1. Arsenal’s favorable draw only adds more pressure
To reach the Champions League semifinals, Arsenal will need to get past a Bayern Leverkusen side that is probably the worst one remaining from a top five league and a team from Norway or Portugal. Barcelona are the favorites to meet them in the semis. On the other side of the bracket, at least two of Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid will not advance past the quarterfinals. The same is true of Chelsea, Liverpool and PSG.
Arsenal could not have asked for a better draw. It’s a blessing and a curse. While their fans will be excited about the friendly path to Budapest, there is another aspect to consider. Should Arsenal crash out before the final at the hands of a lesser opponent, it will change the narrative around their season. They either win the Premier League but can’t get it done in Europe or “choke” away the two biggest trophies in the club game. It cannot be justified the same way a loss to Bayern or PSG can. Anything short of a return to the semis is now a massive disappointment.
2. Bodø/Glimt is what makes the Champions League great
Eight different leagues are represented in the Champions League round of 16. Clubs from Norway and Turkey eliminated Inter Milan and Juventus in the playoff round. Serie A only has a team remaining in the competition because Atalanta stormed back and edged Borussia Dortmund in a bizarre ending. Many are making it a state on the commentary on the state of Serie A, and there is some validity to that. It's also a reminder of how many quality teams are out there.
Bodø/Glimt have beaten giants from La Liga and the Premier League too. Inter Milan absolutely dominated Tuesday's second leg. Bodø/Glimt just weren't very bothered by the 32 shots they faced because of their defensive organization. These stories are what make the European Super League project so appalling. No one is entitled to anything, and those Super League clubs should continue to be held accountable for trying to kick out teams they often lose to.
3. There is very little for Josh Sargent to lose; his club is a different story
In all likelihood, there will be at least one striker who started this season in the Championship on the U.S. World Cup roster. Staying in the league on a team that's struggling wasn't going to help Josh Sargent’s chances when Patrick Agyemang and Haji Wright are two of the most productive strikers in the league. His move to Toronto FC provides stability for his family and a chance to carve a different path in Major League Soccer.
If Sargent wasn't interested in returning to the Bundesliga, coming to MLS might actually be his best option to climb the U.S. depth chart. Toronto, meanwhile, is making a player with 13 goals in 96 Bundesliga and Premier League appearances one of the most expensive players in league history. Sargent has to be great to justify the transfer fee, and he may very well be. Toronto simply can't afford to miss on another major signing.
4. If VAR is going to exist, it might as well be taken advantage of
On Saturday, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved a series of measures that will be introduced at this summer’s World Cup. Most notable is the expansion of VAR to include corner kicks and second yellow cards. It will only be used to rescind incorrectly-awarded second yellows, and the use on corner kicks will be optional to correct obvious mistakes. The game is also not supposed to be delayed for a corner kick review.
If VAR can be used to issue a red card, it should be used for second yellows as well. Reviewing every potential second yellow card offense is impossible, so only having VAR rescind them makes sense. It takes about two seconds to see when a ref makes a blatant mistake on a corner too. These are common-sense measures that shouldn’t impact the flow of games much at all. As long as VAR is here, the best way to use it is to go all in on it.
5. LAFC held their ground and got rewarded
Other teams are always going to be interested in players of Denis Bouanga’s caliber. Speculation about a move back to Europe or to Liga MX is not surprising. What’s made Bouanga’s relationship with LAFC interesting is that the Gabon international has not been shy about expressing his interest in leaving at various times. Most recently, he tried to join forces with Lionel Messi in Miami.
LAFC were not about to let that happen, and nor should they. For the sake of the club and MLS, they cannot allow Inter Miami to scoop up the best players from around the league whenever they feel like it. Bouanga, to his credit, has remained professional even while attempting to facilitate a move. LAFC’s approach paid off when the two sides agreed to a contract extension Wednesday. Bouanga may not have gotten what he ultimately wanted, but the club has treated him well enough that he was at least willing to extend his stay.