Aberdeen were made to battle for their place in the quarter-finals of the Viaplay Cup as they warmed up for their Europa League encounter against Hacken with a narrow 2-1 victory at Stirling.
Bojan Miovski fired the Dons into the lead after 29 minutes and a second from Leighton Clarkson just after the hour mark looked to have broken the resistance of their League One hosts.
The part-timers, who had hammered St Johnstone 4-0 in the group stage, set up a grandstand finish when Greig Spence pulled one back with 16 minutes left on the clock.
But the Premiership visitors withstood the late pressure to record a first competitive victory of the campaign ahead of their trip to Sweden to face Hacken on Thursday night for their play-off first-leg.
Aberdeen showed Stirling respect by selecting the same side that pushed Celtic hard in last Sunday’s 3-1 league defeat at Pittodrie.
And they opened in determined fashion as they sought an early breakthrough.
They almost had it after just five minutes but Stirling goalkeeper Blair Currie touched Duk’s header onto the crossbar and over from a Clarkson corner.
Only a minute later, Shayden Morris utilised his blistering pace to work a give-and-go on the right side of the box but his low centre just evaded the outstretched leg of Duk.
Stirling were resolute in defence and briefly flickered into life in attack but Currie had to look smart again in the 19th minute to clutch a Miovski header.
But there was nothing the home stopper could do just short of the half-hour mark as Aberdeen took the lead.
Nicky Devlin, who began on the right of a three-man defence, looked more comfortable when asked the fill the right-back slot and he was the creator.
The summer signing from Livingston took a pass in his stride and burst forward in determined fashion before reaching the by-line.
His cutback was tamed by Miovski, who took his time before drilling the ball into the net from 10 yards out.
Currie was called into action again in the 36th minute as Dante Polvara darted forward beyond the Stirling midfield and played in Morris.
But the winger’s shot was repelled by the Albion number one.
After a half of trying to keep the Aberdeen attacks at bay, Stirling suddenly threatened at the other end.
Kieran Moore helped a counter-attack on to the lurking Dale Carrick but the experienced striker’s shot was blocked by Kelle Roos in the Dons goal.
The home side were buoyed by the way they finished the first half and were re-energised after the break.
A Jack Leitch in-swinging corner caused havoc before being scrambled clear by the Aberdeen defence and then Carrick almost burst clear but could not get a shot away.
However, the away side settled and doubled their lead after 62 minutes with a stunner from Clarkson.
Currie did brilliantly to beat away a fierce shot from Graeme Shinnie but Clarkson thundered the rebound into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Only the woodwork denied Duk a third for Aberdeen from Clarkson’s corner before Stirling pulled one back in the 74th minute.
Ross Davidson’s deep free-kick was nodded back into the danger area by skipper Paul McLean and substitute Spence glanced his header into the net from close range.
Stirling hurled balls forward at every opportunity and screamed for a penalty at the death when Davidson was wiped out after shooting over.
But referee David Munro was not impressed and time eventually ran out on the stubborn hosts.
Chicago Fire v Charlotte FC: Smith shrugs off road-trip worries
Charlotte FC boss Dean Smith believes “mentality” is the main issue for sides daunted by away trips.
Smith takes his team to face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, with Charlotte having taken just one point from their five away games in MLS so far this season.
But Smith struggles to see why there is such a difference in confidence between home and away fixtures.
“Mentality,” said Smith when asked what the issue was.
“I believe some people, before they even leave, have accepted it’s going to be tougher. The only reason it’s tougher is because that’s in your head. Yes, you’ve got to travel, you haven’t got home fans or home advantage, but the pitches are still the same size, you’ve still got to get into your box and score a goal, and they’ve got to get in yours and you’ve got to defend your box.
“I don’t think there’s too much in it other than you have your fans behind you and home comforts. We should have had more points on the road, our performances merited more points but we’ve not taken chances on the road so far.”
Charlotte have won their last two games, both at home, while the Fire are on a five-game winless run.
“I’ve just been watching clips of them. It’s going to be a tough game, as everyone keeps telling me, it’s tough on the road,” Smith said.
