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In a club's history, there are performances that speak volumes about how the team is being led. It can be a statement performance that catches the eye of the watching world, or it can be a performance so bad that it questions the path the club is going down, or even the club's very future. Arsenal losing 2–0 to Chelsea may not be a standout case based on their recent history, but in my opinion, it’s the last nail in Arsenal's coffin, epitomizing everything they have become.  Arsenal aren’t going to win any silverware this year, so let's get that out of the way. When facing their crosstown rivals, the least they could do is give their fans something to cheer about. Arsenal apparently hate their fans, witness their passive, regressive display.  During the first 45 minutes they had their backs pinned to the wall, trying to absorb Chelsea's attack. In fact, I shouldn’t say absorb ; their defense was completely woeful. Reece James was unhindered on the wing, which permitted him to put in crosses, one of them leading to a goal. Pablo Mari was supposed to be marking Romelu Lukaku, but the Belgian forward tossed Mari around like a plastic bag in the wind. On the upside, Bernd Leno showed his class with a fantastic save against Lukaku. The goalie did well to slap Lukaku’s header onto the bar. What REALLY hampered Arsenal was a lack of leadership in the back four, which resulted in a communication breakdown. You’d probably find more leadership in a ham and cheese melty.  Arsenal had no edge up front either, simply because the Gunners’ midfield was invisible for the whole game. Granit Xhaka may have had a great Euro campaign over the Summer, but it looks like he’s back to his inconsistent form. I'm not sure if he's back from vacation, because I couldn’t see him anywhere on the field today. Xhaka wasn’t the only one to implode. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe had to go narrow to mark Jorginho and Mateo Kovačić, which allowed James and Marcos Alonso to push high up. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang actually played decently after his long spell out, but he couldn't make much of an impact, as the midfield was unable to give him quality passes.  All in all, it's another wretched display by the Gunners. Arsenal played with very little desire, were exposed in their own half, and had nothing going for them in the final third. I think it says a lot that even after 18 months of not being able to go to games, Arsenal fans were seen leaving the stadium in frustration, even before the game ended. For Arsenal's sake, I hope Stan Kroenke sees what’s going on, and sacks Arteta. It may not be enough to save Arsenal's season, but it could be a blessing for them in the future. Chelsea are back with a bang! The West Londoners dispatch Arsenal in North London. First things first: THIS is how you run a football club. Arsenal and Chelsea are similar in multiple ways—both have owners with large sums of money, they both have great academies that produce talent, and both have access to the latest and greatest facilities and technologies. Here’s the difference: Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea’s manager, made back-to-back Champions League FINALS, while Arteta was only hired because he played for Arsenal back in 2011. All you need to know is this—one is a competent manager who knows how to manage a team, while the other just started his career as a head coach and has had no previous experience.  I don’t throw the word “masterclass” around a lot, but Tuchel produced one today. He made sure Chelsea would have a numerical advantage in midfield, meaning other Arsenal players would be drawn in, leaving spaces in their place. Lukaku was excellent today, as he’s superb at using his strength to get past his marker. Multiple Arsenal defenders were drawn to Lukaku to mark him, which would free up even more space, and allow for Chelsea to make overloads in the wing. Lukaku has everything that Chelsea have been asking for in a forward, and he's already paying dividends.  Chelsea’s first goal came in the 15th minute, when Kovačić found James on the wing with acres of space. James then fizzed the ball into the 6-yard box. Pablo Mari was supposed to be marking Lukaku, but it was man versus mountain for Mari, and Lukaku easily shouldered him off to score a tap-in. Chelsea’s second goal was similar to the first. Kieran Tierney obviously hadn’t learned his lesson about going narrow, because he was dragged in yet AGAIN. Mason Mount put a through ball to James, who was in on goal. The English international rocketed his effort into the top corner, a fantastic finish. Both goals were scored because Tuchel took advantage of Arsenal's tactical frailties.  Lukaku was excellent today, being much more than just a goal scorer. I think people have forgotten just how good he really is, pointing to his price tag and calling him “overrated.” Even at Manchester United, when he was “off form,” he scored 28 goals in 66 appearances, or .42 goals per game, a good ratio. Lukaku is a lethal out-and-out number 9 who can facilitate plays leading up to a goal. He was a fantastic signing this Summer and will only become better.  Chelsea’s performance today shows that they are ready to take on the league. Every position is occupied by world-class talent, who all have great chemistry with each other. Add a manager who is a born winner, and you have a team that’ll go toe-to-toe with Liverpool, Man City, and all the other Premier League title contenders. The rest of the teams had better be ready, ’cause the Blue Lions are BACK. Arsenal are flailing in the shark-infested waters of the Premier League, and not much can be done to save them. They seem destined for an even lower position than 8th, and if they don’t straighten up, they may finish in the lower half of the EPL table. As for Chelsea, they maintain their perfect streak of 2 clean sheets, and 2 wins out of 2. The sun seems to be rising on the West side of London—but may be setting on its North side.

Arsenal take on Brentford in the first game of the Premier League season! Newly promoted Brentford haven’t seen top-flight football in 73 years, and will be looking to make a statement. Arsenal, on the other hand, know they have to face Manchester City and Chelsea in the coming weeks, so this is a must-win.  Arsenal are back! And so is their reputation, after losing to newly promoted Brentford. People are always saying, “Trust the process” when talking about Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager. What process? How have Arsenal progressed more than when Arsène Wenger was coach? At least under Wenger, they made it to Europe. Today, Arsenal brought nothing onto the pitch. Their defense was as bad as could be, which is saying a lot; it seems that every game Arsenal are trying to run their back line into the ground.  What stood out to me tonight was how susceptible the Gunners’ fullbacks were. Every time the two went forward, they left a gap behind them that wouldn’t be filled by a fellow centerback. Brentford took advantage of that by playing long balls into those gaps for Bryan Mbeumo to run into. Still on the subject of defense, Bernd Leno was another casualty of Arteta’s “Masterclass.” He’ll be ridiculed for letting the first shot in at his near post, but the German did not have a good view of it. For the second goal, critics will say he should have punched the ball clear, but he was blocked by a Brentford player, and it was the back line's responsibility to get to the ball, not Leno’s. In fact, in the 66th minute, he made a great save to deny Mbeumo, diving low to parry the ball away. This shows that Leno was a positive for Arsenal. Arsenal were toothless going forward, so I don’t have much to write about their offense. The only person who did anything in the final third was Emile Smith-Rowe. The youngster tried his best to make things work, playing in between the lines and threading passes into pockets of space for others to run into. Arsenal was unable to retain possession after 3 or 4 passes, as the Brentford midfield would be upon them after a poor pass or a predictable play. I really don’t know where Arsenal go from here. I think the majority of the blame has to be on Arteta’s shoulders. I can only imagine the scenes in the locker room at halftime, when they were only 1–0 down. In those moments, you need to have a charismatic coach who can inspire the team to turn things around–even against a rookie Premier League team like Brentford. Arteta STILL couldn't motivate his side to turn things around. If he can’t do it against a Championship team, then what’s gonna happen when they face one of the top dog teams? The answer for me is to sack Arteta and replace him with a competent manager. Wow. You don’t see these results very often in football, but these games remind you of what makes the sport so special. Three words to describe Brentford's performance tonight would be Unity, Trust, and Clinical. The Bees took control of the game from the first minute and never looked back. Each Brentford player was supported by their neighboring teammate, in case they came out of position and were exposed. This stifled most of Arsenal's attacks, the Gunners unable to find cracks.    Opposite Arsenal's fullbacks, Brentford’s were superb all game long. On paper Brentford played with a back three, but they also had two wide midfielders who could drop into defense, turning the back 3 into a back 5. Brentford’s coach, Thomas Frank, knew that even with their numerical advantage, Arsenal was more skillful, so he made sure the fullbacks were pragmatic, not erratic. Nicolas Pepe learned this the hard way, as Rico Henry and Ethan Pinnock kept an eye on him all game long, never letting him have room on the wing. To sum it all up, Brentford’s wingbacks knew when to drop back and defend, and when to push up to support the midfield.  The Bees were cynical in the final third. You could sense they had that mental edge against Arsenal's defense, especially with the support of their fans. Brentford’s first goal was immaculate. A poor Arsenal clearance fell to the feet of Sergi Canós, and after turning Calum Chambers inside-out, he rifled his shot low and into the corner. Again, people will criticize Leno for not covering his near post, but you have to remember that he also has to cover the far post, and also be ready to punch the ball out of the box if it’s a cross. Again, it wasn’t the goalkeeper’s fault. The Bees’ second goal was scrappy, but they didn’t care. A long throw-in wasn’t headed away by an Arsenal defender, and the ball bounced into the 6-yard box. Christian Nørgaard rose highest, heading into an empty net. Brentford pushed many players into the box, so Nørgaard easily broke free from his marker to strike the telling blow.  I know it's only been one game, but I feel like there’s something special in this Brentford side. The way they worked together—Mbeumo causing havoc on the right wing, the fullbacks making the best use of themselves whether it be in midfield or defense, the three central midfielders who put in a great shift, and even the goalie who made some  stunning saves—most notably in the 87th minute, when Pepe latched on to Smith-Rowe’s cross to half volley it, but Raya Martin was there to palm it around the post. Yes, this is an Arsenal team in crisis (I literally wrote a blog about it—that’s how you know it's bad), but they’re still a top 6 side. If the Bees can continue with performances like this one, survival won’t be an issue for them, that’s for sure.  Brentford have produced the upset to end all upsets, absolutely running riot against the Gunners! The victory was thoroughly deserved, and hopefully they can continue like this. For Arsenal, It's gotta be one of the more depressing nights in their recent history. Last season they finished 8th but, with results like this, who knows how far they could drop. Arteta’s at the wheel—but for how long?

