Marco Fabian scored twice in two minutes to lift Mexican club Chivas of Guadalajara to a stunning 4-1 victory over Spanish giants Barcelona in their friendly on Wednesday.
The European champions led at half-time through David Villa’s third-minute strike, but Chivas hit back with a burst of three goals in 12 minutes in the second half.
Barcelona’s visit drew 70,080 to Sun Life Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins — a record for a soccer match in South Florida.
Fabian equalized in the 60th minute with a drive from 30 yards before Omar Arello’s cross from the right two minutes later found Fabian free and he buried a flying scissor-kick.
“I like to practice that shot,” Fabian said. “Thank God, it went in and hopefully it will be the first of many to come.”
The 20-year-old forward, in his fifth season with Chivas, said it was a thrill to score two goals against a side of Barcelona’s stature.
“This is a dream come true, to score not one, but two goals against a great team like Barcelona,” he said. “Life goes on, but this is something I will cherish.”
Giovani Casillas added a third in the 72nd before Jose Luis Verduzco completed the scoring in the 90th minute.
“Our team was able to capitalize on its opportunities,” Chivas coach Jose Luis Real said. “Even in the first half, we had our chances. I was very proud how we kept our composure when the shots didn’t go in.”
Barcelona — who are without two-time FIFA Player of the Year Lionel Messi as well as Daniel Alves, Javier Mascherano and Alexis Sanchez for their US tour — fell to Manchester United 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday.
The match was a reprise of their clash in the UEFA Champions League final in May, which Barcelona won 3-1.
On Saturday, the Spanish outfit play another friendly in Dallas, Texas, against Mexican club America.
“The result tells us we need to work hard on a few things,” Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. “I am not surprised by Chivas’ performance. Mexican football is very dynamic and entertaining.”
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more