Thiago Alcantara retired yesterday, at age 33. Fun fact about me: I’m 36. Another fun fact about me: I made my partner watch a highlight reel of Thiago on our sixth date. Another fun fact about me: I am still with said partner.

I love thinking about what actually wins soccer games. And I love watching soccer players explore the outer limits of their own creativity. I don’t think anyone has ever combined those two things better than Thiago did.

And then there’s the USMNT, who were eliminated from the Copa America before the knockout round because 1) someone punched a guy 20 minutes into a game, and 2) the USMNT players aren’t good enough to dominate a game when they only have 10 players. Last week, I wrote about the stagnation of the golden generation:

[The] Americans are still operating on tight margins. They don't have enough elite players to put these matches beyond a doubt by really controlling the balance of chances. There were no dominant performances in Qatar; one more goal conceded, and they would've been out before the round of 16. Had one of their players, say, punched an opponent in the head 20 minutes into a match against Wales or Iran and been sent off, it seems unlikely that they would've been able to fade that and still get out of the group.

That's the overarching story here, too. Weah's stupid red card against Panama leads to a loss that almost definitely would not have happened without the red card. Without the red card, which really was just a singular event outside of any kind of tactics or game-flow, the U.S. finishes second in the group and probably goes out meekly to Colombia or Brazil in the quarterfinals.

This week, I wrote about the Premier League’s new secret transfer window, which closed at the end of last month:

Take Villa, for example. Their owners have spent a ton of money on improving the team, and it has worked. They finished fourth last season, and they'll be in the Champions League this year for the first time since the competition was rebranded in 1992. On top of that, the owners have spent their own money, meaning Villa have barely any debt.

The reward for all their success? A cap on their spending, right as they're about to compete with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Happy holidays: