Frank Klopas has no intentions of ever giving up on Chicago Fire's MLS playoff hopes ahead of their road trip to struggling San Jose Earthquakes.
The Fire fought back from two goals down to snatch a 4-3 thriller against Philadelphia Union last time out, climbing up to 13th in the Eastern Conference.
That win was the second time the Fire triumphed despite trailing by two goals in the last 10 minutes this season (also against CF Montreal in March), as they became the first team to achieve this multiple times in MLS history.
Chicago head coach Klopas lauded his side's battling but urged the Fire to improve and group together when they head to PayPal Park.
"It's great when it goes your way, but I'm not sure if we can keep doing this," Klopas said. "We had some really good chances to put the game away but we didn't do that.
"Everything is one game at a time, at some points it looked bleak. Never give up on this team, the character is strong and I believe in this group.
"It's all about the team, we have to reach our goals as a group, not as individuals."
San Jose are bottom of the Western Conference and unlikely to escape that position if their season is anything to go by.
The Earthquakes were defeated 2-0 by fellow strugglers St. Louis City in their last outing and are the second team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) with 16 losses in their first 21 matches of a season (Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
San Jose Earthquakes – Amahl Pellegrino
San Jose have had little to celebrate throughout a challenging season, and their hopes may rely on Amahi Pellegrino once again.
The Earthquakes man leads the club scoring charts this season, albeit with only five goals in MLS in 2024.
Chicago Fire – Maren Haile-Selassie
Maren Haile-Selassie has scored in four straight regular-season matches, the second Fire player to do so this year (Hugo Cuypers).
The only players with a longer streak in club history are Robert Beric (five straight in 2020) and David Accam (also five straight in 2017).
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
The Earthquakes may be on torrid form in MLS this year but their strong head-to-head record in this fixture suggests the draw as the most likely result.
San Jose have won three straight matches against the Fire, equalling the longest winning streak by either team in the history of the series (all competitions).
Chicago's last win over the Earthquakes was a 2-1 home victory in June 2018, though the Fire may be quietly confident due to San Jose's struggles.
The Earthquakes have lost six consecutive matches for the fourth time in club history and the third since the start of the 2018 season.
San Jose have never lost seven league games in a row, however.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
San Jose Earthquakes win – 36.3%
Draw – 26.2%
Chicago Fire win – 37.6%
Nobbs makes record-breaking WSL appearance as Aston Villa lose to Brighton
Aston Villa's Jordan Nobbs is now the outright leader for Women's Super League appearances after playing her 193rd game.
The midfielder started on Saturday, though she could not help Villa avoid a 4-2 defeat to Brighton, who were inspired by full debutant Nikita Parris.
While Nobbs could not mark her special day with a victory, there can be no taking away from the 31-year-old's achievement.
Nobbs' tally includes eight appearances in the WSL Spring Series. Before Saturday, she was level with Chelsea's Sophie Ingle, who is out injured.
She has started 158 games in total, and taken part in a hugely impressive 124 wins - only now-retired Stephanie Houghton has won more WSL matches (127).
Nobbs has scored 58 goals in the competition, a figure bettered by just six players, while only eight players have provided more assists than her 31. She has created 312 goalscoring chances for her team-mates, with Beth Mead (339) having crafted more.
The majority of Nobbs' appearances came for Arsenal, as she played 157 times for the Gunners. Saturday's loss at Brighton marked her 36th WSL match for Villa, who she joined in 2023.
Her 21 starts in the 2016-17 campaign, meanwhile, has marked the most matches she played in from the off during a single season.
Nobbs, who has won 71 caps for England, has won the WSL on three occasions (2011, 2012 and 2018-19), winning the FA Cup four times.
Simeone: No negativity in Atletico Madrid camp
Diego Simeone has dismissed claims of negativity surrounding Atletico Madrid following their resounding 4-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica in midweek.
Los Colchoneros are unbeaten in LaLiga after eight matches, winning four and drawing four, sitting five points behind leaders Barcelona, ahead of Sunday's trip to Real Sociedad.
However, they were trounced by Benfica in their second match in the Champions League's new league phase on Wednesday, the first time they had shipped four goals in a Champions League group-stage game since October 2020 (0-4 at Bayern Munich).
"I don't think that there is a negative climate. I believe our atmosphere is good and we are working towards the team we want to have," Simeone told reporters on Saturday.
"There are players who arrived in the last days of the transfer window, and they are acclimatising.
"From our position, we need to help them adapt as quickly as possible so the team can take shape swiftly. I don't see that as negativity at all."
Atletico bolstered their squad with new signings Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez ahead of the new campaign, and Simeone is still waiting for his players to gel.
"I didn't see the team lacking commitment or intensity, but rather a lack of creative play and resources ... Let's see if we can win against Sociedad," Simeone added.
Motta: Juventus players will 'give something more' after Bremer injury
Thiago Motta believes the Juventus players will "all give something more" for Bremer after he suffered a potentially season-ending injury.
The Brazilian, who had played every single minute this season, was forced off with an anterior cruciate ligament injury early in their 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
He has played a big part in Juventus keeping six clean sheets from six games in the league and has played more minutes (540) while making the most interceptions (six) and blocks (11) among his team-mates in the competition.
Motta expects him to be a big miss against Cagliari at the weekend.
"Gleison [Bremer] is an important player for us," Motta said. "I'm very sorry for the boy, because already, humanly speaking, he is fantastic, technically I don't need to say it, we all know it.
"From now on we will all give something more, also because if it had been another team-mate who had to stop like that, I am convinced that he would have taken this responsibility to give something more every day."
Motta will also be without forward Timothy Weah, winger Nicolas Gonzalez, midfielder Vasilije Adzic, along with long-term absentee Arkadius Milik, but the manager expects a positive show from the players who come into the side.
"Whoever comes in, I am convinced they will give something more," Motta said.
"Always thinking about the well-being of the team and giving a good performance to obtain the positive result, which is what we want to do.
"Tomorrow, in our stadium, our home, in front of our fans, a full ground, a great football atmosphere and we will do our job well from the first to the last minute."
Juventus impressed in Europe, recovering not only from early injuries to Bremer and Gonzalez, but also from going behind twice, and having keeper Michele Di Gregorio sent off.
Now, Motta wants his side to keep that enthusiasm without getting carried away.
"The enthusiasm, used well, is always good, and we use it to work," the manager said.
"We use it to come to the pitch every day and do our job well. This is the great advantage of being able to work with enthusiasm.
"It helps, and we want to maintain that enthusiasm, but it only depends on us. We will always have our feet on the ground, aware of our strengths, and using our strengths in the right way."
French midfielder Paul Pogba had his four-year doping suspension cut to 18 months on Friday, meaning he can return to action in March, but Motta's only concern is the immediate future of his team.
"On Paul Pogba, the club will evaluate what to do," Motta said.
"As for me, Pogba has been a great player, who hasn't played for a long time. Now I'm focused on tomorrow's game and everything else doesn't matter much to me at this moment."
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