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Goals from Diego Rubio and Jader Obrian propelled Austin FC to a 2-0 upset victory over the streaking LA Galaxy at Q2 Arena Saturday afternoon.

The visiting Galaxy were heavy favorites coming into this one with just one defeat on their impressive start to the 2024 campaign, while the hosts were aiming to upset the five-time MLS Cup winners to move inside the top five of the Western Conference table.

It was a dream start for the home side as they found the opening goal seven minutes into the contest. The Galaxy were on the back foot for the opening stages, and the Verde and Black punished them after a turnover in possession in the middle of the park. Obrian played Rubio in on goal and unlocked the LA defense with a simple through ball, and the Chile international’s low-driven shot across the frame of goal was enough to get past ex-LAFC shot-stopper John McCarthy.

Just as the Galaxy were starting to find their footing in the game, Austin doubled their advantage with a simple over-the-top ball from Guilherme in the hosts’ own half. Guilherme’s pass was perfectly weighted and caught veteran LA defenders Maya Yoshida and Martin Caceres — who have a combined age of 72-years-old) sleeping, and the experienced duo were unable to keep up up Obrian’s pace. The 21-year-old winger raced past the two defenders and powered a shot that rattled in off the far post to put Austin up 2-0 in the first 45.

LA put the pressure on throughout the second half and prodded in and around the Austin penalty area, but they were unable to find their way back into the contest to suffer their second defeat of the 2024 MLS season. The Galaxy remain in first place in the West, just two points ahead of Vancouver Whitecaps who have two games in hand, while Austin climb into fifth place with a huge victory in front of their supporters.

GK: John McCarthy – 6/10 – Should have done better on the first goal conceded as it wasn’t the most powerful strike from Rubio.

RB: Miki Yamane – 6/10 – The player neither helped nor hindered his side.

CB: Maya Yoshida – 5/10 – Started off poor as he didn’t close down Rubio which allowed too much space for him to create separation and unleash his strike.

CB: Martin Caceres – 5/10 – Was shown an avoidable yellow card in a scrap before a corner and his lack of pace was exploited on Obrian’s goal.

LB: Julian Aude – 7/10 – The Galaxy’s best defender in the contest that took up good positions when going forward but it amounted to nothing in the end.

CM: Marco Delgado – 6/10 – Unable to match the intensity of his fellow midfielders Brugman and Puig.

CM: Gaston Brugman – 7/10 – Comfortable in possession and one of the few bright spots for LA on the afternoon.

CM: Riqui Puig – 7/10 – Improved as the game wore on but was lacking the sharpness and creativity we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the former Barcelona player.

RW: Gabriel Pec – 6/10 – Seems like he only had a handful of touches during the game and therefore couldn’t make much happen with the ball.

ST: Miguel Berry – 6/10 – A few decent moments on the ball but overall underwhelming in front of goal — partly due to lack of service.

LW: Joseph Paintsil – 7/10 – The Galaxy’s most dangerous player going forward that didn’t receive much help from his fellow attackers.

Substitutes

SUB: Diego Fagundez (46′ for Berry) – 6/10 – Didn’t bring the required impact off the bench.

SUB: Jalen Neal (46′ for Caceres) – 6/10 – Helped stabilize the Galaxy defense and prevent them conceding a third.

SUB: Edwin Cerrillo (65′ for Brugman) – 6/10 – Provided relief in the middle of the park for Brugman but couldn’t inspire a comeback on his own.

SUB: Jonathan Perez (79′ for Aude) – N/A

SUB: Mauricio Cuevas (79′ for Yamane) – N/A

Manager

Greg Vanney – 6/10 – Picked his strongest starting lineup and there isn’t much he could do about his players going through the motions in the first half, especially after how they’ve been in top form in 2024.

Barcelona overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to reach the Women’s Champions League final at the expense of Chelsea.

A club-record crowd watched on as Emma Hayes’ final game at Stamford Bridge ended in agonising defeat, with the ten-player Blues falling to the reigning champions.

Barca will look to retain their crown against either Paris Saint-Germain or Olympique Lyonnais in next month’s final in Bilbao.

