ARS Women 3-0 Real Madrid Women (3-2 agg) Champions' League

 Arsenal had to overturn a 0-2 deficit from the Madrid leg, a game played on an atrocious field.  The Gunners were dominant throughout this home leg, and could have scored twice as many goals had it not been for narrow offsides calls and missed opportunities.  The goals were very nice.  Let's hope this is a harbinger of the men's Champions' League clash in a couple weeks with Real Madrid.  This win puts Arsenal into the semifinals, against Lyon.  The other side pits Chelsea against Barcelona.

The USMNT were beaten by Canada in the Nations' League third place game.  Maybe Pochettino is not the guy to get the most out of this squad, or maybe this squad is not as good as I thought--or both.  We've got some friendlies before next year's World Cup.  We're automatically in because we're one of the hosts.  Based on this past window, it does not look as though we'll get far.

Saka is back in the team, and I expect they'll ease him into match fitness with some minutes against Fulham and Everton, hoping he can feature against Real, perhaps starting in the second leg (away).

USMNT 0-1 Panama

 We got outcoached and outplayed in the CONCACAF Nations League semis, falling to los Canaleros in the 94th minute.  I didn't see the game, but apparently we gave the ball away and the finish was very good.  It was Panama's only shot on target all game.  I guess they get to keep the canal.

ARS 1-0 CHE and MU 1-1 ARS

 The international break started this week.  Since my last game post, the 7-1 crushing of PSV, we've drawn at Old Trafford and at home in the second leg against PSV, then finished with a much-needed victory at the Emirates against a Cole Palmer-less Chelsea.  The goal came off a corner, for the first time since January 15.  It was a deft looping header from Merino that nestled into the far post side netting after glancing off the post.  Perfect.  The game wasn't brilliant, but Arsenal deserved the three points.  They were very welcome, allaying fears that we might be caught by the trailing pack, putting our champions' league place at risk.  Forest is just four points behind us, but the next two (Chelsea and Man City) are nine and ten points back.  The real race now is for the European spots.  There's just five points separating 4th place Chelsea from tenth place Bournemouth.  A top five (four?) finish is worth about $100M to the clubs that finish that high.

It was disappointing to draw against the Red Devils, but it could have been worse.  We were error-prone at times and toothless in attack.  The 2-2 result at home against Eindhoven was meaningless apart from the $1M bonus that winning the game would have earned.  Both teams sat out some of their first string.

I see that Palace has staked their claim to 12th place again.  With nine games left, Liverpool will win the league, and Southampton, Ipswich, and Leicester will be relegated.  

Notts County is experiencing a poor run of form and at this rate will drop out of promotion playoff contention.  Bummer.  Juve is hanging on to 5th in Serie A.

I will be interested in the USMNT's performances in Nation's League.  Pochettino is a very good coach, and our players are hitting their stride in MLS and Europe.

Noted on Reddit - rough humor

PSV 1-7 ARS: This Is What Happens When Teams Don't Pack It In Against Us

 OK, there were some elements of good fortune here, mainly Lewis-Skelly not being given a second yellow with the score 0-2.  But the Gunners were by far the better team on the night, and better at every position too, except for striker, because we don't have any.  I listened to it live and watched the highlights (twice already, and I'll watch 'em again) because I don't get Paramount Plus.  It's a great result because it means we can give some players a rest in the second leg.  PSV is not doing well currently in the Eredivisie, so I'm not going to get carried away, especially after going scoreless the last two league games.  But they did get past Juventus in the last round.

We get one of the Madrid teams in the quarterfinals; Real won that first leg 2-1 at home over Atletico.

USWNT 1-2 Japan (SheBelieves Cup)

 Japan was awesome.  They pressed more often than not, effectively.  Their passing was sharper.  If anything, the scoreline flatters the US.  Coach Emma Hayes used a lot of young players, some with no caps.  She learned a lot ahead of World Cup qualifying, and I think that was her primary goal.  The game was a decent watch, but both squads looked tired in the second half, and it was getting late, so I bailed at the hour mark with Japan up by the final score.

NFO 0-0 ARS: I'll Take It

 In the league, the goal I think Arsenal should shoot for is finishing comfortably in the top five.  This draw keeps us 6 points up on Forest, our closest chaser, and ten above 6th place Newcastle.  I doubt that four teams will get hot enough to vault over us in the table, but to be on the safe side we'll need to win six or seven of the remaining eleven games to secure Champions' League football, which this club needs to continue to improve.  ECL broadcast and prize money runs to about £80M, money that can buy a good striker and keep us on the right side of financial fair play rules.

Arteta will want to do well in the ECL knockout rounds, but it'll be tough.