Under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs have improved dramatically in so many ways, though there is still one area of performance that still feels like the old Spurs — performances away from home against the teams around them in the table. The performance at Anfield brought back nasty reminders of the flaws Tottenham still has, and how far they have to go if they really are going to be consistent title challengers.

After multiple knockout performances against big clubs at home, many thought Spurs could finally translate that form away from White Hart Lane. But in 2016-17, that elusive away form has been hard to find. Against the other teams in the top seven after 25 rounds, Spurs end the season with three draws and three losses. Unlike last season, in which Spurs won two games away from home against other teams in the top seven, Pochettino’s men never looked likely to win any of those contests this season, and often needed some good fortune in order to escape with a point.

In Pochettino’s tenure at Spurs, away against teams that finished in the top seven of the Premier League table, his teams have two wins, seven draws and nine losses in those games. In comparable home fixtures, Spurs have seven wins, five draws and three losses, with three games still to play against teams in the current top seven (Everton, Arsenal and Manchester United). So why does this staggering difference in form away from home versus at White Hart Lane continue to grow more and more pronounced with each passing game?

Like with Pep Guardiola, Pochettino wants his teams to play out from the back, even while under an intense press. Against teams that force the issue, such as United, Chelsea and Liverpool, this forces mistakes and catches Spurs out when normally they have such a good shape. Since Spurs play with their fullbacks as auxiliary wingers, they can be hugely susceptible to quick counter-attacks if they lose possession in the wrong areas, especially when they are playing a back four. Pochettino’s back five experiment had to be halted because of injuries, so it’s unknown as to whether that formational tweak would have made dividends against Liverpool, but the basic problem of Spurs not being able to break a press has held over from Pochettino’s first season still remains regardless of the formation. For a team that presses as well as Spurs have done and still do, it’s a bit shocking to see them fail to deal with a press as well as they should.

As with every team, Spurs do make mistakes in these big atmospheres and when they do, they’re often punished for them. However, that clinical nature that they themselves show at White Hart Lane never does not seem to travel with them, nor does that intense press that puts even the best teams to the sword. Is it because the White Hart Lane pitch is that much smaller, allowing for Spurs to compress an already tight space even further? It’s possible, considering their struggles at Wembley with a much wider pitch. But by now, one would expect Mauricio Pochettino to adapt his team for those small changes, even if it means going long on goal kicks or preparing to absorb more pressure and nick a goal or two on the counter. Since that hasn’t happened in any of these big away matches, Spurs have been punished for these mistakes and haven’t had any way of punching back.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Tottenham games on US TV and streaming

There is a silver lining to this otherwise dour note: Spurs have played all of their away fixtures against teams in the current top eight, and while their away form hasn’t been fantastic this season, they have been able to win away from home convincingly at times. If that does stay true, and their home form is maintained, Spurs should still be able to finish in the top four once again. But with this lingering doubt about the one last puzzle piece needed for title contenders, one does wonder if Tottenham will ever put the entire jigsaw together to mount that full-on title challenge consistently, and maybe even one day take the trophy home.

Maybe this does sound like a nitpick for a club that has grown so much under their current manager. But with success comes greater challenges, and as of yet, Spurs haven’t met those greater challenges, despite evidence that says they should have by now.

Last season, Tottenham Hotspur had pretty much the best injury luck they could have hoped for. They lost very few players for extended periods with injury, the most long-term being Jan Vertonghen’s absence in early 2016 and he was replaced by an incredibly able Kevin Wimmer. Most of the concern for Spurs swirled around what would happen if Harry Kane was injured and missed some extended time, but thankfully for Mauricio Pochettino and company, they never had to find out. Now though, they’re going to.

Kane is expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks of action, and could be ready to return in time for the North London derby. Kane hasn’t exactly set the world on fire to start the new season, but he has scored goals in consecutive Premier League games and showed signs that the Harry Kane from seasons past was coming back. Then, after making what seemed to be a rash challenge late in the game against Sunderland, his immediate future is in serious doubt, and so too Tottenham’s great start to the Premier League season. They are one of three unbeaten teams in the league, and have given up only one goal from open play (and that one goal was from a free kick). Kane grows into the season with passing games, and an in-form Kane plus the other attacking options Spurs have is a terrifying thought for their opponents. With him on the shelf, what can Mauricio Pochettino do now?

This is precisely why Spurs shelled out so much money on Vincent Janssen despite his early season struggles; the club needed someone to spell and complement Kane up front, and Janssen is the one Pochettino and Paul Mitchell chose. Goal scoring exploits in Dutch football can often be misleading when translated to England, and those troubles are easily seen when one views Janssen’s early season struggles and the chances he’s missed already. But now, he will be the focal point for Tottenham up front in Kane’s absence, and he’ll get every opportunity to prove his worth. It certainly helps that he can be eased into goal scoring form against Gillingham in the League Cup and Middlesbrough in the Premier League before the two bigger fixtures the following week, but he has to prove himself in ways he hasn’t yet in his Tottenham career.

Thankfully Janssen has help from the likes of Heung-Min Son, who is in the best vein of form in his Spurs career, Mousa Dembele’s return as well as Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Dele Alli, all of whom haven’t quite hit their stride yet this season. Despite all of those struggles, and Kane’s injury, Spurs have only had one major dip this season and that was in the Champions League. And even despite Mauricio Pochettino’s anger at the performance, Spurs weren’t all that poor against Monaco at Wembley. What should also help Spurs assuage some of their mounting fears is a return for Danny Rose from an injury he suffered on England duty, which will give the side more balance out wide and better delivery from crosses. But the biggest spotlight falls on Spurs’ Dutch striker, who now has the world at his boots but the expectations of the world on his shoulders.

Tottenham under Pochettino have shown remarkable resilience in difficult circumstances before, but the loss of their talismanic striker and club icon is quite possibly the biggest test they’ve faced yet under Pochettino. They’ve lost key players to suspensions and injuries before, but maybe aside from Moussa Dembele, the player the club could least afford to lose would be Harry Kane. They have a replacement they think can be the answer to a question nobody wanted to see even asked, but now they must quickly find out the answer.

If Vincent Janssen can be the striker Spurs and many others think he can become, then losing Harry Kane might not be as bad as feared. If not, then a season that had so much promise could start wobbling uncontrollably with little hope for stabilization until Kane returns.

SEE MORE: How to watch Spurs vs. Gillingham in the League Cup on US TV/streaming this week

On paper, a trip for the US National Team to St. Vincent doesn’t look to be all that difficult. But the last time the US was in this position, on the road at a Caribbean minnow, they needed a stoppage time winner in Antigua to save their World Cup Qualifying campaign. Today, life was much easier, and a few players have seized their opportunities to impress Jurgen Klinsmann while they had what seemed to be a rare chance.

Most everyone will focus on the second half after Christian Pulisic and Sasha Kljestan were introduced, and there’s reason for incredible excitement with those two in the fold. Considering the opposition, maybe the performances from both midfielders have caveats on them, but there’s little doubt what both Pulisic and Kljestan are capable of at full tilt. Their mutual understanding was impressive, and the intricacy in the final third is something that most US teams have lacked under Klinsmann. It’s possible, though unlikely, that they start on Tuesday against Trinidad, but even having the options to bring these players off the bench, even with Darlington Nagbe available, is something Klinsmann hasn’t had. It’s irrelevant whether he brought those headaches upon himself, but heading into the Hex, those types of performances are going to be critical to ensure passage to Russia.

Again, considering the quality of opponent, it is hard to effectively judge how Alejandro Bedoya fits in to the system as a central rather than a wide midfielder, or how Kellyn Acosta looked at left back, a position he never plays for FC Dallas. It’s also difficult to judge how a Bobby Wood-Jozy Altidore partnership might fare against stronger defenses, but today they both showed that the US has more depth at striker than some previously thought, and even playing only one at time gives Klinsmann a chance to introduce something different tactically depending on the opposition.

With passage to the Hex almost entirely assured, Klinsmann now has a chance to cull together the core of a squad for the slog ahead. While it’s evident he wants to keep the majority of the Copa America Centenario group together as much as possible, injuries and suspensions have forced the German manager to re-calculate. While there are still positions of concern, including at left back and at the center of the park, the introduction of players like Sasha Kljestan and the slow bedding in of Darlington Nagbe, Christian Pulisic and Jordan Morris could fundamentally change the way this team is viewed as well as the way it can potentially play. Suddenly, the squad goes from a bit thin, to budding with options in key positions all over the pitch. And today’s performance came without Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and John Brooks; four players who have been ever-present wearing the Stars and Stripes.

While there are still plenty of questions about this squad heading into far tougher challenges ahead, today’s performance showed what depth the US has and can continue to cultivate, which has to further excite supporters on the back of a fairly successful Copa America Centenario back in June. There is still work to do, and how Klinsmann will manage his now growing options remains to be seen, but he has three games before the Hex to make tough decisions, which he has shown he’s not afraid to make.

Suddenly, this US national team went from stale and scared to exciting and brimming with potential. And while no team will be as easy to carve open as St. Vincent was, Klinsmann has players at his disposal in order to change the way this team plays as well as add tactical diversity to a team that usually could only play one way.

As the Hex edges closer, the US has the chance to evolve, and for the better, which didn’t seem so possible as early as March.

Some will call Moussa Sissoko’s last second deadline day transfer to Spurs a Daniel Levy special. Some will question whether it makes sense to spend that kind of money on a temperamental midfielder who always seemed to have his best games against Tottenham. Some will question whether Sissoko fits into Mauricio Pochettino’s younger and very motivated team. All of those are valid questions to ask about what seems to be the most intriguing deadline day signing of them all.

With transfer guru Paul Mitchell heading out the Spurs Lodge exit door (despite the signing of Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, a player he championed), many wondered who was calling the shots at Tottenham in regards to transfers.

Despite what past experiences would tell you, this Sissoko signing made by Pochettino knowing exactly what he needed for his squad coming out of three less than stellar Premier League games. Spurs lacked dynamism and directness on the wings, and a bit of pace as well. Sissoko should, in theory, provide that when he is at his best. Understandably, it was hard for Sissoko to reach his peak form at Newcastle with the instability in the dugout and on the pitch, but if he’s ever going to reach the potential that has flashed at St. James Park and for France, Pochettino and Spurs are the best at possibly dragging that out of him.

Sissoko will certainly not want to hear that he won’t be first choice for Spurs, but making this move he undoubtedly understood that. At least for most Premier League games, he’ll be an impact sub that Pochettino can use to change a game when Spurs are looking stale, especially out wide. And there’s no doubt that with a full slate of UEFA Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup games to come, as well as the inevitable drag of injuries, Sissoko will be afforded every chance to snatch a starting role. Pochettino is the type of manager that will give players chances to earn jobs, and Sissoko will have to do just that to break into a Spurs XI that is about as good as it gets in the Premier League as of now.

Sissoko should take the experiences of Moussa Dembele under Pochettino, and take great excitement from them. Dembele was a bit of a misfit before Pochettino arrived at Tottenham, and even for almost a season after. But Dembele was transformed into a dynamite box-to-box midfielder with his unparalleled dribbling skills and strength on the ball, and has become one of the most important players at the club. Dembele just needed a manager to see the talent in him and harness it properly, and in many ways Sissoko is quite similar. He never had a settled position at St. James Park, and therefore his form was always hit and miss. But those flashes of brilliance always turned out to be fleeting, which frustrated so many who know what Sissoko could become.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Tottenham games on US TV and streaming

Mauricio Pochettino has turned around the fortunes of Danny Rose, Moussa Dembele, Erik Lamela and others at the Lane, and all of those players once drew the ire of supporters for their inconsistencies but have now become entrenched starters and some of the best in England at their positions. Moussa Sissoko could easily be the next in line, but he and his new supporters must have patience with a player, much like the three mentioned above, that has the talent and all of the ingredients to become very successful, but needs the time and the patience to put it all together. If there is any manager in England that can mold the inconsistent but supremely talented player into a force, it’s Pochettino.

Could Spurs have spent 30 million pounds better earlier in the transfer window? Sure. Does Sissoko upgrade depth and quality at positions in the Spurs squad that desperately needed it? Absolutely. For whatever the prevailing opinion is on Sissoko, he is the type of player a team signs when they feel they are closer to becoming complete than ever before, and whether this was a Pochettino influenced signing or not, the signing itself shows a confidence in the squad and where Spurs can go now that they have that final piece to the puzzle.

Moussa Sissoko, despite all of his contradictions as Premier League player, could be just the piece that Spurs needed to push on from last season at home and abroad. Whether there was better available is almost beside the point now. Daniel Levy and Tottenham made a massive statement signing Moussa Sissoko. Now his new manager and player have work to do to prove what so many inside Spurs Lodge believe is true: that they are a contender at home and abroad.

One of the common narratives for the new Premier League season has been how wide-open the new campaign might be. There are plenty of strong teams, plenty of new managers; an influx of even more cash, meaning what usually is a fairly crazy league might be even more unpredictable. But after Leicester City won the title, can the league get any crazier? Because when one looks closer at this new season, what many of us expect could well happen and “normal service,” so to speak, could resume.

Most projections have either Manchester City or Manchester United winning the title, and after the two sides have spent nearly 300 million pounds on transfers, that doesn’t seem all that odd. Chelsea and Liverpool will be competitive again for top four spots, and that too seems fairly normal. And at the other end of the table, the teams many expect to be relegated likely will (Burnley and Hull), and there isn’t too much disagreement on who is a contender for that final spot through the trap door too. Sure most of the bottom half of the league could finish anywhere in the standings as 12^th through 17^th is pretty fungible, but the expected table for most pundits jibes pretty well with what common expectations are. That doesn’t mean there won’t be shocks, though.

As in every Premier League season, there will be new stars that emerge, dramas that come out of nowhere, shock upsets when the minnows take down the big fish, etc. But after Leicester City of all teams won a Premier League title, our collective shock sensors will take a lot more to be tripped than they used to. “New Leicester” might be a common phrase in punditry this year, but it doesn’t seem like there are any clubs that could come anywhere close to what the Foxes did a season ago (to be fair, not many thought the Foxes would survive relegation last season anyway). Thanks to what Claudio Ranieri’s side did a season ago, what it would take to shock the Premier League world at large has changed dramatically, and rightfully so. This means that even when upsets happen, they won’t feel as grand as they might have before.

And so when it feels as if the inevitable comes to pass, some of the Premier League’s juice may have gone, despite what may come in the lead up to the inevitable. There will be spats between Pep and Jose which will certainly dominate the back pages, and there will be drama at Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and the like as there always is, and the carousel of managers will spin furiously as it always does, but the lead-up to this Premier League feels somewhat muted even in this brave new world of free spending for all clubs.

Does that mean Leicester’s title win has taken some of the joy out of what will be a fascinating season ahead? No, but what it does mean is that the Premier League’s trademark parity, or that any given week you can see something amazing, might be muted somewhat. That doesn’t mean that the soap opera style dramas that have defined the Premier League as the world’s most intriguing won’t be present, or feel as if they’re overpowering, but what could happen this year that would top Leicester City winning the Premier League?

The Premier League always serves up something crazy, and that won’t ever change. But even with it feels like the pendulum swinging back to the big boys, the drama and feeling that any given weekend anything can happen feels somehow a bit distant now. Leicester has forced us all to recalibrate what might constitute a shock in this league, and while the ride they took us on was amazing, we’re all going to start to feel the “consequences”, so to speak.

While the common narrative might be that we’re all in for the most wild Premier League season ever, it feels that the re-correction after last season might give us all a bit of whiplash.

Even when it seems all is sunshine and roses with Tottenham Hotspur, there is always a fly in the ointment. Paul Mitchell, who was recruited to join Spurs from Southampton along with his former and now current colleague Mauricio Pochettino, is leaving the club at some point in the near future, as is the player ID scout Rob McKenzie who Spurs poached from Leicester.

At the same time, newspaper reports that Tottenham is trying to block Mitchell from leaving.

Is the pending departure of Mitchell and McKenzie a cause for concern, or is the worry mostly due to the timing of the move?

Mitchell was responsible for some of Southampton’s very good signings when he and Pochettino worked together, as well as soon after the Argentine left. He was either directly or indirectly responsible for helping Saints sign players like Victor Wanyama, Dejan Lovren, Sadio Mane and more. He was certainly helped by working with Ronald Koeman in the summer of 2014, who had contacts in Dutch football circles, but his work with Southampton is certainly commendable. His work with Spurs was largely successful too, as he helped bring in players such as Toby Alderweireld, Heung-Min Son, Vincent Janssen among others, though the credit for signing Dele Alli and Eric Dier can go elsewhere. Mitchell and McKenzie certainly have had a major role in Spurs’ recent recruitment, and their departures will no doubt hurt the club. But it is impossible to know how much they were responsible for each of the individual signings, or exactly what their reason is for leaving.

Based on the statements from Mitchell, it seems he is leaving for another club for whatever reason, and there’s no begrudging him for that. His spells at each of his individual clubs have been around two years, and he’s been with Spurs for about that long. With moves regarding the backroom staff at individual clubs, it’s hard to piece together why personnel moves happen so frequently as well as what these men are exactly responsible for, and it’s the same for Spurs. Mitchell isn’t leaving the club immediately, as he’ll finish out the transfer window with the club and then move on at some point in the future, so the immediate transfer business for Tottenham will not yet be affected. But the future of what looked like a harmonious club for top to bottom now has a little discord thrown into the mix.

Whether Daniel Levy is ultimately responsible for Mitchell’s departure can never be truly known, even though it’s an easy narrative to latch onto. Does he hold responsibility for this supposed instability in the higher echelons of the club? Potentially, but no one will ever be able to know for sure. With the closing of the transfer window, Levy and Mauricio Pochettino will be able to work together to find new men to head up the recruiting staff while the transfer window is closed, and well before next summer as well, since Spurs rarely do major business in January anyway.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Spurs games on US TV and streaming

A large portion of Spurs’ recent success is down to Mauricio Pochettino, but the club’s recruitment under Mitchell et al has certainly been better than it was under Franco Baldini or even Harry Redknapp, though there are certainly blemishes on his resume. The negative publicity about turmoil like this is never a good thing, especially on the verge of a new season beginning. But Spurs have dealt with this kind of instability before, and so long as this doesn’t dramatically unsettle the manager, then the club will likely be able to trudge on as if little had changed.

Southampton and Leicester have been able to bounce back from recent poachings with solid moves in the transfer market, and Tottenham will likely be able to follow suit. Working with Mauricio Pochettino and the players Spurs already have in tow is still a tantalizing prospect, and Daniel Levy will likely want to do anything to keep his manager happy. But there is now a slight bit of unease around a club that had nothing but good vibes about it as a promising Premier League campaign begins.

Spurs are worse off without Paul Mitchell and his staff. But how much worse off remains to be seen; regardless of the reasons why Mitchell has decided to move on.

Dark memories of that brutal night in Lisbon 12 years ago have haunted Portuguese soccer ever since. The dying embers of their golden generation sparked one last charge in 2006, but since then Ronaldo’s Portugal hasn’t been able to find the guile and the drive outside of their run four years ago. In these Euros, it certainly looked like that story would have a new chapter written in it during the group stage. But as Iceland, Wales, Northern Ireland and even Italy proved, organization and a tactical identity can beat back talented teams with a lack of direction, and maybe it is fitting that this tournament ends with the ultimate example of that.

Fernando Santos had a strong legacy to build when he took over to manage Greece after the 2010 World Cup. He would know what it was like to watch a tactically superior side frustrate and hold a more talented yet disorganized side at home in a major tournament final when his country of birth lost to the nation he now managed. Portugal have had Luis Figo, Deco, Nuno Gomes and Ronaldo since that loss, but with the appointment of managers like Paulo Bento and now Santos, they learned that despite their talent they’d be best served to defend and be organized better than anyone they would face. Surprisingly, that organization looked well off the mark in the group stage, particularly against Hungary, when Ronaldo saved his team’s tournament. But that turned out to be the fly in their organizational ointment, because since then, only a moment of magic from Robert Lewandowski broke them down.

While France lick their wounds from what has been their toughest footballing day since the World Cup Final in Berlin 10 years ago, it wasn’t that long ago when criticism was hurled at Didier Deschamps for the lack of drive, zeal and inspiration his side showed against teams fairly similar to Portugal. They needed late winners against Romania and Albania, and were down against Ireland for almost 50 minutes. Only against Iceland did they look like a team with Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Dmitri Payet et al in it, and they needed fortune to smile upon them to beat back a German team that dominated them in Marseille.

