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Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Carlo Ancelotti will be taking over the Brazilian national team, the first time they have had a permanent foreign manager ever. He has a lot of work to do as Brazil is in a qualification spot for the 2026 World Cup, but it is not guaranteed. There are lots of questions about the squad at the moment, but defense is a glaring issue. Tite's teams gave up 30 goals from 2016-2022, the team has given up 31 goals since the start of 2023. One thing going for Brazil, the only time they won the World Cup as the favorite was in Chile in 1962. Even at that one, they had to overcome an injury to Pele that knocked him out of the tournament. Right now, they won't be a favorite in 2026.As the seasons wind down in Europe, silly season ramps up. It's even sillier because of the Club World Cup this summer as teams jockey to get spots filled ahead of the tournament while others look ahead to next season. Kevin De Bruyne is not a sure thing for the Chicago Fire at this point as Napoli want to bring him in. Jonathan Tah is expected to leave Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer and join Bayern Munich.One of the players he is expected to replace is Eric Dier, who will leave on a free for Monaco in France, but maybe not until after the end of the Club World Cup as Bayern could do a short term contract with Dier for the tournament. His contract with Bayern ends on June 30, around the end of the group stage. On the manager front, Cesc Fabregas is going to stay at Como in Italy rather than replace Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen according to Italian reports. Erik Ten Hag has also been linked with the Leverkusen job. Davide Ancelotti is reportedly going to Glasgow to join Rangers as their new manager, following helping his father with the first two Brazil World Cup qualifiers in June. Two clubs in the Club World Cup also need new managers and both have been linked to the Argentine Gabriel Milito. Boca Juniors is likely the front runner to get him as he is in Buenos Aires currently. They are still in the Argentine playoffs and will host Independiente next in the quarterfinals. Monterrey also are linked with Milito, but TUDN has four other names in their sights. Matías Almeyda and Dome Torrent, both with MLS experience, are in the mix along with Argentines Hernán Crespo and Eduardo Domínguez (currently with Estudiantes). John Textor wants to convince Thiago Almada of returning to Botafogo for the Club World Cup but with Almada not having a break since the 2023-2024 MLS offseason, he is reluctant to do it. Technically, he's still a Botafogo player on loan to Lyon so things could get interesting. Textor owns both clubs and has some looming financial decisions to make surrounding all of his clubs. Pachuca won their first ever Liga MX Femenil title last night, 3-2 on aggregate over Club America. Their 3-0 lead from the first leg held up, even after losing 2-0 in the second leg. They will be part of the 2025 Concacaf W Champions Cup later this year. Full schedule in MLS tomorrow night. Atlanta United's match in Austin has been delayed by 30 minutes as the high temperature tomorrow is set to be 105. Stay tuned for any further changes. We'll be on the ground in Austin later today and be on the lookout for updates from the SDH Network and from our soccer coverage on 92.9 The Game. Atlanta Soccer Tonight will air tonight at 11pm.No Espresso in its normal form on Wednesday or Thursday due to travel, but stay tuned for other updates (follow @SoccerDownHere on social media platforms, subscribe on our YouTube channel) between now and the Friday edition.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Atlanta United came back to level their match at Soldier Field on Saturday, forcing an own goal, but then conceded a late winner to lose in Chicago. Go back and listen to the conversations I had with Ronny Deila and Ronald Hernandez after the match, the frustration is felt by everyone at the moment and they've got to find a way to turn that around quickly as they're next on the pitch in Austin on Wednesday (with gameday high temps set for 106) and back home to face Philadelphia on Saturday.Minnesota dealt Miami their 4th loss in their last 5 games, and barely had the ball in doing so. Danny Musovski in rarefied air for Seattle with goals in five straight games for the Sounders, scoring in their 3-1 win at Houston. NY Red Bulls defeated LA Galaxy 7-0 Saturday night, the worst ever loss for the Galaxy in their 30-year history.Vancouver, after their comeback 2-2 draw against LAFC last night, leads the Supporters' Shield race in MLS while Atlanta is in the bottom five in the league standings. A Classic El Clásico as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid for the fourth time this season, the first time that's been done since 1983. Madrid scored twice in the first 15 minutes through Kylian Mbappe, whose hat trick was wasted, but Barcelona had taken a 3-2 lead 20 minutes after his second goal and then added a 4th before halftime. The second half saw Mbappe complete his hat trick, a number of controversial referee decisions, and Barcelona celebrate essentially winning the league title as they only need one more point in their remaining matches.The managerial carousel is spinning in Madrid, as we expected. Fabrizio Romano reporting this morning that the deal is done for Xabi Alonso to join Real Madrid, and it will happen in time for the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. It will be a three-year contract. The semifinals are set in Mexico's Clausura as Club America will face Cruz Azul and Tigres will face Toluca. Alex Zendejas scored both goals in Las Aguilas win to set up another Mexico City derby, he has to be part of the USMNT this summer as he's had another strong season for Club America. Crazy scenes at the end of the Nottingham Forest 2-2 draw with Leicester as confusion over a late substitution and injury led to sort-of owner Evangelos Marinakis going out on the field and yelling at manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Bad look, but jumping to say that Nuno should resign over it was also over the top. Inter has cut Napoli's lead in Serie A down to one point after winning in a thunderstorm at Torino while Napoli was held to a draw by Genoa in Naples. Plenty more in the Espresso video and audio forms including my thoughts on the whistles at Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool, the dangers of fan-led pitch invasions in celebration, and the risks of pregame and postgame social media trash talk from clubs. More Espresso tomorrow on the SDH Network, presented by our friends at Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. It could be one of the most lucrative matches in the history of the game in the Europa League final as Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur with a Champions League spot on the line. The winner could earn over $130 million by being in next season's Champions League. For Spurs, it could mean Ange Postecoglu stays in his job as manager. For Ruben Amorim and Manchester United, it could mean they can go out in the transfer market and spend a bit while hopefully not having to lay anyone else off. In Spain on Sunday, the Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid could either essentially decide the title for Barca or open the door wide open against for Madrid to come back in the final three weeks of the season. The remaining schedule definitely favors Madrid, and a win would put them only one point behind Barcelona. In Portugal, if there is a winner between the eternal rivals Benfica and Sporting, that team will have the head-to-head tiebreaker in the league standings with one round of matches to go. Both teams are currently tied on points. A draw would make the final weekend very interesting with lots of scoreboard watching. In MLS this weekend, the big game is in Chester as 2nd-place Philadelphia hosts Eastern Conference leaders Columbus. Charlotte goes to Nashville, Austin goes to Cincinnati, and Miami travels to Minnesota. Sunday Night Soccer is a great one with Supporters' Shield leaders Vancouver hosting LAFC.We'll get the weekend started at Soldier Field as Atlanta United faces the Chicago Fire. Pregame coverage starts at 1:30 on 92.9 The Game with Abe Gordon and Madison Crews, Mike Conti and I will take over ahead of a 2:40pm kickoff. In girls high school soccer semifinals last night, we had both 3A semifinals on the SDH Network as Jefferson and Oconee County booked their spots in next week's final. Buford and Roswell have a chance to finish unbeaten as they advanced to their respective finals next week. Boys' high school semifinals tonight all over the state of Georgia before next week's championship game at three different sites.