It’s time to find a new way to govern the European domestic leagues. You heard that right: the current system of governance allows the leagues to become greedy and susceptible to making power grabs when they are left to their own devices. This is evidenced by the fact that for the past seven years, the winner of the Premier League has been as predictable as a Spanish soap opera. Current champions Manchester City are in a galaxy of their own in England, winning an unprecedented sixth title in seven years. While it’s true that England does have more competitive teams than other European leagues, these team’s ultimate purpose is to serve as a stick for Manchester City to trip over in one-off games; in the long run, few teams can compete with the Citizen’s vast reserves of wealth. In the current set up, European leagues depend on their revenue like it’s their blood; the money they generate is used to sustain the departments which make them effective governing bodies. They reinvest the profit they generate from viewership, ad revenue, and licensing agreements into player development, training facilities, funding for cup competitions and, most importantly, funding for the their regulatory department. This department has put its name in the headlines in recent years. In November 2023, the English FA (Football Association) deducted six points from Everton FC for spending 19.5 million euros above the 105 million euro limit. This marked the first significant enforcement of the profit and sustainability regulations, showing that the FA meant business in enforcing fairness and sportsmanship. That may be all well and good in theory, but the truth is that Everton wasn’t exactly dominating the league up until that point. The toffees finished tenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth in the years leading up to those charges. Was a six-point deduction really necessary with Everton floundering in mid-table? It could be argued that it was; after all, the FA’s message to the world was that any team caught breaching the rules should be adequately punished. The FA drew the line, however, when successful clubs began to overspend. Take Manchester United for example: The Red Devils spent a whopping 700 million euros over the past five seasons, despite millions in lost earnings from not having won a Premier League title in eleven years. Yet United continued to spend, and no legal action was taken from the FA. It’s not as though United’s faulty finances were being kept a secret. In fact, UEFA sanctioned Manchester United for breaching financial fair play regulations from 2019 to 2022, making them pay 260,000 pounds. Frequent campaigns into the profit-deficient Europa League, and a five-year Champions League quarter-final absence would have been a dagger into United's profit margins, yet they continued to spend. If UEFA was able to sanction Manchester United, then surely the FA would also be able to. The thing is, they don’t want to. Remember how I said that these domestic governing bodies are for-profit organizations? One of their main sources of revenue, viewership is garnered via millions of fans tuning in to watch their league’s flagship teams battling it out. Stunting the growth of these megateams would essentially be stunting the growth of the these governing bodies. Similar to domestic competitions, success in European tournaments plays a major part in drawing attention to the domestic leagues. Teams that reach the latter stages of tournaments such as the Champions League and Europa League will consequently garner a bigger following from international audiences, which brings in more viewership for the domestic leagues. Financial gain from European competitions comes from other areas as well: the current Champions League system handsomely rewards teams which make deep runs into its competition, ensuring that these teams will replenish their squads over the summer, finish high in their domestic leagues, and end up back in the Champions League once again. The truth is that the FA simply cannot afford for their best teams, despite what regulations they’ve broken, to be missing out on the best competitions. The superclubs’ revenues are diverse; they won’t crumble if one of their sources of income runs dry. Domestic leagues, on the other hand, have no such luxury. Rationally, it doesn’t make any sense that the most prevalent enforcer of rules also has a vested interest in the success of the parties it enforces regulations on. FIFA and UEFA can only do so much; outside of holding up the law in their respective tournaments, they have little say when it comes to how domestic leagues are handled. The proposed European Super League, which would have pitted the best teams in Europe against each other while banning lower level teams, was a cocktail of vagueness, greed, and intentional ignorance. As the fans, pundits, and players of the world fought to make their opposition heard, and as UEFA scrambled to denounce the movement, the domestic leagues were compliant, the notion of profit enough to keep them silenced. RFEF, Spain’s governing body, was reactionless as it saw its three flagship teams—Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid—break away and advocate for a rogue league. The FA let the fans take the initiative as they protested in the streets. The governing bodies of Europe’s best leagues turned away as football’s structure looked to be on the brink of collapse. They had been given their moment for redemption, all eyes on them, and they chose to be silent. What can be done about this? There seems to be two solutions: we can either let the domestic leagues continue to be the primary governing bodies, or give UEFA larger roles in the governance of those leagues. The first case would only work if we remove all monetary links that the domestic governing bodies have with their teams, to keep them unbiased. This seems nearly impossible, which is why allowing UEFA to preside over the English leagues seems like the more natural conclusion. Is UEFA corrupt? Sure. Do they have the league’s best intentions in mind all of the time? Probably not. Still, UEFA is unbiased, and slightly less corrupt than FIFA. And in this screwed up world, that’s got to count for something.

