Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl urged his side to keep battling after they beat 10-man Hull 3-1 in the Championship at Hillsborough on New Year’s Day.
Three second-half goals from Marvin Johnson, Djeidi Gassama and Josh Windass saw the Owls past their Yorkshire rivals, who had Tyler Morton dismissed in the first half.
Scott Twine’s goal from the penalty spot – with 14 minutes remaining – proved to be no more than a consolation.
Rohl said: “This was a great game between two teams that want to play football on the front foot.
“Sometimes it’s not easy to play against 10 men but today we did really well. We scored some fantastic goals.
“The key in the second half was to have a good counter press and the players did it really well.
“We have worked very hard in the last weeks and months. Our strength at the moment is our mentality; we are always pushing forward and we have to keep going.
“I still have ideas on where we can improve our game. It’s hard in this league. Nothing is handed to you and it will be a tough second half of the season.
“I was convinced if we stuck to our process, we could close the gap. We are close but we’re still not over the line and we’ve got some tough challenges ahead.
“It was a big opportunity for us to gain points on teams around us today and we did it. We have played really well against a team near the top of the table. It’s a good start to the year.”
Hull boss Liam Rosenior gave an honest assessment of the game and took a share of the blame for his side’s defeat.
Rosenior said: “I feel the red card is harsh. Being a referee is a difficult job and I can sympathise with him as it’s a Yorkshire derby. It changed the game for us.
“I’m a young coach and I’m still learning. We wanted to win the game even with 10 men but I think I might have got it wrong in the way I set us up to try and do that.
“Even before the red card, I think Sheffield Wednesday were better than us. They had more energy and were better on the ball.
“We didn’t start the game in our normal way. We made mistakes and we were mentally tired, it’s been a busy period and maybe I should have rotated the team.
“Wednesday are on good form but in the Championship, you’ve got to beat teams who are in good form if you want to do well.
“It’s disappointing to lose the game but in terms of the overall picture, we’re still in a very good position. We move on to the next one.”
Seattle Sounders v New England Revolution: 'This team doesn't quit' – Schmetzer happy with fighting spirit
Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer has praised his side's attitude in recent comeback wins as they look to extend their streak against the New England Revolution.
The Sounders are on a four-match unbeaten streak, having come from behind to salvage points in each of the last three and scored stoppage-time winners in the last two.
They are now up to ninth in the Western Conference and are closing in on the teams above them after a slow start to the season.
Despite their impressive run, Schmetzer stressed there was still a lot of room for improvement.
"There's a combination of a couple of things," Schmetzer explained. "There were some sloppy, uncharacteristic, untimely giveaways and the group defending was not good, we weren't compact enough.
"We weren't consistent enough, but the guys have a lot of pride and as the excitement built, we got it done.
"This team doesn't quit. We've got quality on this team."
Meanwhile, the Revs are up to 11th in the Eastern Conference after losing just one of their last six.
They got back to winning ways against Atlanta United, though they lost more players to injury in the process, and head coach Caleb Porter admitted his squad is a little thin after their busy schedule.
"It does take pressure off winning against Atlanta on Wednesday; we look at it as bonus points," Porter said. "We took a few more injuries, so we're looking at all options to fill our bench.
"Seattle are in good form, and it's obviously a long trip across the country. It's not going to be easy, since they're usually very good at home.
"We have to be very organised in this game - we just don't have much depth right now, we can't afford to play an open game."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Seattle Sounders – Albert Rusnak
Albert Rusnak leads the assist charts for Seattle, having set up seven goals for his team-mates in MLS.
He found his shooting boots last time out though, scoring twice from the spot as the Sounders came from behind to beat the Chicago Fire.
New England Revolution – Giacomo Vrioni
Giacomo Vrioni scored twice as New England beat Atlanta in midweek, having also scored twice in their victory against Cincinnati FC.
He now has five goals in his last four games, finding his form at the right time.
MATCH PREDICTION: SEATTLE SOUNDERS WIN
Seattle opened the season with just one win from their first nine matches in the league, but have since gone on to win six of their last 12, including their last two outings.
It has been almost five years since the sides last met in MLS, with nothing to separate them that day in a 3-3. New England edge the head-to-head record though, recording six wins compared to Seattle's four.
In fact, the last three meetings between the sides have ended level, with both games in Seattle ending 3-3, with a goalless draw in New England sandwiched between them.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Seattle Sounders – 49.7%
Draw – 25.4%
New England Revolution – 24.9%
Bellingham fined by UEFA but England star free to face Switzerland
Jude Bellingham has been fined by UEFA for a gesture made in England's win over Slovakia at Euro 2024, while Turkiye's Merih Demiral has been banned for two games for his goal celebration.
England midfielder Bellingham scored a stunning overhead kick to equalise in stoppage time against Solvakia, keeping his side's tournament hopes alive.
But he was seen kissing his hand and grabbing his crotch after the full-time whistle in a gesture some interpreted as an insult towards Slovakia's fans and bench.
Bellingham later took to social media to rubbish the claims, claiming it was an "inside joke gesture".
After an investigation, UEFA has handed him a €30,000 fine, along with a one-match suspended ban, which means he can face Switzerland on Saturday.
The ban is suspended for one year.
While Bellingham will be available for England's quarter-final against Switzerland, Demiral will not be able to play in his side's match against the Netherlands.
The defender scored twice against Austria, including the fastest-ever knockout round goal in Euros history, and celebrated his second with a 'wolf salute'.
His gesture, which is banned in France and Austria, is associated with the far-right extremist group Grey Wolves, which is linked with Turkiye’s ruling coalition party, the National Movement Party.
Ronaldo's tears after penalty miss normal, says Portugal team-mate Silva
Cristiano Ronaldo's tears upon missing a penalty in Portugal's Euro 2024 last-16 tie versus Slovenia are not worthy of discussion, says his team-mate Bernardo Silva.
Ronaldo saw an extra-time spot-kick saved by Jan Oblak as Portugal played out a goalless draw in Monday's tie, only to scrape through to the quarter-finals on penalties.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored in the shoot-out but is yet to net in regular play at this tournament, despite amassing a competition-high 20 shots worth 2.75 expected goals (xG).
He has failed to score in his last eight appearances at the World Cup or European Championships, having netted 10 times in his previous nine between 2018 and 2022.
When asked about Ronaldo's tears at Thursday's pre-match press conference, Silva said: "We're humans and he felt emotional when he missed a penalty.
"It's acceptable, isn't it? Sometimes you react in ways you don't expect... he felt he could have done better in that moment.
"He cries for a bit, which is how humans deal with emotions sometimes.
"So I don't see any reason for people to discuss it. Obviously people will, because that's the business."
Though Portugal impressed as they beat Turkiye 3-0 in their second group-stage match, they have disappointed in their other games and been criticised at home over a lack of attacking thrust.
Asked about that criticism, Silva said: "We understand it, it's part of the business, it's the reason why we earn so much money and we are able to give our families and friends a better life.
"We don't complain about the criticism, it's for good and for bad, it's our job.
"When it comes to June and a World Cup or Euros, everyone thinks they're a manager. We get that and we accept that."
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