We’ve suspected as much since late October, but Mexico has finally unveiled former Atlanta United manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino as boss. Martino is fresh off being named the 2018 MLS Coach of the Year after guiding Atlanta to the MLS Cup in only its second year of existence. 

Martino’s club experience also includes stints in charge of Newell’s Old Boys and Barcelona, while at the international level he’s previously managed Paraguay and Argentina. 

In an unexpected announcement, Sigi Schmid, an incredibly important figure in American soccer, passed away at the age of 65 on Tuesday. It was reported that he was admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center due to a heart-related condition.

Given what we’ve seen over the last four years, it’s incredibly perplexing that the Netherlands has reached the finals of the 2019 UEFA Nations League and the country’s biggest club, Ajax, is now the favorite to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals at the expense of Real Madrid, the back-to-back-to-back European champions. 

How times have changed at Real Madrid. pic.twitter.com/pk73V99p2g

After being officially unveiled as the next manager of the USMNT on Dec. 2, Gregg Berhalter went on a whirlwind media tour where he was asked how he’d fix U.S. Soccer and deliver the 2022 World Cup by recreating the style of play American fans have come to expect when watching Manchester City play from their couch on Saturday mornings. 

Berhalter handled himself in a refreshing manner after the fool’s paradise of Jurgen Klinsmann and warbling smugness of Bruce Arena, although that obviously won’t placate exceptionalists who demand he be named Zinedine Zidane.