It took only four days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for FIFA to announce that all Russian clubs and national teams would be banned until further notice from every FIFA competition. Seven months later, UEFA announced that they too had disqualified Russia from competing in Euro 2024. Despite Russia’s appeals, it was unable to reverse the World Cup ban and, barring a successful appeal of the Euro 2024 ban, will be prohibited from playing this summer. Opponents of Russia’s ban likely would accuse FIFA of being ‘trigger happy’ in banning Russia. This is because FIFA, an organization already under hot water from the bloody foundations of the 2022 World Cup, where hundreds of workers died building the stadiums, would have been eager not to be involved in further controversy. One the one hand, you may think that these opponents have a point; why would organizations like FIFA and UEFA feel the need to punish apolitical organizations like a national team, even though they have no connection to the actions of a country? Or do they? It’s more complicated than it seems. While football appears to have very little say in influencing a nation’s politics, it actually does. We fans may want to think of football as being in a vacuum, an enjoyment distant from political ambition, but it isn’t. Politicians of football-obsessed countries see their national teams as their country’s most important ambassador, and even as an extension of their government. To them, it’s a platform to push their political agenda in a way that can be digested by the majority. In most cases, this tactic is harmless, with a touch of annoying. Think of French president Emmanuel Macron at the 2022 World Cup. There was more than football on his mind during his impassioned post-game talks and participation in the medal ceremony. Macron intended to be seen just as much he wanted to see, and it paid off. Macron’s approval ratings had a noticeable increase during the latter stages of the tournament. The real issue begins when leaders of totalitarian states use the glory of sport to push their own agendas, or to strengthen the image of their country. These repressive regimes intertwine football with propaganda to quell any rebellious behavior among their own people, essentially weaponizing the sport. Take North Korea at the 2010 FIFA World Cup for example. Despite finishing bottom of their group, having lost all three group stage games, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un declared that Portugal, the team which had beaten North Korea 7–0, had actually won the World Cup—when Spain had in fact won—and that their humiliating loss was due to the excellence of Portugal, not because of North Korea's ineptitude. This likely boosted national pride, turning an athletic defeat into a propagandist victory. It may seem surface level and hilarious to those of us who have access to an internet connection, but one must realize that this kind of propaganda—especially in countries like North Korea—has huge ramifications on the global stage. The legitimization of North Korea’s football team as a force to be reckoned with, as a team which can compete with the very best, ropes the population into a false sense of superiority over other nations, creating an environment where the public allows themselves to be subjected to tyrannical injustice. Now let’s take a second look at Russia. It’s not that the players of the national teams themselves have anything to do with global conflicts. Russian players have done nothing to endorse Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, Russian player Fedor Smolov was quick to condemn the invasion, and showed outright support for Ukraine in a social media post. Still, despite the anti-war sentiments brought out by Russian players, in the eyes of many football fans, allowing Russia to play in the World Cup would be yielding to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s will. Ask yourself this: Had Russia competed at the 2022 World Cup and played well, how would that have affected Russia’s national pride and their unity? Would it have galvanized Putin in the war effort? How many more soldiers and innocent civilians would have died because of one fragile ego? There is an upside to this. We have become used to politicians using football as a platform to better their public relations, but what about when footballers do it? Footballers are their country’s greatest ambassadors; Whether Putin likes it or not, he’s not the one scoring the goals or garnering likes on instagram. Sometimes the actions of footballers create positive change. Look no further than Didier Drogba and the Ivory Coast’s heroics to reach the 2006 World Cup, an achievement which subsequently halted the first Ivorian Civil War, a five-year struggle for equitable political representation after prior unethical elections. The Ivory Coast’s success helped persuade the Ivorian government to conduct peace negotiations, showing that football can have positive, tangible effects on a nation’s politics. There’s no doubt that footballers have the power to join together and push for a common cause, but there’s also no doubt that politicians are still the ones who take the most advantage of football’s wide viewership. We as a community must be on the lookout for when politicians use gimmicks to reel us in. We must be ready to denounce and boycott organizations which operate to better the political standing of totalitarian governments. We cannot be bystanders while our sport is perverted into a weapon of suppression.

Manchester United: Crown of England, historical titans, theater of dreams. Also added to that list: sporadic performances, helpless manager, forever languishing outside of the top four. It’s no secret that Manchester United has not reached the same peaks after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. Since the great ‘Fergie’ departed Old Trafford over a decade ago in 2013, the great Manchester United has won only four trophies: one FA Cup, one Europa League trophy, and two League Cups. Not exactly silverware to set the world on fire. Now, quick question. Where do you think United ranks on the list of teams with the highest revenue? Don't look. … Manchester United came in fourth in the world for 2023’s highest earning clubs. The team that couldn’t even make it into the Champions League, Europe’s premiere knockout competition, did make it into a kind of top four in 2023. Which begs the question: is Manchester United more focused on making their profit margins ever bigger, as opposed to concentrating on their football? Why doesn’t United's failures on the pitch equate to failures in the financial market? What's going on? To say that Manchester United’s players, coaches, and backroom staff are solely committed to making a profit would be an exaggeration to end all exaggerations. It’s their job to challenge for records and silverware. However, that doesn’t mean that the club’s owners see it the same way. For these fat cats, doing the bare minimum — qualifying for the Champions League, not winning it — is enough. Consider this: according to AS, each team that qualifies for the Champions League group stages will receive fifteen and-a-half million Euros, or about seventeen million U.S. dollars. That's serious money for ninety-nine percent of Europe’s clubs, but for the big boys like Manchester United, that’s pocket change. The real money is made in broadcasting revenue. For example, Paris Saint-Germain made ninety-nine million euros, or about one-hundred and seven million dollars alone from television revenue in the Champions League. To understand why owners care so much about the bottom line, you have to understand how owners usually run football clubs. Most owners put their own money into the club, in the hopes that the club will turn a profit by the end of the year, therefore making their investment successful. Whatever grows their investment — even if it doesn’t involve winning a title — is good for them. In 2003, Premier League owners found that desired investment: the Asian market. With a population of 4.5 billion people, well over half of the world’s population, the Premier League realized that it had some serious untapped potential. It’s no wonder — the fan base in Asia is arguably just as devoted to European clubs as the European fan base is. Asia loves European football, and there’s no doubt that European owners love them back, for the money that they make off of them. In fact, ever since 2022, the English first division has generated more money from overseas viewership revenue than from United Kingdom broadcast viewership earnings. The amount of total money generated is projected to be around $7.2 billion dollars, according to The Associated Press. With such an incentive to appeal to fans overseas, its no wonder that clubs have now begun to prioritize pre-season tours of Asia. And prioritize they do. Overseas tours are jam-packed with games, which can cause fatigue for players. Add to that the constant traveling around from country to country, covering long distances in short amounts of time, and you get one poisonous chalice of irritation and burnout. Don't believe me? Take it from Lionel Messi. The Argentinian legend would logically have the highest tolerance for long distance flights and pointless tours, but even he has his limits. When asked about Inter Miami’s pre-season tour, he had this to say. “I’m a little tired from this whole tour, [I have] a desire to finish up the last game and to return home. We have been on this tour that has had many games congested together, a lot of travel, a lot of changes of time zones.” Along with pre-season tours, some club owners have realized that they can generate even more money by buying big named players, selling shirts and stadiums in the process. Big name player doesn’t fit into the club's style of play? Who cares! All that matters to these owners is that John bought his son a 125 dollar kit, with some bigshots’ name on the back, in the club’s gift shop after the match. We’ve seen time and time again that these lavish purchases usually don't work out in the end. Look no further than 2021 PSG, with the failed ‘MNM’ trio of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe; the Real Madrid Galacticos era, where the club failed to win any trophy of note; or the Mourinho Manchester United era, spending hundreds of millions on Pogba and Zlatan, just to play in the Europa League. Hell, even I covered Barcelona’s reckless spending on Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, and Antoine Griezmann, all who were Barcelona flops. I could honestly go on and on about owners wrecking the identities of clubs just for the prospect of profit. I haven’t even mentioned the recent Super League scandal, where Europe's biggest clubs almost double-crossed UEFA in starting their own tournament format, only for fans, pundits, and players making their concerns heard, essentially stopping the formation of a football-based oligarchy. It is fascinating yet horrifying to see these monstrous clubs of the game, many over a century old, being turned into cash cows for already wealthy investors. Investors who put the well-being of players, the reputation of the club, and the loyalty of the fans aside, just for a numerical statistic at the end of a quarter. Owners whose principles are so backwards that they mar the very notion of a “peoples club”. This is happening to every club, on some scale. If it hasn’t already yet happened to yours, well, then I've got some bad news for you.

