CONCACAF

If soccer never comes back, then at least we saw an enticing match south of the border at Estadio Azteca on Sunday night.

Major sports league across the world have suspended their seasons in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A few leagues held out longer than others, including Liga MX, the Brasileiro and Australian A-League, albeit without fans present in stadiums. By Sunday, however, both Mexico and Brazil announced they would suspend their national leagues.

In Europe, various football leagues are either suspending play until further notice, playing in empty stadiums or banning pre-match handshakes because of the spread of the Coronavirus. Now it is MLS’s turn to take precautions.

The match between Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas at CenturyLink Field in Seattle on March 21 has been postponed. This comes after Washington governor Jay Inslee banned events with more than 250 people in three Washington counties, including Seattle.

LAFC made MLS history Thursday night while the Seattle Sounders avoided it. The Sounders left a sour taste in the mouth of MLS fans on what was a monumental night in the Concacaf Champions League.

Let’s start with the good news. Carlos Vela and company became the first MLS team to defeat a Liga MX side after losing the first leg by multiple goals.

Last Wednesday, El Salvador’s Alianza FC upset Tigres 2-1 in the most eye-catching result of the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 first legs. Playing the reverse fixture at El Volcán in Mexico tonight, Tigres’ wrath seemed unavoidable. After all, the Liga MX club has finished runner-up three of the last four years and has a favorable route to this year’s final as the only Mexican team on its side of the bracket.

Thierry Henry, one of the greatest strikers of his generation, isn’t much of a proven manager. Though he played for the likes of Arsene Wenger, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, his first stint as Monaco coach was about as bad as it gets. The former World Cup and Champions League winner clearly wasn’t ready to lead one of Europe’s top clubs.

Major League Soccer, on the other hand, might be the perfect place for the 42-year-old coach.

FC Cincinnati fans had high hopes coming into the club's inaugural MLS season. They had every right to — the club had been riding a wave since its inception three years earlier. In 2016, Cincinnati set an Ohio state attendance record when it played host to Premier League side Crystal Palace for a July friendly. The next year, it upset intrastate rivals Columbus Crew in front of a crowd of 30,000 en route to becoming the first second-division side to appear in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals since 2011. All indications were that this was a side ready for the top division. 

The USWNT has triumphed at the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship following a 3-0 victory over Canada in the final on Sunday. After a scoreless first half, Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan and Megan Rapinoe all got on the scoresheet to accentuate a perfect campaign for Tokyo 2020.  

The year is 2020. A top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and Leipzig is being dictated by a fascinating duel between a 19-year-old Canadian and a 20-year-old American. Bayern Munich doesn’t win. 

How ‘bout that for a bit of science fiction?! But that’s actually what happened on Sunday during the sort of match that proves a 0-0 scoreline can still be a damn good time.