England, Belgium and France all came into this tournament with boatloads of talent, but little tactical direction or organization to back that talent up. As such, they were all eliminated by teams vastly less talented but far better organized and drilled playing what would be considered negative soccer, but soccer that frustrates is plenty effective against those that can’t craft the guile and don’t have the individual moments of brilliance. Portugal took upon their opportunity with a draw that favored them and seized upon it, even if they didn’t play that well to do so.

Knockout tournaments almost never see the “best” team emerge as the winners in the end. Individual games feature individual moments, trends and tactics, and while it is highly unlikely that these defensive tactics can win knockout games consistently, on any given day teams can be frustrated and look toothless while succumbing to one moment of magic at the other end. In this tournament, where the “minnows” have swam successfully with the big fish, the trend has been for those teams to frustrate bigger and supposedly “better” opposition. And what ever happened to celebrating the underdog and defensive organization?

When Iceland shocked the world and beat England, this brand of soccer was praised almost as much as England was criticized. Italy’s so-called “worst team in generations” was able to win in a group with Belgium and Zlatan’s Sweden, and also ended Spain’s golden reign atop international football. Wales made it to the semifinal playing similar soccer to Portugal with their one talismanic star leading a group of less talented but certainly not less motivated charges behind him. France had their stars, but Antoine Griezmann’s rich vein of form ran dry for the Final and Paul Pogba couldn’t drive his team forward from his position which in the end was too deep.

With every international tournament, trends emerge that give the world a glimpse into the near-term future of the sport. World Cup 2010 brought tiki-taka onto the forefront, World Cup 2014 was the tournament of the counter-attack, and these Euros have showed that talent isn’t the ultimate indicator of success, with Portugal being the latest and greatest example. Leicester City and Iceland’s stories were built some on the failures around them, but they wouldn’t have climbed to the heights they did without their managers and tactics to spur them on. Portugal have taken that story and added another level on top.

Whether the tournament was “bad” or the right team won is beside the point. For weeks the world marveled at Northern Ireland, then Iceland and Wales. Portugal isn’t the same sort of underdog, but they didn’t do anything all that different from those sides which won over the world’s heart.

Talent alone cannot win titles. Even if it sounds basic, organization and tactical identities matter. Euro 2016 reminded the world what those can do.

Tactics and systems matter. This really isn’t shocking or that groundbreaking in terms of soccer analysis, but if there’s any trend that has emerged from this summer in both the United States and France, it’s that talent can only take a team so far.

While this hasn’t been elaborated on all that much with regards to the Copa America Centenario, tactics, systems and charismatic managers have laid the groundwork for what turned out to be a relatively unsurprising result. Peru and Venezuela in many normal tournaments would not have advanced, and on talent alone they were third in their respective groups. But Ricardo Gareca and Rafael Dudamel got the most out of what they had and embraced their team’s strengths, which propelled both teams to the quarterfinals. And for Chile, a team that lost their most successful manager only five months before the tournament and struggled to find a replacement, they were able to embrace what made them successful with a new manager making the necessary tweaks to launch his team to another Copa America title over a more talented but tactically inferior team.

But in France at the Euros, the world has seen just how important tactically adept and astute managers can really be. The examples of how managers with plans even if they don’t have the talent in their squad are numerous. Iceland, Wales, Hungary, Italy and even Northern Ireland have shown what charismatic managers, belief in systems and embracing a tactical identity can do for teams that certainly don’t stack up against some of their opponents in terms of talent, but do everywhere else. Wales and Iceland have both had their stories told ad nauseum, but their successes have shown what belief in systems and belief in the manager and the other players can do when it comes time to frustrate more talented but tactically naïve opponents. And for Antonio Conte, he and his team have ignored every claim that this is the weakest Italy team to come into a major tournament in generations, and have become a tactical wall that is nearly impossible to breach.

Having a dearth of expensive transfer signings, individual class and ability can only take a team so far. England and Belgium on talent alone should have advanced way further than they did at these Euros, because man for man they were far more talented than their opposition in Iceland and Wales. But not only did England and Belgium deserve to lose, they were tactically outclassed by teams that with even a slight bit of nous or clarity, they would have taken apart. Imagine England with Chris Coleman, or even Belgium with Antonio Conte, and suddenly those teams look even more frightening. Germany are the World Champions because they have such a great blend of talent and tactics that makes them so difficult to beat and to frustrate. Fancied teams like Spain, Austria and the two mentioned above are not playing anymore because they lack what “minnows” and lesser fancied teams have in spades, which has become the story of 2016 in this sport.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Euro 2016 games on US TV and streaming

Sure, this is not the case with every tournament and every team. Real Madrid still won the Champions League on the drive and determination of talent alone, and France have made the quarterfinals of this tournament on the strength of a few world class talents themselves (though they are hosts), but if they struggle to click the way they have against Romania, Albania and Ireland, then Iceland will give them many problems. Didier Deschamps has far more talent at his disposal, but with the amount of questions regarding selection and tactics, Iceland’s talent gap suddenly doesn’t seem as wide.

So much of world soccer these days seems predicated on finding the best and most expensive talent, but in many ways the role of the manager has become even more important than it did when he would control almost all aspects of club business. Keeping the egos of his dressing room in line, but also finding those tactics solutions in individual matches and individual moments can be the difference between winning trophies and ending up with a pink slip in your hand.

Every time there is a major tournament there are always tactical trends to analyze. In 2010, the reign of tiki-taka was in full swing. In 2014, counter-attacking at speed and with speed became en vogue, as did five at the back. Now, in 2016, if your team is better organized and better drilled, anything can be possible.

The Euros wouldn’t be the same without managers like Chris Coleman, Lars Lagerbeck, Antonio Conte and their tactics.

Who would have ever thought something as simple and basic as good defensive organization would become the marker for success?

Photo credit: USA Today Sports Images.

Despite losses in the last two summers in major tournament Finals for Argentina and Lionel Messi, he somehow managed to keep his expression in check, as well as his disappointment. But by the third time last night at MetLife Stadium, the weight of the world, the internal turmoil at the Argentinian FA and the pressure seemed to collapse on his shoulders, and finally he could bear the weight no more. Whether he’s retired for good is a question for a later date, even though many in the world will have their doubts. But do these failures permanently mark Messi in terms of his place on the list of the world’s best players? Despite what some voices in Argentina will tell you, they don’t.

His club legacy is already secure, so no matter what he does between now and when he retires for good he will have left La Liga, Barcelona and world soccer forever changed and marked by his legacy. Whenever he stands over a free kick, the world moves to the edge of their seats in expectation, and when he makes those runs towards the penalty area, there is a sense of inevitability about what’s coming next. The same is true when he trades in the Barca colors for those of Argentina. In World Cup 2014, when Argentina needed saving from themselves, Messi came to the rescue with his trademark brilliance. Even in this tournament, his games against Panama, Venezuela and the US were masterclass performances that very few in the history of the game, let alone many if all of his contemporaries could match.

Sitting in Levi’s Stadium during the first meeting between Argentina and Chile in this tournament, the crowd’s expectation for Messi was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Di Maria, Higuain, Alexis, Vidal and others were all on show, and that marquee of names should have been enough for any soccer fan at that game to leave satisfied. But every five or so minutes, a loud chant for Messi would roar through the stadium, even though the same crowd chanting for him knew there wasn’t a chance he’d play because of his injury. There are so many great players in world soccer right now, but so few of them would elicit a reaction like that. This is what Messi brings with him wherever he goes, not to mention the pressure that follows right behind.

Ever since he emerged onto the stage more than a decade ago, the weight of the world has been borne onto his shoulders, particularly with Argentina. There is not much left for Messi to accomplish with Barcelona except maybe winning another treble, sextuple and increasing the distance between himself and those now trailing far behind him in the Barcelona and La Liga record books. He’s also Argentina’s all-time leading scorer, now ahead of Gabriel Batistuta. All that remains is the elusive international crown which has been beyond him and Argentina since 1993, and on nights like the one under the muggy skies of the swamps of New Jersey, maybe it isn’t meant to be for Messi and his country.

His frustration with the Argentinian FA is well known and well documented. The stories emanating from Buenos Aires are insane and go well beyond football and into the realms of insanity. Well beyond his frustration with results on the pitch come with what he’s had to deal with behind the scenes, which has certainly added to the anger, frustration and torment. Then comes the pressure from some corners in the Argentine media, who don’t see him as anywhere near the quality of the heroes that came before him. Though his performances in international finals have left something to be desired, so to have the performances of his teammates. Gonzalo Higuain despite his scoring prowess with Napoli has not been up to snuff. If just one of those chances goes in, the narrative is dramatically different. But now, the ever-lasting image of Messi in an Argentina shirt might be his skied penalty and then his expression sitting on the bench alone and frustrated after Chile had won again.

Messi’s shock retirement announcement isn’t so much of a shock when the weight of the world has been on those shoulders for so long. Add in the turmoil in Buenos Aires, plus the pressure from the media, and this latest failure, certainly the most painful of the lot, the world should have sympathy for a man that has done everything but clear that last hurdle with Argentina, and has done everything with a flourish on club level. Would an international trophy have been the cherry on top? Yes, but it should not forever define Messi if he’s truly done with international soccer. His legacy will continue to grow beyond those bounds without the pressure of a country on his back if that’s the case.

The dust has barely settled on another international tournament, and has barely began to be kicked up with the Argentinian FA. World Cup 2018 is more than two years away, and should Argentina not be banned from World Cup Qualifying, they’re still heavy favorites to get to Russia. Messi will be 30 going on 31 then, and his team will still be regarded as massive favorites to hoist the trophy in Moscow. Quite a bit can and will happen between then and now.

What won’t change is Messi’s legacy, no matter what anyone thinks of his Argentinian career.

Losing 4-0 to anyone will always look terrible, no matter the opponent, even if it’s against one of the world’s best teams. Argentina might not have moved out of second gear Tuesday night, but even in cruise control they still looked nearly untouchable. Though the US played badly, and may not have set themselves up to succeed, the best of this current US Men’s National Team might not have fared much better. Because of that, this game should not be a referendum on anything other than Argentina’s own might.

Despite what the game in Houston may have shown, the US has advanced in the Copa America. They have found a consistent system, formation, XI and a core group of players that can be trusted and relied upon without constant tactical tweaks and niggles in every match. Even in World Cup 2014, which many considered a success, Jurgen Klinsmann never stopped tweaking and changing his team. Some of that had to do with injury, but it pales in comparison to what he has been doing in this tournament. That at least is evolution. John Brooks had a poor game against Argentina, but his growth in the tournament as a whole has earned him admiring glances from bigger and more glamorous clubs, as his performances have warranted. Bobby Wood has cemented himself as an automatic USMNT selection from now on, and DeAndre Yedlin and Gyasi Zardes have also shown dramatic improvement from their early days national team form. While there is still quite a lot to fix, particularly in midfield, signs of growth are tangible and tactile, which couldn’t be said recently.

SEE MORE: Player ratings from the USA-Argentina game

Michael Bradley was uncharacteristically poor against Argentina. Whether that was unforced or forced by Argentina’s tactics and midfield prowess (it’s both), is almost irrelevant. Kyle Beckerman, Graham Zusi and Chris Wondolowski were not the right choices for this match for the style the US evidently wanted to pursue. Being down three of your best and most integral pieces doesn’t help the situation, but that doesn’t excuse the mistakes outright regardless. However, those mistakes do not totally dismantle what had been built before. Is it conceivable to assume that with Wood, Jones and Bedoya, the performance would have been better? Yes, but that almost feels redundant and counter-intuitive, as does blaming Klinsmann whole hog for the performance as well.

What the US has gained and accomplished in this tournament supersedes one bad night against a team that looks unstoppable. More of that progress would have been shown in different circumstances, some of those unavoidable, some not so unavoidable, but holding this game as a referendum on the current status of US soccer while easy, is also reductionist. Beyond Messi, this Argentina team is playing in a way that few recent editions have been able to, and in a way that few if any national teams around the globe would be able to stop. The US even at their best would still be blown away by Argentina even in third gear, and all everyone watching would be left with would be “it wasn’t as bad as Mexico’s 7-0 loss to Chile” and moral victory platitudes and participation ribbons. In some ways, the US’ performance in Houston shows just how far they have to go to be competitive with a team at that level instead of misinforming us of where they really are, as the Belgium Round of 16 tilt in World Cup 2014 ended up becoming.

Certainly, the US were outclassed by a thoroughly superior side with one of the game’s greats as well as many players at top form playing as well as they are together. Jurgen Klinsmann’s decisions played into that to be sure, but you can only hold out so long against an oncoming tidal wave. While this result is a reflective surface in which the viewer can take away whatever they want to see from it, don’t let those perceptions and biases detract from what has been achieved, and what can still be achieved in Glendale Saturday night.

Argentina will make many a great team look like the US did, whether they played into their hands or not. Tuesday night is not a program defining game for US Soccer, though some will say it is. Don’t let what they have achieved be overshadowed by a team not only better than them, but better than almost everyone else.

Maybe the story of this wonderful summer of soccer can be how even though teams can defend marvelously for nearly an entire game, fate isn’t often as kind to them. Though teams like Northern Ireland and Italy have proven you can win on the strength of solid shape and heroic defending, sometimes fate doesn’t smile on everyone equally. Albania met this fate against France, and Friday night at MetLife Stadium, Peru met that fate against Colombia.

Ricardo Gareca set out from the start to have his team frustrate and constrict Colombia, and they did so marvelously. James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, Edwin Cardona et al found themselves closed down the instant they found space, and Rodriguez couldn’t take the one great chance he did have in the first half. Then again, neither could Peru on a header in stoppage time that David Ospina magnificently parried to safety. The lottery of penalties is a test of nerve, and though Peru showed they had strong nerve during the 90 minutes, they couldn’t hold it during the shootout.

“I leave satisfied for what not only the team accomplished but for what individuals accomplished,” said Peru coach Ricardo Gareca. “We had high expectations. It was a positive balance, but we have more to deliver.”

After reaching the quarterfinals and winning Group B controversially, many would not have begrudged Gareca and his men for being happy to be at MetLife Stadium at all. But after only giving up two goals in the entire tournament, and not losing once, Peru and their defensive style might well be one that is growing for upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Gareca knows his team pushed the envelope when it came to frustrating their opposition.

“Defense is all about the team as a whole. The defensive line starts with the top attacker, and I think we did well in that sense.”

And Colombia certainly felt the frustration, especially in the second half. They struggled to keep their nerve when it came to fouls and patience with chances. Jose Pekerman saw that but could do little about it.

“We need the patience to impose the qualities we have. We had the obligation to score, which I perceived was more on Colombia,” he said. “But we kept wanting to do the many good things we had too quickly, not with simplicity on the ball.” The credit for that has to go to Peru’s defensive line, which outside of James Rodriguez’s first half chance where he hit the inside of the right post, gave up very little.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Copa America games on US TV and streaming

Can this sort of defense at all costs with an incredible structure and focus propel smaller and weaker teams beyond their expected means in major tournaments? In Euro 2016 and Copa America, it has provided some moments of brilliance for supposed minnows such as Peru, but in the end those teams, despite their defensive stoutness, don’t often end on the right side of the result. Greece at Euro 2004 showed what could be done, but ever since, and especially after the wide open World Cup of two years ago, defensive soccer like the world has seen this summer had fallen by the wayside.

But if it is seeing a resurgence in popularity, teams such as Peru have done it great justice, especially when frustrating a team with as much talent as Colombia. When James Rodriguez raves about his keeper as much as he did, it’s not just about what David Ospina did to keep Colombia in the tournament. It’s a testament to the few chances they did have going forward, including on his own boots.

While it is almost certain that both the Euros and Copa America will each open up as time goes on, their early stages have been a testament that defending and organization will never go out of style, and for the little guys it can be a ticket to greater success. Peru unfortunately didn’t see further reward for putting Colombia’s attack on lockdown, but they should receive plenty of plaudits.

Under Marcelo Bielsa and Jorge Sampaoli, Chile went from one of the afterthoughts of South American soccer to one of the most entertaining national teams on the planet. The transformation was sometimes slow and rough, and Claudio Borghi’s tenure was not a pleasant one in between the teacher and student. After Sampaoli resigned earlier this year, Chile struggled not only to find a manager to continue the two men’s legacy, but a manager in general. Juan Antonio Pizzi was charged with bringing Chile forward after their Copa America triumph last year, and in his first major assignment, his team are still showing signs of growth, even if it has been painful at times.

Pizzi had never managed a national team before, let alone one in such a purple patch of form. He also had to carry on the legacy of two managers whose style is so distinct and difficult to carry out, so his task wasn’t enviable. Pizzi started with two wins and four losses, and even this week in Chile’s win over Panama, there were still noticeable signs of weakness. While Chile are still pressing with the same verve and tenacity they did under Bielsa and Sampaoli, the system somehow seems a touch bit more reckless, even with the same players. While that is certainly a symptom of the high press, somehow it felt better defined under Sampaoli especially, and Chile’s creaky defense has become more of an Achilles heel.

While two successive Round of 16 losses to Brazil in the World Cup isn’t by any means earth-shattering, the style with which they achieved that as well as players such as Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez, Eduardo Vargas and company have formed the backbone of a team that could be even better. Finally winning the Copa America on home soil certainly meets some of that promise, some bad habits from the past are starting to creep back into their performances, especially in this Copa America. They were out-pressed by Argentina, struggled to break down Bolivia without the help of a soft penalty in stoppage time, and against Panama in Philadelphia, looked the attacking part but thanks to some horrific goalkeeping by Claudio Bravo, let Panama hang around far longer than they should have.

SEE MORE: How to watch Copa America for free with Sling TV

The evolution of this Chile side has been met with criticism in the homeland, which Panama coach Hernan Dario Gomez talked about after the match.

“Criticism is normal, especially in soccer,” he said. “I thought it was spectacular how they played, and it was quite a spectacle to play them.” He said their style was more technical and faster than the teams they usually come up against in Central America, which might seem obvious, but Chile didn’t play with that same verve earlier in the group stage.

“It was a game that gives me a lot of pride,” Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said. “We know that we have stages of growth that are going to be complicated. There was more aggressiveness when we had to attack tonight and we were in control.”

For the first time under Pizzi, it did seem that Chile had a tactical grasp of the press even though it wasn’t entirely new to them. Their speed of play and the intricacy of passing seemed more like what the world has come to expect of Chile rather than the early days of Pizzi’s tenure.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Copa America and Euro 2016 games on TV in one guide

Playing this well against Panama is one matter. A true test will come against Mexico, and Pizzi’s teams have not looked up to it against both Argentina and Mexico, who they have played three times before and lost all three. Mexico has the ability to break down the press and beat it whereas teams such as Bolivia and Panama didn’t have those capabilities. How Pizzi’s men press and defend could go a long way to determining whether they can beat a team like Mexico, as much of a challenge that it will be.

Chile’s evolution over the past decade or so has been one of the truly positive advances in international football, and that evolution is going through a rough patch as the transition in manager continues. Finally against Panama, it seemed that the Chile of old was emerging again, though the true test of whether they are back will come against Mexico on Saturday.

With so much talent, and such a unique and powerful style, Chile’s rise has been a welcome sight. Now, do they have the staying power to keep up what they have built? The signs are there, but bigger tests are to come.

Photo credit: USA Today Sports Images.

Before this Copa America, Jurgen Klinsmann said that his goal was to make the semifinals of the tournament. Some scoffed and some wondered whether that goal was attainable. Now, as the US prepares to head to Houston for the semifinal on Tuesday against Argentina or Venezuela, Klinsmann and his team deserve the credit for not only getting there, but getting there as only a US National Team can.

Keeping together the same lineup for three straight games was unique and in some ways shocking for this Klinsmann-led team. His talk, and his walk, have been to tinker and constantly experiment with new XI’s, new formations and players in un-natural positions. After DeAndre Yedlin’s maddening minute, his hand was forced into making changes. Playing Matt Besler on the left, where he had only played 45 minutes previously in his career, and sliding Fabian Johnson to the right, was certainly a risk on paper. But in practice, Klinsmann’s tactics made sure that there were no worries about a center back playing out of position.

The US’ defensive shape operated more like a back five tracking back with Besler pinching close to Brooks and Cameron with Bedoya and Johnson acting as wingbacks. Ecuador’s speed on the flanks with Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero was almost entirely neutralized, and when they did find glimpses, Enner Valencia was especially wasteful. The counter was effective if wasteful, and on both goals, much maligned forwards showed how their chemistry has grown and combined for two well worked goals that US teams of old, especially under Klinsmann, would never have scored. As soon as Ecuador crossed the halfway line, the US pressed as a team and with composure, and unlike any US team has pressed in recent years. The first 52 minutes were a tactical masterclass that should have been rewarded with a bigger lead than just 1-0.