If asked about the first word that comes to your mind when you think about football, the word “accuracy” may not be top of the list. That being said, it certainly is the most important aspect of the modern game. For example, goal-line technology has been a resounding success in the world of football. Since its inception, the process of awarding controversial goals has been much more transparent and efficient than ever before, and fans have been able to have peace of mind, knowing that the right call has been made. The demons of Frank Lampard’s “ghost goal” in South Africa — where his would-be goal against Germany was ruled out because of a faulty linesman call — were exorcized with this technology. For goal-line technology to work, it requires multiple high speed cameras aimed towards each goal. When the ball is hit towards goal and lands on the goal-line, the cameras send the images to a master data machine, which in turn calculates the positioning, speed, and other data. This data forms a precise rendition of the ball’s closest position to the goal-line, and is sent straight to the referee’s wrist watch as a ‘goal’ or ‘no goal’ signal. The crazy part? This all happens in a fraction of a second. Goal-line technology worked so well that FIFA announced semi-automated offside technology for the 2022 World Cup. The concept was basically the same as goal-line technology, where camaras would decide if a striker was offside (in front of the last defender at the moment of the pass). Just like its counterpart, semi-automated offside was a massive success in Qatar; Seri A, Italy’s premier division, has already confirmed plans to introduce semi-automated offside after January 27th, 2024. Yes, modern football is accurate. There’s also no getting around the fact that there’s still one glaring, deafening issue. The lack of sideline technology. The general concept of sideline technology is pretty simple. It's basically taking the workings of goal-line technology, and wrapping it across an entire football field sideline. In this way, referees would know for sure whether or not the ball has gone out of bounds, if it's a close call. Initially, this doesn't sound like that big of a deal. What's the point? I know some of you are already saying, Shouldn’t camera angles work just fine to determine if the ball went over the line? Isn’t that what linesmen officials are for? For all of you nay-sayers out there, you just need to think back to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Japan were playing for their world cup lives, against Spain in the final group E match. In the fifty-first minute, Kaoru Mitoma, desperate to keep a ball from heading out of play for a Spanish goal-kick, stretched out his leg to prod the ball back into the penalty box, where Ao Tanaka was lurking, and poached the ball into the net. Initially, it seemed that the ball had gone out of play, and the referee called for a Spanish goal-kick. After a review by VAR, however, it was decided that the ball hadn’t gone out of play. Japan went on to win the game, and finish top of the group. Germany finished third and were sent home early, as Tanaka’s goal proved the difference. Japan celebrated, and Spain thanked their lucky stars that they had thrashed Costa Rica seven–zero in the first round, and weren’t joining Germany on the plane ride home. But what if the ball had gone out of play? You see, after the game, different angles surfaced of the ball on the touchline, sending mixed signals as to whether or not the ball had stayed in bounds. Some angles showed the ball being clearly over the line, while other angles made it seem like the ball had stayed in. It's so fascinating to know that even in 2024, with all the money spent towards fancy equipment like video assistant referee or high definition cameras, all in the name of ensuring that the right outcome is made, we still have a glaring gap in football accuracy. Knowing whether or not the ball has gone out of bounds can be just as crucial as knowing whether or not the ball has crossed the goal-line; if a play leading up to a goal included a moment where the ball went out of play, the goal must be chalked off. So why haven't we implemented sideline technology yet? There's just one reason, and it's the universal reason for almost everything: it's simply too expensive to implement on a wide scale. Goal-line technology on its own costs about two-hundred and sixty thousand dollars to implement per field, and that's just covering a two-and-a-half by three-and-a-half meter wide goal on either end of a football field. Try to implement that across a sideline, which averages around three-hundred and sixty meters in perimeter, and you can start to see the costs increase. Assuming that every three-and-a-half meters costs one-hundred and thirty thousand dollars, you're looking at around forty-six million dollars for touchline technology. If you thought that was bad, remember that touch line technology would have to accurately give feedback no matter how high the ball is in the air. In football, if the ball stays within the touchline, you could punt the ball to the moon and still play on. Therefore, the “area” of the touchline technology would be theoretically infinite. While forty-six million dollars isn’t a lot for the top tier teams in Europe, once you start traveling down the leagues, you realize that lower league teams don't make as much money, and that their margins are razor thin. In fact, It’s hard enough for the establishment of universal goal-line technology; many teams in the English Championship and below cannot afford goal-line technology, meaning that the technology is not allowed to be used in FA Cup games, for fear of an uneven playing field. If we can't even establish universal goal-line technology, then how on earth will we establish sideline technology? And even if FIFA tried to make solutions, like limiting the height at which the ball could stay in bounds, that’s essentially asking to change the fundamental laws of the game. Technology in football has always been there to assist, not to assert. In essence, the concept of sideline technology is fantastic. It fixes the last area of uncertainty on a football field, ensuring that players, coaches, pundits, and fans are never left in the dark again. However, the barriers are simply too big for it to not only be widely used, but to be usable at all. It doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting sideline technology any time soon. Players, coaches, pundits, and fans will have to accept that football is not as accurate as we may want it to be. Maybe that's a good thing. In the world of data points and scrutinized details, having one area of human error, which brings out the human side to the sport, may be exactly what we wanted all along.