“We’ll try to change that. They got beat at the weekend so it’s a bit of a tough time for them but we have to concentrate on ourselves.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers
The Fire have failed to score in three straight regular-season home games for the third time in club history. Cuypers is their top scorer, with three goals this term, and the onus will be on him to get firing again.
Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang
Patrick Agyemang scored Charlotte’s winner against Nashville SC last time out, making him the team’s leading scorer in MLS in 2024, with three goals to his name.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHICAGO WIN
While Chicago are made the favourites by Opta’s model, Charlotte have recorded back-to-back shutout wins. Charlotte have never won three straight regular-season matches without conceding a goal, something no team has managed to do in MLS in 2024.
Chicago are winless in five straight games and has just 10 points through their first 12 this season (W2 D4 L6). The Fire have had fewer points at this stage of a season only once before, taking nine points through 12 matches in 2020.
Charlotte have won three straight matches against the Fire after Chicago won the first meeting, 3-2. Charlotte have never won four straight meetings with a single opponent, though.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 41.1%
Charlotte – 29.9%
Draw – 29%
JFF appoints Omar McFarlane U-17 Reggae Boyz Ambassador ahead of World Cup qualifiers
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has appointed distinguished businessman and philanthropist, Omar McFarlane as the official Ambassador for the Under-17 Reggae Boyz, as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers scheduled to begin next year.
McFarlane has strong ties to Jamaica and Florida, where he founded the renowned Champion Football Club in South Florida. Champion is a non-profit travel football club that focuses on providing Jamaican youth players with opportunities to showcase their talent by competing in the Florida travel league.
In his role as Ambassador, McFarlane will play a critical part in helping to secure the necessary funding and support required for the Under-17 Reggae Boyz to excel and qualify for the age group World Cup, scheduled for 2025 in Qatar. His dedication to youth development and football excellence makes him an ideal candidate to support the young talents representing Jamaica on the international stage.
McFarlane shared his enthusiasm for the role.
"I am honoured to be appointed as the Ambassador for the U17 Reggae Boyz. I am committed to leveraging my connections and resources to ensure that our young players have the best opportunities to succeed and make Jamaica proud on the world stage,” he said.
The President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Michael Ricketts expressed gratitude for McFarlane's willingness to support the Under-17 Reggae Boyz.
"We are thrilled to have Omar on board as our Ambassador for the U17 team. His passion for football and dedication to youth development align perfectly with our goals for the national youth programme. We look forward to working together to achieve great success,” Ricketts stated.
The JFF and the Under-17 Reggae Boyz are excited about the prospects of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and are confident that with McFarlane's support and sports loving fans, the team will reach new heights in international football.
Klopp's assistant Lijnders to take charge at Salzburg
Jurgen Klopp's long-time assistant Pep Lijnders has agreed to take over at Salzburg, the Austrian club and Liverpool have confirmed.
Lijnders joined the Reds in 2014 as under-16s coach, before he became first-team development coach a year later.
Initially working under Brendan Rodgers, Lijnders has played a key role in Klopp's staff since the German took over at Anfield in October 2015.
It was confirmed in January that Lijnders would join Klopp in leaving Liverpool, and the Dutchman will now take a step into management, having agreed a three-year deal with Salzburg.
"I am very proud to become the new head coach of Salzburg," said Lijnders.
"This is a real privilege for me. After PSV, Porto and Liverpool, I am now moving to another exceptional club with a really good structure and a particular focus on youth development.
"I want to develop a mentality with the team that places a lot of emphasis on an attacking style of play and where passion and hunger for success are the basis of everything.
"My family has visited the city before and was overwhelmed by its beauty and the friendliness of the people. That was the last and important step for me in choosing Salzburg."
This is Lijnders' second managerial position, after a brief spell at NEC Nijmegen.
Lijnders will be joined by another of Liverpool's backroom staff, Vitor Matos, who will serve as his assistant. They are replacing Gerhard Struber, who was dismissed in April by 17-time Austrian champions Salzburg.
The duo, along with Klopp and the rest of his staff, will celebrate the end of their glorious Liverpool tenure when the Reds take on Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.
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