SEE MORE: How to watch Copa America for free on Sling TV with this step-by-step guide

Even when each team went down to ten men, and the US could have lost their composure, they held together as they did Saturday night against Paraguay. While the game opened up, and they had to ride out a stretch where they were being tested consistently and probably should have been scored upon multiple times, they found a way to gut out a result. With glimpses of the quality going forward that Jurgen Klinsmann has promised, but not forgetting what made the US so difficult to beat in years past, this US team has become not what was foretold and foreshadowed, but an evolution of the best qualities from the past mixed in with a sprinkling of the modern football needed to bring US soccer forward.

Alexi Lalas said after the loss against Belgium in Brazil that Jurgen Klinsmann’s team was a “better version of ourselves”. It is a quote I have often favored because it encompasses Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure more than any other phrase, or thinkpiece can. Playing the style of possession soccer that had become a German trademark is impossible without the quality of players now produced in Germany every day. What the US was, and is, still so good at is being fit, strong on set pieces, and clinical on the counter. Klinsmann has added a little bit of speed to the counter, a little bit of polish to the finishing, and a little bit of technical prowess in playing out from the back, and there we find “a better version of ourselves”. Klinsmann may have waited too long to use his subs, but even that will be forgotten soon since the team has made the semifinals in spite of that.

Their next test, likely against Argentina, is probably the hardest any US team has faced since the 2009 Confederations Cup, oddly enough the last time the US lost the opening game of a group stage and advanced out. Going against a team of that quality without three key members of what has become a stable and consistent team will be the most difficult task of Klinsmann’s tenure, but with the five day layoff, that discussion is for another time.

SEE MORE: Highs and lows of FOX Sports’ TV coverage of USA vs. Ecuador

Klinsmann may not have met all of his ascribed goals since he took over the US job in 2011. He certainly has made comments that have rubbed people the wrong way. He has made head-scratching tactical decisions that have spectacularly backfired. But in this Copa America, with his team playing a turbocharged version of the style that made US Soccer successful in the first place, he has met one of his ascribed goals, won admirers with some of his tactical acumen, and even with some silly comments, he has taken this team to a place few thought they’d reach.

In Houston, he has a chance to take them even farther.

Even before John Brooks became a US Men’s National Team star, he was always regarded as one of the brightest prospects for the future. His brief and few appearances for US youth teams offered guarded optimism about the future of a position that had become quite unsettled after Carlos Bocanegra’s retirement and Oguchi Onyewu’s injury struggles. His goal against Ghana in the World Cup notwithstanding, he has shown the flashes of brilliance that so many have been hoping to see. In this Copa America, he has become the central defender that everyone believed he could be, with the win against Paraguay his crowning achievement.

Outside of his amazing tackle that negated a Paraguayan three on one counterattack, Brooks has been a steady hand at the center of defense all tournament. His calm and poise on the ball is something not seen in many past US centerbacks who have often been not only physical specimens but a loud and outspoken leader. Brooks is not that, but his influence continues to grow with each passing match.

“With a performance like this, I guess all of Europe is watching,” Jurgen Klinsmann said after the 1-0 win. It would be hard not to cast admiring glances at the Hertha Berlin defender, whose stock is even more on the rise for club and country after a Group Stage in which he may have been the US’ best player.

Even his central defense partner Geoff Cameron had to take a moment to admire the game Brooks had, noting that Paraguay was mainly bypassing him to try and isolate Brooks on one-on-one situations. In most of those battles, Brooks came out on top. His 14 clearances were double that of any other player against Paraguay, and while it seemed the other eight outfield players wearing the USA’s red, black and blue were losing their cool under the pressure of the moment and the Philadelphia humidity, Brooks seemed unfazed.

Far too often, US youth prospects buckle under the weight of the hype. Brooks is exactly the type of player that wouldn’t and hasn’t despite facing plenty of criticism for his performances in a USA shirt, particularly in the Gold Cup last year. He even faced a time at Hertha where he was relegated to the bench after injuries and lackluster form. His club team was a better team with him at the heart of defense, and now his national team can say the same.

Klinsmann’s drive to bring through the next generation of young talent has often hit stumbling blocks when the players have proven to be not good enough, hit a wall with their clubs, or suffered injuries and lapses in form at the wrong time. Brooks has been one of the constants as well as a poster boy for Klinsmann’s attempts to bring through a youth movement to this team, alongside the likes of Bobby Wood, DeAndre Yedlin et al. While those two have grown tremendously in the past year, Brooks now has the resumé to not only become one of the best players on his team, but one of the more in-demand players on the continent. His improvement from technically gifted though inconsistent central defender to one that is composed, strong and calm is one that certainly has saved the US during this Group Stage and is largely the reason why they are heading to the quarterfinals of this Copa America.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Copa America games on US TV and live streaming

The next test, for both Brooks and the US, is to see just how high their ceilings go. Brooks has signed a new contract tying him to Hertha through 2019, but certainly other Bundesliga clubs as well as clubs around Europe are now giving the big American defender another look. And now that the center of defense is settled for the US once again, now they can begin to build from the back without worrying or questioning what is their last line of defense. Every position for the US in recent years has been unsettled but center back has been top of the tree, at least until now.

Now that the US has a bonafide star defender in their ranks, both the team and that star can push on to new heights, without worrying about the trap door beneath them.

A welcome change in any regard for a player that has actually met and exceed the US Soccer hype machine.

Photo credit: USA Today Sports Images.

When American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster Jim Valvano coined the term “survive and advance,” he certainly wasn’t referring to a must-not-lose final game in the group stage of a major tournament. After the US survived going down to 10 men for the majority of the second half against Paraguay, the term feels apt. Now Jurgen Klinsmann’s team travels to Seattle for the knockout stages of the Copa America Centenario after gutting out a 1-0 win.

Entering the second half with that 1-0 lead, and only needing a draw to confirm their place, the US made their journey a little harder when DeAndre Yedlin was shown two yellow cards in a matter of minutes. After starting the same starting XI for the first time in three consecutive games in the Klinsmann era, the US will have to adjust against either Brazil or Peru in the quarter-final.

“The way they kept their shape and discipline and the way they worked for each other was absolutely outstanding,” said Klinsmann.

Keeping their discipline was difficult after the team was shown four further yellow cards after Yedlin’s sending off.

While John Brooks was already having his best tournament in a US shirt, his performance against Paraguay was a step even beyond that, including his tackle that broke up a three on one Paraguayan counterattack in the first half.

“With a performance like this, I guess all of Europe is watching,” Klinsmann added.

As they did against Costa Rica, the US started out in the 4-3-3 they’ve used since the friendly against Bolivia, but quickly shifted to a 4-4-2 with Bobby Wood moving central though Clint Dempsey dropped into midfield to retrieve the ball and spark attacks. And though they spent the majority of the second half defending, the two man midfield of Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley held their shape against wave after wave of Paraguayan surges.

In the span of eight days, the story around the US Men’s National Team changed from potential doom and gloom and a managerial change to a second consecutive inter-continental tournament knockout stage appearance. For the first time since the 2009 Confederations Cup, the US has advanced to the knockout stage of a tournament after losing their opening game of the group stage. They also improved to 4-0-1 at Lincoln Financial Field, the place where Klinsmann managed his first USMNT match nearly five years ago.

Now the US waits to see who and where they will play next, buoyed by the bounce of not only defending the way they did down a man, but confident after two consecutive wins against two teams in the top 70 of the FIFA rankings, and quality opponents at that. Whoever the opponent is, Klinsmann hopes that the experiences of the past will help them against even tougher foes when a loss is fatal.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our team to play these types of games and rise to the occasion. We have nothing to lose,” he said. “Why not be courageous, why not put pressure on them and give them a game? Every team has weaknesses. That’s why we went abroad to have these experiences and grow our mindset to say yes we can compete.”

The next challenge for Klinsmann’s team after surviving two “must-wins” in a row is now taking this team beyond the quarterfinal stage and meeting the goal of the semis he set prior to the tournament. He and his team will be questioned along the way, but maybe all of the experimentation and friendlies against major powers in world soccer finally led to the breakthrough moment US fans have been hoping ever since that 1-1 draw against Mexico at the Linc.

How this team copes with their next major test might well determine what the immediate future holds. After passing their last two tests under pressure with flying colors, what’s next?

Photo credit: USA Today Sports Images.

Nearly five years ago, Jurgen Klinsmann took charge of his first game as the US Men’s National Team head coach against Mexico at Lincoln Financial Field. Now he returns for the first time since then to that stadium with the prospect of advancing to the Copa America Centenario knockout stages. His tenure has been marked by many highs and many lows, with plenty of grey area in between. While it is not unusual to see massive change in four years and 10 months, this game offers a great chance of seeing just how much has changed since Jurgen Klinsmann first managed the US Men’s National team on August 10, 2011 at Lincoln Financial Field.

Klinsmann’s favorites from that game still hold: Jermaine Jones, Kyle Beckerman and Michael Bradley, with Tim Howard in goal, but so much of the rest of that time has fallen by the wayside almost completely. Robbie Rogers, who scored the US goal, has been out of the national team fold ever since. Beyond that, names such as Michael Orozco and Edgar Castillo are still in the fold, though some of the major names of the past such as Bocanegra, Donovan and Cherundolo have moved on. On that evidence, not quite as much has changed from then to now, but that isn’t the entire story.

The squad that Klinsmann brought into Philadelphia those five years ago was distinctly not his. He didn’t have much time to scout and bring in new names to the fold beyond those who immediately hadn’t been given many chances under the previous manager. The game itself was odd because of the timing back when August friendlies were a regular on the FIFA calendar and the Mexican team he faced didn’t call in many if any of their major international stars. The three men that combined for the US goal: Juan Agudelo, Brek Shea and Robbie Rogers all showed promise but never quite lived up to it wearing the Stars and Stripes.

SEE MORE: Where to find USA vs. Paraguay on US TV and streaming

Experimentation has been one of the tenets of Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure as US boss from the very beginning, and even in a major tournament now he’s still experimenting. The 4-3-3 now in vogue is relatively new, and playing Michael Bradley as the deepest midfielder is too. But he has outlasted most of the many changes in personnel from then to now, as have some of those who Klinsmann began to show faith in from the very beginning.

Maybe it is fitting then that a game that can propel the US to the knockout stages of this Copa is at the Linc, not only where the US is unbeaten (3-0-1), but where the Klinsmann era began. His tenure has been marked by increased awareness, popularity and scrutiny for the US Men’s National Team, and he has both embraced and skirted the new demands he has been faced with. From the very start, it became apparent how he wanted his team to look and that it would cause a stir trying to build the way to that future. Klinsmann and his team were supposed to take to this pitch on a July Sunday last year but were upended by Jamaica on the way there in the Gold Cup, but now he returns to a place that will certainly hold significance to him.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Copa America and Euro 2016 games on US TV and streaming

Maybe too it’s surprising that while much has changed from that game to now, six of the players on that team are on the Copa America team that will take the pitch on Saturday, and the three midfielders, still form the backbone of most of Klinsmann’s squads and XI’s. The pieces around the consistent six are dramatically different and most will say that there has been improvement in the quality of the squads since August of 2011, even if the results haven’t always matched. Most managers may not remember where their first game took place as boss, but Klinsmann certainly has, and the significance of returning to Lincoln Financial Field and Philadelphia for a game that could be defining in so many ways is certainly not lost on him.

Beating Paraguay would be symbolic in so many ways, and coming in the stadium where Klinsmann started his tenure would only add to the symbolism. Whatever the prevailing thought is of Klinsmann and how he manages this team, advancing is still an accomplishment and beating a team that poses multiple challenges while doing so in the city where it all started would be even more important still.

Photo credit: USA Today Sports Images.

Uruguay currently lead the South American World Cup Qualifying table. Venezuela is in last place. In Philadelphia on Thursday night, that didn’t matter. La Vinotinto with a 1-0 win are through to the Copa America quarter-finals, and Los Charrúas are going home after they play one last game.

Much of the talk will surround Luis Suarez, as expected, even though Oscar Tabarez indicated that the Barcelona striker wouldn’t play despite his active presence in training the day before and being seen warming up during the second half.

“There is no situation. The player is not ready to play,” he said. “Even if the player is upset, I’m not going to play a player that is not 100%. And if he got upset, that’s something I wasn’t aware of.” Suarez was pictured in anger on the Uruguay bench after Mathias Corujo was the third and final sub, throwing a water bottle and his bib down in disgust.

Without their talisman, Uruguay looked lost going forward. They didn’t look capable of generating many chances despite their formation switch from a 4-1-4-1 to a diamond 4-4-2, and when they had chances, more often than not Edinson Cavani wasted them, including a glorious chance in the 89th minute that would have leveled the match. Venezuela’s opener, with shades of south Jersey’s own Carli Lloyd etched in memory, came off a wonderstrike from midfielder Alejandro Guerra who spotted Fernando Muslera off his line just inside the attacking half, and if it wasn’t for a lucky paw, Guerra would have scored. Salomon Rondon scored on the rebound anyway.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Copa America games on US TV and streaming

“We didn’t play like a team should play if they want to win” said Tabarez. “This is my 5th Copa America, and I’ve never been eliminated in the group stage.”

While one of the tournaments heavyweights lamented the loss of their leader and inability to generate chances, their opponents, classic underdogs, showed the organization and determination needed to pull off upsets in a major tournament. Coach Rafael Dudamel had not won a game as Venezuelan manager since he took over in March, and now not only has he guided his side to the knockout stages, he’s also made history. Venezuela, until now, had never won consecutive games at a Copa America, the only South American nation to never do that, until Thursday night.

“We realized that our guys know a lot about math,” he quipped. “We didn’t have anything to lose. We were always convinced in what we were doing. This is not just by chance, we earned this.”

His midfield of Rincon, Guerra, Figuera and the young Penaranda showed quality on the break when needed, but also didn’t break when Uruguay threw numbers forward. And while the quality of Salomon Rondon was well known before this match, getting into the right position to follow up a rebound off the crossbar past Muslera took instincts that few strikers in the world have. Though they missed multiple golden opportunities to put Uruguay out of reach, and after losing their starting left back and striker to injuries, Venezuela never wavered or lost focus. With that focus and tactical organization, they’re likely off to the knockout stage for only the third time in their history.

Mindful of the situation back home, Dudamel, ever the wordsmith, hoped that this triumph would send a message of hope and unity to the people back in Venezuela.

“To give a gift to the country is great, now let’s make it grow. Why are we divided? Venezuela is one.”

After impressive wins against Jamaica and Uruguay, Venezuela now face a difficult test against tournament favorites Mexico in Houston, in what will in essence be a road game. But few thought this team had much of any chance to advance out of a group with Mexico and Uruguay in it in the first place. Though the atmosphere will be with them, Mexico will not have an easy time breaking down this tough side that’s patching up major divisions back at home.

And also mindful of the venue and city, Dudamel ended by evoking one of Philadelphia’s favorite underdogs:

“Today, we had Rocky inside.”

Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports Images

No matter what the Russian royal family tried to do to kill Rasputin, they failed almost every time. In many ways, Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure as US National Team manager is similar: when he’s closest to being fired, his teams turn in their best performances. Under as much pressure as he’s ever faced as US Head Coach, from supporters and now Sunil Gulati, his team responded with one of its most resounding wins in a tournament setting.

While this Costa Rica team will not be mistaken for the team that made the quarterfinals of the World Cup two years ago, they came in with plenty of pedigree and potential firepower, though none of that showed in Chicago. Oscar Ramirez set up his team to attack and they did, giving the US fits at times, but their indiscipline defensively, mainly on the counter, allowed the US to punish mistakes and take advantages of openings even though their play was fairly choppy. The ease with which the US went through midfield on the counter harkens back to the days of Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley when the US was a feared counter-attacking side that was lethal in the right circumstances.

Klinsmann, under pressure and under scrutiny, brought out the same XI that looked rather toothless against Colombia on Friday, but against a far worse defensive team and with a subtle but effective mid-match tactical switch, the US looked quite a bit like how Alexi Lalas described the 2014 team at the World Cup, “a better version of ourselves”. Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin brought about the necessary width, Bobby Wood and Clint Dempsey worked off of each other well, and Jermaine Jones had one of his best games in a US shirt since the World Cup at both ends of the pitch. There have not been many games in recent US history when Michael Bradley had a relatively quiet game as he did while his team looked as good as they did.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Copa America games on US TV and live streaming

After two wildly different performances and results to open this tournament, what is the reality of this current iteration of the US National Team? The answer, as always, can be found somewhere in the middle of the extremes. They looked lost against a tactically and technically superior Colombia team on Friday, yet tore apart a tactically inferior team with the same lineup, though deployed slightly differently, three days later. Chemistry along the back four and midfield continues to develop, and Klinsmann seems to be righting of one of the major wrongs of his tenure, at least in the short term: continuity. While that’s likely impossible to continue against Paraguay because of the schedule and travel demands, should the US get the result they need in Philadelphia, there is no reason to believe they won’t play this lineup again in the quarterfinals. This 4-3-3 cum 4-4-2 certainly has faults, but seems to be one of the stronger and consistent groups the US has had in recent memory.

Klinsmann’s reality as US manager also lies somewhere in the margins of the extreme as well. While he has shown to be tactically inferior in certain matches, and his responsibilities as technical director do run up against his managerial duties in many instances, his ability to spot talent and recruit them has become important. Bobby Wood’s first half tonight is the embodiment of Klinsmann’s tenure: frustrating when played out of position, but the skill and technical ability are there if deployed right. He may not see the fruits of his work as manager, but he’s attempting to lay down a foundation now, even if his methods are quirky and the results haven’t matched the legwork in many instances.

Certainly, the US won’t be winning 4-0 that often, let alone the rest of the tournament. But, the patience of the manager, a few brilliant individual performances and a change of scenery allowed a team of the precipice of disaster to back away and assuage fears, even if many of the underlying issues for this team are still ever-present.

No matter how many ways the Tsar’s inner circle tried to kill Rasputin, they couldn’t do it. Jurgen Klinsmann is becoming a soccer version of Rasputin. And for the time being, that quality takes the US from utter despair to relief and reflection in a matter of a brilliant 90 minutes in Chicago.

Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports Images

Usually when major soccer tournaments come to new regions, one of the barometers of success is in the form of ticket sales. One of the pillars of a future US World Cup would be that major ticket sales would fill up gigantic stadiums across the country. This Copa America Centenario tournament, with 16 teams including several elite national teams and effectively two host nations, should be an indicator of the appetite for a future World Cup. Unfortunately, despite ticket sales expected to beat Copa America records, the early signs aren’t necessarily promising.

As US Men’s National Team fans have seen recently with the precipitous drop in attendance for the national team, ticket sales to major soccer games in this country sans Mexico games is not necessarily a given anymore. Part of the US’ new struggle may have to do with general apathy towards the team, though a large part has to do with exorbitantly high ticket prices that drive out most of the casual fans as well as hardcore fans that can’t afford the cheapest prices in the stadium starting at $50. With this Copa America, not only do the ticket prices come into play, but travel, weeknight games and generally unappealing teams alongside the ones that will draw coming as well, ticket sales for this tournament might not be what anyone would initially expect.

The Copa America Centenario won’t have issues generating enormous ticket sales for games such as USA vs. Colombia, Argentina-Chile or matches featuring Mexico or Brazil. However, there will be challenges facing CONCACAF/CONMEBOL selling tickets to plenty of weeknight games involving lesser known South American and CONCACAF teams in cities such as Philadelphia, Orlando and Seattle. In these instances, attendance could really suffer. Initially forcing customers to buy venue packages of tickets instead of individual games might end up inflating the numbers somewhat, but the number of empty seats viewable on television won’t be what many in the world will expect.

SEE MORE: Find out how to receive a $20 rebate on your first Copa America Centenario ticket purchase.

The problems stem from the initial exorbitant ticket prices, a fact not helped by the relative strength of the US dollar at the moment. The real test of the tournament’s strength in terms of ticket sales will not come during the big games, but games such as Ecuador vs. Peru in Glendale on a Wednesday night, or Chile vs. Bolivia in Foxborough on a Friday night. Perhaps the novelty of the tournament will boost ticket sales, but recent signs for games in the US not featuring Mexico have not been promising.