April 22, 2022. Spanish team Barcelona face German team Wolfsburg in the Champions League semi final, a critical game which draws a crowd of 91,000 fans. The game is replete with technique and skill, as Europe's best players produce moments of magic on the field, captivating the crowd. Barcelona end up winning 5–1, all but confirming their spot in that season's Champions League final. After the game, the crowd applauds—not Gavi or Marc Andre ter Stegen, but Alexia Putellas and Maria Leon, the faces of the new generation of increasingly famous female players. Today, we’d like to believe that we are close to bringing equality to women's football. But when four thousand miles away, in Afghanistan, women football players are struggling to exist as the Taliban's iron grip on the country tightens, one must consider that we are still far, far away from where we should be. With the new era of women's football beginning to dawn, grassroots organizations are beginning to take more of a lead in influencing sports bodies like FIFA to encourage the growth of the sport. For example, the women's Super League, the English top tier division for women's soccer, saw a 60% rise in revenue from 2021 to 2022. For the first time in its history, because of their ever increasing popularity in the football world, women football players like Sam Kerr, Alexia Putellas, and Alex Morgan are now household names Audience members are beginning to tune in, as the women's game reaches larger and larger audiences. In fact, this year's women's world cup is expected to have the highest attendance overall ever, as this year's expected audience has more than doubled since the first world cup in 1991. So what's the issue? One of the biggest problems is that while we many think that the football world has begun to fully accept women's soccer, it also may be that the progress that has been done in first world countries, is actually distracting us from the issues in second and third world countries, places whose stances on women's football and in general women's rights, really need to be addressed. A country's economy can determine how good the quality of their women's team is. Countries with strong economies tend to be socially developed and progressive, which translates to having progressive values, which impacts their women's team as well. Countries such as the United States, Germany, and Japan, all have great women's football teams, with the U.S. having won four world cups, Germany two, and Japan once. Even China, who historically are not powerhouses in the game, have only missed qualification to one world cup, and recently won the AFC women's Asian cup. What a surprise—China's economy is the second strongest only to the United States. But why is this connection all so real? The progression of a women's football team can be closely connected to the status of the economy, because unlike the men's game, the women's game still needs support and funding to allow it to prosper. As such, a strong economy usually allows for upward mobility for women in their society, such as the ability to vote, and being well educated. All of this is necessary for women to be able to play soccer as well. Of course, there are outliers. Brazil for instance, is not a first world country, but a developing nation. However, football is so important in Brazilian culture, that talent naturally rubs off into the women's game as well. The institutions that helped power Brazil's men's team to a record 5 men's world cup triumphs is similarly benefitting the women's game too. For example, the early age that Brazilian boys begin playing football in clubs is similarly accelerating the women's game too. Talented girls are being scouted at younger ages, to maximize the number of years they have to train. Many countries have neither a stable economy to boost a push for women's soccer, nor a system for the men's team which benefits the women's game as well. For example, women's football as a whole in Africa has neither the structure, economic support, nor the impetus of other countries to elevate the women's game. As such, national teams in Africa have been noticeably underdeveloped, the highest ranking national team being Nigeria, in 40th place, below the likes of world cup debutants Vietnam and The Republic of Ireland. Nigeria surprised the world this year by qualifying for the knockout phases of the 2023 Women's World Cup, but the issues remain. With this in mind, it's paramount that these issues be examined and understood at the same level as the progress that is being done in Europe as well. While it is understandably great that the women's game is being elevated in Europe and in other developed countries, it's not doing much to benefit the women's game elsewhere. This isn't to say that everything is optimal in first world countries. It's definitely not. Women's wages have only slightly increased from 2019 to 2023—from 7.5% of what men made to 25%—but because of their socioeconomic situations, progress within these countries is much more likely to happen. For example, women in the U.S. are able to protest and champion for equal rights, using their power of free speech. Compare that with the women's Afghanistan team, which was broken up in 2021 after the Taliban re-asserted power. Because of the Taliban's traditionalist views on women, women's football has all but been quashed by the Taliban. Infringements on human rights demonstrate that the issue at hand is not development in the countries which permit progress, but development in countries that do not. What can be done to elevate the women's game in countries where funding is most needed? The most important thing is awareness. As mentioned, nations like Afghanistan threaten equal rights advocates, so spreading the word on their behalf is incredibly important. Joining the protests that Megan Rapinoe and the rest of the US Women's national team helped fuel, is important to remind FIFA and other governing bodies about the need for equal opportunity. Fortunately, steps are being taken in these parts of the world to improve the conditions of women's football. Recently, some nations that have historically had traditionalist views of women's soccer, have begun to relax their own values. One such example is Saudi Arabia. With the death of the former leader King Abdulaziz, the new successor King Salman began to introduce more progressive laws, such as making it legal for women to view football games in 2017, and then eventually establishing a women's team in 2021. Better yet, non-profit organizations such as The Women's Sports Foundation  and The Play It Forward Sport  are determined to elevate the women's game, and are having greater impact. There is always more that can be done if we want to see the women's game be available to all. A stronger effort by FIFA, Uefa, and other leading organizations is necessary if we are to see the Women's game be accessible to everyone.

The year is 2011 and Sepp Blatter, then president of FIFA, is at a podium during a televised ceremony, holding an envelope in his hand. The atmosphere is tense as hundreds of guests are in hushed silence. This is no run-of-the-mill press conference. Inside the envelope is the name of the country that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “The winner to organize the 2022 FIFA World Cup is… Qatar!” Cue celebrations from the Qatari ambassadors in the crowd. Beating the likes of Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States as host country, Qatar had firmly planted its flag in football history. A country of under 3 million people, against all odds, had punched their ticket to host the world’s greatest sporting event. Something to celebrate…right? Unlike the fairytale some would like to paint, this is no underdog story. In hindsight, Qatar were always going to be chosen as the world cup hosts, and for one reason: money. Before finding oil in the late 1930s, Qatar was one of the world’s poorest nations. The mass industrialization of oil extraction in the 1940s, however, saw Qatar's economy skyrocket from a per capita GDP of 3,000 dollars to 50,000 dollars over a course of 50 years, a percent increase of 1,600% Essentially, becoming one of the world's richest countries overnight. In power today is the Al Thani family monarchy, whose lineage stretches back to the 1870s. The current Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is the son of Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who happens to be a massive sports fan. His two best-known enterprises, Qatar Foundation and Qatar Airways, sponsor some of the world’s most famous football teams like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and PSG. As the most watched event in the world, the 2022 World Cup was a perfect opportunity to merge bin Khalifa’s two passions: sport, and the crinkle of green paper. When Qatar were announced as hosts for the World Cup, eyebrows immediately raised. Simply put, the geography and climate of Qatar is not suitable for football competitions, nor many other sports for that matter. Its temperatures can reach as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit. To fix this, FIFA announced plans for the tournament to be played in November, when temperatures would be much milder. However, this would drive a wedge right into the European league season, dividing it in two. Fans, pundits, and players all reacted in shock as football’s largest corporation bowed down to a seemingly insignificant entity. For FIFA to be so lenient towards Qatar’s drawbacks, there had to be a reason. There was. In 2019, documents found that in 2011, Qatar had sent 3 checks worth a combined total of 400 million dollars just 21 days before FIFA were due to announce the World Cup host. Another bombshell report stated that an additional 400 million were given 3 years later, according to The Daily Wire. FIFA’s slogan, “For the game. For the world,” is an innocent line that masks their murky past. Despite being the head organization of the footballing world, FIFA has a remarkable history, full of corruption, scandals, and a handful of investigations. In fact, this wasn’t their first tango with the law. The draw for the 2018 world cup—which was eventually awarded to Russia—was also muddled with indictments. According to The New York Times , as many as five members of FIFA’s top board were bribed to vote for Russia, and “More than half the people involved in the votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, including the former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, have been accused of wrongdoing, though not necessarily criminally charged.” Since then, conditions have improved. In 2015, FIFA headquarters were raided by U.S and Swedish authorities for corruption, and nine high ranking officials were arrested. While FIFA president Sepp Blatter was not accused of wrongdoing, he resigned as president merely a week later, only a couple of days into his new term. His successor was Giovani Infantano who, in his first incumbent speech, promised to “restore the image of FIFA, and the respect of FIFA.” To his credit, he has been at the forefront of reforms to tackle the corruption of FIFA’s past. In 2021, he forged a list of 11 key components  to “Safeguard the integrity of football and FIFA.” While these were promising signs, it was too little too late to reverse the world cup bids—and their consequences. Russia proceeded to host the 2018 World Cup, and while Russia's tenure has since been seen as acceptable, Qatar’s world cup will be a permanent stain on FIFA’s record. While Qatar secured hosting rights in 2011, they had a problem. With a population of under 2 million people, there weren’t enough construction workers to build the 7 required stadiums. Promising money and financial security, Qatar were able to lure migrant workers to complete World Cup stadium construction. Because they came from poor countries where they couldn’t find work, over a million fled to Qatar, so many that according to Human Rights Watch, 95% of Qatar’s labor force today are non-native workers. To host the 1.5 million expected tourists this winter, brand new infrastructure was built. Where before there was nothing but sandy dunes, there was a hotel. Where once was an oasis of water and lush palm trees, now a McDonalds. But because of the Emir's undisputed power over the entire government, the lack of democracy has left many of these workers prone to human rights abuse. Because of the tight time frame, nothing has stopped the Emir from forcing long hours in the sweltering heat—and the results have been catastrophic. An estimated 6,500 workers have perished since 2011. And all of this, for what? A tournament that will span 2 months, leaving behind 7 massive stadiums that will never be used quite like they were meant to be used. What will happen to the dozens of new hotels after there is no one to host? What will happen to the hundreds of miles of new road, paved for no one to drive on? The story of the Qatar world cup is more than just a sports event, It's a lesson about how money can taint anything, even the simple, innocent pleasures of football. It's an anomaly that never should have happened, and hopefully will not happen again in the future. So when you turn on your phone or TV, and watch the best of the best play on the world's greatest stage, ask yourself why there's snow out your window during a summer sports event. Ask yourself why a man like Sepp Blatter was never charged with corruption, ask yourself why so many had to die for others' entertainment. So next time, ask. Do it for the game. Do it for the world.