The 3A girls semifinals take center stage on the SDH Network tonight as we'll have both matches available with radio calls starting at 6pm. Whitewater hosts back-to-back state champions Oconee County in Fayetteville while Jefferson hosts Cherokee Bluff. Go to soccerdownhere.net and click Listen, then select your match or bounce back and forth.Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.PSG has made their second Champions League final, defeating Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate, 2-1 yesterday in Paris. Luis Enrique has been the best manager in the world this season and he has remade this team in his image and achieved incredible success. They have to go through the 3-time champions Inter to lift the trophy, and remarkably, it's the first time these teams have ever met in official competition.The goalkeepers have been stars in the semifinals. Yann Sommer made a couple of mind-blowing saves on Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, Gianluigi Donnarumma turned into Superman as soon as he saw the English flag again and also stood on his head to lead PSG. I disagree with Mikel Arteta when he says that Arsenal were the better team in the competition, but I do think he's getting unfairly dragged in the media. He took a team without a healthy #9 as far as he could this season. They have to get that position right to compete with the best in England and in Europe. He's one of the best managers in the world today, give him the right squad to truly give him a chance to win a major trophy, I don't think he's had that yet and has done as much as he could.MLS won 15 of the 16 Round of 32 matches in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup over the past two days. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds needed a stoppage time goal to upset NYCFC to keep it from being a clean sweep. Philadelphia needed penalties to get past Indy Eleven, multiple games needed extra time, Austin was 2-0 down at home to El Paso but stormed back to win 3-2. Good news on the business front for MLS as well, their sponsorship revenues are up double digits in 2025 compared to the same timeframe in 2024. 5 clubs were named in Sportico's Most Valuable Soccer Clubs in the World's Top 20, with 19 clubs making the Top 50, the most of any league in the world. While revenues aren't matching the top European clubs at the moment, security of the format along with top-notch infrastructure and ownership collaboration and cooperation have given MLS clubs a strong floor from which to grow their valuations. Arsene Wenger made the news yesterday, saying that his proposed change to the offside rule is imminent. Based on the way these rules have been altered in the past, that's not true. The trials of the new rule (essentially going from if any part of the body is offside then it's an infraction to if any part of the body is onside then it's good, giving the attacker a body length) have not been successful and more are needed to see if this gives the attack too much of an advantage. I do believe that the rule needs to be tweaked in light of video replay being used, but more testing is needed rather than something rash. Plenty more in the video and podcast editions of the Espresso, please check them out. More to come tomorrow morning on the SDH Network.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. Barcelona has not had historical success against Inter or against any Italian clubs for that matter, but they've got to find a way to win today at the San Siro to advance to the Champions League final. After the 3-3 draw last week in Spain, Barca could get Robert Lewandowski back on the bench while Inter might see Benjamin Pavard and Lautaro Martinez back in their group.  With only 5 wins all-time in 24 matches in Italy in European competition, and only 1 win in 6 games against Inter in Milan, the odds are stacked against Barcelona today. Simone Inzaghi said he will add to those stacked odds by doubling on Lamine Yamal. Dani Olmo said that Yamal has handled that well and it will lead to Barcelona having a free man so stay tuned.  Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 32 starts tonight with 16 MLS teams entering the tournament. Yes, we want all of them in the tournament again and we want the roster rules to be expanded to make that a comfortable process. Please get it done for next year. Interesting matchups tonight include DC hosting Charleston in the Coffee Pot Cup (DC players smashed coffee pots in the locker room in Charleston when they were knocked out of the tournament in 1999), Chattanooga Red Wolves travel to Nashville, while Charlotte travels to Cary to face North Carolina FC. Reportedly, an agreement for Carlo Ancelotti to leave Real Madrid has been reached. Brazil says that they want to name their new coach by next week at the latest, while Madrid wants to see if they can get Xabi Alonso in place before the Club World Cup. You know, your usual telenovela continues in Spain. Also, Madrid wants to get Trent Alexander-Arnold in place before the Club World Cup and might be willing to pay Liverpool to get his transfer done ahead of the tournament rather than when his contract ends in June.  Still waiting on news as of press time about the CAS ruling on Club Leon and the Club World Cup spot, that should be announced today so we will know who will face Chelsea on June 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.  Upset last night in the Georgia high school playoffs as previously unbeaten Brookwood were knocked out in the girls quarterfinals by Buford 2-1. Johnson of Gainesville had to go back to Calhoun to finish their Round of 16 boys match that was suspended Friday night due to weather, they lost their lead but came back to win 2-1. Now after a 3.5 hour trip back and forth from Gainesville, they have to play against tonight in the quarterfinals. We'll update everything from around the state tonight after the Dalton-St. Pius match.  Atlanta Soccer Tonight is live at 11pm on 92.9 The Game and the Audacy app. No Espresso tomorrow morning, we'll be back live on Thursday.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Atlanta United scored first, but lost control of the match with Nashville afterwards. Following the goal, Nashville outshot Atlanta 10-2 and had 70% possession. They eventually found an equalizer and the match finished in an unfulfilling 1-1 draw. Atlanta is back in action next Saturday in Chicago against the Fire, who will be missing their goalkeeper Chris Brady following his red card in the first half of the Fire's 0-0 draw with Orlando.LA Galaxy lost last night in Kansas City 1-0 even though they didn't concede a shot, the goal was an own goal in the 13th minute. The Galaxy also lost both of their star wingers, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec, due to injury. Other MLS highlights of note include Vancouver going unbeaten in 10 games after a 2-1 win over RSL, Miami bouncing back from two home losses with a win over Red Bulls, and New England keeping their hot streak going since putting Carles Gil into a free role in their 3-5-2 shape.Parity is alive and well in the NWSL as the top 8 teams are separated by 4 points. Kansas City and Orlando are tied for the top spot with 15 points so far in the season.A verdict is expected tomorrow by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the Club Leon case against FIFA over their spot in the Club World Cup. If FIFA's ruling is upheld, then we'll see the playoff game between LAFC and Club America go ahead. The winner of that would start the tournament here in Atlanta against Chelsea on June 16. Harry Kane has finally won a trophy after almost 700 games as a pro for club and country. Of course it wasn't straightforward... Bayern drew to RB Leipzig 3-3 on a late goal from the opposition and needed Leverkusen to slip up in their game later in the day, which ended 2-2 giving Bayern the title. Two big promotions, Pisa in Italy and Paris FC in France. Pisa hasn't been in Serie A since 1991 while Paris FC hasn't played in Ligue 1 for 46 years. Nothing beats Burnley's celebrations for getting back to the Premier League, they had Natasha Bedingfield on hand to sing the unofficial promotion anthem for them "Unwritten". She sang it for the fans at Turf Moor and the squad sang it with her in the locker room.Playoffs are set in Mexico and Argentina, they'll start next weekend. Champions League in Europe returns this week with Barcelona and Inter hopeful on injury returns while PSG and Arsenal try to shake off league losses over the weekend.More Espresso Tuesday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Busy weekend on the SDH Network starts today in Marietta as many of our members will be playing in Atlanta United's annual media match. You can watch if you are a true sicko starting at 1pm on atlutd.com/live. Training Ground Dispatch will be available later this afternoon on our YouTube channel, followed by boys Sweet 16 action in the GHSA state tournament as Calhoun hosts Johnson-Gainesville tonight (soccerdownhere.net, click Listen).Tomorrow, Atlanta United hosts Nashville as they try to build some confidence and find some positive momentum against a team that put up 7 goals last weekend. Pregame starts at 1:30pm on 92.9 The Game and the Audacy app with kickoff set for 2:55pm. Following the match, the Atlanta United Unified Team hosts Nashville at the Benz (watch on atlutd.com/live just after 5pm) and Atlanta United 2 will be on the road in Huntsville for an 8pm kickoff (soccerdownhere.net, click Listen).Cruz Azul will host Vancouver in the Concacaf Champions Cup final in Mexico City on June 1 after defeating Tigres 1-0 on the 7th goal in the tournament from Ángel Sepúlveda. The win gave Cruz Azul a 2-1 win on aggregate in the semifinal as well as hosting privileges for the final.Could be an all-Premier League Europa League final as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur took control of their semifinals in the first leg with big wins yesterday. We've talked about the financial implications for Manchester United, winning the Europa League could keep Ange Postecoglu in his job as well. The match could be worth over $100 million to the winner.Bayern could clinch the Bundesliga title this weekend, it will be their 34th in history. Napoli and Inter continue their battle for the Serie A title with Napoli traveling to Lecce while Inter hosts Hellas Verona.The telenovela revolving around Madrid and Rio continues as Brazil has extended their deadline to May 26 for Carlo Ancelotti to become their new manager. Madrid and Brazil and Ancelotti are doing a dance about who will pay what and when he will take over if he does. