1. Qualifying for the World Cup is still not an easy task
World Cups typically feature a shocking absentee or two. In 2018, it was Italy, the Netherlands and the U.S. Colombia, Nigeria and Italy missed out four years later. Expanding the tournament to 48 teams for the 2026 edition gave top nations even more margin for error, yet it will kick off in just over two months without some notable countries. Italy, once again, missed out after blowing a lead against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Cape Verde is going, but Cameroon is not. Concacaf will be sending Curaçao and Haiti but not Costa Rica. Denmark, Poland and Serbia failed to qualify too. Continental powers can – and will – continue to miss World Cups. It won't only happen in UEFA either. Italy's trifecta of disastrous qualification campaigns is getting all the headlines for obvious reasons, but they are not the only ones that got a harsh reminder of how challenging World Cup qualifying can be.
2. The USMNT played well in stretches; that's not necessary a good thing
There were periods of time – particularly in the first half – where the U.S. men's national team looked like it was holding its own against Belgium and Portugal. There were opportunities to score, especially off of the press. The U.S. still lost those games by a combined score of 7-2. Both teams created chances in both games. One team took advantage, the other didn't. One team had costly lapses in concentration, the other didn't. The lesson is an important one: Trying to play with the best teams in the world is not a formula for success.
This U.S. team is not clinical enough or talented enough to hang with a Belgium or Portugal for 90 minutes. What these players can do is replicate their performance against England at the last World Cup. They can try to copy the 2014 game against Belgium. Make up for the talent disparity by limiting the number of clear-cut chances. The problem is that Mauricio Pochettino is not buying into that approach, which means his players aren't thinking that way.
3. Tottenham went for the combustible option
Tottenham should theoretically be looking for someone who can stabilize the club, restore the players’ confidence and has a style of play that is easy to implement. The man who will ultimately determine if they get relegated or not does not fit any of those criteria. Roberto De Zerbi is erratic, confrontational and has an extremely detailed tactical philosophy that takes months (if not years) to adjust to. Spurs are making a long-term commitment to a man who doesn't stay anywhere more than a year or two.
De Zerbi is a very good manager and the opposite of Igor Tudor in many ways, so it's possible this ends up working. But make no mistake: The warning signs are there. He is an emotional coach entering an extremely tense situation. A portion of the fan base is already uneasy with him because of his comments about Mason Greenwood. De Zerbi was the best coach realistically available to Spurs. That does not mean he was the right choice given the circumstances.
4. There is a reason English clubs don't win trebles
With losses on either side of the international break, the number of trophies available to Arsenal this season got cut in half. What was a chance at a quadruple is now a likely Premier League title and a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals. The team Mikel Arteta put out to face Southampton on Saturday was full of backups and role players. While that does not explain losing to a Championship side, it does illustrate the difficulties of battling on three or four fronts.
Whether it's injuries, voluntary squad rotation or just some bad breaks, it doesn't take much for a team to be upset in a cup competition. So much has to go right for any team – even a great one – to be the one left standing at the end. Teams that are far superior to this Arsenal one have come up short in their pursuit of a treble. Only two English clubs have ever managed to pull it off. The Gunners’ recent setbacks are nothing to be concerned about. The main objective remains firmly within reach. Anything else is an added bonus.
5. Bruce Arena is doing it again
Three teams have five wins through the first six matchdays of the Major League Soccer season. They are LAFC, the Vancouver Whitecaps and the San Jose Earthquakes. LAFC and Vancouver were supposed to be among the league's top teams. San Jose was not. All four of the Earthquakes outfield players to log at least 500 minutes played in college or are homegrown talents. It's eerily similar to the team Bruce Arena built in New England that set the MLS points record.
While he's been productive when on the field, Timo Werner has only started once. He is not the reason San Jose has already beaten the Supporters' Shield winners and the top two teams in the Western Conference from last year. It's not like the Earthquakes’ schedule has been super friendly; they are beating quality opponents and doing so pretty convincingly. It took a year, but Arena's formula is working again.