The date is May 28th, 2011. Wembley Stadium, London. The closing seconds of the Champions League Final. Whistles echo around the field. Manchester United Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar kicks the ball downfield just as the final whistle blows. Barcelona have beaten United 3–1 in a rampant display. Barcelona players who were on the touchline now flood onto the pitch to celebrate. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and his counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson shake hands out of great respect for each other. United players and fans bow their heads and cover their faces, but deep down they know they’ve been beaten by one of history's greatest teams.  This was Barcelona’s crowning achievement. Arguably no other team had so few equals. Fans, coaches, and players demanded success in the Champions League. However, success was a double-edged sword. Continued progression would lead to them facing Barcelona at some point. It was inevitable. Many called it “A long and painful death”.  In his book Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography , Ferguson, who lost to Barcelona in the 2008 final as well, wrote that “The 2011 bunch were at the height of their powers… I had to wrestle with the knowledge that we were a really good team but had encountered one that had handled those two finals better than us.” Barcelona were just as   ruthless domestically. The  Blaugranas  had just annihilated bitter rivals Real Madrid 5-0, sleepwalking their way to a third straight La Liga title. The word dominance would be an understatement—I think the word butchery is better suited. Though Real Madrid were never far behind Barcelona in the league, Los Blancos  were never seen as favorites against them. When Barcelona turned up the heat, Madrid might as well have been butter in the pan.  So what was their secret sauce? Amongst their exceptionally talented squad were four humble, quiet players. Andreas Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, and Lionel Messi. At first glance, you’d be more intimidated by an oatmeal cookie. But try to get the ball from them, and you’ll soon remember what you had for lunch. Guardiola’s style of Tiki-Taka play was a series of one touch passes that completely took opponents out of the game. His idea was to make the opponents lose concentration, then capitalize on it. How did Barcelona acquire these players? Yes, they did dip their toes into the transfer market, buying the likes of Dani Alves, Eric Abidal, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. However, their key to success was in their academy, La Masia. While transferred players needed time to adjust to Barça’s style of play, academy players had been playing “The Barcelona Way” for their whole lives. They didn’t have to adjust to the system because they were  the system. This worked so well that seven players of Spain's 2010 World Cup winning team had came from the Academy. In 2008, Club President Joan Laporta was falsely accused of money laundering, severely damaging his reputation. He was succeeded by Sandro Rosell in the following presidential election. Rosell may have come right after Laporta, but their philosophies couldn’t have been more different. While Laporta was patient and preferred developing young talent, Rosell wanted instant success, dipping into the transfer market for players who were already in their prime.  This went against Barcelona’s philosophy. Rosell’s marquee signings would take the spot of a talented academy player, stunting their development. The temple which the football world looked at with envy was, in the eyes of Rossel, a dirty dish towel that he wouldn’t touch. In 2014, Rosell was found guilty of mishandling the funds from Neymar’s transfer, and was sacked. However, the damage was done. Rosell had set the precedent for the next in line, Josep Bartomeu. He continued with the lavish spending, and the disrespect for La Masia.  When Neymar eventually left Barca to join PSG in 2017, the Parisians had to fork over a whopping 222 million euros. Now, under a competent owner such as Laporta, the money would have been used to fund the academy, or pay off debt. But as soon as the January transfer window rolled around, Bartomeu had only one thing in mind: Another flashy Brazilian player. He found that in Phillipe Coutinho, for 142 million euros.  And It didn't end with Coutinho. The Blaugrana would continue to spend, spend, spend, even when the well went dry. The Blaugrana would compensate for an expensive but disappointing player with another expensive but disappointing player. The cracks that Bartomeu was papering over were the result of his own negligence. These small cracks became fractures, which became gashes. As the years went on, their superstars from 2011 grew older. In 2015, Blaugrana legend Xavi turned 35 and departed for Qatar. Two years passed, and Iniesta was on his way out as well. Just this year, arguably the greatest player ever, Lionel Messi, had to leave due to Barcelona’s financial woes. Had things gone Laporta’s way, Barcelona would have had multiple options to replace Iniesta and Xavi. However, when the time came to address these absences, Barcelona brought in Kevin-Prince Boateng, Paulinho, and Malcom, none of which stayed longer than two years. And that brings us to today, where the extent of their extraordinary demise is fully apparent. A team that was once on the cutting edge of tactics, and one of the most well run clubs in the world, is now tactically inept and struggles to win against weaker teams. This is a club whose success is firmly in the past, not in the future. While they have recently produced young talent such as Pedri and Ansu Fati, they won’t be enough to carry this team into a new golden age.  The date is December 8th, 2021, Allianz Arena, Munich. It's been over 10 years since Wembley. After a string of poor results, Barcelona are on the verge of group stage elimination for the first time in 18 years. Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer goes to kick the ball down the field, just as the final whistle blows, cementing Barcelona’s fate. Where before in 2011 the final whistle crowned Barcelona as European Champions, this whistle has relegated them from Europe's elite—a ghastly reminder of their crumbled empire. Though there wasn't a soul in attendance, millions of hearts were broken. The empty stadium perfectly encapsulated Barcelona’s destiny as a club without a soul.

