Angels Links: Tottenham advance in the FA Cup after a lot of VAR action

Tottenham advance in the FA Cup, but VAR is the story of the game

Tottenham Hotspur cruised in their FA Cup replay game vs. Rochdale on Wednesday, winning 6-1 after drawing in the first matchup. Spurs scored five goals after halftime, but it was the first half that had everybody talking, for all the wrong reasons. Erik Lamela had a goal in the 5th minute ruled out by VAR for a foul, and then the referee denied a penalty to Spurs using VAR after Lucas Moura went down in the box. Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino talked about how VAR slows down the game and dampens the emotion of the players. “Football is about mistakes. We make mistakes, the players make mistakes, the referees make mistakes.” It’s an interesting argument raised by Pochettino. How much does use of VAR dampen the fun of the game, and how much do we want to micromanage everything that happens on the field, vs. allowing the element of human error in referee decisions? It’s something that has not yet been determined, but we will keep seeing situations like this as the use of VAR moves forward.

Thierry Henry interested in being next manager of Arsenal

These last few years may feel for Arsenal fans like they are lasting forever, but eventually Arsene Wenger’s time at at Arsenal will come to an end. And when it does, one of the people interested in the job is Arsenal and Premier League legend Thierry Henry. Henry was interviewed by Sky Sports and expressed how he felt about a possible opportunity to coach Arsenal once Wenger leaves. “It would be a dream for me,” Henry describes his feeling for a chance to coach Arsenal. If you were looking for a hire that would if nothing else excite Arsenal fans, Thierry Henry would be right at the top of that list.

MLS season preview

After months of waiting, the MLS season is finally here. Games kick off this weekend, and after an offseason with a lot of new and exciting players coming into the league, there is a lot to look forward to. Toronto FC are the defending champs, but which other teams are contenders? Which teams that did not make the playoffs last year could make it in this year? Which teams could head in the opposite direction? Matt Doyle of MLSsoccer.com takes a look at the season ahead.

FC Dallas knocked out of CONCACAF Champions League

In the second leg of their CCL match up against Tauro, FC Dallas won on the night 3-2, but went out of the competition on away goals. Tauro were able to score two 1st-half goals which ultimately led to them advancing. FC Dallas played better than the first leg, but ultimately were not able to advance. This is a disappointing loss, and will not have the fans of FC Dallas feeling good after how last year ended. However, now Dallas do not need to worry about the competition now going forward, and can concentrate on the MLS regular season and U.S. Open Cup.

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