How the game unfolded

Hannah Hampton was brought into her first save of the evening when Chelsea failed to deal with a Barcelona corner and Caroline Graham Hansen was able to let fly from just inside the box, with the England goalkeeper getting down low to deny her at the near post.

Midway through the first half, Barcelona levelled the tie on aggregate. Patri Guijarro threaded a pass through to Aitana Bonmati, who shifted away from Niamh Charles and picked out the bottom corner via a deflection off the legs of Kadeisha Buchanan.

Barcelona nearly went ahead in the tie when Bonmati’s back-heel found Graham Hansen running down the wing, and Erin Cuthbert had to be alert to stop the ball reaching Salma Paralluelo who was waiting to tap home.

The hosts should have found the net themselves when Lauren James’ low cross rolled into the path of Melanie Leupolz, whose effort from six yards clanked off the top of the crossbar. Though the offside flag was raised, replays suggested James may have been onside when picked out by Catarina Macario.

Cata Coll produced a fine stretching save to keep out a half-volley from Macario moments later as Chelsea sought to retake the lead.

Another Chelsea chance went begging when Irene Paredes’ back pass was woefully under-hit and intercepted by Sjoeke Nusken, but her pull-back just evaded James and Barca got away with one.

After the break, Nusken rattled the post after a sweeping Chelsea move. James pirouetted her way through midfield and switched play for Ashley Lawrence, and her cross was met by Nusken, only for her effort to trickle wide via the upright.

Just as Chelsea seemed to be ramping the pressure back up again, they were reduced to ten players after Buchanan picked up her second booking for a challenge on the top of Guijarro’s foot where she appeared to take the ball first. As this was a second yellow card and not a straight red, the decision couldn’t be reviewed by VAR.

Salma Paralluelo headed just over shortly after Buchanan’s dismissal and Ona Batlle brought a low save out of Hampton, while Johanna Rytting Kaneryd tested Coll at the other end.

With just under 20 minutes remaining, Barcelona were awarded a penalty. Bonmati was knocked by Jess Carter into the legs of Lawrence and fell to the floor, and the on-field decision was allowed to stand following a lengthy VAR check. Fridolina Rolfo stepped up and slotted home to put Barca ahead on aggregate.

Chelsea tried to rally and summon a goal to send the tie to extra-time but their efforts proved futile and Barcelona held on.

GK: Hannah Hampton – 7/10 – Made some decent saves and helped alleviate pressure with her impressive kicking skills.

CB: Jess Carter – 6/10 – For the most part defended well and with confidence, but it was her light shove into Bonmati that led to the world’s best player colliding with Lawrence and earning a penalty.

CB: Kadeisha Buchanan – 4/10 – Unfortunate that a deflection off her led to Barcelona’s tie-leveller and probably shouldn’t have received a second booking for her challenge on Guijarro. Nevertheless, both actions changed the game.

CB: Niamh Charles – 5/10 – Couldn’t deal with the trickery and agility of Barcelona’s midfield and frontline.

RM: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – 6/10 – Got up and down the right flank with her emboldening energy much to Barcelona’s annoyance.

CM: Erin Cuthbert – 6/10 – Another Chelsea player who didn’t stop running and fought for every inch. Couldn’t quite replicate her goal-scoring heroics of the first leg.

CM: Melanie Leupolz – 5/10 – Taken for a spin in the midfield battle but you couldn’t fault her commitment or attitude.

CM: Sjoeke Nusken – 6/10 – Dropped into the back three after Buchanan’s red card having spent much of the game crashing into Barcelona’s box.

LM: Ashley Lawrence – 6/10 – Troubled the visitors with her ghosting runs down the left and excellent delivery from crosses.

CF: Lauren James – 6/10 – Slowed play down by dropping into midfield and looking to beat Barcelona defenders one by one.

CF: Catarina Macario – 5/10 – Couldn’t get involved in the game enough even when Chelsea were in the ascendancy. James proved to be the focal point instead.