Should the US and Mexico go deeper into this tournament as expected, ticket sales may not become the issue that they could be during the group stage. But the expected swaths of empty seats viewable on TV will not be a good look for the US Soccer Federation, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.

For all of the talk of the injuries, travel and quality of play that the world will see on the pitch starting, they might also see some empty seats. As a possible dry run for a future World Cup, empty seats are not something anyone wants to see, particularly organizers who believe that a 2026 FIFA World Cup is still a potential cash cow.

After this tournament, maybe the cow will be a bit thinner than previously expected.

Starting off with the most difficult game in a Group Stage is never an easy task especially when the margin for error in these tournaments is so small. When the US Men’s National Team dueled with Colombia, they knew that the toughest task of the group stage was in front of them, leaving them with little wiggle room in case the inevitable happened.

Using the same 4-3-3 formation that worked so well against Ecuador and Bolivia was a logical step, though the jump in quality was noticeable. For as divisive as Jurgen Klinsmann is, the move to stick with this system was largely accepted and praised for being more proactive and less negative against quality opposition. Unfortunately, against a team such as Colombia, individual errors can cost you against a team that is clinical, even if the errors were unforced and sometimes unjust.

Giving up a goal on a set-piece as the US did so early in the match set a negative tone. Though they were able to control possession, they were able to largely because it was ceded to them, and Colombia were patient in waiting for their opportunities on the break. While this 4-3-3 formation has plenty of pluses, it didn’t have all that much width without sacrificing in defense as Colombia showed ease going over the top, and if it weren’t for pretty good games by both John Brooks and Geoff Cameron, Colombia’s two would have certainly been greater. DeAndre Yedlin’s handball, though the entire move started with a sloppy Michael Bradley giveaway, is one that in another match might not have been called. It’s 50-50 at best, and while it’s never a good idea to give a referee a chance to make a decision, the decision certainly felt somewhat harsh.

By 2-0, Colombia allowed all the play to take place in front of them knowing full well that the US didn’t have the players to punish them. Perhaps introducing Darlington Nagbe and Christian Pulisic earlier might have sparked the team somewhat, but Jose Pekerman’s tactical set-up flummoxed the US even when the game was close, and it was even easier to control when Klinsmann’s men were chasing the game, and eventually chasing shadows.

Jurgen Klinsmann was in a no-win situation tactically heading into the match. Changing up a successful formula from recent games would have been railed against, but this formation had its known problems that would be easily exploited by better opposition. He started what was likely his best midfield, and even though the unit may have played better if Darlington Nagbe played instead of Jermaine Jones, and Bobby Wood moved centrally instead of being isolated out wide, those changes may have done enough only to make the scoreline slightly more respectable. For as much as Nagbe and Pulisic have been praised of late, they are not the game-changers needed to turn a 2-0 deficit on its head. Behind the midfield, the back four and Brad Guzan had solid enough performances that with a different result they would have been heaped with praise.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Copa America games on TV and streaming

Colombia was always going to be the toughest test of the group stage and even in an ideal setting, a draw was probably going to be the best possible outcome. Now, they must do what they were always charged with doing: beat Costa Rica and Paraguay, and the likelihood of pulling off that double has not changed after the events in Santa Clara. Those teams do not have the tactical organization or the gamebreakers that Colombia possesses, and the US will not be in as much of a hostile environment as they had to face against los Cafeteros.

What that match showed was how far the US has to go to challenge the world’s powers consistently, not just from the dugout but on the pitch too. That was never in doubt. What might be in doubt is the future of their tournament should they not put in the requisite effort against Costa Rica in Chicago.

The true colors of Jurgen Klinsmann and his national team will come then. It was never coming Friday night, even in success.

For all of the discussion about the age and makeup of Jurgen Klinsmann’s Copa America squad, and the tactical changes he made in the second half against Ecuador indicate what the future may be like for this team. After the 1-0 win against Ecuador, this also may indicate that the future is closer to the present than previously thought, and that is a welcome sign.

In the first half, Klinsmann went to a more negative and reactive lineup with a midfield of Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones. Predictably, the US had trouble maintaining possession and doing much going forward when they did have the ball, although defensively they were quite sound. When Bradley became the deepest midfielder as the second half started, combined with Darlington Nagbe and Bobby Wood being introduced, the tenor of the team changed dramatically, and for the better. They had a rare vibrancy in attack while not sacrificing much in the way of defense.

Now, Jurgen Klinsmann has to make a decision on how to organize his midfield. Michael Bradley is clearly comfortable in the deepest position, and also thrived in his first short cameo in that role for the US. Playing Nagbe centrally also allowed for his creativity and work-rate in midfield, which complements Bradley quite well. However, Ecuador did not do much with their possession last night and it’s doubtful that Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay will use the same approach when the results mean more. But the signs from a Bradley-Nagbe partnership are worth exploring more Saturday night in Kansas City against Bolivia, which is not something that could have been said watching the first half.

Jurgen Klinsmann’s teams have always looked better with a dedicated defensive midfielder in the XI, and last night’s events don’t change that much. But sacrificing some of that for attacking quality while not giving up much at the other end of the pitch is a risk work taking, especially since Bradley and Nagbe are tireless workers who both have good enough defensive instincts to make the system function without a dedicated destroyer to mop up mistakes.

One of the biggest criticisms of Jurgen Klinsmann’s USMNT is that the midfields have often been unbalanced and lacking in quality going forward. Part of that has to do with the midfielders he can select from, but he does prioritize plenty of defensive acumen and puts his best player, Michael Bradley, in positions where he’s not entirely primed to succeed. The 45 minutes with him as the #6 and with Nagbe et al ahead of him might have been the best 45 minutes he’s played in a US shirt for some time likely because he’s playing in a role that best suits his talents and makes his teammates better. While this system may be too open against the likes of Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, etc. in games where the quality on the pitch is more even, this is certainly a system worth using more. Part of the surprise is Klinsmann making this switch in the first place, as he’s shown no indications of doing so in the past.

SEE MORE: USA preview for Copa America Centenario

Klinsmann may well go back to the old midfield triad against Bolivia and then Colombia, but even if he doesn’t start with Bradley as the deepest midfielder, he certainly proved last night that he can play that role as well for the National Team as he does for Toronto FC. What is possibly the biggest question emerging from Frisco will be whether Klinsmann uses this again and if so, when.

Gleaning all that much from friendlies is still dangerous, and this was clearly a pre-tournament friendly and both teams certainly knew it. But a small, unexpected, yet positive tactical wrinkle might prove to be the difference in how deep the US goes in the Copa America, and this change won’t require all that much of a dramatic change in squad composition or even tactical systems.

Under Klinsmann, the US has not shown much tactical evolution. Last night might be a nascent sign of one beginning to emerge, and that’s a welcome sign in advance of a major tournament.

MLS fans and American soccer fans in general often take umbrage with every perceived slight against their leagues and how the sport is perceived on these shores. Take yesterday’s comments from Antonio Conte about his decision to leave out Sebastian Giovinco and Andrea Pirlo from his Euro 2016 preliminary squad.

“When you make a certain choice and go to play in certain leagues, you do so taking it into account that they could pay the consequences from a footballing viewpoint,” Conte said at his press conference. Not accounting for a possible loss in translation circumstance, these decisions are not made in a vacuum. Conte has quite a bit to lose in his last tournament as Italy manager, so risking two of his spots for a player he had fallen out with at Juventus regardless of quality, and a 37 year old midfielder — who if you included you would have to build your side around if you played him — doesn’t make much logical sense, from his point of view. These decisions were not made as anti-MLS statements, even though his comments might say so.

Andrea Pirlo seems to agree with Conte’s sentiments, though he expressed them in somewhat of a backhanded way. His thesis was that MLS has to improve as a technical league, and because of that deficiency, he was excluded from Conte’s squad. What he (naturally) won’t say is that he’s a 37 year old midfielder who is not at the height of his powers, and wasn’t when he was being called in consistently, and a player who a side has to be built around otherwise he would make your team worse. While he is right about MLS, Conte would have natural reasons to exclude a player who despite his name hasn’t been in good form ever since he joined NYCFC.

SEE MORE: Watch Sebastian Giovinco’s astounding goal for Toronto FC

As for Giovinco, he and Conte never saw eye-to-eye when the both were at Juventus, largely because of the role Giovinco wanted to play and the role Conte saw him in. A direct result of that rift was Giovinco leaving for Toronto FC four months earlier than planned. He forced his way into Conte’s thought horizons via sheer inertia with TFC, but in a tournament where Conte has plenty more to lose than Giovinco does, Conte certainly would be averse to taking a player he has sparred with despite his successes in a league he might deem as inferior. What is critical here is that the inferiority of MLS (whatever it is) is not the deciding factor of why the two were excluded from Italy’s Euro squad, despite what Conte might be saying in public.

And just because Conte publicly slighted MLS doesn’t mean his views are universal. Laurent Ciman is in Belgium’s 23 for the Euros, and while his inclusion is down to injuries, he has played at a consistently high level in Montreal that he has forced Marc Wilmots to take notice. Shkëlzen Gashi is likely to make Albania’s Euro squad while playing in Colorado, and though the situations aren’t exactly analogous, his form speaks for itself. Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle haven’t exactly been ostracized from Martin O’Neill’s plans because they play in MLS either, and Krisztian Nemeth forced his way back into Hungary’s plans last year because of his form with Sporting Kansas City.

SEE MORE: Comparing Andrea Pirlo’s life at New York City FC to Juventus

It seems inevitable that more players of the Ciman/Giovinco type will begin to ply their trade in MLS, and in all likelihood will not see their national team chances dwindle. While Conte’s views of MLS are technically true in that the league isn’t where it should be yet, his opinion is not the only indicator of quality, or how the league is as a whole perceived in Europe. While the league’s imprint hasn’t quite been left on Europe yet, it has certainly left a mark in Africa, North America, and even South America. The league is no more than 20 years old, and has already become one of the better leagues in the world without the years of heritage and history. Eventually, there won’t be the need to have this discussion anymore, but for now MLS fans and observers have to begrudgingly admit that this perspective is still prevalent, though not massively so anymore.

Would Italy be better with Pirlo and Giovinco? It’s hard to say. But is their exclusion a sweeping indictment of MLS qualities and virtues? Hardly, and just ask other managers and players about what the league has done for them.

Waiting on the dust to settle from the disaster at St. James Park will take some time for Tottenham Hotspur supporters, but when it does, the 2015-16 season will be looked back on as one that could be a stepping stone to a new era for a club that has found itself too often playing from behind in the crowded Premier League.

The club’s appearance in the 2010-11 Champions League, and their amazing run to the quarterfinals, turned out to be the exception not the rule in recent club history. Ever since, multiple managers and a countless list of players have tried to bring Spurs back to that point and until this year failed to do so. There weren’t many indications that this season was going to change those fortunes either. Questions were littered everywhere throughout the squad, including at defensive midfield, fullback and even at striker. All of them were answered emphatically, including Harry Kane proving he wasn’t a one season wonder by winning the Golden Boot. How would Mauricio Pochettino evolve as a manager after his first season in charge? He became one of the better and most coveted mangers in the league with the way Spurs pressed, defended and attacked consistently all season.

So this Spurs team, the team that many expected to finish outside the top four once again, ended up giving Leicester the biggest run for their money in the title race, and only ran out of steam at the tail end of the season. Certainly, finishing behind Arsenal will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many Spurs supporters as it should, but that shouldn’t diminish any of the accomplishments for what was a campaign that should let Spurs supporters dream again. They are in the Champions League group stage without having to play a qualifying two legged tie, have most of the key members of the squad including the manager locked down for the foreseeable future, and are in an enviable position as most of their competitors will probably undergo some significant squad turmoil this summer.

When Spurs played at their best, they were the best team in the league consistently. Eric Dier has evolved from centerback cum fullback into one of the league’s best defensive midfielders, and alongside him Mousa Dembele became one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe with his own renaissance of a season. Even while Jan Vertonghen missed two months with injury, Toby Alderweireld became a steadying hand as one of the Premier League’s best centerbacks and lead Spurs of all teams to have the best defensive record in the league. Kyle Walker and Danny Rose both became more complete fullbacks this season, which is not something most Spurs fans expected to see after up and down performances for multiple seasons from both men. Erik Lamela, once considered a massive transfer flop evolved into an integral part of the Tottenham pressing machine while still showing some of the guile that made him Tottenham’s most expensive transfer purchase ever. And Dele Alli only went out and won PFA Young Player of the Year with his jaw-dropping performances after starting the season on the bench.

For the future, this team needs more depth across most positions, as the last four games of the season indicated. Mauricio Pochettino needs more options in midfield beyond Dier and Dembele, as Ryan Mason proved he’s not quite up to this level of play. While it’s going to be almost impossible to replace what Dembele does directly, there are certainly players available for Paul Mitchell and company to scout and sign that would deputize for him so he doesn’t burn out again next season. Nabil Bentaleb figures to play a role next season after his campaign this year was scuppered by injuries, but behind him there needs to be someone else to play important Champions League and cup matches. Harry Kane also needs someone to help deputize for him up front. If he was ever injured and out for a significant stretch, this Spurs team has no one to directly replace him in the squad. There could be depth added at almost every positon, but it doesn’t appear that there will be many purchases this summer outside of possibly two or three, but those buys have to be spot on if Spurs want to cement their place in the Champions League.

In this wild Premier League season, Spurs benefitted massively from most of their rivals being off the pace and took advantage of it to once again qualify for the Champions League. Next season with Antonio Conte at Chelsea, Pep Guardiola at City and a re-invigorated Liverpool, combined with the other traditional powers as well as Leicester, West Ham, Southampton and the massive influx of cash coming into the coffers of every team, cementing a Champions League place might be incredibly difficult. While there is every reason to be incredibly optimistic and excited about this Tottenham team’s future and potential as they get ready to move into their new stadium, this upcoming campaign could be a tricky one as they try to balance all of those interests on a very thin tightrope. Mauricio Pochettino seems to be exactly the right man to do that, but he has one of his biggest managerial challenges ahead of him to balance everything.

While that bitter taste will linger in the mouth of every Spurs supporter for some time, don’t let that tinge the overall sweetness of what was the best and most exciting season for the club in recent memory.

The next challenge will be to see if they can sustain this new success on a consistent basis. On the evidence of this campaign, there’s no reason to believe Tottenham Hotspur won’t be able to.

If there was any confirmation that this has been a down Premier League season, look no further to the Champions League race. Spurs are in, but by math only, as they’ve only taken two points from their last three games. Arsenal could, by the final day of the season, also still be in within a chance of failing to qualify. And Manchester City, who made the semi-finals of this year’s tournament, could well be out of next year’s dance if Manchester United win their final two games of the season. This will bring drama on the final day of the season, but none of these teams should have been in this position to begin with.

Spurs certainly looked like they would cruise to second at the very least, if not giving Leicester a longer run for the title. But as the weeks have passed, it finally looks as if Mauricio Pochettino’s pressing system has taken its toll on a team that looks physically and mentally tired. After those emotional games down the stretch of the campaign, and having lost both Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli to FA suspensions, they look as if they want the season to end, running the risk that they will finish behind their North London rivals. They have assured a Champions League place for next season, but that won’t be of any consolation to Spurs supporters who are feeling the nerves for the last day of the season that they really shouldn’t have to. They have the trickiest of all of the fixtures next Sunday away to Newcastle, who could be fighting for their Premier League lives. They only need a win or draw to secure second place, but there aren’t many Spurs supporters who are confident heading to St. James Park, and who could blame them?

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last nine games, coinciding with their typical end of season flourish. They are not mathematically in the Champions League yet, but they have all but assured themselves a spot. As they play Aston Villa on the final day, there should be no reason that Arsenal aren’t in the competition then, but even after a probable end of season demolition of another poor team, they will feel as if they’ve missed out on a golden chance to finally win that elusive title. Performances like Sunday’s against Manchester City flatter to deceive in a way because they did look their usual incisive selves at times yet at the other end look just as likely to be carved open. Finishing third but behind Spurs will not be a good look to end a season in which they could have done far more.

For Manchester City, the goodwill they accrued by taking Real Madrid to the brink in the Champions League has now vanished as they do not control their own destiny in the race for the top four. After their blazing fast start, and after topping the table for most of the fall, they have not been in the top two since losing to Leicester in the beginning of February and now cannot finish there. All the while, they have to wait and watch to see what their Manchester rivals do to see if they will once again control their own fate. As much as no one at the Etihad will admit it, the Pep Guardiola announcement has certainly hurt City down the stretch, especially in the league. Far too often they’ve been reliant on the brilliance of Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne to bail them out of situations when the rest of the team has not been nearly as impressive. Whether or not City make the Champions League, Pep Guardiola may well have a bigger job on his hands than expected when he takes over. Their match Sunday at resurgent Swansea will be an incredibly difficult test for a squad whose mental makeup is in the air.

SEE MORE: NBC Sports will televise all 10 games live across networks on Championship Sunday

And through all of the chaos above them, Manchester United are poised to potentially steal a Champions League spot away from their great rivals when it looked like that possibility was gone when they were blown away at White Hart Lane earlier in April. Most United supporters are still ambivalent on Van Gaal as manager, but if he walks away from this season with a Champions League berth and the FA Cup despite the internal turmoil, he’ll have made a very convincing argument to stay in the Old Trafford dugout. He’s found young players to fill the voids left by the senior players who have not been up to snuff, and now with two more wins against West Ham and Bournemouth, he’ll have taken what is still a broken squad to heights that many did not see coming. Whether the concerns about Van Gaal will be washed away or not is another story, but his club is in a prime position now to succeed when many predicted failure.

Many of the Premier League’s usual elite have fallen on hard times, and look no further to this “race” for the Champions League as proof positive of that. None of the positions behind Leicester are secured yet, and no one has played well enough to ensure confidence heading into the decisive final week of the season.

Yesterday should be about Leicester City and what they have managed to accomplish but for me, as a Tottenham supporter, it was not. Instead, we’re left to talk about what handed Leicester the title: a street brawl disguised as a soccer match.

Chelsea and Spurs are big rivals, no doubt, but before yesterday’s match, no Spurs supporter would have said they hated Chelsea more than Arsenal, or even West Ham. That may well have changed after last night. This game should have never devolved into what it became, because all of that was easily preventable.

In about the 13th minute, Danny Rose and Willian were involved in an off-the-ball incident in which referee Mark Clattenburg decided to give Rose a stern talking to instead of a yellow card. At the time, this seemed like a sensible decision, and NBCSN’s announcing duo of Arlo White and Graeme Le Saux were praising Clattenburg for showing restraint and making it obvious what he was setting as the standard for the match. Unfortunately in hindsight, that decision led to a domino effect, which by the end of the game saw nine Spurs players booked, and a few who might be looking at more action coming from the FA.

Chelsea knew they were second best on the pitch in terms of quality, and needed to play dirty in order to get something out of the match. Sadly, Spurs, in the heat of the moment, took the bait, and all hell broke loose. Clattenburg had multiple chances to put an end to the chaos by either booking other players earlier or even sending someone off such as Mousa Dembele for what looked like an eye gouge or even sending Mauricio Pochettino to the stands during that end of first half melee, or even booking Branislav Ivanovic for a terrible tackle of his own earlier in the first half. Clattenburg was afraid to make a decision that would change the game either way, and in doing so he unwittingly allowed a street brawl to break out. Multiple flying elbows from Chelsea players went shamefully unnoticed, and multiple Spurs players could have and should have been sent off, particularly Eric Dier towards the end of the match, but by that point it wouldn’t have mattered in the slightest.

No match at any level of soccer anywhere on the planet should descend into chaos like this one did. That this match ultimately decided the title doesn’t make anyone come out any cleaner, either. A team with as much of a pedigree as Chelsea has should not be cheapening themselves by engaging in Broad Street Bullies soccer, and a team that has won as many admirers this season as Spurs have should not be taking the bait, even though they’ve been goaded into taking the bait knowing that the punishments deterring them from doing so are just not there. Derbies are supposed to bring about passions from both sides, but that wasn’t a derby on a soccer pitch. That was a street fight.

Lost in all of that chaos amidst the Leicester (and Chelsea) celebrations is that Spurs officially qualified for next year’s Champions League on the back of that point, which is a remarkable achievement in itself. They are a point away from ensuring they enter the competition in the group stage without having to qualify for it. There will be time to analyze Leicester’s season in greater detail, as well as both Spurs’ and Chelsea’s, but Monday night was about the farce of game that ensured those results.

