Soccer Watch

The second leg of the European Champions League round of 16 is this week, and what should be the best game is up first, as Barcelona, clearly the best team in the world this year, faces early elimination if they can't reverse last week's 2-1 loss at Arsenal. It's live on Fox Soccer Channel Tuesday, March 8, 1:30pm. Same time, next day: Tottenham vs. AC Milan.

And in the CONCACAF Champions League, Real Salt Lake routed Columbus, 4-1, becoming the first Major League Soccer team in three years to reach the semifinals. Mexico's Cruz Azul advanced as well.

MLS newcomers the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Austin's D-2 rival last year, have nearly sold out their first MLS game – March 19 hosting Toronto FC – and have sold more than 15,500 season tickets thus far, along with leading the league in sponsorship income, MLS reports. The Portland Timbers moved up as well; those are two really good, stable franchises from the old D-2; I think they'll thrive at this level too.

The U.S. men won the CONCACAF U-17 championship for the first time since 1992.

Getting on the pan-Arab democracy bandwagon, Qatari emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani announced last week that he will "ask the people" of his country to decide whether to hold the 2022 World Cup in winter to avoid the summer heat. No word on whether FIFA would obey the will of the Qatari people.