Substitutes

SUB: Guro Reiten (63′ for Macario) – 6/10

SUB: Aggie Beever-Jones (76′ for Leupolz) – 6/10

SUB: Millie Bright (84′ for Rytting Kaneryd) – 5/10

SUB: Fran Kirby (84′ for James) – 5/10

SUB: Eve Perisset (84′ for Lawrence) – 5/10

Subs not used: Zecira Musovic (GK), Sophie Ingle, Maren Mjelde, Jelena Cankovic, Nathalie Bjorn

Manager

Emma Hayes – 6/10 – Chelsea played admirably and were hard done by with some decisions but ultimately lacked that killer edge to speed away from Barcelona.

GK: Cata Coll – 7/10 – Like Hampton did herself justice with a string of fine saves. Also exceeded when Chelsea tried to drop crosses and corners on her head.

RB: Lucy Bronze – 7/10 – Brought in for some much-needed experience and fulfilled that quota. Barcelona were much calmer for her presence.

CB: Irene Paredes – 6/10 – Fortunate that a back-pass to Coll wasn’t punished by Chelsea. Otherwise endured a quiet game.

CB: Ingrid Engen – 6/10 – Filled in well at centre-back and was barely troubled in dangerous areas by Chelsea’s attackers.

LB: Ona Batlle – 6/10 – Tucked inside onto her natural right foot in attack and helped Barcelona defend narrower going the other way.

CM: Keira Walsh – 7/10 – Sat at the base of midfield dictating the tempo that Chelsea tried so desperately to slow down.

CM: Patri Guijarro – 8/10 – Came up with the assist that started Barcelona’s comeback. Brought that extra bit of ingenuity which her side missed in the first leg.

CM: Aitana Bonmati – 8/10 – You could take away her goal and winning of the penalty and still see that Bonmati was the best player on the pitch. Those contributions proved to be winning bonuses.

RW: Caroline Graham Hansen – 7/10 – Showed flashes of her brilliance though didn’t trouble Chelsea for extended periods.

CF: Salma Paralluelo – 6/10 – Didn’t hold the ball up well enough against Chelsea’s physically imposing back three, though did have more luck running in behind even if she didn’t provide any goals herself.

LW: Fridolina Rolfo – 7/10 – Like Graham Hansen was made to work for space to operate on the wing. Converted the crucial penalty to send Barcelona into the final.

Substitutes

SUB: Mariona Caldentey (67′ for Batlle) – 6/10

SUB: Claudia Pina (86′ for Graham Hansen) – 6/10

SUB: Alexia Putellas (90′ for Bonmati) – N/A

Subs not used: Sandra Panos (GK), Gemma Font (GK), Jana Fernandez, Marta Torrejon, Bruna Vilamala, Esmee Brugts, Vicky Lopez, Martina Fernandez

Manager

Jonatan Giraldez – 7/10 – Barcelona weren’t at their best but they got the job done and will have a chance to defend their title in Bilbao.

Player of the match – Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)

Chelsea’s players remain firmly supportive of head coach Mauricio Pochettino despite their struggles this season, according to a report.

The Blues could finish the campaign in a Europa League spot or still drop into the bottom half for a second-straight year, and they were most recently humiliated 5-0 by rivals Arsenal.

Leandro Trossard, Ben White, and former Blue Kai Havertz were all on the scoresheet in for the Gunners this week, the result lifting Mikel Arteta’s men to the top of the table while condemning Pochettino’s to ninth ahead of the weekend’s clashes.

Though pressure is growing on Pochettino, the 52-year-old remains highly esteemed by the majority of the dressing room, with the Standard reporting players eager for some stability following two years of continual change and disruption.

Moreover, the Blues squad – young in its making – has acknowledged that Pochettino has shielded them from criticism, particularly after some horrendous displays, and actively cultivated team spirit among a diverse group of players from various countries.

It’s also worth noting that skipper Reece James and vice-captain Ben Chilwell have been unable to deliver as much influence and support as they or Pochettino had hoped for due to injury.

Some board members believe Pochettino deserves to retain his position heading into next season as they recognise the challenges he has faced and commend his efforts in navigating through tough circumstances.

The Argentine signed a two-year contract with Chelsea last summer which included an option of a further 12 months.

And from now until the end of the season, Pochettino will be employing every effort to maintain his position in the hot-seat in west London. He remains confident that his methods will eventually yield rewards, much like they did with a comparably youthful squad at Tottenham Hotspur all those years ago.