Chelsea, Tottenham, the Premier League and fans of the English game should be embarrassed having sat through that tire fire of a game that ended up deciding a title. Blame is equally shared among everyone, but there is no reason that any game, even a derby, should descend into farce as that game did.

English soccer can be magical, and is magical. The dark underbelly of that magic is what went down at Stamford Bridge, and the true shame is it was all preventable.

SEE MORE: Schedule of remaining Premier League games on US TV and live streaming

Escaping narratives is difficult. They’re ever-present and often times inescapable. So is the case with Manchester City’s 2015-16 campaign, and particularly their departing manager Manuel Pellegrini. He won the League Cup and Premier League in his first campaign, dropped quite a bit in form last season, and will be exiting stage right after this season with some City fans and onlookers wanting more. But should they? After City’s impressive two-legged win over PSG, should Pellegrini be given more credit than he is?

City’s Premier League campaign has been bad, there’s no denying that. In the power vacuum that Chelsea left vacated, City were the logical choice to fill the void. Injuries and poor transfer business has played a large role in that fall, but Pellegrini has been getting slighted too. First, it was his insistence on 4-4-2, which left City’s midfield exposed when Yaya Toure regressed even slightly. He adjusted to a 4-2-3-1, but the litany of injuries City have had to deal with this season derailed whatever title challenge they had. Now, they are trying to stay afloat in the league while they run deeper into the Champions League than they ever have before. And, both fronts are looking up.

Most of that recent upturn in form has to do with the return of Kevin De Bruyne, who might have been the PFA Player of the Year if he stayed healthy. His impact on the PSG tie beyond his two goals cannot be understated, and he papers over quite a few of the cracks that exist in the squad. Sure Pellegrini can’t be given all of the credit for simply giving De Bruyne the keys to the Ferrari, but his ability to keep his team afloat while he was out, even though his squad should be deeper than it is cannot be understated either.

SEE MORE: Manchester City’s problems go way beyond Manuel Pellegrini

While the expectations are always going to be title or bust at the Etihad, in the absence of that, Pellegrini has steered an aging, broken and miscast squad to a League Cup win as well as the Champions League semifinals, which no English team has been even close to sniffing the last pair of seasons. And it says something about Pellegrini the manager that while the narrative of his last season is total disaster, the on-pitch results show something a little bit different. This is not to say that this campaign has been a runaway success because it clearly hasn’t, but he’s picked up the pieces of what could have been a disaster and turned it into something more palatable.

At the very least, he’s won another trophy, steered City into Champions League qualification for next season and pushed City into the Champions League semis this year, all while the broken transfer policies above him are pushed further into the light. There is still a chance City finish above Arsenal (albeit quite small) and go further in the Champions League, by which Pellegrini’s legacy would grow even more complicated. How could such a disaster of a season end with positives like a trophy and a Champions League semifinal appearance? Chelsea won the Champions League when they finished sixth. Anything is possible.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and live streaming

Manuel Pellegrini holds a reputation of sometimes being tactically aloof, reluctant to play youngsters and not doing quite as much as he could have or possibly should have with the resources at his disposal. But he’ll leave City with three trophies in three seasons, the basis for which any future City success will be built on, and having taken City progressively further in the Champions League every year. While it’s not what Pep might do, or what anyone may have expected he’d do, Pellegrini deserves some credit for preventing outright disaster this season, and turning what would have been a terrible negative into a marginal positive on his way out the door.

All things considered, what he’s done as a lame duck is quite impressive.

Another dramatic and important night in US Soccer ended as many expected it to, with the US Men’s National Team putting in a typical American effort in a 4-0 demolition of Guatemala, while the U-23’s lacked the quality or the nous to overcome Colombia in the second leg of their Olympic qualifying tie.

So where does that leave the US National Team program heading into the Copa America Centenario in the summer, and beyond?

In Columbus, the senior team put in the shift everyone expected a desperate team to put in at home. There are times in World Cup qualifying when desperation sets in, and in the past the US has always responded. When they needed to win in Barbados to qualify for the Hex in 2001, they did (though it took 65 minutes to finally get a goal, they scored three more). Last time in this very stage of qualification, the US gutted out a win against a game Jamaican side and scraped into the Hex, where the qualification voyage sailed with less turbulence. Tuesday night, the US’ talent won out against a Guatemalan team that was absolutely abysmal, even for a team that barely scraped by Antigua to get into the semifinals of qualifying altogether. They weren’t even that amazing from open play, but their quality on set pieces and Guatemala’s total lack of quality meant that the US was always favorites to win, and win comfortably.

The Olympic team on the other hand, melted down against Colombia in Frisco. With only one shot on target over two legs, and otherwise being totally outclassed outside of one defensive breakdown in Barranquilla and a wind-aided own goal, the U-23’s were comprehensively outclassed, outthought and outgunned. In most situations, this wouldn’t mean much since the Olympic Men’s Soccer Tournament is in many ways the red-headed step child of competitive tournaments, but Jurgen Klinsmann prioritized the competition and in two straight cycles the group he has overseen has failed to qualify, embarrassingly so, twice. There isn’t much shame in losing to Colombia over two legs, but the complete and utter failure against Honduras is the reason why the American U-23’s are not at the Olympics for the second cycle running.

Is it fair to judge Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure as technical director on making it to tournaments that don’t really matter? In some ways no, but seeing as he himself is the reason why qualifying for the Olympics and Confederations Cup meant so much, he must be judged on it. Is he the sole reason for the failure to qualify for the Olympics? Of course not, since there are fundamental and structural issues that US Soccer hasn’t come close to fixing, but as technical director Klinsmann assumes responsibility for these failures as the leader of the program. Under his watch, the team failed to qualify for two Olympics and the U-17 World Cup three years ago for the first time ever. Saying he has failed in some ways does not mean those below him and those before him are off the hook, but even if he won’t take responsibility for the failure, it’s evident he’ll use this as a crutch going forward for future failures on the pitch.

Making the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand showed that there was and is potential in the upcoming players through the fractured US development system. That doesn’t change even though the Olympic cycle ended with a thud. Players such as Jordan Morris, Emerson Hyndman, Kellyn Acosta, Ethan Horvath and others still have promise (when they are played in position that is), and some of their futures will take them to the full national team. But not many players from youth level excel at the senior level. Nigeria has been the kings of youth level tournaments for years, and they just failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations next year. Germany just qualified for its first Olympics since reunification, and they seem to be doing just fine without making it (they do quite well in European U-21 tournaments). Failing to qualify for the Olympics under normal circumstances might not be great for optics, but is made far worse when the face of the program pumps up its importance, and he is the one who has to take blame for that.

Most of the changes Klinsmann has instituted as technical director will not bear fruit for years, and that’s because the waiting game in sports is painful. That goes for the Olympic team and the full senior team, who both need a breath of fresh air. Klinsmann’s legacy as coach and technical director continues to sour with each passing day, and he largely has himself to blame for forcing people to take notice. Qualifying for the Olympics wouldn’t have fixed the problems existing in youth development, and beating Guatemala 4-0 to save World Cup qualifying after a brief wobble doesn’t fix the issues that exist within that squad. There are major, holistic issues that still exist, and nothing from Tuesday night changes that story.

Without that Olympic experience for this current crop of young American players, they will need to play important games for the senior team, and how many chances do they have? That’s what this summer may glean.

But after Tuesday night, is US Soccer in any better or worse place than it was before last Friday? No, not really.

There’s no other way to describe the US Men’s National Team’s performance in Guatemala other than it was disgraceful, especially in the first half. That performance does not change if the USA take care of business in their last three games. But for now, the calls for Jurgen Klinsmann’s head have gotten louder again, and his shield used to deflect blame is getting pierced from all sides. What should be really concerning for Klinsmann and the team is that this predicament they find themselves in is nothing new, and not just in recent times.

Injuries meant that his first choice center back pairing of John Brooks and Matt Besler was out of the question. Fabian Johnson, his best player, was also injured. But even without those three players, the US should still have gotten a point against a Guatemala side that barely scraped into the semifinal round of qualifying against Antigua. What Klinsmann won’t say is that his team has been here before at this stage of World Cup Qualifying… four years ago.

The US won their first game against Antigua, but played poorly in a monsoon in Tampa. Then they drew Guatemala at the Mateo Flores stadium in an uninspiring but relatively unremarkable draw. In Kingston on the third matchday, they scored early against the Reggae Boyz but conceded two and lost 2-1, and then the sky was falling. They needed a desperate goal from Herculez Gomez to beat Jamaica in Columbus to save their qualifying campaign, and they ended up winning out and cruised in the Hex, but not without major struggles.

Paulo Motta DENIES the @USSoccer team once more! #USAvGUA https://t.co/h5eqMCG0rg

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) March 26, 2016

And so here, almost four years later, the US finds itself in the same position of needing a win in Columbus on a quick turnaround against a team they just played poorly against. They have a crumb of comfort in knowing that they don’t lose home qualifiers, but that won’t assuage the anger percolating towards Jurgen Klinsmann, and no amount of deflecting blame will make the situation any better for him. He played Michael Orozco, who hadn’t played for Xolos since November at center back, and played Geoff Cameron at right back. He decided to play Mix Diskerud as the most defensive midfielder, which backfired almost immediately. And because he barely called in any fullbacks, he was forced to play Edgar Castillo and a centerback outside, and it cost him.

In the second half, they still couldn’t find a way to crack a resolute Guatemalan defense.

Guatemala didn’t have many clear cut opportunities, but they didn’t need any because they made each of them count, including their corner in the second half, which they hit the crossbar. The US was wasteful with their chances, and started out unbalanced for no apparent tactical reason, and they were carved asunder with ease.

Losing in Central America is nothing new in CONCACAF qualification, but against Guatemala, the US hadn’t lost to since 1988. That stat looks terrible, but Jurgen Klinsmann has won once in Central America in his career, and that was a late goal against Panama when qualification was already clinched (by the way, how would history look if the US hadn’t won that game and Mexico missed the World Cup?)

This insipid performance does not change the paradigm for qualification to the Hex, but the pressure on Klinsmann ratchets up every passing minute, and plugging your ears while covering your eyes humming show tunes doesn’t mean the problem has gone away.

It is not time to panic, even though that’s the dominant reaction to the performance. All this result does is make the game in Columbus a must-win, even if the US is still likely to win it anyway. This result will then get forgotten like the Jamaica disaster four years ago did.

But unlike then, it’s highly unlikely that people will forget tonight. It’s going to be hard not to.

Mauricio Pochettino has made many great decisions in his short tenure in the White Hart Lane dugout. How he has transformed Tottenham from fringe Champions League contenders to title contenders in one season has been nothing short of remarkable. But all managers are capable of making mistakes, and against Dortmund on Thursday, he made a classic error and it cost Spurs a chance at the Europa League as well as a chance to prove themselves against one of the best sides in Europe.

He decided to play a massively rotated squad with seven changes from the north London derby at the home of one of Europe’s best teams. This, under most circumstances, is sensible and understandable, considering Spurs still have a legitimate chance to win the title. His focal points have been run into the ground, especially Eric Dier, whose rest consists of playing center back instead of being fully rested. But today, throwing out a midfield of Tom Carroll and Ryan Mason against the insane pressure and pace of Borussia Dortmund was a massive mistake, and also a pretty basic one.

Resting players for the Premier League title challenge ahead is not a bad decision, and after two grueling London derbies in four days, Pochettino has every right to rest and rotate in order to better his side’s chances of finishing in the top four and keeping the pressure on pace-setters Leicester. What that doesn’t mean is throwing out a reserve side that basically tells a first-team Dortmund that you’re giving up on the competition. Pochettino probably knew his side was going to have problems even at full strength, but a dramatically weakened squad featuring players that aren’t nearly at Dortmund’s level was waving the white flag before a ball had been kicked.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel rotated his squad too, but not massively so, and they too are in a title race with Bayern Munich, though theirs is more likely over. And even though their squad is considerably deeper, they have found a way to rotate while not in effect conceding the match for anything on the pitch has taken place. Dortmund are a better team than Spurs, but that doesn’t mean Pochettino’s men could have competed up to that level. They have already this season. And for those wondering if Spurs needed the rest after the north London derby, Dortmund played Bayern Munich to a stalemate just a few hours later last Saturday, meaning that excuse is well and truly neutered.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Europa League games on US TV and live streaming

In order for this result to be justified, Spurs will have to go on and win the Premier League, which is a tough ask. He shouldn’t be begrudged for doing that, but he can be criticized for not giving this chance at a trophy and a chance to prove his young side’s mettle against one of the European giants (and a team they may well play in Champions League next season) what it fully deserves. Unless they play in Champions League next year, we’ll never know whether this Spurs side had a chance to truly match up with Dortmund, best-on-best. The timing of the fixture didn’t play to Spurs advantage, but it’s still a shame that even before the second leg, the tie is basically done and dusted. And it’s not like Spurs needed their best XI to beat Aston Villa away or Bournemouth at the Lane, even though anything can and will happen during this Premier League season.

Prioritizing the league over a Europa League trophy whose prize is equivalent to that of something Spurs will likely get anyway is a sound move, and one that in the long run is probably better. But it doesn’t take away the sting of watching an overmatched squad marched to their death at the Westfalenstadion against a team most of us will never know if Spurs had a chance to actually beat over two legs.

The perils of the Premier League in the modern era affected what should have been a glamorous European tie. And it’s a shame.

The biggest winner in the north London derby was Leicester City, seeing that both of their biggest title rivals dropped five out of a possible six points in a week when even they dropped points. While there are both positives and negatives for both sides to take from one of the more enthralling derbies in recent memory, both can see that maybe their best isn’t quite good enough this season.

Arsenal showed some of their best resilience during the derby while riding out almost consistent Spurs pressure from the first 20 minutes and then finding a way to score while down to 10 men and under the cosh again. Mohamed Elneny was assured in a Premier League debut, which is hard to do in a game of this magnitude, and certainly covered up for the deficiencies in the game of Francis Coquelin. And Arsenal also showed that they do not need to boss possession to induce defenses into panic; their repeated breaks when the Spurs press was broken showed their quality even though Alexis Sanchez hadn’t scored in 12 Premier League games coming into the match.

Spurs will get chided with remarks that they’ve bottled their chances of going top, which in fairness is true, but having to play two massive London derbies in four days is no easy task. They weren’t generating many clear cut chances when Arsenal had 11 men, but when against 10 they needed to be more clinical. Their biggest crime may not have been the ease with which they were cut open at times, but that they could not put a wounded team with broken confidence away when they had multiple chances to. When they coughed up a 2-0 home lead against Stoke back in August, many wondered if the same old Spurs were back again despite the optimism. In many cases this year, Spurs have been the better side in the many games in which they drew and couldn’t find a way to be clinical enough to take all three points. This was the case today, and it cost them against their bitter rivals.

In order for either Spurs or Arsenal to catch Leicester, they will need to right the wrongs of their finishing and mentality respectively in order to mount a serious challenge. Leicester have had both of those elements imbued in their squad over the season, and even when they have not played well they have found ways to win or get points. The Foxes have no doubt had some luck this season, but in many areas it is better to be lucky than good. While both Spurs and Arsenal have been very good in stretches this season, they haven’t been consistent enough in their own ways to set the pace in the title race.

Derbies bring out more emotion not only in the supporters but the players too. Discipline is a problem and teams do not look as structure as they normally would. But in this north London derby, both teams showed their biggest strengths and weaknesses in one game. For both teams, those strengths and weaknesses will end up deciding the margins by which they compete with Leicester for the Premier League crown. Since the two cancelled each other out, the Foxes have emerged as the clear favorites despite it all.

What the north London derby proved, is that while there may not be much between Tottenham and Arsenal, the gap between those two and Leicester is growing bigger and bigger, and even in a Premier League season with as many twists and turns as this one has had, it seems the road for Leicester to the title is as straightforward as it gets, no matter what their North London title rivals do.

Back in November, I wrote about that edition of the north London derby, which was shaping up to be the most important in years. That game was important in its own way, but after the past few months of soccer, it turns out that that game was an appetizer for the return leg at White Hart Lane, which is certainly the most important derby in the Premier League era, and one of the most important in the long history of this blood feud.

Spurs missed an opportunity to wrestle the top spot in the Premier League away from Leicester City, but that doesn’t mean it has passed them by. Going away to West Ham was the toughest match they’ve faced since possibly the last north London derby, and its place on the calendar did Pochettino’s men no favors. It doesn’t change the fact that they’re in good form, and confidence won’t be an issue, even after a poor performance. They have found ways after defeats to change the narrative quickly and swiftly with good performances, which they did after their derby loss in the League Cup (a 4-1 thrashing of Manchester City followed), their collapse against Newcastle (dismantled Saints at St. Mary’s), and their exit from the FA Cup (outclassing Fiorentina and Swansea). Their true strength in character has come in those performances, in which they’ve won five and drawn one after their six total losses this campaign before Wednesday.

On the other side, Arsenal seem to be playing the role Spurs usually play in these derbies. They have lost three in a row in all competitions, and those performances left quite a lot to be desired. They certainly had chances against Barcelona, but couldn’t finish them, and looked labored, slow and laggard against Manchester United and Swansea. Arsenal have no hope to beat Spurs at the Lane playing like that. This is one of the biggest test of Arsene Wenger’s mettle ever with the Gunners, and this chance may be his last to prove the common refrain about Arsenal is nothing more than tabloid scuttlebutt.

The last two league derbies should offer us a clue about how this one may evolve. Spurs were the dominant force in both, though Arsenal were able to nick a goal in both games, one at the front end of the game and the other at the back end. Spurs showing against Arsenal at the Lane last February was an indicator of what Spurs’ press would evolve into this season, and anchored by Mousa Dembele, Spurs ran roughshod over Arsenal after Mesut Ozil scored the opening goal. Arsenal didn’t have the fitness, or the midfielders, to compete. In the Emirates game back in November, much the same story emerged, even though the venue was different. However, Spurs were not clinical enough to put the Gunners away when they had the chance to and Kieran Gibbs salvaged a point in a game in which even most Arsenal supporters admitted Spurs were superior.

On Saturday, Arsenal have to fight back without Laurent Koscielny and Petr Cech, both of whom are critical to any title hopes Arsenal possess. Spurs may at long last have Dembele back, which would dramatically change the way Spurs have looked since his injury. Pochettino has depth, but no one to replace exactly what Dembele offers to Spurs in midfield, namely his dribbling ability and his talent for seamlessly transitioning the team from defense to attack. Ryan Mason, Tom Carroll and even Christian Eriksen have tried to replace Dembele, but the team has played differently without their Belgian star, and it has affected them negatively. Arsenal will likely be on the back foot and hope to pick back Spurs on the break, and will also likely try to press high in order to unsettle the deeper midfielders like West Ham did successfully, but they don’t have the athletes in midfield that West Ham had, nor will they play three centerbacks to counteract the attacking band of the Lilywhites.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and live streaming

Mauricio Pochettino has described this Spurs squad as a “family,” which is apt considering their performances this season. Arsenal’s “family” is increasingly being torn apart by infighting and questions as to whether the clan leader can motivate the way he once did. Spurs are ahead of Arsenal in the table, and still will be even if they lose. But for the first time in many derbies, it is they who are the assured, and the men in red who are the weary and mentally fragile.

Spurs would then be favorites, but derbies are often the strangest of games. In this incredibly strange season where nothing has made sense, even in a situation where the normal roles have been reversed, would anyone be surprised to see Arsenal win?

It may be Wenger’s last stand, and a chance to see the rarest of the rare: a power shift in North London football. NBC’s promo for the game repeats this refrain, “It may get loud”. It will be very loud at the Lane, and the fallout from Saturday could determine the future of this rivalry, and the Premier League title.

With the 2016 MLS season slated to begin on Sunday, it’s time to look forward to what we can expect from each of the 20 teams in the New Year. So what you’ll find below is a series of quick questions and expectations for each team in MLS as the new season approaches.

Eastern Conference:

Chicago Fire

Their new coach is Veljko Paunović, the man who led Serbia to the U-20 World Cup title back in July. He has a revamped team with some decent firepower up front that could be very good if used right. He also has a young midfielder named Matt Polster who could be the backbone of the team for years to come. But there are simply too many questions about this team, particularly the youth along the back line, for them to make the playoffs. But at least they’re heading in the right direction, it seems.

Columbus Crew

The defending Eastern Conference Champs remain the favorites heading into the new campaign because they’ve only gotten better in almost every position. With their important additions from last summer now having a full offseason under their belt, and depth added at key positions, they will be the pace-setters out East. But can they live up to expectations?

