Pablo Mastroeni has urged his young Real Salt Lake team to be mentally ready for the challenge of facing Minnesota United, following their weekend slip-up at Austin FC.
RSL let a two-goal advantage slip in the final 10 minutes as they drew 2-2 in Texas, a result that represented a severe dent to their hopes of topping the Western Conference.
They sit third in the standings but have played a game more than Los Angeles FC in second, while the Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders are breathing down their necks.
"It was a point on the road but again, I think what we're chasing is performances," Mastroeni said. "I think it's a learning curve.
"We have a really young group and these are experiences that unfortunately, you have to go through to learn from. There's no other way.
"If we had 30-year-olds across the backline I'd be disappointed, but we've got a really young group and in this particular moment in the season it's about making plays.
"We've got a quick turnaround for Wednesday so we've got to make sure our heads are right."
Minnesota, meanwhile, have won four of their last five matches to climb into playoff contention, routing the Rapids 3-0 in a deeply impressive performance last time out.
Head coach Eric Ramsey believes that is the best he has seen his team, saying: "It think it's the best [performance] of the season, for sure. We've stood here and talked about the need for complete performances countless times.
"We were dominant in all phases of the game, you saw a really, really accomplished performance against a team right at the top of the table, that is a real threat."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Salt Lake – Diogo Goncalves
Goncalves has come off the bench to score in each of Real Salt Lake's last two matches. Only Anderson Julio (2023) and Jeff Cunningham (2006) have scored on three straight substitute appearances for RSL in the club's MLS history.
Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah
Yeboah is the first player in Minnesota's MLS history to score on four consecutive league appearances.
His six appearances to reach seven goals, meanwhile, equals the second fastest to that mark in MLS history, with only Adama Diomande in 2018 doing so faster (five games).
MATCH PREDICTION – REAL SALT LAKE WIN
Minnesota have won three straight away matches in all competitions for the third time in club history. However, the Loons have never won four straight away from home before.
Real Salt Lake have won 10 of their 15 home games in MLS this season, with only the LA Galaxy (41), Inter Miami and the Portland Timbers (39 each) bettering their 36 goals on their own turf.
They go in as favourites with home advantage behind them. Their last home match ended in a 3-3 draw with Portland, but they have not gone two home games without a win in over a year, enduring a six-match winless run from April to June 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Real Salt Lake – 50.5%
Minnesota United – 24.5%
Draw – 25%
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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