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Erik ten Hag has offered his support to Marcus Rashford after the Manchester United forward called for fans to stop “abusing” him on social media.

Rashford was rewarded with a huge contract last summer after an outrageous first year under Ten Hag, but he has failed to match those heights this season. Fans have been quick to criticise his form – Rashford has just eight goals in all competitions this year – and even booed him off the pitch during the FA Cup semi-final scare against Coventry City.

A fan account came to Rashford’s defence by insisting the treatment of him by fans has been “disgusting”, and the 26-year-old posted a reply in the early hours of Friday morning, writing “I appreciate your support! It is abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough.”

Ten Hag, who has disciplined Rashford twice this season for incidents off the pitch, stood by the winger in his latest news conference but admitted he must raise his performance levels and prove people wrong on the pitch.

“I’ve a lot of sympathy for Rashy, of course,” Ten Hag said. “Last year, he had a brilliant season. I think the best season in his career, he scored 30 goals. You see what he is capable of.

“This season, he didn’t give the performances and people have been very critical. We have to back him and everyone should back him to get back to the levels of last year.

“I think he needs the support. We all know what he’s capable of, we all have to support and push him. He can do better than this year. We saw last year when he was really brilliant.

“I think the fans are behind us always. We are entering Old Trafford, I heard the reception. Wednesday was louder than I have heard. Also away: always supportive, backing the team and there is a very good connection between the team and the fans.”

Rashford’s drop in form has even invited questions about his future at United, with reports suggesting he could be sold for the right price. 90min understands Rashford has been identified as a possible replacement for Kylian Mbappe by Paris Saint-Germain.

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Tottenham are playing for much more than a top-four berth during the final month of the season; they’ll also have a huge say in the Premier League title race.

Spurs face the three – maybe two by the time they take on Liverpool at Anfield – title contenders during their last six league outings and the big one is up first.

The north London derby is often unmissable and the humungous stakes are bound the add to the occasion this weekend. Arsenal visit N17 aiming to dethrone Manchester City at the summit, but they can ill afford any slip-ups the rest of the way.

Tottenham would love nothing more than to stunt their fiercest rivals’ title charge, much like Everton did in the week. Spurs haven’t been in action since they were battered by Newcastle on Tyneside and a key injury absence will give Ange Postecoglou plenty to consider in terms of team selection for Sunday’s derby

Here’s what he could opt for.

GK: Guglielmo Vicario – A strong contender for Tottenham’s Player of the Year, the Italian could prove to be a major obstacle for the Gunners on Sunday.

RB: Pedro Porro – Porro hobbled off at St James’ Park two weeks ago but has had ample time to recover in time for the derby.

CB: Cristian Romero – You reckon Romero will be up for this one? The Argentine has enjoyed a stellar season and will relish the physical duel with Kai Havertz.

CB: Micky van de Ven – There’s been some talk of Van de Ven shifting over to left-back, but such a move seems unlikely. After enduring his toughest Premier League outing at Newcastle, the impressive Dutchman will want to bounce back here.

LB: Ben Davies – Destiny Udogie’s absence is a big blow for Spurs, but Davies is a fine deputy. He won’t provide Udogie’s dynamism, but he’s a reliable defender.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur – Yves Bissouma has failed to supply midfield control for months and Postecoglou has to make a change for the derby. Supreme pressers Arsenal would feast on the Mali international.

CM: Pape Matar Sarr – Sarr has oddly drifted in and out of the side in recent games but has to start on Sunday if Spurs are to cope with Arsenal physically in the middle of the park.

CM: James Maddison – It’d be a great time for Maddison to rekindle his early season form. The England international has generally been off the pace since returning from an ankle injury.

RW: Brennan Johnson – The summer arrival has emerged as an output machine in N17, benefitting from Ange’s adoration of winger-to-winger combinations. He’ll likely get the nod over the once-crucial Dejan Kulusevski.

ST: Son Heung-min – Son has haunted Arsenal time and time again, scoring a brace in the reverse fixture. He’s undoubtedly the man Gooners fear the most.

LW: Timo Werner – This is a big month for Werner, who has so far highlighted his value in north London. Spurs will surely sign him permanently should he shine against the league’s best down the stretch.

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