DC United

Their offseason makeover was more dramatic than it had been in past years, and for good reason since it seemed Ben Olsen’s men had stagnated last year. Bill Hamid won’t return until the summer from his long-term injury, and midfield stalwart Perry Kitchen left to pursue other opportunities. Since they confine themselves to mainly MLS based upgrades, it’s hard to see them pushing far this season.

Montreal Impact

They kept Didier Drogba, which means they will be a factor in the East. If he can replicate his form from the stretch run last year, the Impact will be incredibly tough to unseat. They have Laurent Ciman, who is the best defender in MLS, and added versatile winger Harry Shipp to a good group of wide midfield players, who are so critical in Mauro Biello’s system. They should make the postseason again, but what is their ceiling beyond that?

New England Revolution

Ever the quiet team in the MLS off-season’s of chaos, the Revs didn’t really change much from their team that fell short at the end of 2015. The Jermaine Jones situation is still a mess, considering how much he meant to that team when he played. His replacement, Ivorian Xavier Kouassi, won’t arrive until July and is injured at present. They also aren’t very deep at all. Making the playoffs is possible… if their starters stay healthy.

New York City FC

MLS’ most fascinating team brought in Patrick Vieira to right the wrongs of their inaugural season, and get the most out of a star studded squad. All of their DP’s have had an offseason to understand each other and their new system, and their defense should be better having been the focus of their offseason transfer moves. Depth is a question, particularly behind David Villa, but with what they have the playoffs are a must. They can get there, but does the team gel quickly enough to do so?

New York Red Bulls

After surprising everyone to win the Supporter’s Shield last year, Jesse Marsch is tasked with doing it all over again with a squad that has not been improved in any way. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a good refrain to describe this team, but their early fortunes may be determined by their center backs. Gideon Baah is tasked with replacing Matt Miazga, and Damien Perrinelle is still recovering from a knee injury. Is this the year the Red Bulls finally break through?

Orlando City

They went through some boardroom turmoil, and it showed on how long it took them to make signings this offseason. Their defense is a major question mark, although their fortunes may be entirely determined by whether Cyle Larin continues his form from last year, because there are questions about where the goals are coming if they aren’t coming from him. Antonio Nocerino should help fix some of their midfield frailties, but will he fix enough of them to get the Lions into the playoffs?

Philadelphia Union

Buoyed by an entirely new technical staff led by Earnie Stewart, the Union have been entirely remade this offseason. They have made good signings internationally and drafted promising young defenders, but unless they can find someone to score goals (they only scored 42 last season), they’ll be rooted to the basement again. But, like with Chicago, things appear headed in the right direction.

Toronto FC

Sebastian Giovinco and friends finally made the playoffs in their 9th season, but flamed out spectacularly against their bitter rivals from Montreal. Their defense desperately needed fixing, and Greg Vanney thinks they’ve done just that. If they have fixed those woes, and Jozy Altidore finds some consistency, there are going to be few MLS teams that can cope. But as always with TFC, there is doubt that they can put all of those questions to bed for good.

Western Conference:

Colorado Rapids

This is a ship without a rudder. They have a mixture of interesting veterans and young players with potential, but under Pablo Mastroeni, they’ve never been able to put it all together. Their full court-press for Tim Howard’s services is also a major distraction. They also don’t score goals, even as they’ve tried desperately to fix that. There may not be a more certain outcome this year than Colorado finishing in the basement of the West, and potentially the league.

FC Dallas

On the other hand, FC Dallas have to be Western Conference favorites. Signing players like Carlos Gruezo and Carlos Lizarazo add depth and flair to a squad already brimming with it. Their biggest “concern” might be what striker bangs in the majority of their goal, as they let Blas Perez leave. But with what they have already in tow, they may not only be MLS’ most fun team to watch, but also its best.

Houston Dynamo

In their second season under Owen Coyle, the Dynamo will look to find some consistency. Cubo Torres did not perform last year, and most of their goals came from the now departed Brad Davis or Giles Barnes. Their roster is not loaded with players that jump out at you either. Their biggest obstacle to success may be their struggles to win away from Houston, which they did very little of last season.

LA Galaxy

Their offseason makeover under Bruce Arena was their biggest in many years, and it was needed as the team looked to have been getting stale around the edges, even with Steven Gerrard and Gio Dos Santos coming to Carson. But adding Nigel De Jong, Jelle Van Damme and Ashley Cole for next to nothing makes them ever the more intriguing. They have more depth it seems than most MLS teams can muster, which will obviously serve them well over the long haul. Do these pieces make them better than Dallas and Vancouver? We’ll soon find out.

Portland Timbers

The defending MLS Cup Champions underwent an overhaul around the edges, but that doesn’t change their starting XI much, which was one of the best collections in MLS. Replacing Jorge Villafaña will be hard, but Chris Klute and Zarek Valentin should be able to do the job. The questions are about their depth are legitimate, though. Their quest to repeat may go as far as their depth will take them.

Real Salt Lake

Under Jeff Cassar, they took a major step back last season as some of their mainstays either aged or left. Their attack should be vibrant with the return of club hero Yura Movsisyan and the full campaign of DP Burrito Martinez, but their defense is a major area of concern. Either their defenders are too old or too young. If Stephen Sunday and Kyle Beckerman provide adequate protection for the back four, they could make a playoff run, but they will likely require plenty of Nick Rimando heroics to make the postseason once again.

San Jose Earthquakes

Dominic Kinnear’s second season back in San Jose could be an interesting one. They nearly made the playoffs last season despite starting slowly and having issues winning games at home. Having DP Innocent for a full season should make them better, and adding Alberto Quintero to their midfield should help compatriot Anibal Godoy and budding star Fatai Alashe, but will they achieve a level of consistency they didn’t last season?

Seattle Sounders

Like their Cascadian foes from Portland, they underwent a massive change in depth options this offseason, not to forget selling Obafemi Martins to China. Jordan Morris is a readymade replacement, and if he meets half of his promise, the Sounders will have an incredibly dynamic and vibrant attack. Not having Roman Torres for half of the season will hurt at the center of defense, and their depth options are decent quality for MLS, but not outstanding. Their expectations are MLS Cup or bust as always, and that remains the case this season, but their outstanding questions are the same as they’ve been for years. Is this finally their year?

Sporting KC

Their cruel exit from the playoffs last year didn’t distract from what was a very good season in their first year out west. They’ve signed Justin Mapp and Brad Davis, which will make them better on the wings, something so critical in Peter Vermes’ system. But the goals from forwards behind Dom Dwyer are a major question mark, since there is practically no depth at the position. Do they have enough depth to make a run?

Vancouver Whitecaps

This team may be the most fascinating in the entire league. Like FC Dallas, they have a massive influence of Latin American players in their squad. Like FC Dallas, a lot of that influence translates to youthful exuberance and vibrant attacking build-up. Also like FC Dallas, their biggest concern is who scores the goals. They’ve added Blas Perez and Japanese striker Masato Kudo to attempt to fix that problem, and they still have the speedy Darren Mattocks and Kekuta Manneh who need to add finishing ability to their game. If they can do that, this team can win MLS Cup for sure.

So that’s a brief look at every team in MLS, with all of their strengths and weaknesses in tow. One thing is certain: MLS’ 21st season figures to be one of the most competitive and fascinating in recent memory.

The 2016 Copa America Centenario offers the US Men’s National Team a unique opportunity to test itself before the Hex begins later this fall. Since they did not qualify for the Confederations Cup in Russia, this is likely their best chance to be World Cup ready by testing themselves against the best teams in the Americas. The draw didn’t have that much variability in it, though there was a best and worst case scenario for advancing out of their group.

Whatever the worst case scenario is/was, the US either hit it or hit very close to it. They’ll open with the dangerous Colombia in Santa Clara, then CONCACAF’s third best team in Costa Rica in Chicago four days later, and their group stage ends in Philadelphia against the always tricky Paraguay. Colombia might not have been the scariest team in Pot 2 based on recent form, but their ceiling is seemingly the highest, and at their best they can beat basically anyone in the world. The US is well aware of Costa Rica’s best, and even Paraguay has the chance to be an incredibly prickly fixture. The best team out of the final two pots did end up in Group A with the US, and although many are predicting doom, this is exactly what the US should want in a tournament such as this.

SEE MORE: Schedule for 2016 Copa America Centenario.

Jurgen Klinsmann has made a major point of wanting to test his side against the best in the world as many times as he can, and he doesn’t get many chances to do so in a competitive environment. With no Confederations Cup trip coming for the second consecutive cycle, Klinsmann has this tournament (and more than likely the Hex) in terms of competitive fixtures left before Russia, should the US qualify. Playing teams just around them in terms of level is an opportunity they should relish, even though it would be easy to advance against a group of Ecuador, Haiti and Bolivia. In that scenario, while qualification would have been far easier, the expectations are far higher and the penalty for failure is much greater. The lack of expectations here, just like in Brazil two years ago, gives Jurgen Klinsmann some leverage in terms of setting the message for the media and his team. And all of the doom and gloom from immediately after the draw forgets something important…

The US’ current form, both overall and individually, is not set in stone come June. Players will go in and out of form, and there are certainly bright spots. Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron could well end up as the centerback pairing of record, the US will have their complement of Bradley/Dempsey/Altidore back in theory come March against Guatemala, and there is plenty of promise with players like Darlington Nagbe and the like. While most of the best young players will play the Olympic qualifying ties against Colombia, the US should be strong enough to at least take four out of six points then and enter the Copa in better form. Individual form can and will probably change in the next four months.

SEE MORE: Copa America tickets now on sale.

On their day, the US can beat everybody in their group, including Colombia. Jose Pekerman, despite the talent at his disposal, is famously negative and hesitant in his tactics at times, and the US should be able to play with the ball and dictate the tempo of the game against all three opponents. Klinsmann has, to his detriment, set his own teams out with negative tactics in the past year, so this will give everyone a chance to see how his team does when they have the impetus to break down their opponents.

This group is a challenge for the US, make no mistake. But with most of the fixture list between then and Russia either fait accompli WCQ’s in the Hex or friendlies against teams that would likely beat the US in a competitive situation (see the Dutch or Germans), this is a chance the US must seize and prove to everyone around the world they can be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to it in Russia.

These chances don’t come around very often. With the Confederations Cup off the table, this is the last dress rehearsal Jurgen Klinsmann and his team will get. And they should relish the tests ahead.

Tottenham’s incredible season is now met with an incredible dilemma. Even the most optimistic Spurs supporter, or staffer, could not have seen Spurs being two points off the top of the Premier League in February, right as another major glut of fixtures awaits. With this fixture congestion, the fear of a late season swoon, and the real prospect of a title staring Mauricio Pochettino and his men in the face, should Spurs dump the Europa League, the FA Cup, or even both?

The Europa League is certainly cumbersome and at times massively inconvenient, but with the carrot of a Champions League berth now dangled in front of everyone, it’s not a competition to throw reserves in as Harry Redknapp did when he took Spurs into the Europa League. Future managers took the competition more seriously, but with the prospect of nine games needed to win the competition, it’s a tough ask on any squad, let alone one that could qualify for the Champions League outright.

The magic of the FA Cup is a phrase with little magic left in it. And while there certainly still is prestige in winning the trophy (and a potential domestic double), the amount of games needed to win it is also certainly cumbersome. Four rounds before Wembley could come complete with added replays, as well as the rescheduling of Premier League fixtures for the quarterfinals and semifinals, the fixture backlog really does begin to ask questions even of a deep and fit squad, which Spurs certainly have. Most teams would already play weakened squads in the FA Cup anyway, but as the end gets closer and so does the trophy, the thinking often changes.

SEE MORE: Complete forward Harry Kane can make the difference for Spurs in the title race.

Mauricio Pochettino certainly has a fit and mostly healthy squad, but teams that play the style that his teams do certainly have fears about fading legs and minds as the wear and tear of a long season in all competitions piles up. This would be a major concern if Spurs were just competing for fourth place, let alone the title. But now as a path has emerged towards not only for their first trophy in eight years, but their first title in 55, Pochettino has to wonder whether it’s worth risking the Europa League and FA Cup to the detriment of a title push. He has players such as Eric Dier, Harry Kane and Dele Alli who looked tired and leggy towards the end of a rough game against Manchester City, and with the prospect of six fixtures in the next 16 days, including two London derbies (the North London derby coming up on March 5), and more on offer afterwards if they beat Fiorentina, is it worth it to play so many games with a title at stake?

Some would say drop out of these competitions entirely, but even though a title is within reach; winning a trophy of any sort is not a bad deal to take. Having come so close last season in the League Cup will make more supporters and players want a trophy even more than usual, even if the title is certainly up for grabs. Pochettino also shows enough belief in his training methods and players that they’ll be fit enough for this challenging run of games, and even if the team that goes out against Fiorentina and Crystal Palace in the two cups is stronger than some supporters would have hoped, this team has only lost five games in all competitions all season. Dropping the cups, even considering the circumstances, would not be a good look.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Europa League games on US TV and live streaming.

Winning the treble would be a massive ask of this squad, even as good as this season has become. But finishing third with a trophy in hand is not a bad season by any stretch. Ask any Spurs supporter or player before the season that they would finish the year third with a trophy in tow and they’d take it. Certainly the optics have changed, but the mentality of Spurs is never going to, even in the face of the Premier League trophy’s shadow.

Time will tell whether the decisions made by Pochettino in the next few weeks will be the correct ones. But for Spurs supporters, even the most cynical, enjoy the ride while it’s still going on.

The motto of Tottenham Hotspur is: “To Dare Is To Do”. There isn’t anything daring about dumping any competition, even in the face of another as big as the Premier League title. This Spurs team has dared to do all season, and it has them where they are now. Why not continue to dare, even against the odds?

It’s a rarity that England’s top four will all play each other on the same day. It’s even rarer to have it happen this late in the season. Though it shouldn’t be entirely a surprise in this the wackiest of Premier League campaigns, this Sunday’s collision of 1st and 3rd then 2nd and 4th in the table will do quite a bit to decide the destination of the title. While circumstances, form and numbers should say that Leicester and Manchester City have the pressure this weekend, narratives suggest the exact opposite. But in this instance, the narratives are 100% right.

Normally, when the first place team plays the second in the league, the table toppers have the pressure to perform, and the chasers have pressure to prove themselves. Although Sunday at the Emirates won’t be first against second, first versus third is close enough. But, oddly, first place Leicester don’t have the pressure to perform, or prove themselves. When is the last time that has ever been said about a team topping the table in the middle of February? Not only have Leicester already proven their mettle against a title contender in their arena, their fairytale season has already defied every bound of logic.

Meanwhile Arsenal’s season has evoked typical Arsenal tropes: impressive in fits and spurts, injury riddled yet trudging along at a similar pace to the past, and the qualms about Arsenal teams in the past are evident again. They are the team that on paper has the truly serious title credentials yet it is they who have to perform and prove themselves against the supposed underdogs at their home ground against a team they put five past back in September. If they lose? They’ll be decried as “the same old Arsenal” once again.

For the game that will start about two hours after the one at the Emirates ends, the battle between second and fourth in the table will kick off at the Etihad. Manchester City are looking to respond after being thoroughly taken to task by Leicester last Saturday, while Spurs continue to almost silently pile up points as observers wonder whether they can actually win the title this year. Mauricio Pochettino spent much of the year playing down his side’s title credentials despite their prowess at picking up points and looking good doing it, and considering the ease with which they’ve dispatched opposition at times this season (including City), why not them? But with that comes pressure; pressure unlike anything Spurs have faced this season. They have their own doubters to prove incorrect; especially those who believe the “same old Spurs” will come and rear their ugly head eventually with this weekend being the prime time for that to finally happen.

Manchester City, even in their two title winning seasons, have been less than impressive on their way to finally hoisting the trophy, but even this season has been a marked downturn from year’s past. Injuries and age have finally taken their toll, and now everyone knows they’re being managed by a lame duck. Even fourth, City have the title winning pedigree in their squad as well as the experience that the young Spurs squad doesn’t come close to having. And yet, it’s Spurs who go into the Etihad knowing that a win could prove so much to so many.

In a season that makes no sense, the narratives heading into the two biggest matches of the season so far also seemingly make no sense. Although both matches are very different, the teams that seemingly should have pressure hoisted upon them actually have none, and those who normally would be playing with house money are not. Leicester are always going to be underdogs despite all evidence to the contrary this season, and Arsenal will always have their demons to slay. Manchester City have the “veteran experience” needed to win trophies, but how do the Spurs kids perform when the light is fixated firmly on them?

Both North London teams have to fight back against narrative perception if they want to beat the Cinderella story and the old hand back to win the title this season. They’re always fighting back the Court of Public Opinion, but this weekend, even when they shouldn’t, they’ll still feel that weight as they take the pitch for the biggest game of their respective seasons on Sunday.

Photo credit: USA Today Sports

MLS’ Discovery Rule is attracting plenty of attention because of the dispute between Orlando City and DC United over the dealings with Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino. DC United has a discovery claim on the player and were attempting to negotiate with him until it emerged that Orlando City had offered him a contract worth about 22% more annually. Orlando City had already been fined when Adrian Heath made public overtures about wanting to sign Sporting Kansas City’s forward Dom Dwyer, and if they are found guilty of tampering, more fines and other penalties could be in the offing.

Before delving into the usefulness of the rule, it is important to understand why the rule exists to begin with. MLS is still a single-entity league with artificial limits imposed on salary. The rule was created to prevent bidding wars between MLS clubs for players in which the salaries would go over market value as determined by the league since they control the contracts. In times gone by, this was necessary in order to keep clubs above water on salaries so they weren’t paying players far beyond what they were worth in a world where salaries were rapidly escalating without end. And it is only natural to assume that many in the league expected disputes over discovery signings to be minimal and kept in house, too.

The Discovery Signing also served a useful purpose in maintaining league harmony. Single-entity structures only succeed if everyone is (mostly) on board, and the rule allowed for owners to limit their investment in a calculated manner while keeping everyone on board and content. Owners also owned multiple teams at the time of the rule’s creation, so the number of mouths to feed was dramatically smaller than it was today. The owners at that time also had much deeper hooks into the league than some of the news owners today, including and especially Orlando City’s brass.

So this controversy is about a rule that may have run its course that has pit an MLS “legacy” franchise against an expansion team from last season that has a history of ruffling a few feathers. And while the rule can be considered draconian, there are restrictions on it. Discovery claims are not permanent, and each team can only have seven of them at a time, and these lists are not public. However, teams would be made aware of them if they made a discovery claim on a player that was already on another team’s list, as is the case. After a certain amount of time, another team can purchase the discovery rights for $50,000 in allocation money if the club who holds the rights doesn’t make an “objectively reasonable” offer. Is DC United’s offer of $700,000 per year over two years “objectively reasonable” compared to $900,000 per year over two years? Only MLS can make this decision. If it is, then DC United holds all the cards and Nocerino could effectively be held at ransom if he doesn’t want to play in Washington.

SEE MORE: Most MLS managers under pressure as 2016 gets started.

Disputes over discovery signings are usually resolved without much incident and often go unpublicized unless the player in question is one of some stature, such as Didier Drogba last year (Chicago held his rights, which were then bought by Montreal). Usually the league office steps in before disputes like this become public, but this instance is extenuating particularly because Orlando City is involved. Whatever the resolution, what does this say about this particular mechanism for signing players? Is it going anywhere?

The long and short answer: No. MLS is still a league with artificially deflated salaries and all player contracts are owned by the league, so they still have a vested interest in preventing bidding wars for players exactly like Nocerino. If you take the league’s spin at face value, they are still losing money, so this is a business decision in which they have a vested interest in. Whether that is true or not is up for debate, but as the player’s union did not try to remove the discovery signing from the recent CBA, it is still there, and figures to remain there even though the league can change the rules on a whim.

In effect, MLS may say this is the exact sort of situation the rule was designed to prevent, and therefore is working perfectly. In a warped way, that is 100% correct. Nocerino has stated that he wants to play in the United States, and before the news of Orlando City’s offer to him was made public, it seemed that he was content with playing for DC for the salary offered to him.

MLS’ roster rules are an entangled web of mystery, riddles and enigmas. The Discovery Rule is one of the many, and even though this is the one that’s getting the press today, tomorrow it could easily be another rule.

The league has designed everything this way for a reason, and even if it stifles a free market, their plans are working perfectly.

Soccer’s backroom business is often shrouded in complete mystery. What goes into transfers; their inner workings, machinations and politicking are often beyond the bounds of even the most reputable journalists. Until recently, only the Secret Footballer provided any intimate detail on the underground world of transfers, and even those were outlines minus any names or clubs.