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen who is at risk of losing Xabi Alonso to Madrid if/when Ancelotti does go is reportedly in negotiations with Erik Ten Hag as their backup plan.More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.The Vancouver Whitecaps continued one of the best starts to a MLS season in history by eliminating Inter Miami in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup last night in Ft. Lauderdale. Jordi Alba cut the aggregate lead to 2-1 early in the first half, but Vancouver broke the match open early in the second half with goals from Brian White and Pedro Vite. Sebastian Berhalter scored the last one to win the night 3-1 and the series 5-1. While lots of focus will be on the failure by Miami to get the job done, everyone needs to be praising this Vancouver team and giving them credit.Berhalter will miss the final due to yellow card accumulation in a rule that Concacaf absolutely must change. It's outdated to have players miss finals due to yellow card accumulation and most competitions have changed when the cards reset to avoid this. Players shouldn't miss finals due to accumulation and it has to change going forward for Concacaf.Inter, who hadn't scored in 3 straight matches while getting knocked out of the Coppa Italia and losing the top spot in Serie A, led twice at Barcelona yesterday in an absolute classic of a semifinal first leg. A goal in 30 seconds was followed up by an acrobatic flying volley by Denzel Dumfries. Barcelona showed all of their quality to come back to level the match before Inter regained the lead at 3-2. Barca came back one more time and it finished 3-3, setting up a must-watch second leg next week in Milan. Lamine Yamal, who isn't even 18 years old yet, showed why he has to be in contention for the Balon d'Or right now with his outrageous goal and overall impact on the match. Simone Inzaghi, Inter's manager, described him as a player who comes along every 50 years. On a day when both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's sides were eliminated in Champions League competitions, Yamal showed that he might be the next entrant in the GOAT sweepstakes with a legend-making sort of performance. Europa League semifinals start today with tiny Bodo/Glimt traveling to London to face Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United going to Bilbao to face Athletic Club. If the entire town that Bodo/Glimt calls home traveled to the match in London, they couldn't fill Spurs' stadium. But they've become one of the big stories over the past few years as they're dominant in Norway and have beaten Ange Postecolglu before when he was at Celtic. As for Manchester United, the pressure is on to win the Europa League in order to play in next year's Champions League and perhaps have the financial wherewithal to revitalize their roster and the club's future. The Carlo Ancelotti telenovela carries on with most everyone now saying that when the La Liga title is out of reach, then we'll get a resolution. The Clasico date on May 11 with Barcelona is like the next big circle on the calendar. Some outlets say that Brazil will wait on Ancelotti. Anything is possible at this point, with some even saying that Ancelotti might end up in Saudi Arabia at Al Hilal if their manager Jorge Jesus ends up becoming the Brazilian manager instead of him. Who knows?More Espresso on Friday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Champions League semifinals start today with Arsenal hosting PSG followed tomorrow by Barcelona hosting Inter. Second legs are next week. Arsenal are the favorites according to Opta to win the entire competition. Set pieces could be the margin against PSG. Arsenal have scored more goals from dead ball situations than any other team in the Premier League since the start of last season, while PSG have given up the largest proportion of goals from set pieces to their overall total in Ligue 1 this season. Luis Enrique, who has been the best manager in the world this season in my opinion, is trying to get his squad's momentum back after it has slipped a bit following clinching their Ligue 1 title. Inter are expected to fly to Barcelona today for tomorrow's match, after blackouts paralyzed Spain and Portugal yesterday. They won't have to repeat Barcelona's infamous 15-hour bus ride in 2010 when flights were grounded due to the volcano eruption in Iceland. Inter ended up winning that semifinal on their way to a treble. Today, they're trying to get back to their best after three straight losses without scoring. Marcus Thuram could be back in the team for the first time in a while to help change that tomorrow. Carlo Ancelotti is expected to take the Brazil job and be in place for their June World Cup qualifiers according to reports. Brazil is also expected to wear Jordan Brand red and black kits as an alternate for the 2026 World Cup, with their unveiling set for the March 2026 FIFA window. Christian Pulisic, according to Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy, is going to receive and contract extension and pay raise from Milan after leading the club with 16 goals in all competitions. Orlando City has signed an affiliation agreement with Black Knight Football Club, the owners of Bournemouth in England and Auckland FC in New Zealand. They also have large stakes in Lorient in France and Hibs in Scotland. The agreement will focus on player development, scouting, and commercial initiatives. Fernando Gago is out this morning as the manager at Boca Juniors. After failing to get the team into this year's Copa Libertadores and then losing the SuperClasico Sunday to River Plate, Gago will be out at Boca according to reports. Plenty more including World Cup tickets, USMNT player updates, and more in today's podcast. Check it out!More Espresso on Thursday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.First time in Atlanta United history that they have lost back-to-back games by three goals or more as the Five Stripes lost 3-0 in Orlando on Saturday night. First goal was given after a lengthy VAR check but the second half performance was poor and Atlanta never looked dangerous or looked like getting back into the match. Big week ahead with Nashville, who won 7-2 on Saturday night over Chicago, coming to town.Vancouver remains the top team in MLS this season after a 3-1 win at Minnesota. Miami lost its unbeaten start to the regular season, losing 4-3 at home to Dallas on a day where its stars were rested ahead of the Whitecaps' visit in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal later this week. Portland are unbeaten in 7 after their 4-2 win over the LA Galaxy on the road. Denis Bouanga's late spectacular equalizer rescued a point for LAFC at home against St. Louis. Cincinnati is the top team in the East after Kevin Denkey's Goal of the Year contender of a bicycle kick helped them win 2-1 over Kansas City.Barcelona won the Copa del Rey 3-2 over Real Madrid in extra time, Jules Kounde with a 22-yard smash to win it. Real Madrid had 3 players sent off after the go-ahead goal and after the final whistle as their meltdown and poor behavior regarding referees continues. Carlo Ancelotti is expected to finish the La Liga season now as talks continue about him taking over as the Brazilian national team manager with Spanish outlet Marca still continuing the conversation about Jurgen Klopp's potential as the next manager in Madrid. Xabi Alonso is widely regarded as the front runner for that job.Liverpool won their 20th English top-flight title, and their 2nd Premier League title, with their win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Arne Slot is the third manager in club history to win the title in his first season at the club and the 5th to win the Premier League title in his first season across all clubs. Mo Salah has equaled Alan Shearer and Andy Cole's record for goal contributions in a season, they did it in 42 games and Salah has done it in 34, he still has 4 games to set the record outright. Arsenal came back in the second leg to beat Lyon to advance to the UEFA Women's Champions League final. They lost 2-1 in the home leg but won 4-1 in the away leg in the France to meet Barcelona, who defeated Chelsea 4-1 in each leg of their semifinal series. Napoli has taken control of Serie A with a win powered by two goals from Scott McTominay. Inter lost to Roma earlier in the day on Sunday. The African Champions League will see Mamelodi Sundowns, who defeated the current champions Al Ahly in Cairo thanks to a stoppage time own goal, face Pyramids FC, who came back twice against Orlando Pirates. More Espresso on Tuesday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.The Vancouver Whitecaps continue an epic 2025 with a 2-0 win in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup over Inter Miami in front of a huge crowd at BC Place. Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter scored the goals for the Whitecaps. White has established himself in my opinion as the best option up top for the USMNT right now, while Berhalter is pushing hard for inclusion in the squad for this summer's Gold Cup. You can't count Miami out going back to Ft. Lauderdale, but they will need another huge 2nd leg performance at home in this competition to get to the final. In Orlando Saturday night, Atlanta United will look for the response that has been lacking at times in 2025 as they face the Lions. Neither team has scored in their last two matches, Orlando has had three straight 0-0 draws, we'll see if either can find their shooting boots for this one. Pregame coverage starts at 6pm on 92.9 The Game and the Audacy app with Abe Gordon and Madison Crews from our Colony Square studios in Midtown Atlanta, Mike Conti and I will take over from Orlando ahead of the 7:25pm kickoff. Evander will try to score in his fourth straight match for Cincinnati as they host Kansas City this weekend. Charlotte will try to keep pace with Cincinnati and win their 9th straight at home as they host New England. LAFC hosts St. Louis in Sunday Night Soccer, Denis Bouanga has scored in the last two matches for LAFC and even Olivier Giroud scored for LAFC last time out in that wild 3-3 draw with Portland. Andre Blake could join 8 other goalkeepers in the history of the league with his 80th shutout if he can achieve that against DC United on Saturday. World Sevens Football, a 7v7 women's competition that will see 8 teams compete for a $5 million prize pool in the first event next month in Portugal. Ajax, Manchester United, Benfica, and Bayern Munich will send teams to play in the event. Auckland FC could clinch the regular season title in the A-League this weekend with a draw, they would be the first New Zealand club to achieve that feat in Australia's top flight. Teams have won the regular season in their first season in the league, but no one has done the double with the Grand Final. Auckland FC will be trying to change that. The Copa Del Rey final is Saturday with Barcelona favored over Real Madrid. The rumors about Brazil's interest in Carlo Ancelotti continue to heat up, with Jorge Jesus seen as a clear second choice to the current but maybe not for long Real Madrid manager. FA Cup semifinals this weekend will see Nottingham Forest try to defeat Manchester City for the second time in as many months while Aston Villa tries to find some success at Wembley against a struggling Crystal Palace side. The finalists will be determined for the UEFA Women's Champions League this weekend as well. Barcelona have a three-goal cushion going to London to face Chelsea, trying to reach their 5th straight final as they go for the ThreePeat. Lyon's late winner in London in the first leg gives them the home advantage against Arsenal 2-1. More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Atlanta United traded Xande Silva to St. Louis last night for a guaranteed $100K in General Allocation Money, and St. Louis will take his full salary onto their salary cap. The fee could rise to $250K in GAM if certain incentives are met.Other moves around the league yesterday, the final day of the Primary Transfer Window, included Willy Agada going to RSL and Robert Taylor moving from Miami to Austin. More moves could be announced today, the deals had to be completed on paper by last night to be official. The window is now closed until the Secondary Transfer Window for MLS opens in late July. Vancouver hosts Miami tonight in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals in what should be a sold out BC Place. People are comparing it to Pele's visit with the Cosmos in 1977. Don't discount the Whitecaps in this one, they're currently leading the Supporters' Shield race in MLS and navigated tricky matches with Monterrey and Pumas to get here. Our old friend Juanjo Purata leveled the other semifinal late for Tigres against Cruz Azul. They head to Mexico City for next week's second leg tied at 1-1. Milan hasn't had a great season this year, but they've owned their rivals Inter. Yesterday, they advanced to the Coppa Italia final with a 3-0 win, ruining Inter's treble hopes. Real Madrid defeated Getafe 1-0 yesterday to keep pace with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. However, they lost Eduardo Camavinga due to a torn adductor tendon, he will miss the rest of the season with the injury. They play Barca on Saturday in the Copa del Rey final in Sevilla. Reading have gotten another extension in their deadline to sell the club, they are in the final stages of the transaction and have until May 5 to complete it. The new buyer, who is still confidential at this stage, will take over the current financial obligations of the club right now as they try to earn a promotion playoff spot in League One. Everton announced a new investor, Rangers confirmed the previously reported negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers, and Spezia was sold with Charlie Stillitano becoming the Serie B club's new President. The drama with Vinicius Jr. and Real Madrid was covered a great piece by Mario Cortegana in The Athletic. Basically, don't believe the Spanish tabloids that a contract extension with the club is imminent and don't discount the possibility of Vini ending up in Saudi Arabia for an insane amount of money both to him and Real Madrid. And then, don't be surprised if Madrid go shopping in England to replace him. Check out the podcast for more money talk in the game around the world.More Espresso on Friday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Young men and women today seem less eager to start families than they were even 10 or 20 years ago. Dr. Glenn Sharfman, professor of History at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, sees this trend clearly in his students. In addition to concerns about debt acquired while continuing their education, he said they often worry about finding affordable housing. That worry is well-founded: in cities like Atlanta, prices have soared beyond the reach of many young people. Listening to Dr. Sharfman recently, I thought of rural communities. After all, I have spent much of my life in two of them: Orrville...Article Link

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Nottingham Forest are trying to book their spot in the Champions League for next season and secure a top-4 finish in the Premier League this season. Nuno Espírito Santo has gone about it in a very different way than most, but it has worked up to this point for his squad. They could be the first team in Premier League history to finish in the top 4 with average possession numbers of less than 40%. What's interesting is that they pair that with dropping off from a higher press as well. They try to pick teams off in the middle third or defensive third, baiting opposing center backs or defensive midfielders by dropping off the ball to take away their passing options. Forest's attackers almost want the opponent on the ball to pass them, they stay high and look for the direct counter. Nuno's side tries to force opponents to play longer or through a crowded middle of the pitch. When Forest wins the ball, they have even numbers to attack with a direct approach. It's worked well. Generally when they've conceded goals, it's been from crosses or from shots outside the 18. Is it a recipe for long term success? It's never been done this way and been successful for one season, so let's continue to wait and see. Could it get Forest to the Champions League? It's possible as 3 spots will get decided between 5 teams that are currently separated by 3 points. Forest is in 3rd at the moment with the top 5 going into next season's Champions League. Leeds and Burnley will rejoin the Premier League next season and have settled into that yo-yo level between the top flight and the Championship. Leeds want to be an established top flight team like they've been for the majority of this history (before the Premier League anyway), but can they get there? It seems that as time continues to tick on, there's a new tier of clubs between the Premier League and Championship. It's not ideal for teams to be constantly going back and forth, but I'm not sure what could be done to prevent these gaps forming between clubs based on riches or spending. Wrexham is trying to change their status as they seek their third straight promotion. They sit in 2nd place in League One right now and are on pace to earn promotion to the Championship. Is that where their promotion train slows? Will make for interesting television either way, right?Georgia high school soccer action is now into the state tournament portion of the schedule. We'll be at Lassiter tonight as the Trojans host Johns Creek in a battle of top 10 teams in the first round of the GHSA Girls State tournament in 6A. Join us by clicking Listen on soccerdownhere.net or finding us on the Mixlr app for the match, and our updates from other games around the state. More Espresso on Thursday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.One of the most frustrating nights in recent memory for Atlanta United, a 3-0 loss at Philadelphia on Saturday. So many different things were maddening in this one, from first half injuries that wrecked sub patterns later when chasing the game, to the responses to goals conceded, to the lack of chances created and touches inside the attacking 18 in the second half. It wasn't good enough on a lot of different fronts and adds to the pressure of going to Orlando next weekend. We'll be in Marietta tomorrow and will have more in Training Ground Dispatch in the afternoon on the SDH Network.Charlotte and Cincinnati top the Eastern Conference in MLS while Vancouver maintains their lead out West. Seattle had a big win at home over Nashville on the weekend. Miami stays unbeaten, defeating Columbus in Cleveland in front of over 60,000 fans. Liga MX playoffs are set with Toluca winning the regular season crown in the Clausura, Club America sneaking into the second seed after Alex Zendejas' contributions of two assists and earning a penalty in the 5-0 win over Mazatlan. Sergio Ramos left Monterrey's regular season finale and is a doubt for their play-in round match against Pachuca while James Rodriguez will miss Leon's first leg of the quarterfinal against Cruz Azul after getting two yellows for dissent in their match over the weekend. Barcelona might have put their UEFA Women's Champions League semifinal against Chelsea out of reach with a 4-1 win at home in the first leg, the final goal in the 90th minute from Claudia Pina might have sealed it. Lyon's scored a late winner from Melchie Dumornay in London to beat Arsenal 2-1 in their first leg, the Gunners will go to France next weekend to try to overturn it. KC Current take the top spot in the NWSL with their ninth straight regular season win and fifth straight in 2025 to open the season, a 2-0 victory over Houston. Real Madrid might now need an interim coach according to AS in Spain for the Club World Cup this summer if they move on from Carlo Ancelotti as expected, perhaps as soon as after this weekend's Copa del Rey final. Santiago Solari, the Director of Football who previously won the Club World Cup in 2018, and legendary former striker Raul, who has been in charge of the second team, are the leading contenders for that role ahead of an appointment of either Xabi Alonso or Jurgen Klopp for next season. It's Spain though, anything could happen this week to change the storylines. More Espresso on Tuesday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.One of the wildest comebacks in the history of Manchester United might not just save their season, but might just save their status as an elite-level club as the Red Devils were trailing 4-2 to Lyon in extra time with less than 10 minutes to play and they came all the way back to win 5-4 on the night and 7-6 on aggregate. Non-forwards who were pressed into attacking roles Kobbie Mainoo & Harry Maguire scored the goals that