Thomas Muller says Bayern Munich's elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Villarreal is "difficult to accept".
The Bundesliga leaders crashed out in the quarter-finals for the second season running, as Samuel Chukwueze's late strike at the Allianz Arena snatched a 1-1 draw on the night - and a 2-1 aggregate victory for the Europa League holders.
Julian Nagelsmann's side, beaten 1-0 in the first leg, dominated the game as they sought a ninth win from 11 Champions League quarter-final ties.
But despite Robert Lewandowski drawing them level early in the second half, Bayern were unable to capitalise on their superiority as they could only find the back of the net once from 23 attempts at goal.
And the Bavarian giants were stunned two minutes from time, when Chukwueze rounded off a devastating counter-attack to send Villarreal through to a first semi-final in this competition in 16 years.
Muller knows Bayern only have themselves to blame for lacking a cutting edge.
"If you take just this game into account, without the first game, we should have gone through convincingly," he told Amazon Prime.
"It's difficult to accept this; I don't know what to say.
"It's bitter to concede after that performance. With the fans behind us, we pushed, pushed, pushed from the start. We have to do more in front of goal."
Head coach Nagelsmann said the nature of Bayern's exit left a sour taste in the mouth.
The head coach added: "The first leg was the key. Today, we did very well. It was one of our best games. But we should have made it 2-0 in the second half.
"It's all very bitter. We had very little space, there was always a danger of getting hit on the counter, and creating many chances against such a deep defence is hard.
"If you don't win and get eliminated, that's just the way it is."
Villarreal will do battle with Liverpool or Benfica for a place in the final.
Atlanta United v Los Angeles FC: Pineda insists Five Stripes 'on the right path'
Gonzalo Pineda insists Atlanta United "are on the right path" as they look to get back to winning ways in MLS.
The Five Stripes are 12th in the Eastern Conference following a run of eight matches without victory.
Although, they enjoyed a reprieve in the U.S. Open Cup last time out, defeating Charleston Battery on penalties to reach the quarter-finals.
And Pineda hopes his side can build on that momentum when they welcome Los Angeles to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"I think we are on the right path," he said. "I think it is really encouraging for the team, for the mentality of the team, to win.
"There are many positives out of that. We have to hold onto that positivity, and the mentality of the players that fought and put that together on Saturday."
"I think that, especially being at home, we need to make sure we are on the front foot right away," midfielder Dax McCarty added.
"Obviously, our stadium is such a fortress. When you score an early goal, you get everyone excited and the other team feels that pressure, which is such a benefit."
By contrast, LAFC are fifth in the West and on a four-match winning streak across all competitions – during which they have scored 11 goals and conceded just once.
"The team is in a good way – winning games, scoring goals and not conceding – and we'd like to continue that," head coach Steve Cherundolo said.
"We feel good about the moment we're in, and our players are confident.
"The players have shown an amazing response [to their defeat by San Jose Earthquakes at the start of the month]. We were shooting ourselves in the foot by making some mistakes in portions of the field where we don't usually do that.
"The message was that we are really in control of our own destiny, which is a great place to be."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Atlanta United – Thiago Almada
Atlanta will be hoping for inspiration from the likes of Almada as they look to end their winless streak.
The Argentina international has scored in two of their last three league games on home soil.
Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga scored both goals in LAFC’s 2-0 win over St. Louis City last time out in MLS.
He has now found the net 33 times since the start of last season (including play-offs), seven more than any other player during that time.
MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC
Only once in their MLS history have Atlanta endured a longer winless streak, going 12 straight games without victory between May and August 2021.
Meanwhile, LAFC have won successive games to nil for the first time during the regular season since August 2022.
That came after they recorded just one victory while keeping a clean sheet in their previous 21 such matches.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Atlanta United: 38.2%
Los Angeles FC: 32.8%
Draw: 29.0%
Reggae Boyz keeper Andre Blake signs endorsement deal with Spectrum Systems
In an exciting development for Jamaican football, Reggae Boyz captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake has secured a new two-year sponsorship deal with Spectrum Systems Limited, Jamaica's leading distributor of roofing and building products. This deal comes hot on the heels of Blake's recent sponsorship announcement with Supreme Ventures.
Blake's new partnership with Spectrum Systems highlights the company's commitment to supporting local sports, adding to their existing sponsorships of the Waterhouse Football Club and race car driver Sara Misir. As part of this agreement, Blake will be featured prominently in Spectrum's advertising campaigns and will support the company’s sponsorship initiatives within the football community.
The collaboration was celebrated with Blake's attendance at the Jamaica Premier League Superfinal last Sunday. During the event, he presented a gift to Waterhouse FC, which secured fourth place in the 2023/24 season, underscoring Spectrum Systems' ongoing support for the club.
Contributed: Andrew Stanigar Managing Director of Spectrum Systems greets Andre Blake on Sunday at the Jamaica Premier League Super Final.
Andrew Stanigar, Managing Director of Spectrum Systems Ltd., expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "We invest in sports sponsorships because they allow us to connect with our customer base. Both Andre Blake and Spectrum Systems have a lot in common—quality, reliability, and consistency. It makes sense to align the number one roofing company with Jamaica's number one goalkeeper."
For Andre Blake, the endorsement deal represents a valuable opportunity to further engage with the local football community. "Sponsorships like this allow me to connect better with Jamaica football fans," Blake commented. "I look forward to what we will be able to achieve together as I aim to inspire and connect footballers across the island while also championing Spectrum's advertising campaigns. It's a win for everyone."
With this new deal, Blake continues to expand his influence both on and off the pitch, leveraging his prominence to promote and support local sports. The two-year agreement promises to be beneficial for both Blake and Spectrum Systems, strengthening their ties to the Jamaican football community and beyond.
Ten Hag backs Rashford to use England omission as 'fuel' in FA Cup final
Erik ten Hag urged a "highly motivated" Marcus Rashford to use his England disappointment as "fuel" ahead of this weekend's FA Cup final.
Rashford was omitted from Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for the upcoming European Championship this week, following a disappointing season in which he has scored just eight goals.
The forward struck 30 times during the 2022-23 campaign, but has struggled to build on that momentum this term.
Rashford will hope to feature at Wembley as United face rivals Manchester City in a repeat of last year's final, needing to win to ensure they do not miss out on European football for the first time in 10 years.
And Ten Hag is backing the 26-year-old to respond to his setback in a positive manner.
"He looks good," the United head coach said. "A career has ups and downs, and a down can also give you fuel and that is what I see in training.
"So, he will be highly motivated. He is very talented and already has a big career, and I am sure he will get over this and make even more goals."
One of Rashford's finer moments of the season came against City when he opened the scoring with a stunning 25-yard strike in a 3-1 defeat at the Etihad in March.
Two months on - and at the conclusion of a difficult season blighted by injuries to several key players - Ten Hag believes United are in a stronger position to compete with their rivals.
"At the Etihad, we were very good in the game for 70 minutes, and had opportunities to go ahead," the Dutchman added.
"They could substitute, but we didn't have the players on the bench. That is a big difference. On Saturday, we will have a bench and will have a much stronger side."
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