That is until a website named Football Leaks came about. It’s a rather plain website, complete with an outdated year and WordPress still clearly visible in the URL. If one wanted to start up a WordPress blog parodying Football Leaks with the same design, observers might not be able to spot the difference.

But, this is one book that shouldn’t be judged by its cover. The website has thrown Dutch club Vitesse (Chelsea’s farm team) into chaos over once secret transfer dealings and has leaked the transfer contracts for Gareth Bale, Radamel Falcao and now Mesut Ozil to the public eye. Even forgetting the unearthing of the details hidden inside these documents, this is a site with boundless power to change the game as we know it. Even the Secret Footballer is blushing.

SEE MORE: Leak confirms Bale’s transfer fee exceeded Ronaldo’s.

Keeping a secret in the modern media world of 2016 is almost impossible, and Football Leaks’ mission is to bring transparency to a sport that bathed in shadows and secrecy from its infancy. FIFA is being radically transformed because of all of its dirty laundry being made public, and now clubs and agents are feeling the same heat.

This leaves us with a couple of questions: Why are these documents so secretive to begin with and what can this one website do to change the game?

As ever, dealing with confidential information has meant they are rapidly coming under fire. “We are not talking by phone or in person, we are making huge enemies in the game, so we need to be very careful …,” the people behind the site told The Times recently. “The Big Bosses in Turkey and Kazakhstan are really angry, and they want to silence us as fast as possible, so people can understand that we are taking huge risks.”

The website is based in Portugal, but its servers are based in Russia, making it nigh on impossible for EU authorities to go after them. And while in many cases that can provide headaches for authorities trying to snuff out illegal activity, this one detail allows Football Leaks to keep operating even if more and more bosses in the game have the site on their hit list.

But their mission at the core is to bring transparency to a game at a fundamental level. How do transfers really work? What is really going on behind the scenes? When clubs publish financial statements, there is often work done behind the scenes to creatively change the numbers, and most clubs, federations and agents have no reason to publish any information, nor are they compelled by any means. In an era when secrecy and shady dealings are getting massive spotlights shone on them, a site in the mold of Football Leaks seemed inevitable. Someone very brave had reason to leak these documents to them, and everyone should read them (even if it means going through a few nasty popups to view them).

SEE MORE: Leaked Ozil transfer agreement outlines Real Madrid’s buy-back options.

Everyone wants transfers to be more transparent and open, but up until now, there has been no reason to bring that to the forefront. Now the pressure on clubs and agents is increasing. The demand for information is skyrocketing, and they can take the opportunity to make sites like Football Leaks worthless if they published some of the information themselves. Why are clubs being punished by FFP if the average supporter has no idea what the books look like? How are they supposed to follow transfers and see exactly where the money is going? Football as an industry is only getting bigger, and the money flying around in just transfers alone is obscene. Supporters have a right to know where some of their money is going.

But until there are wider changes inside the boardrooms at FIFA, clubs and in agencies, sites like Football Leaks are needed to underline just what the public doesn’t know, and how criminal it is that we don’t know 75% of what goes on behind the scenes. Not everything needs to be public, but more than contract length and undisclosed fee should be known, and especially what entities get what chunk of these massive fees paid.

The site’s secondary heading reads, “Football and TPO whistleblowing.” Short and simple, and as it turns out, revolutionary.

“The Magic of the FA Cup” is a curious phrase. The FA Cup itself is steeped in folklore, tradition and memory, but the tactile meaning of the competition in 2016 is debatable. With the vastly increased stakes of the league as well as the allure of playing European football, what is the meaning of the FA Cup in the modern footballing world? Is there any magic left in the chalice?

Part of the “magic” has to do with the giant killings, the upsets, the little guys beating the big guys. Exeter City would have had one of the most famous days in their history if they had beaten Liverpool on Friday, but this isn’t the Liverpool of vintage… or even November. It had a forgotten fullback playing center back, teaming up with a player of lost promise who had just been recalled from a loan spell, with only one recognized “first teamer” starting. Exeter City beating the Liverpool U-21’s still would have meant something to the club in the fourth tier and had been in non-league football of late, but this isn’t Bournemouth beating Manchester United in 1984 (not 2015). Taking a cursory glance at the details meant the giant killing would have been one on paper, but that paper might have not even been worth a pound.

Speaking of that, what happens when most teams end up with massive rotation in their squads, even the little guys? The stakes are too high in the respective leagues for full XI’s to be trotted out, especially if you’re say Everton at home to Dagenham & Redbridge. Even Championship and League One sides rotate because they know what’s at stake in the league with even more fixtures to come. So the odd giant killing is possible, like Bradford beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge just last year, but even Bradford’s upset came with a grain of salt considering their not-so-distant run to the League Cup Final back in 2013 when they were in League Two.

The only teams that really can’t lose anything with a run in the FA Cup are teams that are locked in the middle of their respective league tables. Teams at the top wouldn’t jeopardize title runs or a run for Europe for a cup run (though many supporters would want that), nor would the teams in relegation scraps do the same, and at this stage in the season, the middle of league tables isn’t that well-defined.

And all of this is only made worse with one word: Replay. It used to be that these FA Cup ties could have endless amounts of replays, which would go on and on, alternating grounds until someone finally won in 90 minutes. Even the famous final at Wembley could end up in a replay.

Extra fixtures at this time of the season are something no manager wants on his plate, even with the inflated and ballooning squads of the day.

And the cynic in us all wonders: does it behoove these smaller sides to beat the big boys at home, or hope to cash in on a replay like Exeter will at Anfield, or Cambridge United had last season at Old Trafford? For those clubs, the half of the gate receipts that they receive could help immeasurably in stabilizing finances, or even making a charge up the league table, as Bradford supporters will tell you about their League Cup run.

So the FA Cup doesn’t have much magic left when all aspects are dissected and foraged through. But with everything stacked against it… there still is something about the competition that brings about buzz, energy and excitement. There really is no logic to it, especially in the face of everything mentioned above, but maybe it is the history and the cache that comes with saying “(insert team here) have won the FA Cup!”. Hoisting a trophy at Wembley is a cathartic experience for any player, no matter the stakes or the circumstances. Even for players that have come to England for the promise of riches and exposure, there’s something about those FA Cup days at small grounds littered throughout England and Wales that means something.

Ask Ronnie Radford, whose name now is forever etched in the annals of English footballing history for his goal against Newcastle in 1972.

So the FA Cup doesn’t mean what it used to, is a competition most managers rotate heavily for, and the even the giant killings could be tossed aside for a payday. But don’t say that to Exeter, Wycombe Wanderers, Oxford United, or any of these other clubs that have strung runs together in the FA Cup.

One of the dictionary’s definitions for magic is ‘any extraordinary or mystical influence, charm, power, etc’. In spite of it all, maybe there is still a little magic left in the FA Cup.

Before the loss against Newcastle, Spurs weren’t exactly reeling, but some of their verve and joy gone away in their performances against Chelsea and West Brom. It wasn’t that the unbeaten run had falsely foretold Spurs’ future; it was that they seemed to be coasting a bit too much. The comments from manager and players indicated that they needed a reset, and the loss to Newcastle was a covertly welcome respite.

SEE MORE: Spurs became too comfortable during their unbeaten run.

Since then, Spurs were opportunistic against Southampton, ruthless against Norwich, and albeit a bit lucky against Watford, just clinical enough. Spurs have still lost only four games across all competitions in 26 games. That is a remarkable achievement, and one that has not been talked about that much. An argument can be made that there were too many draws early on in the season, but they’ve now won three in a row and are beginning to sow the seeds of a top-four finish.

The team has had its bad moments in every game, particularly slow starts in all of the recent fixtures, but once they got their feet wet, it didn’t take long for them to turn the tides. Quite a bit of that has to do with how well Mousa Dembele has been playing, and his recent injury is certainly a concern. Because of that form, Spurs have the best defensive record in the league. For a team that conceded almost as many goals last season as Burnley, who were relegated, to transform into a responsible and tactically drilled defensive side without losing much cutting edge is a credit to the squad and manager. They saw the problems of a season ago and diligently worked to fix them.

SEE MORE: Watch Son Heung-min backheel Tottenham into third place.

Maybe the biggest conundrum facing Mauricio Pochettino down the stretch deals with rotation. His Europa League team selections give a hint as to how he wants to rotate, and the bench is now full of players that either had earned starts last season or earlier this season. How he massages their egos while keeping the winning momentum will be an interesting juggling act. Nabil Bentaleb, Nacer Chadli, Ryan Mason, Son Heung-min and even Tom Carroll have all at one point or another earned starts this season, and as the bench begins to fill up again, Pochettino has to balance maintaining good form and rewarding players who have earned their places. The good news is that the fixture list begins to fill up again once the FA Cup begins, so rotation is coming. The question is how much.

There have been two turning points in this season for Spurs, both when the pressure was starting to ratchet up, albeit in different ways. At Sunderland, Spurs hadn’t yet won a game and were 10 minutes away from another frustrating draw when Ryan Mason scored a pyrrhic goal to lift Spurs to their first win. After that, they began their true march up the table. And after the loss to Newcastle, the team was clinical enough to punish Southampton and stop a mini-slide that had begun against Chelsea.

Now, as much as Spurs supporters don’t want to hear it, the team has a chance to challenge for the title, and showing the resolve they did at Vicarage Road is evidence that they can mount a charge. Top four is and always has been the goal, but with the depth of the squad, the character and attitude of the players and manager, and the momentum they’ve found again, why not?

To say Tottenham were resting on the laurels of their 14-game unbeaten run in the Premier League is a bit harsh. But cracks were starting to show before Sunday’s loss to Newcastle, the first of which was not putting a weak Arsenal side to the sword at the Emirates. Still, with underwhelming draws against Chelsea and West Brom in the rearview mirror, it looked like Spurs were primed for a return to winning ways, especially after thumping Monaco with a rotated squad in Europa League last Thursday.

But something funny happens when Newcastle comes to White Hart Lane. Two years ago, when Spurs were in a state of mourning, Tim Krul had one of the games of his life and kept a clean sheet as Newcastle beat an Andre Villas-Boas-lead Spurs, 1-0. Last season, Newcastle scored within 15 seconds of the second half kickoff and won 2-1 at the Lane. And then this weekend, Ayoze Perez scored a sucker punch with a crazy 93rd minute winner to end Spurs’ unbeaten run and cap Newcastle’s renaissance week.

But for Mauricio Pochettino and company, this loss is a welcome wake-up call. The team’s run had been filled with more draws than wins, and quite a few of them were games Spurs should have won. They should have put Everton, Arsenal, Liverpool and even Swansea away, and those silly dropped points against Stoke and Leicester from winning positions in August now look even more important.

SEE MORE: Mourinho talks Hazard’s injury, being “betrayed” by players.

Spurs had found a bit of a groove, just not a winning one. They felt too comfortable, too relaxed even on Sunday when they were up 1-0 and pressing Newcastle for a second. The drop off in the second half was noticeable, even though only five players started on Thursday and Sunday as opposed to eight against Qarabag before the Chelsea match. Newcastle counter-attacked with verve, quickness and efficiency, and put a Spurs side that looked too comfy to the sword.

The unbeaten run was starting to mask a slight dip in form, which is natural for any team combining the slog of a Premier League season with a European excursion. The pressing wasn’t looking quite as intense, and players that had found a rich vein of form — Erik Lamela, Dele Alli and Eric Dier — have had noticeable drop offs of late.

Are they getting tired? It’s certainly possible, since Pochettino hasn’t rotated as much as he probably should have during the Europa League. The recent dropped points have felt even bigger because of the performances of the teams ahead of them, notably Manchester United. If Spurs miss the Champions League again, these games might be the ones they end up regretting.

But, now instead of resting on the laurels of only losing three games in all competitions until Sunday, Pochettino can re-focus his suddenly larger squad. Nacer Chadli, Nabil Bentaleb and others are fit again, while Tom Carroll has made himself an option in midfield. Pochettino has selection questions, but in a different vein than he had earlier in the season when players like Alli and Mousa Dembele replaced those who were injured or suspended. Combining this with the extra motivation he no doubt has now that they’ve lost a winnable game, Pochettino can reset the team and tactics now that the unbeaten run is over.

Sometimes losses can teach a team something important about themselves. Spurs and their manager had been washed over with praise for their tactics, team selection, buying process, etc. Now they face some adversity, which every team does during a long campaign. The chance to respond and rebuke the criticism and the boos should be a welcome change for a team that needed to plug their ears to the praise from the outside.

It might only be December, but it’s never too early to start looking forward to Euro 2016 this June in France. On Saturday, the tournament’s 24 teams found out what their group stage journeys will look like, and there were certainly some interesting matches drawn.

The hosts were handed a relatively easy draw, slotted with Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A. France beat Switzerland 5-2 in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup, and although in their two friendlies during qualifying Albania beat and drew with France, the hosts won’t feel too troubled by their lot.

Due to Switzerland’s many players of Albanian/Kosovan descent, this Swiss’ tie with Albania could prove an interesting one. Romania brings defensive steel and make the opening match of the tournament difficult for France.

Group B was made all the more interesting when Wales was drawn into England’s group. What better way to mark your first major tournament in 58 years than by playing your next door neighbors. Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey against a young and improving England side should offer a tasty tie in Lens on June 16.

The last four matches between these two countries took place in Euro and World Cup qualifying, with England winning all four. The last time Wales beat England was in May of 1984 in the British Championships in Wrexham, when current Stoke manager Mark Hughes scored the only goal.

Slovakia and Russia should add some tricky fixtures for both home nations, but each will like feel that they could reach the knockout round.

Group C offers a taste of past and future fixtures. Germany and Poland play each other again after doing so in qualifying, and the Germans will get a taste of the Northern Ireland squad they’ll be playing in upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Germany are the favorites here, but don’t count out Ukraine. The defending world champions don’t have the most difficult road out, but they’ll certainly have tests they’ll need to pass.

After their stunning early exit in Brazil, Spain won’t have an easy road out of Group D. Their opening match is against the Czech Republic, who are Euro tournament constants and have made two of the last three knockout stages. Turkey who were semifinalists eight years ago, and a Croatia team that struggled to overcome until a late Jesus Navas goal four years ago round out the group.

The race for second and third should be tight, with all teams figuring they’ll have a good chance of advancing. The battle of midfields should be the most fascinating aspect of this group, with each team boasting a high quality center midfielder (in Croatia’s case multiple midfielders). Victory in the middle could determine who advances.

Group E may be the tournament’s most mouth-watering group. Ireland, Belgium, Sweden and Italy all not only add color in the stands but on the pitch as well. Belgium’s golden generation have large expectations to bring home glory, and they will be tested early and often.

It feels almost certain that three teams will advance from this group, and in what likely could be the major tournament swansong for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he’ll certainly put on a show against some of the best teams in Europe. Italy’s form in recent years has been waning, and this group could test whether Antonio Conte’s men are transitioning into a new era.

If you like newcomers to the tournament, Group F is your pick. Iceland are debutants, Austria make their first tournament through qualification, and Hungary return for the first time in 44 years. Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have transitioned to head coach Fernando Santos, and now that their usual qualification hiccups are past, this may be the time for Portugal to leverage a series of promising youngsters. Austria looks like a side that could challenge the best in Europe and will feel they have a chance to upset the favorites, but don’t count out Iceland, a side teeming with quality who will relish the underdog role, even in a wide open group.

The expanded Euros certainly have their faults, but with ties such as Belgium-Italy, England-Wales and Germany-Poland, June can’t come soon enough.

Caleb Porter has been one of US soccer’s rising stars ever since his days at Akron, and much of that promise has finally been fulfilled with this year’s Portland team. His Timbers have finally reached the MLS Cup final after the head coach’s false starts with the US under-23s in 2012, as well as with the Timbers last season.

But despite his success, Porter has become one of the most divisive figures in American soccer; not for his style or tactics, but for his antics. From his very famous spat with Pep Guardiola during the 2014 MLS All-Star Game, to his fight with FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja back in March (not repeated during the Western Conference final), to his dust-up with Bruce Arena back in 2013, Porter is not one to avoid public confrontation. He seems more graceful after the fact ,in his post-match press conferences, but the stacking of these incidents combined echoes of another manager, Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho.

Porter has been accused of complaining to officials incessantly about calls that go against the Timbers, while Mourinho has made an art of deflecting blame away from his players, using statements such as “a campaign against Chelsea.” But the similarities go far beyond that. Even comparing the two’s public spats with Guardiola would be too reductionist. Although both managers provide great entertainment post-match, calling Porter the MLS Mourinho doesn’t seem a stretch at all. It’s not just their personas, but their styles; specifically, their willingness to be pragmatic.

MORE MLS: Landslide vote gives Giovinco MLS’s MVP award.

There has been endless tinkering to the Timbers roster to ensure that it was perfect for this run, and up until a little help from the goalposts against Sporting Kansas City, it seemed there were questions rising around Porter and his job. Why so many false starts, false dawns, and promise wasted with the money spent? Portland has proven on more than one occasion that Porterball can be some of the most aesthetically pleasing soccer in the league, and yet they can be one of the most pragmatic teams in the league at the same time.

Part of that comes down to the players that seemingly have the most value to the Timbers. Diego Chara is one of those players that are emblematic of the soccer Porter wants to play: technical yet gritty; beautiful and pragmatic all in one stroke. While the Timbers have some exceptional talent in front of the Chara’s and Will Johnson’s in Diego Valeri, Lucas Melano and Darlington Nagbe, it seems that their influence feels muted in comparison to Chara, Johnson and the player that might be their most valuable, Nat Borchers. The quality on the ball and the ability to play on the deck has always been present, but without that spine and stiffness, the Timbers seem to always fail to meet their potential.

Mourinho has some of the most talented players in the world at his disposal, but the most influential men end up being Nemanja Matic (a classic no. 6), John Terry (the most old-fashioned of the old-fashioned English center halves), and forward players who offer themselves up on the defensive side of the pitch. Mourinho’s willingness to muck up the game and take a draw seems similar to what Porter can coach his Timbers to do, before both men follow up those performances with their characteristic post-match antics. For those characteristics, both have become loved and hated in equal measure.

SEE MORE: On the eve of its’ 20th final, MLS’s progress has been remarkable.

Porter’s vision and promise could be fulfilled if they hoist the Cup on Sunday in Columbus. One of the traits he does not share with the Special One is in his own personal trophy cabinet, but should that change, all of the sideline dust-ups, false starts and effortless pragmatism could finally lead to what Mourinho has made his specialty: winning trophies.

More MLS:

• 10 things we learned from the second leg of the conference finals.
• Old rules about foreign coaches may not apply to our new MLS.
• Difference between MLS, NASL rules creates an arms race in the second division.

In the Premier League, a select few clubs can spend the GDP of small Pacific Island nations in order to improve their squad, and with every signing it can feel like the magic of the English game keeps being sucked away. Watching Jamie Vardy and Leicester does bring back a bit of that essential essence as to why the Premier League is the most-watched around the globe.

Jamie Vardy’s story has been told repeatedly as he chased, and has now broken, Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record for consecutive games with a goal. A man who couldn’t get off the bench in semi-pro football in England’s fifth tier has now broken that record not for United, or the megabucks clubs of today, but Leicester City, who paid £400,000 for him and struggled mightily to climb out of the Championship until last year. He played a part in their great escape from relegation last season, but no one, not even he could have expected this.

Many wrote and ruminated about how Leicester were surefire relegation candidates this season considering their great escape last season and how they sacked the manager that orchestrated it. When the video of players on the postseason tour in Thailand was leaked (Vardy included), that didn’t help sway wavering minds. And when Claudio Ranieri was hired to replace Nigel Pearson, it certainly felt like curtains after his disastrous spell as manager of Greece.

But, like all good fairytales, the script has been torn up. Leicester have played some scintillating counter-attack football spearheaded by former non-league strikers, Manchester United youth products that didn’t come good and marshaled by a man known for excessive tinkering even when the team is humming along. But the Tinkerman hasn’t done that. He’s sat back and watched this magic carpet ride reach new heights, with the perfect spearhead grabbing all of the headlines.

Leicester City are more than just Vardy obviously. Riyad Mahrez was signed when the Foxes were trying desperately to climb out of the Championship mire, and he was the star of Leicester’s show before Vardy took his spot on the marquee. Danny Drinkwater and Marc Albrighton were youth products from Premier League mainstays that didn’t find their groove under the big lights. A longtime Nottingham Forest defender now playing internationally for Jamaica is their rock at the back, the son of a former Premier League legend mans the goal, and if this wasn’t crazy enough, a youth product named Joe Dodoo scored four goals in two League Cup games, and that seems a distant memory.