leveled it and won it. Of course the Champions League final comeback win is going to be bigger, but there isn't a more shocking comeback and from a deeper position in a meaningful match that I can remember. Spurs continue on in the Europa League as well and Ange Postecoglou is enjoying sticking it to his critics after they knocked out Eintracht Frankfurt. Could it be an all-England Europa League final? Sputs have to get past Norwegian champs Bodo/Glimt while Manchester United will face Athletic Club de Bilbao.All MLS matches this weekend are tomorrow and the highlight is Columbus hosting Miami in Cleveland. Both teams are unbeaten, but Miami does have to think about Thursday's trip to Vancouver for the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. Some other tasty matchups this weekend, be on the lookout for this week's MLS Six Pack later today on the SDH Network.UEFA Women's Champions League semifinals start this weekend with former Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro leading his Lyon side against the Gunners while Chelsea and Barcelona meet for the third straight year at this stage. Barcelona have won the last two, but Sonia Bompastor will continue the Quadruple-chase for the Blues. African Champions League semifinals also start this weekend as two Egyptian clubs, Al Ahly who have won 4 of the last 5 titles and Pyramids, face two South Africa clubs in Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, respectively. First legs in South Africa this weekend, second legs next Friday in Cairo. According to Spanish reports, Jurgen Klopp has agreed to speak with Real Madrid about their coaching job that is expected to be open after the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona next weekend. Carlo Ancelotti is still in the sights of Brazil, who want him in place before the June World Cup qualifiers. More to come on this, but Georgia Impact sent the SDH Network a statement about their inclusion in WPSL Pro, the new women's second division professional league launching next year. "For too long female soccer players thought the end of the road was after 4 years in college. Now we can offer them the opportunity to live their dream by making it as a professional soccer player," said Robert Roddie, the Georgia Impact head coach. Their season at the amateur level of the WPSL starts very soon in Canton, coverage coming shortly all over the SDH Network as they start their preparations for becoming a professional club in 2026. More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.WPSL Pro is going to launch in the fall of 2026 as a 2nd division women's professional league in the United States. Georgia Impact, whose season will start soon in the traditional amateur WPSL summer league, is one of the teams who has filed a LOI to join the league. Cleveland is the latest to join, with leaders from the city's NWSL expansion bid pivoting to WPSL Pro and bringing with them plans to build a $50M, 10K seat stadium in downtown for a women's team and a MLS Next Pro side. Initially, WPSL Pro looked at launching as a 3rd division league, but they will step up after the new USL Super League decided to launch as a 1st division league rather than the 2nd division. This league will provide many more professional opportunities to women and will enhance the player development pathway in the United States, while also creating many more opportunities to work in the game off the field. With Canada's Northern Super League kicking off last night, it's an exciting time for women's professional soccer in this hemisphere. Mikel Arteta and Arsenal handled their business in Madrid yesterday, winning on the night and 5-1 on aggregate to advance to the Champions League semifinals. Madrid is seemingly imploding with petty comments after the loss from players complaining about Arsenal's approach on the night (don't lose 3-0 in the first leg), nasty challenges becoming the norm lately, and increased talk about Carlo Ancelotti leaving the club. Sky Sports reports this morning that he will leave after the Copa del Rey final on April 26. While Xabi Alonso has been talked about for a while as the successor, new reports bring Jurgen Klopp's name into the mix. Inter had to sweat more than Arsenal, but they will join them in the semifinals after a draw last night and a 4-3 win on aggregate over Bayern. The treble is still on for Inter at this stage. Manchester United will face a level of pressure perhaps never known in the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal with Lyon today. If they don't advance and then go on to win the Europa League and book a place in the next Champions League, they stand to lose out on over £85M in winnings, nearly £20M more in winnings for the Europa League title, and losses in sponsorship agreements for missing out on Europe entirely in the 2025-26 season. For a club that was reportedly close to being out of money on hand by Christmas, can they handle losses of that level? What does next season look like for them if they don't win the Europa League?Atlanta United's U18's defeated Inter in penalties at the Generation adidas Cup Round of 16 yesterday in Florida. Jonathan Ransom was the Player of the Game for two saves in the shootout and Kaiden Moore converted the essential penalty to send Atlanta into the quarterfinals. Plenty more nuggets inside this edition of the Espresso, including Kevin De Bruyne's possible landing spots in MLS, a new contract in Orlando, TV problems in France, and a Neymar update.More Espresso on Friday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.FIFA President Gianni Infantino, along with City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and AMBSE President Tim Zulawski, spoke to the media yesterday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and visiting the West End MARTA Station Soccer project. They discussed the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA's donation of $1M for youth projects to cities hosting Club World Cup games, Atlanta's chances of hosting the Women's World Cup final in 2031, and how FIFA will resolve the final spot in the Club World Cup after Club León were removed. Check out the reel on our Instagram or the short on our YouTube channel for highlights from the press conference.Barcelona and PSG have substantial leads going into their Champions League matches today, but both have to go on the road to finish it out. Unai Emery will be looking for personal revenge against Luis Enrique for La Remontada in which then his PSG was overrun by Luis Enrique's Barcelona in the second leg in 2017 after a 4-0 win in the first leg. Emery's Aston Villa has a better chance than Dortmund today, but it would be a huge shock. Arsenal will try to become the 44th team to advance after taking a margin of 3 or more goals into the second leg in Champions League history, versus 4 times that leader lost the tie in the second leg. The last time it happened, 2019 as Liverpool came back at Anfield against Barcelona. Barcelona are still trying to finish the construction project at the Spotify Camp Nou, now rushing to get the special VIP seats constructed that were "reportedly" sold to unnamed Middle Eastern businesses for €100m. They need these completed in order to receive a delivery receipt in order to then (for the second time after it was thrown out the first time) account for the sale on their books and increase their salary limit. They did this in January which allowed them to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor on appeal, but then that accounting was thrown out by La Liga, but appeals have allowed Olmo and Victor to continue to be registered, and yeah my head is spinning too. The club is hoping to have the stadium ready to play in before Champions League matches next season, but I wouldn't book flights just yet.The coaching carousel in Brazil has claimed Pedro Caixinha at Santos and Jorge Samapoli, who got spun off the carousel in France at Rennes, might return for another stint at the club. Iraq is looking for a new manager as they try to qualify for their first World Cup since 1986 as they have fired Jesus Casas following poor results in the last round of qualifiers. Plenty more in the podcast below on Club World Cup, the US Open Cup, the USMNT, and more. Check it out!More Espresso on Thursday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Atlanta United finished off a disappointing home stand with a 1-0 loss to New England on Saturday afternoon at the Benz. Atlanta was the better team on paper once again, but conceded a penalty and little else to the Revs. It was a frustrating day because Atlanta hit the crossbar, the post, and had two goals wiped away due to offside infractions. As I said on the Full Time Report, not going to get into the judgment calls that can be justified by the referee crew. We can disagree, but they can be justified in their interpretations. My issue is the lack of control at times and the lack of yellow cards for persistent infringement, which could have changed things late in the match. New England committed 10 fouls between the 40th and 60th minutes, most of them in the middle third in transition moments or Atlanta build-up play. One yellow card was shown. 