Second-year franchise Austin rallied from two goals down before goalkeeper Brad Stuver's penalty shoot-out heroics sent them into the MLS Western Conference Semifinals with victory over 10-man Real Salt Lake on Sunday.
Austin triumphed 3-1 on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw where Sebastian Driussi's 94th-minute spotkick sent the game into extra-time at Q2 Stadium.
Stuver stepped up in the shoot-out, saving efforts from Andrew Brody and Braian Ojeda, before Tate Schmitt skied his effort well over the crossbar to end RSL's campaign.
The game turned completely when Rubio Rubin was sent off in the 52nd minute for a second bookable offence with a late sliding challenge on Stuver. Austin, down 2-1 at the time, dominated with 25-3 shots from that point.
Los Verdes, making their first playoffs appearance after finishing 12th in the Western Conference in their debut season, were down 2-0 inside 15 minutes after Sergio Cordova's early brace.
Cordova glanced in Brody's right-wing cross for the opener after three minutes. The Venezuelan sent Stuver the wrong way from the spot on the quarter hour after a Jhojan Valencia handball to make it 2-0.
Argentine forward Driussi, who was a big-money signing from Zenit last year, pulled one back with a 31st-minute header from Diego Fagundez's cross.
Rubin saw red early in the second half and Austin subsequently barraged the RSL goal, finally getting their equalizer when Scott Caldwell handballed, with Driussi converting the lifeline
RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath did his best to withstand the barrage, blocking Zan Kolmanic's long-range effort in extra-time, before Stuver stepped up decisively in the shoot-out.
Montreal claimed their maiden MLS Cup playoffs victory since 2016 as they advanced past Orlando City 2-0, booking an Eastern Conference Semifinals date against either New York City or Inter Miami.
Djordje Mihailovic set up Ismael Kane's 68th-minute opener before converting a stoppage-time penalty to clinch the win.
Terzic: Dortmund ready to snap Madrid's perfect Champions League final run
Edin Terzic believes Borussia Dortmund can break Real Madrid's winning run in Champions League finals when they meet in the showcase at Wembley on Saturday.
Madrid have won all eight finals they have played in since the Champions League replaced the European Cup in 1992, while they have also won five Champions League titles in the past 10 seasons for a total of 14 European crowns.
Terzic said records were there to be broken, but Dortmund would need to perform at the highest level.
"We have to have the belief that we can achieve big things," Terzic told a press conference. "We have to invest everything to bring the trophy back to Dortmund. It has been a long time."
Dortmund won the competition in 1997 and reached the final again in 2013, though they lost to Bayern Munich in an all-German showdown.
"The most important thing is if you want to win the Champions League you have to beat the champions," Terzic said. "We now face the absolute champions.
"They have had this experience 14 times, won it five times in the past 10 years. But our aim is always to break it down to one game.
"Eight Champions League finals and they never lost. But what matters is not what happened in the previous eight. What matters is only the next one. It is time to break that run."
Dortmund finished fifth in the Bundesliga this season, narrowly securing their Champions League spot for next season. In 2023, they had been title contenders, narrowly missing out on the league trophy on the final matchday.
Terzic said that bitter experience a year ago, however, contributed to their success this season.
"I had said it at the time that I would have done without this chapter of my life, but this day was from that point part of our road to success," he said.
"Now we travel to London with the same fans who, a year ago, after that bitter match [on the final Bundesliga matchday], kept supporting us and singing for hours. It is time to give something back, and we will have the chance to hopefully celebrate together."
Owen gives Bellingham 'massive chance' of Ballon d'Or success
Michael Owen believes Jude Bellingham has a "massive chance" of winning the Ballon d'Or after a stand-out debut season at Real Madrid.
Los Blancos won their 36th LaLiga title, losing just one of their league games while finishing 10 points clear of second-place Barcelona.
Bellingham ended the league campaign as Madrid’s top-scorer, netting 19 LaLiga goals and added another four in the Champions League to help them on their way to the final.
The attacking-midfielder has also created more chances under pressure (19) than any other midfielder in the Champions League, with four of those resulting in an assist for a Madrid teammate.
Bellingham is due to join up with England for Euro 2024 following the Champions League final as the Three Lions aim to win their first major trophy since 1966.
Bellingham is among the favourites to get his hands on the Ballon d'Or and would be the first Englishman to win it since Owen himself in 2001.
"The Ballon d'Or comes to players who have an exceptional season, not only personally, but who have had a season where they have won something or multiple titles," Owen told TNT Sports.
"If Jude Bellingham goes and wins LaLiga, which he already has done, as well as the Champions League all while being one of the stars of the show in that team, then he has got to be in the conversation.
"A lot will depend on Euro 2024 with England. If he has a good tournament and England go far, then you could rightly say that he has a massive chance."
Bellingham will face former club Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday as Madrid aim to lift a record-extending 15th title in the European Cup.
FC Cincinnati v Nashville SC: Noonan praises hosts' adaptability
Pat Noonan believes being able to win in different ways has been the key to FC Cincinnati's fine run of form, as the Orange and Blue look to make it eight straight victories against Nashville SC on Wednesday.
Cincinnati have won their last seven league games to surge up the Eastern Conference standings, and they currently sit just one point adrift of leaders Inter Miami with a game in hand.
They overcame fellow high-fliers Toronto FC by a 4-3 scoreline in a thriller last time out, and Noonan has praised his players for being adaptable in the face of different challenges.
"It's hard to win in this league and it's hard to win consecutively like we've done," Noonan said.
"I think what we're able to do is adapt in games and win in different ways. When we need to have the quality with the ball and score goals, we were able to do that.
"We've seen the one-goal wins, and finally being able to win a game by two goals last week against St. Louis City. So we can win in different ways, which is important."
Nashville, meanwhile, are still awaiting their first win under interim coach Rumba Munthali, having played out back-to-back draws with Atlanta United (1-1) and CF Montreal (0-0) since they fired Gary Smith.
"It's been good, it's been positive," Munthali said of the team's work on the training ground.
"The guys have done the work that was asked of them and have been really positive and receptive, especially at a tough time in this transition."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta
Acosta assisted Cincinnati's winner last Saturday, his ninth straight regular-season match with a goal contribution, equalling the longest run in MLS since the start of the 2023 season.
Since 2000, only six players have recorded a double-digit streak of regular-season games with a goal contribution.
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar created five chances for team-mates in Nashville's draw with Montreal last time out, his most in a match this season.
Nine of the 19 chances Mukhtar has created this year have come in two games against Montreal, with just 10 in his other 10 matches. Will that performance be a turning point?
MATCH PREDICTION – FC CINCINNATI WIN
Nashville have only won only one of their last 16 MLS away matches (six draws, nine defeats including playoffs), including going winless in their last eight (four draws, four losses).
Nashville's last road win over an Eastern Conference foe came over a year ago, a 2-1 victory at Charlotte FC on May 20, 2023.
Cincinnati's 4-3 win at Toronto last time out was their 31st victory in their last 50 regular-season matches dating back to October 2022, the most wins in a span of 50 regular-season matches in MLS in the post-shootout era (since 2000).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
FC Cincinnati – 56.5%
Nashville SC – 21.6%
Draw – 21.9%
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