Italy *1–1 Spain  The Italian juggernaut continues to steamroll past their opponents; can they do it against Spain? This Spanish side is brimming with talent, and aren’t going down without a fight. Italy win against Spain, to progress to the EURO final! The Italians were not at their best tonight, but, even then, they're  still a damn good team. While they couldn't dominate in midfield, It was Italy’s defense that saved the day, Giorgio Cheillini and Leonardo Bonucci both putting in amazing defensive displays. I really want to know what’s in their wine because, as they age, the center back partnership becomes smarter and more efficient. You would think that a good center back needs to be fast, but they know where to position themselves. Italy’s goal came from a quick counterattack, and when the ball fell to Federico Cheisa, he curled an effort into the far corner from a difficult angle. Italy did well to not let Spain regroup, moving the ball too fast for the Spanish to get back into order. Because of this, Ciro Immobole ran into the space that the Spanish defense left open, leading up to the goal.  What has really impressed me about Italy throughout this tournament is the trust that every player has in each other. We saw it against Belgium, where Italy sliced and diced the Red Devils’ defense to pieces with rapid passes. Jorginho is so integral to that part of their play because of how press resistant he is—kind of like Sergio Busquets of Barcelona. Italy went through on penalties, and now have one more game to focus on: the final.  Spain head home, after a tournament with many ups and downs. Luis Enrique’s side had to go to at least extra time in every single knockout game, which must have been mentally draining. But they didn’t seem to show the fatigue that we all expected, and were in fact more energetic than their opponents for many periods of this game. The Spanish midfield made sure to close down many of the passing lanes, which stumped the Italian attack. If there’s one thing Spain is known for, it's that they always produce some of the best midfielders in the world (Xavi, Andreas Iniesta, and Busquets, to name just a few). In this new generation, all eyes are on Pedri, the 18-year-old Catalunian sensation. He was no doubt the best player for Spain in this tournament. He possesses such maturity, even for his age, and you can see it in the way he reads the game, as well as in the quality of his passes.  While the midfield was never in question, the problems arise in their forwards, and defenders. Both of the Spanish fullbacks are over th e age of thirty, and I’m sorry, but Eric Garcia shouldn’t yet be trusted to start in a game of this magnitude, being all of 20 . Up front, we have a tale of two Alvaro Moratas. There’s the Morata that scored the equalizing goal in the semifinal, and then there’s the Morata that had his poor penalty saved by Gianluigi Donarrumma. Morata may have scored 3 goals, but he isn’t the #9 that Spain so desperately craves. Overall, while this loss must be tough to take, you bet they’ll come back even stronger next year for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With the potential they have, they are a force to be reckoned with.  It may have been an ugly win, but an ugly win is still a win. Spain will have been disappointed to have been eliminated through a penalty shootout, but that’s how it is sometimes.  England 2–1 Denmark England could be in a major tournament final for the first time in 55 years, if they beat Denmark. The Danes are still rampant, being motivated by their #10. England are through to the final, after a narrow win against the Danes. I’ll be honest, I was predicting an England sweep, but a combination of stout Denmark defending and some English hesitation when having the ball meant that England couldn’t split open Denmark as they had done with Ukraine. England's midfield was still great in transition from defense to offense. When they had the ball, Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka would be open to a pass on the wing, and create a chance of their own. In fact, England's equalizer came thanks to Saka, who was played in by Harry Kane, before fizzing the ball into the 6-yard box for Sterling to score.  Defensively, England were solid, not giving Denmark many chances to get themselves into the box. Harry Maguire was great in the match, and his leadership is so influential, I believe that he deserves to be the England captain more than Harry Kane. Overall, England has had a pretty good tournament so far. However, they have to play Italy in the final, a much stronger opponent than England's previous ones. It's pretty fair to say that England are on the easier side of the bracket, facing an outdated Germany side, Ukraine, and Denmark. Italy have had to face an adaptable Austria side, Belgium (the #1 ranked team in the world), and Spain. England will have a lot on their plate in the final, and seeing how good this Italy team is, you wouldn’t exactly call England favorites. England against Denmark was always going to be a delicious fixture. Denmark were playing like madmen, inspired by Christian Eriksen, who’d suffered a heart attack on the field during Denmark’s opening game. England were their toughest opponents yet, but they were determined to give it everything they had. The Danes held their own, and if it weren’t for a 105th-minute “foul” on Sterling in the penalty box (which was definitely reviewed by someone with cataracts) Denmark would have forced the game into extra time. I think Denmark is more of a unit, where every player has a strong connection to each other. Even though England has by far the better players, because many of those players play each other in the Premier League, they don’t have the kind of connection and friendship that the Danes have.  Denmark’s goal was the first of the night, when Mikkel Damsgaard’s free kick went high above the English wall, then dipped under the bar. While the Danes did score, they didn’t produce much from open play. Most of the shots that Denmark took were from outside the box, no problem for Jordan Pickford. Had they found those pockets of space, we could very well have been talking about a different scenario. All that being said, these Denmark players have had a monster of a tournament, and you can’t help but hope they’ll be back again.  England had it to do against a very strong opponent, but they made it in the end! Denmark can hold their heads high, knowing that they have made their fans proud.

Liverpool 1—3 Real Madrid  Liverpool come into this game playing well. They had just ripped Arsenal apart 3-0 the previous week, and many of their players are coming back into form, after a terrible start to the season. They know that away goals are massive,  especially since its the first leg, and they want to prove  a point. Real Madrid are playing well too, but Sergio Ramos is unable to play in tonight's game, because of an injury. Another massive blow to Real, came only hours before kickoff, when Raphael Varane tested positive for Covid-19.  Liverpool were horrendous for much of this game. They were always playing catch-up with Los Blancos, who dominated almost every position on the field. Liverpool couldn’t hold onto the ball for long before making a sloppy pass or getting dispossessed. Liverpool's midfield lacked any soul for the first half, so much so that Jurgen Klopp substituted Naby Keita off BEFORE HALF TIME for Thaigo. Keita added nothing while he was on the pitch. Trent Alexander-Arnold played a great game against Arsenal, trying to prove that he was good enough for the England Euros team. He kept making bad choices, and was at fault for the second goal they conceded. Sadio Mane who was always Liverpools gem, has been really ineffective as of late. He should have been awarded at least a foul when he was shoved to the ground by Lucas Vasquez, but that was his only real contribution tonight. This team really needs Jordan Henderson. Especially now that they are heading to Anfield for the second leg, his leadership could define the tie. Liverpool did manage to score an away goal, which is why there is still hope for the Reds. Their away goal was scored in the 51st minute, when Diego Jota dribbled past two defenders, and slipped a ball to Mohammad Salah. The Egyptian was being played by Lucas Vasquez, who was in no mans's land. Thibaut Courtois got a hand to the ball, but couldn’t keep it out. Other than that, Liverpool didn't have much in front of goal. As I said before, Mane could have posed a threat when he was almost through on goal, but he was chopped down and given a yellow card for a “dive,” which was really just some bad refereeing. I need to talk more about Liverpool's defense. They looked so open all game long. In fact, all three goals were defensive errors. They looked sluggish and couldn’t close down any balls, which made it super easy for Madrid to play quick, consecutive passes. Full time couldn't have come quickly enough for Liverpool. Real Madrid made sure to teach Liverpool a lesson. Despite their absence of Ramos and Varane, it didn’t seem to bother Real Madrid very much. Eder Militao and Nacho Fernandes played well, but they should have blocked Salah from scoring their away goal, in my opinion. Los Blancos thrived on Liverpool's massive shortcomings, as well as their own beaming confidence, to comfortably win. Their movements were sharp, always trying (and succeeding) to move the ball up the field. Toni Kroos and Luca Modric, 31 and 35 respectively, proved tonight that age really is just a number, by having one of the best performances of their careers. They looked so focused and so dynamic, you would have thought they were 26 or 27. Toni Kroos’s perfect ball to Vinicius Jr. really summed up his evening. About Vinicius: He’s intelligent, fearless, hardworking, and only 20. Real Madrid have the new Kareem Benzema for many years to come. It really was an all-round great display from the capital giants. Real Madrid’s first goal was a thing of beauty. From his own half, Kroos pinged a super ball past the Liverpool midfield and defense, onto the chest of Vinicius. The Brazilian chested it away from Matt Phillips and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and half volleyed it into the goal. Simply superb. The second goal was all about Alexander-Arnold’s screw-up. When a cross came into his own half, the Englishman headed it into the path of Marco Asensio, who clipped the ball over Allison. It was a smart finish from Asensio, but it was all about the fullback’s mistake, that gifted the goal. The third goal was a mix of Real Madrid excellence and Liverpool flatulence. From a throw-in, Benzema passed back to Luca Modric, who, having dribbled just inside of the box, found Junior again. The youngster hit it low and hard into the corner, past Alisson’s fingers. It was far too easy however, as Liverpool left way too much space in the box. That being said, Madrid did ever so well, and tonight they flexed their muscles.  