20 fouls on the day for the Revs and two yellow cards shown. For better matches in MLS, referees need to use yellow cards for persistent infringement (after warnings of course to try to change the behavior). No one wants to watch one team who isn't really interested in playing much kick the other team repeatedly with limited repercussions.With that being said, Atlanta didn't convert on its chances again, made a defensive mistake again, and didn't take advantage of outplaying the opponent again. Mistakes by individuals have to be eliminated, production has to increase, and an emotional response is needed in games when they're getting away. The team is working hard, but sometimes there isn't that hard foul, or positive body language, or protecting teammates that can generate some momentum in the stands and on the field. It's something I hope to see grow in this group, a little bit of an edge and a little bit of nastiness when needed. Brian White scored 4 times for Vancouver as they demolished Austin 5-1, even with a mouse running onto the field at BC Place. Columbus and Miami remain unbeaten ahead of their showdown in Cleveland on Saturday. Portland is unbeaten in 5 after their 4-2 win in Kansas City. Atlanta United's U18's are off to an unbeaten start at the Generation adidas Cup in Florida, while the U16's need a win today to possibly reach the knockout round. Both teams play San Jose today in Bradenton.Mo Salah broke the Premier League record for goal contributions in a season as Liverpool defeated West Ham 2-1. Newcastle, without Eddie Howe who is in the hospital with an unspecified illness, won 4-1 over Manchester United to solidify their Champions League chase. Fulham is on the road at Bournemouth today, a win would put them 4 points back from the Champions League spots. Kylian Mbappe will be lucky to escape a long suspension after a horrific challenge that saw a red card in Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Alaves.Chelsea's women are still on course for a quadruple as they beat Liverpool to reach the FA Cup final. They'll face Manchester United, who were led by USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce's incredible double save against Manchester City. Plenty more in the video and audio forms of the Espresso, check out the video on YouTube or the audio wherever you get your SDH podcasts. More Espresso tomorrow on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Tragedy in Chile last night in the Copa Libertadores as two fans lost their lives in violence prior to the match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza from Brazil. Investigations are ongoing, but early reports say that two teenagers lost their lives when a fence collapsed onto them as another group was trying to break into the stadium without tickets. The police involvement in the deaths is also being investigated. As word began to make its way through the stadium prior to the second half, according to Chilean media reports, the supporters inside the stadium held a moment of silence for the deceased fans but then began to chant against the police. A retaining barrier between the bleachers and the field was broken and some fans began to run onto the field. The match was stopped, eventually Fortaleza players got to their locker room, and the referees suspended the match before officially abandoning it hours later. CONMEBOL could levy heavy fines to Colo Colo, declare the match a forfeit and 3-0 loss, and could even remove Colo Colo from the competition. The organization has to institute better security measures across its competitions and take a more proactive stance with its teams and organizations. More to come on this tragedy...News came out yesterday that Major League Soccer will continue further exploration of changing their competition calendar from a February start to an August one, but it won't begin until 2027 at the earliest. It seems inevitable for many reasons, but it's a little surprising that it wasn't ready to be approved for the 2026 season to start after a long World Cup break. Yes, you will have to figure out scheduling flows involving teams in Northern climates in the winter, but your championship match will be in better weather and a better time period in the sports calendar and most importantly, your transfer business will be better aligned with the rest of the world. It will happen, and the sooner the better for the league's continued growth in my opinion. Mo Salah has signed a new 2-year contract with Liverpool, ending a years-long saga about a new deal. Kylian Mbappe is pursuing legal cases against PSG for a reported $61 million he says he is still owed by the club. The club says they had a verbal agreement to exclude bonuses from Mbappe's contract in return for bringing him back into the club after he refused transfers in the summer of 2023 after he said he was going to play out his contract and leave on a free transfer. Ugly situation that needs to get sorted for all concerned. Spotlight on the amount of running Mbappe and his Real Madrid teammates have done in this season's Champions League. They are last out of the remaining 8 teams in miles run in the tournament this season and the three forwards (Mbappe, Vinicius, and Rodrygo) are first, second, and fourth in the fewest miles run in the tournament. Quality can overcome that, but Arsenal outran them by 13 kilometers in the first leg of the quarterfinal and it showed in the performance. More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.What a day of soccer yesterday, and it was punctuated by an incredible match as Miami came back to knock LAFC out of Concacaf and advance to the semifinals of the Champions Cup. Lionel Messi scored twice and assisted on the other one to lead Miami to a 3-2 win on aggregate, 3-1 on the night. The match had drama, near misses, hard fouls, screaming and yelling, controversial calls, everything you could hope for. Vancouver gave their fans plenty to enjoy as well as Tristan Blackmon's stoppage time volley pushed the Whitecaps past Pumas on away goals and books their ticket for a semifinal showdown with Miami later this month.PSG and Barcelona put on great displays in the UEFA Champions League yesterday afternoon. Luis Enrique's side came back after conceding first to defeat Aston Villa 3-1. Désiré Doué led PSG back with an incredible curling goal, he's a name you need to get to know as the 19-year old might be the best young player this side of Lamine Yamal (who was also brilliant for Barca in their demolition job of Borussia Dortmund). Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's goal for PSG to make it 2-1 was another brilliant piece of individual quality after a beautiful team build-up. Dribbling is down in the top 5 European leagues 21% according to Opta. It's a shame when you see the top teams in the world use dribbling to great effect (the world champions Argentina, the European champions Spain, PSG, Barcelona, etc.). Pablo Aimar told TyC in Argentina that he feels it's because the young players aren't getting the free play elements in the neighborhood that his generation did, to go along with the professional coaching players received in the clubs. Embrace dribblers at a young age, encourage it, don't take it away from the kids. It can always be refined later, but it's important in players developing their own personalities on the field. Hopefully youth coaches and clubs can find ways to allows kids to develop this going forward. Liverpool making progress in retaining Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, according to reports. Plenty more nuggets in the podcast, please check it out and subscribe to get these four times per week! More Espresso tomorrow on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.UEFA Champions League quarterfinals start today, and today's matchups are the more tightly contested ones. According to Opta's prediction module, Arsenal-Real Madrid is the toughest quarterfinal to predict. It gets started in London today. Very little history between the two, Thierry Henry led the Gunners to a win in the Round of 16 over the Galacticos in 2006, but that's it. Madrid's defensive woes will be the focus for Mikel Arteta's attack, especially with Bukayo Saka back in action for Arsenal. Bayern host Inter today as well, two of the best defensive teams in Europe this season. However, Bayern are missing Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upemecano to injury so that defense is nowhere near full-strength. Tomorrow's quarterfinals see Barcelona heading to Borussia Dortmund and PSG hosting Aston Villa. In the second legs of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals tonight, Cruz Azul hosts Club América while the LA Galaxy have to go to Monterrey to face Tigres. Gabriel Pec is back for the Galaxy, but it's a big ask to get past Tigres considering LA has only won one match in ten in 2025.Tomorrow, Pumas will host Vancouver while Miami hosts LAFC.Your Copa Libertadores match to watch tonight is Barcelona SC, led by the dashing Sir Second Alexander Castle (Segundo Alejandro Castillo for newcomers to the Morning Espresso), traveling to Buenos Aires to face River Plate. Can't wait to see what Castillo wears on the touchline, but there won't be any fans in the building to see it as River has to play behind closed doors due to punishments from CONMEBOL dating back to the 2024 Libertadores semfinal that saw many rules violations from the club (fireworks, etc) and racist behavior from the stands. It was reported yesterday that Inter Miami holds the discovery rights to Kevin De Bruyne. However, they don't have a Designated Player slot for him, so he would have to take a maximum TAM deal to sign for the rest of the 2025 season (around $870K). Will he take a deal for that to get a DP deal next year? Lots still to sort out. Big time congrats to Soccer America as they begin their 55th year of publication today. It was on this date that their first edition was published in 1971. The work done by Clay Berling and so many others to cover the game in this country, and what is now being continued by Paul Kennedy and Mike Woitalla and their team, is unmatched and has been essential to growing the game in this country. Soccer America is a must for anyone in the sport in this country. We're not here without them. Thank you to everyone who has ever been associated with SA! More Espresso coming on Thursday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

