The various shades and intricacies of VAR continue to intrigue -- and, yes, disturb me.

While MLS Commissioner Don Garber has been getting himself into trouble for not being tough enough in his condemnation of neo-Nazis -- criticism that he does not deserve -- disturbing soccer-related nastiness has been re-surfacing in England. Nastiness that arrived at a wretched climax (we must hope that this is as bad as things will get) over the weekend during a game between Aston Villa and Birmingham. A second division game in which Jack Grealish, the Villa captain, was attacked on the field by a fan. Probably you have seen the video, so no elaborate description …

The disappointment -- flop, really -- of the first 2019 MLS weekend was obviously the trite showing of Atlanta against D.C. United.