At Nizhny Novgorod, Russia Uruguay vs. France, 7 a.m. Pacific Game 58 At Kazan, Russia Brazil vs. Belgium, 11 a.m.

The Victoria HarbourCats scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the host Bellingham Bells 4-2 in West Coast League baseball action Tuesday night before 2,772 fans at Joe Martin Field.

Most of the players on the University of Victoria field-hockey pitch for the six-game sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½-Chile women’s junior national team series this week are realistically shooting for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Defending champion sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½â€™s games in the 2019 IIHF world junior hockey championship will be played in Vancouver. But the foundation will be laid in Victoria.

Outfielder Joe Casey and infielder Ryan Ober can be excused for arriving late to the 2018 Victoria HarbourCats dance. They were busy helping lead the Oregon State Beavers to the 2018 NCAA College World Series title last week in Omaha, Nebraska.

From field to floor, no problem. Tyson Gibson showed Friday night why he was first-team all-conference in field lacrosse in leading Div.

It was the World Cup of Diego Maradona, Gary Lineker, Michel Platini and, yes, sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½. The Vancouver Whitecaps will honour 15 members of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½â€™s 1986 World Cup team during Sunday’s MLS game against the Colorado Rapids.