We will be live from the Benz this morning for the conclusion of the Atlanta United 2 match against Inter Miami II. Join Madison Crews and me for midgame pregame coverage starting at 10:50 followed by the resumption of the match in the 25th minute at 11am. Listen on soccerdownhere.mixlr.com. Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Atlanta United was lacking in their 1-1 draw with Dallas on Saturday night. They had more control and possession, but the final pass wasn't there consistently enough as the team had some of it's lowest outputs for shot created actions and key passes this season. Perhaps that was down to Alexey Miranchuk's adductor injury that forced him to come off the bench, he nearly won the match late with a cross to Jamal Thiare that was headed wide. Tristan Muyumba was brilliant on the ball and defensively in the match, a deserving Man of the Match in the midfield. We'll see what is taken away from the night and what is built upon this week as the Five Stripes prepare to host New England next Saturday afternoon. We'll have Training Ground Dispatch on Tuesday and Thursday this week to break everything down. Toronto played their best game of the season last night on Sunday Night Soccer as they drew 1-1 with Miami. Great goals from Bernardeschi and Messi late in the first half. Vancouver and San Diego are taking control in the Western Conference after nice wins on Saturday. Kansas City got their first win since last September in a 2-0 win over St. Louis in Kerry Zavagnin's first match in charge. San Jose destroyed DC on the anniversary of the first ever match in league history, Josef Martinez turned back the clock for another hat trick to add to his record setting tally in MLS.Trinity Rodman scored in her return to the USWNT, leading a 2-0 win over Brazil at SoFi Stadium in LA. They'll play again tomorrow night. The US U17 women earned qualification to the World Cup in Morocco later this year after a 7-0 win over El Salvador in qualifying.Southampton became the earliest team to be relegated in Premier League history and are on pace to have the lowest point total ever. Ivan Juric was sacked this morning after winning one league match in his 100+ days in charge.In Brazil, the federation has banned players from standing on the ball in matches. Memphis Depay, Neymar, Gabigol, and others have criticized the decision. Players who now stand on the ball during a game will get a yellow card and the ball will be turned over to the opponent via a goal kick. Yes, the move is a taunt. Don't like it? Don't let players have the opportunity to do it. Want to get back at them? You'll have your chances in the match. Silliness all the way around. More Espresso tomorrow on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. The Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability rules are a farce when clubs can sell their own assets to themselves to get around them. Chelsea sold their own women's team to themselves and posted a pre-tax profit of nearly $170 million. UEFA might fine them for breaking their Financial Fair Play rules, but the transaction is a "legal" way to avoid breaking the Premier League's regulations for losses over a three-year period. These rules are not like salary caps or spending limits to ensure parity, these are reportedly to help prevent teams from going bankrupt easily. They're actually making it harder in some cases for clubs to invest in their product, they're forcing loopholes like this to be exploited, and if there's so many ways around them, are they actually helping clubs run themselves more sustainably? The Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), the Spanish government's High Sports Council, has upheld the appeal from Barcelona on the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor on rules' technicalities. This is not referring to yesterday's news about the rogue auditor who worked for four days saying that the club received a mystery $100 million from mystery people or businesses that allowed them to have the revenue to raise their spending limit to register Olmo and Victor according to the rules, the CSD is just saying that La Liga and the Spanish FA committee that either canceled the registrations or revoked the registrations didn't have the authority to do so. Fun times, this isn't going away any time soon.  This weekend celebrates the 30th season of Major League Soccer as they go back to where they started, San Jose, as the Quakes host DC United on Sunday. On the same date in 1996, the then-Clash hosted DC in the inaugural match in league history. Apple TV released a mini-documentary yesterday to talk about that game and league's history. Third round draw for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was conducted yesterday. I feel bad for Knoxville and the Chattanooga Red Wolves who have to make long trips out west to face Colorado Springs and Las Vegas, respectively. Excited to see Tormenta make the trip to Charleston again as that rivalry continues to grow.  Monterrey's Sergio Canales needed 10 stitches in his left leg and kicking a glass door at Rayados' training facility after a training pitch argument with manager Martin Demichelis.  Brazil is reportedly exploring hiring Jose Mourinho as their new national team manager. No, just no. Breaking this morning, Kevin De Bruyne is leaving Manchester City at the end of the season and will be available on a free transfer. Is he headed to MLS?  More Espresso Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.An auditor who worked for Barcelona for four days is the only one who included the €100million sale of VIP seating to Middle Eastern investors and now that has been questioned by La Liga, which could lead to Dani Olmo and Pau Victor's registrations being in question. When you think this story is as ridiculous as it could possibly be, the scriptwriters find something else even more ridiculous to add into the mix. In reports filed from the previous auditor, who worked through sometime on December 31, and the unknown auditor who worked from December 31-January 3, and the next auditor who started on January 3 (we think)... only the unknown auditor had the sale included. That sale allowed Barcelona to have the additional salary cap space per La Liga rules to extend Olmo & Victor's registrations into 2025. But that sale either didn't happen, wasn't properly accounted for, or something else because it didn't show up on a subsequent financial report. Lots for the courts, league, and federation to sort out in Spain. And it affects a potential bid for a quadruple from Barcelona who are leading La Liga, won the SuperCopa, alive in the Champions League, and now into the final of the Copa del Rey where they will face Real Madrid. Announced this morning, the bid led by the US (which might or might not include Mexico as a co-host) was the only one submitted by the deadline to host the 2031 Women's World Cup. Gianni Infantino said at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade that other Concacaf nations could be involved in hosting matches, something that has been reported recently here in the US. The 2035 tournament will be hosted by Great Britain as it was the only to submit a bid in time for that event. LAFC beat Inter Miami last night in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal, the first loss for the Herons in 2025 in all competitions. Nathan Ordaz with the goal in the second half, second leg is in Ft. Lauderdale next week. Chattanooga Red Wolves won the penalty shootout across town at Finley Stadium to knock Chattanooga FC out of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in the second round in the first ever meeting between the two clubs. Over 12K were on hand for the game, 4th largest crowd in CFC history and their largest in a long time, 2nd largest in the 2nd round in the history of the USOC. Jose Mourinho did another ridiculous thing, which is becoming commonplace for him at this stage of his career. He grabbed the face of the opposing manager after yesterday's Turkish Cup match between his Fenerbahce & Galatasaray. The ridiculous actions seem to come on a bi-weekly basis for Mourinho at this stage, sad after one of the greatest careers for a manager in history but completely inexcusable to act in this manner. Liverpool defeated Everton yesterday 1-0, Everton should have had a player sent off for a horrendous challenge, but Liverpool's goal was controversial as well. Referees got it right according to how the rule is written, but I'm asking IFAB to consider changing the Laws of the Game to account for situations like this. When a pass is made for a player in an offside position, that should make them active in the play, regardless of whether they move for the ball or not. Defenders have to play the ball in that situation because they don't know if the player is offside from their vantage point. The defender shouldn't be punished for playing that ball by that action allowing the offside player to be now in an onside position. Luis Diaz was onside according to the letter of the LOTG, but not the spirit in my opinion and this should be changed going forward in interpretation. 

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Peter Vermes, one of the longest serving managers in the world, is out after a mutual decision in Kansas City. SKC has not won in their last 13 matches in all competitions, dating back to last September and it has been time for a change. But, Vermes deserved every opportunity and probably and extra chance or two to fix things because of all that he has meant to Kansas City and to the game in this country on the whole. He ultimately couldn't do it and a change was needed, but none of that tarnishes Vermes' legend. He won MLS Cup as a player and coach in Kansas City, won 3 Open Cups as a coach, is 3rd all-time in wins in MLS, and has coached the most games in league history. Beyond all that, as Andrew Wiebe and Aly Trost Martin and many others shared yesterday, he is just an all-around quality person. We'll see what's next for Vermes in the game, and we'll see if Kerry Zavagnin gets the opportunity to replace him in the long-term, he's the interim manager for now.Concacaf Champions Cup gets started again tonight with the quarterfinals. At least one MLS team will be in the semifinals as Miami travels to LAFC tomorrow night to start their series. The LA Galaxy are facing Tigres and Vancouver is playing Pumas. As Niko Moreno has told us on SDH AM (his Thursday 10:30am appearances are always a must for MLS fans), the Seattle Sounders made it official yesterday in signing English winger Ryan Kent.Lamar Hunt US Open Cup 2nd round starts tonight with four matches. The highlight of the round will be in the Scenic City tomorrow night as Finley Stadium will see Chattanooga FC host the Chattanooga Red Wolves for the first time ever. The North Stand has been opened for the match and over 6,000 tickets have been distributed as of Sunday for the big event. The US U17's women's national team got qualifying for the World Cup started on the right foot with a 3-0 win in Trinidad and Tobago last night.Sheffield Wednesday have failed to pay their players for March due to "cashflow problems". This isn't the first time there have been financial issues for the current chairman for the Owls. Lyon is also in financial peril with auditors saying there is "significant uncertainty" over their continued existence. Debt has climbed almost 100 million Euros in the past year and an upcoming IPO and new shareholder financing might be vital to keeping things afloat for John Textor and Eagle Football Group. Premier League, Copa del Rey, Coupe de France, Coppa Italia, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, US Open Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup games all on the docket for today. Atlanta Soccer Tonight will be live on 92.9 The Game after Hawks basketball tonight, starting around 10:30pm. More