Real Madrid have the advantage in this tie, and they can look to seal it when they play at Anfield in a week's time. However, you can never count Liverpool out, who have become infamous for European comebacks. Nights at Anfield hit different for them. PSG 3–2 Bayern This game is hyped up, and it’s not hard to see why. Both teams are practically equal in terms of quality. Bayern would be favorites to win if they hadn’t Robert Lewandowski prior to this game. A massive blow for sure. Goals can be expected, as both teams have scintillating forward lines.  PSG have one foot in the Champions league semi finals after seeing off the German giants. The Parisians played a great game, hitting Bayern on counterattacks, and exploiting their high line in many instances. One of which caused a goal. Just like Bayern Munich, they were weak on the defense, especially during set pieces. Keylor Navas was the best player on defense, making some great saves that prevented potentially tie-deciding goals. The issue was that Marquinhos, their best defender and captain, got injured early on after scoring a goal. They didn’t challenge Bayern attackers like they should have, and nobody was there on the field to shout orders, Marquinhos would normally do. That being said, there were no issues with their attack tonight. Neymar was on top of his game, even though he’d just come back from injury. He had two assists, one of them a work of art. It makes you wonder how amazing he could be if he wasn’t as injury prone as he is.  PSG had some great goals tonight. Kylian Mbappe is always the talk of the town, and tonight was no different. He had two really well taken goals, and while they only counted tonight, they are priceless in the grand scheme of things. The first PSG goal came only a few minutes after kick off, when Neymar faked a shot and passed to Mbappe, who was open. The Frenchman hit low and hard, to the surprise of Manuel Neur. The German legend dove the other way, thinking Mbappe would hit it across goal. He couldn't keep it from sizzling into the net. The second goal was a masterclass from Neymar. Bayern had cleared their lines from a free kick, but Neymar was there to hit it back into the box. Marquinhos got there first, and fired it beyond Neuer. The last goal was from a counterattack. Neymar played a great through ball to Mbappe, who had acres of space in front of him. He cut inside, and finished low into the corner, leaving Neuer flat footed. A massive win for PSG’s Champions League hopes. Bayern could argue that they deserved to win this game, and you can see why. They played well. Really well. Their aggressive style caused them to win back the ball in advantageous positions, posing real threats. Thomas Muller was excellent, but Bayern’s main man tonight was Joshua Kimmich. In my mind, Kimmich is criminally underrated. His awareness is great, his composure is sublime, but his showstopper is his crossing. Don’t forget that the winning goal in last year's final was assisted by Kimmich. On the defensive side of things, it’s tougher to explain. They were pretty complacent, and couldn't cope with the onslaught of PSG attacks. It was a real head scratcher, when Hansi Flick replaced Nikulas Süle with Jérôme Boateng early on in the first half. It didn’t look like he was injured. I assume that Flick wanted experience. It sure didn’t help. He wasn’t really an improvement, and he should have challenged Mbappe for the third goal. The main issue is that they were playing at HOME. It's going to be tough to try and make a comeback in unfamiliar territory.  Both of Bayern’s goals helped them come back into the game after going two goals down themselves. They were determined to fight, even though they were being pushed back. The first Bavarian goal came just a few minutes after PSG scored, when Benjamin Pavard put in a really good ball from the byline. Eric Choupo-Moting was there, as he headed the ball down into the ground, and into the net. There was nothing that Navas could do about that. Bayern Munich pulled themselves temporarily level with PSG when they scored from a free kick. Kimmich’s pinpoint ball met the forehead of an unmarked Muller, who guided it past Navas and into the side netting. Unfortunately for Muller and Kimmich, the Bayern defense couldn't hold their own. Alphonso Davies was also added on early in defense, but he’s more of an offensive fullback than anything else. Bayern weren’t compact enough, allowing Mbappe to score twice as PSG raced to a 3–2 win away from home.  PSG are in control of the tie, and it seems unlikely that they will give it up, winning away from home. Lewandowski will still be out for the second leg, so Hansi flick knows that his players must step up if they are to come back in what would be an astounding game.

International Football This past week, we had World Cup qualifiers. This meant that many players from the best leagues left their teams to represent their home country. While some may like the change of pace of an international break from the regular season, I personally despise it with a passion. However, I believe that everyone should be well educated about how international football works in the first place, as it can become complicated at times. I, myself, didn’t know a whole lot about how international football worked before writing this article. The three topics I will discuss are 1. how players qualify for national teams, 2. which tournaments teams can enter, and 3. my evaluation of the way the schedule plays out.  How are Players Selected to Play in the First Place? You may think that a player is only eligible to play for the country he or she was born in. However, it's more complicated than that. Players are allowed to play for any country that their close relatives have been associated with. For example, Lionel Messi could have actually played for Spain. Yes, that means that the Atomic Flea could have won the World Cup that has eluded him. His great-grandfather was born in Spain, making Messi eligible to play for them. The French national team’s squad is composed of lots of players, many of whom could have been eligible for other countries. I believe that this is really important because it allows for players with different backgrounds to mix, which makes the game more diverse. It protects players who may be disliked in their own country, allowing them to still play for a different national team. Players need to feel safe, and you simply can’t when the country that you’re playing for doesn’t like you.  How do Tournaments and Competitions Work? There are many competitions at the international level. The Copa America hosts 10 countries from South America to battle against each other (plus two other random teams), The AFC Asian Cup hosts the top Asian countries, and the CONCACAF Gold Cup has North America, Central America, and the Caribbean all duke it out for the prize. However, the two most famous tournaments are the Euros and the FIFA World Cup. The Euros only take the best European teams, while the World Cup, the most famous tournament on the planet, takes only the best countries on earth. Every four years, the 32 teams that have qualified for the Euros or the World Cup, will travel to the country that is hosting it. Usually, there is a group phase in which four random teams play against each other one by one, and the two teams with the most points move on to the knockout phase. For the Euros, a team in 3rd place can still make it out of their group, if they have enough points.  Last week, the international break was in full swing. This stage is like a much larger and more complicated group phase, where the ranking of a country determines who they will play against in the qualifiers. FIFA uses official matches to rank the teams. (This includes international friendlies, where two countries play in a one-off, without a prize.) This ensures that the qualifying groups are as balanced as possible. However, this system isn’t watertight; teams can still try to find loopholes to gain advantages. For example, in 2018, Poland didn’t play any international friendlies, which gave them an advantage when qualifying, because they didn’t have to go up against any tough opponents. Hilariously enough, they finished bottom of their group in the World Cup. Poland is just one of many examples of teams trying to cut corners. FIFA should have a set number of international friendlies that every country has to meet in order to participate at a major tournament. What's My Opinion on International Friendlies?  While I understand that international games are important, the schedules are all so wrong. FIFA is really only looking out for one thing—and that’s revenue. We already know that FIFA is run by greedy, corrupt individuals, or else they wouldn’t be hosting a World Cup in a desert, for which thousands of trapped workers are forced to work and die, while FIFA gets its brand new stadiums. Players will get exhausted when they travel there and back to compete against other countries, when they should be resting. In the year leading up to a major tournament, these games increase. All of this fatigue could make them prone to injury, which could hurt their club career as well. This whole thing is just one big domino effect. Players shouldn’t be expected to play 2 games in one week, no matter how much they are being paid. They are still human beings who have a limit.  Instead of doing what they normally do, UEFA and FIFA should implement an international break system that (A) allows players to have adequate rest and recovery, (B) make games that won’t take too long to set up and carry out, and (C) makes the fixtures interesting for the viewers (because seriously, international friendlies bore me to tears). I recommend that international friendlies be mostly played in the very beginning of the year, and only a few at the end of the year. Here is why: From December to March, in what I call the fixture season, games come thick and fast, sometimes leaving clubs only two days’ rest before the next game. Incredibly, international friendlies do occur in this stage. However, up until then, games are spread out much more, which is how most international games should be played. I also think that some fixtures could be played during the summer (but only in those summers that don't have major tournaments), however, not so many that players don’t get their needed rest.  Conclusion International football is a jumble of all sorts. Obviously I love watching the World Cup and other big events, but the matches that decide who plays in them have some questionable scheduling. I have voiced how I think it could be helped. If UEFA and FIFA also bring lots of attention to these qualifiers, then maybe England pulverizing San Marino (a really low ranked team) 5–0 won’t be such a boring game to watch. Once we get through these fixtures, it will be only a matter of months before Euro 2021 kicks off, and that’s where the excitement really begins.