When Jamie Vardy scored his record breaking goal against Manchester United, the Leicester fans around the KP Stadium chanted, “we are staying up” as if even the gravity of the fairytale emerging in front of them hadn’t even come close to sinking in yet. And it probably won’t. The common narrative about Leicester is that their form will eventually drop and they won’t make any more astonishing late comebacks but that is what makes fairytales what they are. They defy logic and live on the exceptions. Why can’t they win the Premier League? What’s stopping them?

In a league and world increasingly dominated by how much cash you have on hand, Leicester’s story is one that should warm the heart of every football fan around no matter what colors you bleed. Even as they can sign players they would have never dreamt of signing before thanks to that same money, and hired a manager under that same pretense, its players like Vardy, Morgan, Drinkwater, Mahrez and company that have conjured up the magic.

In a wide open Premier League this season, why not Leicester? Jamie Vardy has just broken what was thought to be an impossible record.

Almost 26 years to the day of Paul Caligiuri’s famous goal at Hasely Crawford Stadium to send the US to World Cup 1990, the two nations met again, and played out an unsatisfying 0-0 draw on Tuesday night. Coming into the match, this was quite clearly the toughest match for the US on paper. A point would not have been a bad result considering the opponent and the form of Jurgen Klinsmann’s men. After the final whistle though, it feels as if the US missed out on a chance to take a stranglehold in Group C after only two games.

Michael Orozco replaced DeAndre Yedlin at right back as Yedlin moved up to right wing, and Gyasi Zardes moved up top paired with Jozy Altidore. Zardes was the focal point of the match, as he had the best chances for either side and once again lacked the finishing touch he did on Friday night. He and Altidore combined very well on multiple occasions, but the Galaxy man’s final touch let him down on at least four occasions, and on two of them he should have scored. Altidore didn’t test Jan-Michael Williams that much, but his link-up play was better than in past performances and that is a key development heading forward, especially for his confidence. Bobby Wood deserved to start, but it seemed the US was missing the finishing of Clint Dempsey tonight, above all else.

Jermaine Jones, despite the knocks he has been taking and the form he had been displaying, was brilliant tonight. It seems whenever he’s just about to fall out of favor due to injury or form, he repays the trust Jurgen Klinsmann shows in him with performances like this, and he was magnificent. The back four tonight was also consistent, especially the tandem of Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron who did well to keep the very dangerous Kenwyne Jones quiet all night. The speed and trickery of  and Joevin Jones did seem to trouble the US in spurts, but not enough to raise true alarm. Even Darlington Nagbe showed a little something in a right back cameo with a late tackle.

In the second half, the US finally was able to dominate possession and chain together a few passing moves but once again the finishing let them down. It never felt like the Soca Warriors were being battered, though it did seem like they were conceding possession and hoping to spring a counterattack goal with their speed on the break, but none of those opportunities materialized. It certainly was an improvement on their first half performance where Trinidad were the better side but didn’t carve out any clear cut opportunities outside of maybe the first 20 seconds. Tim Howard was not tested it seemed at all.

In CONCACAF road qualifiers, a point is never a bad result especially in what looked like (and probably will be) the most difficult game of this semifinal qualifying group for the US. But with the few missed chances and Trinidad backing off in the second half, it feels more like two points dropped rather than a point gained. The home-and-home with Guatemala comes next, and the US will be favored in both games quite clearly. The road game will be tough as usual, but if the US displays just a tiny bit more of a cutting edge and brings its finishing boots (or a better finisher), then it doesn’t look like Guatemala will pose serious issues.

Many have disagreed with Jurgen Klinsmann’s assessments that recent performances were good despite the results. To the naked eye, today’s performance was better than the result, although they certainly could have played better. But not every game will be perfect, especially in road CONCACAF qualifiers in the heat and humidity, and Klinsmann will probably take this result and be pleased with it.

The next step is to turn the slightly more positive performances into results. March will be their next chance to do just that.

The season, so far

It’s hard to not be optimistic about the first few months of Spurs’ campaign. Tottenham have gone 11 unbeaten in the Premier League and have only lost three times all season in 17 games. Young players are finding their way and becoming stars while the established stars are elevating their play to another level. And with Chelsea floundering and Liverpool undergoing a change in philosophy, the time is right for Spurs to finally break through and make the top four. It seems like they have the mentality, manager and personnel to make it happen.

SEE MORE: Spurs entering a defining period on and off the field.

So many players have raised their level this season, and it has made Spurs such a difficult side to break down and beat. Eric Dier has been a revelation as a defensive midfielder, Mousa Dembele has undergone a renaissance of his own, Erik Lamela’s transformation into one of the stalwarts of Pochettino’s press has been nothing short of astounding, and Harry Kane is no one-season wonder. Combine that with an effective and consistent center back pairing of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, and a world class keeper behind them, Spurs pressing verve has been matched by their impressive and un-Spurs like defensive solidity.

The road ahead

Post-international break, Spurs face two London derbies: at home against West Ham, who will be without their talisman Dmitri Payet; and Chelsea, who have had a rough start to their season (and that is being kind). Before January, their toughest match figures to be Southampton away on the Dec. 19. They also complete their Europa League group stage campaign away to Qarabag and home to Monaco.

SEE MORE: Versatility has bred a new, rare optimism with Spurs.

As they are now getting relatively healthy with the returns of Son Heung-min, Ryan Mason and eventually Nabil Bentaleb, they’ll be as fit as they have been all season. Staying healthy and out of yellow card trouble (both Eric Dier and Erik Lamela have served one-game accumulation suspensions already) is obviously paramount, but there is no reason to think this team won’t continue its form through January.

Come January

Spurs likely won’t see much change in their league position come January, which means they’ll have every opportunity to either be in the top four or within touching distance of it when the month opens.

Since the squad is already relatively complete, there aren’t many holes, but the biggest one that could be filled would be a backup to Harry Kane. They have been linked with Gent striker Laurent Depoitre and Fulham striker Moussa Dembele (I’m not kidding) already, and it would no surprise to see them buy one striker as a backup for Kane in case he goes down or to help with fixture congestion.

A backup in defensive midfield might also be in the cards, but that seems far more unlikely at this stage. A few players could see loans away or be sold, the most notable of whom would be Andros Townsend, whose spat with the Spurs trainer has seen him ostracized and exiled from the first team squad. Selling him would provide funds to buy a striker, which would be beneficial.

Overall, the forecast for Spurs for the next two months and beyond is quite sunny. Supporters are feeling optimistic, and based on recent performances, why shouldn’t they be? The press is working as well as anyone could have imagined, players have raised their game to new levels, morale is high, and sans any debilitating injuries, Mauricio Pochettino appears to be building something quite special at White Hart Lane. There’s no reason to think the top four, or even the Title, is beyond their grasp.

MORE FORECASTS: Arsenal | Liverpool.

The public’s awareness of soccer’s concussion crisis has improved dramatically over the past year. With episodes such as Christoph Kramer’s during the World Cup final, Hugo Lloris against Everton two seasons ago and many others, the tide has turned in concussion awareness – an important and necessary step.

Now, with the settlement of a lawsuit involving US Soccer and youth soccer clubs, a new recommendation has been made: ban all heading below the U-11 level. It’s a potential watershed moment, one that not only makes the federation look prescient but will also focus youth development on skills sorely lacking in US players.

ESPN broadcaster and former New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman has been soccer’s staunchest and most vocal advocate of concussion awareness for years after the many he suffered during his playing career. As he mentioned on a recent appearance on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” when players aged eight through 10 play without coaches, they’re not naturally thinking about heading the ball. He also mentioned that in off-camera talks with the multi-national cast he worked with on ESPN’s World Cup coverage, most said 11 was the earliest they started heading the ball. The first skills most young players develop are with their feet. Whatever headers’ trauma is on a developing brain, it’s a skill that can wait until players are more physically developed.

What has turned out to be the most appalling part of increased awareness is the lack of education most have about the risk of head injuries. The reaction to the ban has been surprisingly, yet somehow unsurprisingly, mixed, with some reacting harshly to the proposed ban. But heading is not the most important skill a nine-year-old soccer player should be learning, regardless of what the risks are, and with so many young kids being coached by parents unaware of the dangers, the wrong parts of the game can be emphasized.

Maybe part of the blowback is American sport sensibilities, which may be coming to light in an ugly way. We value competition and winning above all else, including the experiences of playing and learning. In my own experiences, playing soccer up until age 10 was all about winning, whatever I learned about how to play the game be damned. Watching my sister, who played soccer from age six through her senior year in high school, the emphasis on specific skills and free play to learn on one’s own time was lessened. The success of a nine-year-old whose father is coaching the team seems more important than whether his son is learning the game, growing as a player or even sometimes having fun.

Around the world, that isn’t necessarily the case. Heading the ball is a small island in a vast sea of these examples. Here, whatever it takes to win, even if it means heading the ball with a technique that is far from correct, or keeping a player in when they have taken a blow to head and should be sitting, can and will be done.

The overall issue of concussions in soccer is so complex that even some of what has been mentioned here is reductionist. Banning headers for players under 11 is certainly an important step in preventing brain trauma that could lead to further problems, and it may benefit players by focusing their time on different skills, but as the reaction to the ban has shown, all of us still need more education on what and why this issue is one of the biggest facing the game.

Maybe it’s our own naiveté, maybe it’s our culture, maybe it’s that education on technique and issues is lacking, but whatever the combination is, this moment could be transformative in the way the game is played in this country. And that can only be a good thing.

Even if both Spurs and Arsenal were languishing in the relegation zone, or even the third tier, the North London Derby would always be a game that defined seasons. So this Sunday’s tilt, with Arsenal tied on points at the top of the table and having won five Premier League games in a row, and Spurs in fifth and unbeaten in 10 league games since their opening match, may be the most important derby in years.

Ever since 1995, Spurs have had an inferiority complex towards their North London rivals, who have lapped them in successes in the table, on the pitch and in the trophy cabinet. Recently, of course, the gap has closed, but the red half of North London still has the edge. Heading into this Derby, however, even after Arsenal has already knocked Spurs out of the League Cup, it feels like a seismic shift in the balance of power could be in the offing.

Arsenal is not at full strength physically or psychologically after being demolished 5-1 in Munich on Wednesday. Their league form has been stellar, but they have only won two of six matches outside of the league, and haven’t looked good while doing so. Spurs have only lost three games in all competitions, though most of their results this season have been draws, not wins.

On the pitch Sunday at the Emirates, the battle will be won in midfield. Arsenal will have to find a way to stop Mousa Dembele not only from scoring but from anchoring Spurs’ high pressing system. In the February game at White Hart Lane, Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla were unable to cope with that press, specifically his pressing and strength on the dribble, which directly lead to Spurs’ attacks and quality chances. Those two, who will anchor Arsenal’s midfield once again Sunday, will have to deal with a Dembele that is not only great at spearheading the press but is in form scoring goals and is wildly confident.

Likewise, Spurs have to keep Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in check, which is easier said than done. Spurs’ defender-cum-midfielder Eric Dier has been one of the revelations of the season in English soccer and will be looking to impress further after earning his first senior England call up. Arsenal’s x-factor could well be Olivier Giroud, who himself is in form and firing after having been benched in favor of Theo Walcott, but has now found himself leading the line and scoring most of the goals since Walcott went down injured again. And don’t forget Joel Campbell, whose pace and trickery on the wing in the spaces vacated behind Danny Rose when he marauds forward could be a critical tactical flaw that Arsenal may need to exploit if they want to breach Spurs’ staunch centerback pairing.

If Arsenal win Sunday, it will further consolidate their title credentials. If Spurs stun the Emirates, they not only have to be considered as true top four contenders but possibly dark horse title contenders, as well. They will have finally won away to one of the clubs that finished above or around them in table, and depending on how they do it, they will have found an essence to their play that has only appeared in brief but glorious spurts throughout Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure at White Hart Lane.

Spurs haven’t won at the Emirates since their famous 3-2 comeback in 2010 and have lost four of the last five derbies there. They’ll no doubt be confident after drawing there 1-1 last term and having already beaten Arsenal at the Lane in February. With Spurs at full tilt and Arsenal weakened by some critical injuries, Spurs may be seen as favorites. Even then, it’s hard to imagine Arsenal not responding in kind after being humiliated on Wednesday, and what better way to do it than against their biggest rivals …

All of which means it will probably end in a damp squib, like the Manchester Derby did. Here’s hoping it doesn’t.

A disastrous October for the United States men at both youth and senior levels left technical director and senior head coach Jurgen Klinsmann with questions to answer about the direction of his national team. But Klinsmann’s selection for November’s World Cup qualifiers, a chance to shed light on that direction, still leaves plenty of questions unresolved.

The US begins CONCACAF’s fourth round of 2018 World Cup qualifying on Nov. 14 against St. Vincent and the Grenadines before traveling to Port of Spain on Nov. 18 to face Trinidad and Tobago. Guatemala is also in the US’s group, out of which two teams will qualifying for the Hex, CONCACAF’s final, six-team qualifying round.

SEE MORE: Shallow CONCACAF offers Klinsmann easy reprieve.

Young players are ever-present on the squad announced Friday by US Soccer. Portland Timber midfielder Darlington Nagbe’s citizenship issues have finally been resolved, and he has certainly earned a look with his play in Major League Soccer. Standford’s Jordan Morris and Union Berlin’s Bobby Wood earn call-ups while Seattle’s Clint Dempsey is left at home. DC United’s Bill Hamid becomes the third keeper behind Aston Villa’s Brad Guzan and Everton’ Tim Howard, but maybe most notably, Red Bulls center back Matt Miazga earns his first senior call-up – not only well deserved but a needed breath of fresh air.

But beyond that, questions still dot the roster. After his public row with Fabian Johnson after the Mexico game, Klinsmann has called the Borussia Moenchengladbach wide man in for these qualifiers anyway. While this is a positive, especially since Johnson has been in such good form for his club, what was the purpose of the public spat anyway? The US’s lack of natural fullbacks is also glaring, but that has been a problem long before Klinsmann and will be one long after he leaves, too.

While youth and fresh blood is present, there are lingering concerns about some veterans in the squad. Jermaine Jones, after publicly striking Mark Geiger in New England’s playoff game against DC United, earns another call up, not that is probably not merited, as does Real Salt Lake Kyle Beckerman after he looked off the pace against Mexico. New York City FC’s Mix Diskerud, after not being called in for the Mexico tilt, earns another cap after a poor MLS season, and shockingly, Alan Gordon is called in to camp instead of another young striker like Juan Agudelo, ostensibly in lieu of alternatives to long balls and prayers.

SEE MORE: Defensive midfield is Klinsmann’s biggest problem.

In these games, especially against St. Vincent, the US is going to win regardless of who suits up. So why not give a new midfielder a chance to shine, such as Wil Trapp, Fatai Alashe, Perry Kitchen? Why not give a younger talent a chance to develop a partnership with Michael Bradley that will last? These are exactly the kind of games to experiment in, and instead of attempting to experiment, Klinsmann has decided to go with players who are past their national team primes despite their past services to the team.

This roster does have positives, with the inclusion of the likes of Nagbe, Miguel Ibarra, Wood, Morris, Miazga, etc. But as ever, there are still noticeable head scratching decisions that don’t make sense. The likelihood is that won’t hurt form in this group, but making young players battle ready for the far more difficult Hex should be the goal, and that in some ways is only being half finished.

This roster, courtesy of US Soccer (below), is a step in the right direction. But it’s a half-step, and half-steps are, by their nature, half of what is needed.

SEE MORE: US Soccer’s problems go beyond Gulati and Klinsmann.

U.S. Roster By Position:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham FC), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Club Leon), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)

FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Alan Gordon (LA Galaxy), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)

One of the issues getting plenty of mileage deals around US soccer circles is the number of American players in major European leagues. That number is alarmingly low, especially when compared to the number of Mexican players playing at the same level. But one area where Americans have made considerable headway in just the last week is on the coaching front, with two new appointments giving American soccer fans reason to smile.

David Wagner was born in Germany to an American father and German mother (sounds familiar) and earned eight caps for the national team between 1996 and 1998. He didn’t leave a major imprint on the team then, although he started the trend the German-American contingent continues today.

In 2011, Wagner became the head coach of Borussia Dortmund’s reserve team and immediately earned promotion to the third tier of German football. While doing so, he also coached American youth internationals like Joe Gyau and Junior Flores and probably saw a fair few training sessions of the next great American soccer hope, Christian Pulisic. After suddenly leaving the post, many speculated he would join up with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. The speculation got the country right, but little else.

Wagner is now managing Huddersfield Town, a club whose last appearance in the top flight of English soccer was in 1970. His job as the first person not born in the British Isles to manage the club is to keep them in the second tier, a difficult task considering the enormous gulf in budgets between the Terriers and the rest of their Championship competitors. This will also be the first time he has managed a senior team. If he succeeds, the doors to English soccer will open quickly, and he will attract many new and fresh pairs of eyes.

SEE MORE: US men’s national team problems go beyond Gulati and Klinsmann.

Bob Bradley’s managerial CV is already well known. After managing a Egyptian national team wrought with turmoil and strife to the brink of a World Cup, Bradley took his talents to Baerum in Norway to manage tiny Stabaek, a club with a budget barely big enough to cover their own costs. A surefire relegation candidate last season, Bradley navigated his new club to ninth in the table, an incredible accomplishment in its own right. After losing a majority of his team last offseason, Bradley re-invigorated his club even more, and despite selling his best player again this summer, he’s assured Stabaek of Europa League qualification while guiding them to the semifinals of the Norwegian Cup for the second year in a row.

Now, Bradley’s moved on to French Ligue 2 side Le Havre to see if he can work miracles there, too. Currently, Le Havre are six points off second place, a position that would return the club to the top flight for the first time since 2009. They have also opened a brand new stadium, which should help Bradley’s transfer budgets, but considering what he was worked with before, money is probably not an obstacle for success.

Wagner and Bradley have a chance to achieve something special with their new clubs and further enhance the resume of the American manager in Europe. And while the success of US players has been limited recently, these two men can change perceptions quickly and swiftly, creating a new breakthrough for other Americans in Europe.

Follow Matt on Twitter at @MattsMusings1.

After New York City FC’s first season ended in turmoil, controversy and a performance that was expected by most everyone except City’s owners back in Manchester, it seems that the plug is already being pulled. Sacking Kreis and his $1 million salary (way higher than any other manager in MLS) might seem like a no-brainer move to Sheikh Mansour and company in Manchester, but it reeks of hilarity on these shores. It’s not fair to Kreis, MLS or NYCFC’s fans who expected their new club to be more than just a City affiliate outpost in the US.

The Frank Lampard debacle was one worrying sign. The lack of any concrete movement in finding a stadium of their own was another. Then signing Andrea Pirlo against the wishes of Kreis and quite possibly Claudio Reyna was another ominous omen. And now this, and many MLS fans and observers outside of New York have begun to snicker, and for good reason.

Expansion teams in any league, even in MLS with its forced parity, will undergo struggles in their inaugural campaigns. Orlando City had plenty of ups and downs this season with far different roster construction. But with NYCFC’s mixture of older European DP’s, a revolving door of failed defenders and Kreis’ old hands with Real Salt Lake, the roster never seemed to gel, no matter what Kreis tried. And when problems arose, instead of being given time to fix it, Kreis was given another player who failed to make the required impact.

Kreis, as any manager, needs time to mold his side in his image, which he was afforded in Salt Lake City with players of a far lower pedigree. Making a managerial change to someone that knows nothing about MLS and its intricacies speaks not only of desperateness from CFG, it also further cements what they think of NYCFC, and it was something MLS was trying ever so hard to avoid.

When NYCFC was introduced to the world with the present setup, many were concerned that the club could morph into another Chivas USA. Early signs weren’t promising, but many preached patience, as they should. But if Jason Kreis were to get the axe for Patrick Vieira, then that would be proof positive of everyone’s worst fears. And it’s a shame because it shouldn’t be this way. And when NYCFC’s fans look across the river to see the Red Bulls renaissance, they can do nothing but scratch their heads.

So many are quick to predispositions and prejudgment in the current climate, and many were quick to prejudge NYCFC, even though they had legitimate basis to do so (out of fear, mainly). But now… the critic’s voices are ringing loud and clear.

So many thought NYCFC would not be another reincarnation of MLS’ past mistakes. It appears that only one year in, the curtain has been torn back.