Espresso coming Thursday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Wild Saturday night at the Benz, one of the strangest matches I've ever called, as Atlanta United came back to defeat NYCFC 4-3. Mistakes were one of the highlights in this one, but perhaps Atlanta getting the win after one of their worst performances gives them a spark going forward. After mistakes put them behind and maybe the pressure of a poor result unfolding again at home led to them looking tranquilized in a way, the substitutions of Xande Silva and Matt Edwards breathed new life into the team. Hard work over the last half hour of the match brought Atlanta from 3-1 down to 4-3 up. Alexey Miranchuk got a goal earlier and was outstanding wherever he played, Silva/Edwards created the tying goal for Almirón, and Latte Lath's relentless running on a night where he didn't have his best first touch was enough to force Matt Freese and Thiago Martins into a screaming blaming fit as the go-ahead goal sailed in. Lots of conversation this week on SDH AM (every morning starting at 9:05 on YouTube & Twitch) and on Atlanta Soccer Tonight on 92.9 The Game (back to Tuesday nights this week).Miami took control of the East with a 2-1 win over Philadelphia, Sporting Kansas City remains winless in 2025 after a loss to Dallas, and San Diego's win over LAFC highlighted the weekend around MLS. LAFC could be playing Club América in a winner-take-all match for a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup and a $9.55 million check. It would be the most lucrative potential match for a MLS team ever, this is pending an appeal by León on FIFA taking them out of the tournament due to multi-ownership rules and regulations.Marco Rose was sacked at RB Leipzig, Dorival Junior was sacked in Brazil as the national team manager. Plenty more nuggets in the podcast! Thanks for reading, watching, and listening to our content from the SDH Network, plenty more to come this week across all fronts.More Espresso coming tomorrow on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.First it was Alphonso Davies' agent yelling at Canada Soccer about Alphonso Davies' knee injury, now it's Bayern Munich. The club came out today and accused Canada Soccer of "gross negligence" and said they could take the situation to court as Davies was given the all-clear by doctors with the Canadian national team but Bayern doctors found the torn ACL. It's a mess all the way around.Chelsea's women are chasing the quadruple after their quarterfinal comeback to eliminate Manchester City in the UEFA Women's Champions League. 3 first half goals overturned the 2 goal advantage held by City after the first leg. With the League Cup trophy already in the bag and a sizable lead in the Women's Super League, Chelsea is in the semifinals of the Champions League and the FA Cup. Can the Blues do it?MLS weekend ahead, our broadcast of Atlanta United vs. NYCFC will start with pregame coverage at 6:30 on 92.9 The Game and the Audacy app with kickoff coming up at 7:40pm. MLS Six Pack is coming up later today on our audio and video platforms, where we'll learn more about Chicago's great form so far in 2025. The league has also signed some additional linear distribution deals internationally for Sunday Night Soccer (Portland vs Houston this week) to expand the international coverage they get from Apple TV. Plenty more in the Espresso, but one more that I found interesting. La Liga F, the top flight women's league in Spain, is asking FIFA for permission to use the new "Football Video Support" system next season. They do not have VAR currently, FVS is seen as a more cost-effective way to have a form of replay. The service is expected to utilize two coaches' challenges per match with the fourth official involved in using the replay from the TV broadcast cameras available. More Espresso coming on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Yes Taylor Swift's logo could be on the Barcelona shirt soon. For El Clasico matches against Real Madrid in La Liga play, Barcelona replaces the Spotify sponsor logo with an artist. Last time out, Coldplay was on the front of the shirt for the 4-0 win in Madrid. Reports out of Spain are that Taylor Swift will be on the front of the shirt for the huge match in May in Barcelona, edging out Ed Sheeran and Travis Scott for the honor. Maybe Barcelona will be able to buy a few more players and get them registered if that shirt goes on sale...Alphonso Davies' agent has issued a statement criticizing Canadian manager Jesse Marsch and the federation's handling of his player. The agent said that Davies was not supposed to be in the starting lineup against the USMNT after not feeling 100% following the Mexico game and the agent said "I feel he was pressured to start the game by the coach." No statement yet from Marsch, but this is a bad look all the way around. Arsenal overturned a 2-0 deficit to Real Madrid in the UEFA Women's Champions League to win 3-2 on aggregate and advance to the semifinals to face Lyon, who handled Bayern yesterday in the second leg with just a little bit of stress. Today, Barcelona is expected to reach the semifinals again as they host Wolfsburg with a 4-1 lead from the first leg. Chelsea go back to Stamford Bridge to host Manchester City and they trail 2-0 after the first leg. Sonia Bompastor has not lost at home since taking over Chelsea, but can they flip the first leg margin as well?Reports out of Brazil have Thiago Almada rejoining Botafogo for the Club World Cup before his transfer is made permanent at Lyon, where he is currently on loan. With John Textor, anything is possible but this seems like a wild summer for Thiago who might just want a break. Maybe it's because the Club World Cup winner could take home around $125 million, the most lucrative tournament in club football when taking into account the number of games to achieve that prize. The rhombus between Xabi Alonso - Bayer Leverkusen - Real Madrid - Carlo Ancelotti - Brazil's national team could see a little clarity today as Alonso is expected to speak to the media on his future at Leverkusen, while Dorival Junior is expected to speak with the Brazilian federation tomorrow to explain what happened in their loss to Argentina. Stay tuned...More Espresso coming tomorrow on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Argentina clinched their spot at the World Cup before they even took the field last night, due to Bolivia's draw at home with Uruguay. The Albiceleste celebrated with a historic 4-1 in Buenos Aires over their rivals Brazil. The trash talking from Raphinha ahead of the match did not go over well and Argentina humbled their eternal rivals, earning the sweep against them in World Cup qualifying for the first time ever. Media in Brazil are speculating about the future of manager Dorival Junior now as Carlo Ancelotti's name has resurfaced. Nestor Lorenzo's time as manager of Colombia is also in jeopardy after Los Cafeteros blew a 2-0 lead at home to Paraguay to draw 2-2 after a golazo from Julio Enciso. Colombia should be fine to qualify, three of their remaining four matches come against teams below them in the table. Venezuela's home win over Peru could be the biggest win ever for the program as it gives them the lead in the race for the inter-confederation playoff spot and keeps their hopes alive of even jumping Colombia for the last automatic qualifying spot. Their next match at home against Bolivia will be one to watch for sure. Those two are separated by one point for the playoff spot. Iran clinched their qualification with a home draw over Uzbekistan, who now have to face the United Arab Emirates in June to try to earn their first ever World Cup ticket. Plenty of updates from Africa in the video, but the headline is Nigeria conceding late and now are in serious danger of qualifying for the World Cup. Many of the other expected teams are in good spots now to qualify, but Nigeria is looking less likely to make it. The Gold Cup field is set with the biggest surprise last night seeing Guatemala overturn a first leg deficit to defeat Guyana. Jay Fortune's Trinidad and Tobago earned another trip to the Gold Cup alongside Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras, Suriname, and Guadeloupe. Trinity Rodman is back with the USWNT for the first time since winning the Gold Medal at the Olympics for two upcoming friendlies against Brazil in California in April. Big UEFA Women's Champions League second leg of the quarterfinal today in London as Real Madrid tries to qualify for their first semifinal appearances as they carry a 2-0 lead into a match with Arsenal. A sad note to end this edition, US Soccer legend Hank Steinbrecher passed away yesterday at the age of 77. He helped modernize the federation into what it has become, overseeing it as the General Secretary from 1990-2000 and being part of incredible growth of the game in this country. While he professionalized so many aspects of the sport in this country, he never lost the personal touch to building relationships and helping grow the grassroots side of the game either. Soccer in the United States would not be where it is today without the tireless work of Hank Steinbrecher and everyone in the sport will miss him greatly. More Espresso coming tomorrow on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.The USMNT finished fourth in the Concacaf Nations League after losing 2-1 to Canada in the consolation match in Los Angeles on Sunday. The team did not improved their performance from the semifinal loss to Panama and now the Gold Cup is far more important this summer for Mauricio Pochettino and this group. Canada was the better team in this match, which is even more impressive considering that they lost Alphonso Davies to injury early on. Alistair Johnston was outstanding, Jonathan David was excellent throughout, and they took control after a strong USMNT start and played with a chip on their shoulder throughout. The USMNT did not have that chip on their shoulder and they're in this weird spot where they are good enough to see teams do what Panama did to them on Thursday, sit back deep and soak up pressure and put numbers behind the ball. However, they're not good enough to straight up outplay teams on their level. And yes, Canada is on their level. No idea how they will fare as the underdog against teams that are among the best in the world. They'll see all of these sorts of teams in the World Cup next summer and there's a lot of work to do between now and then. Plenty more thoughts in the video.Atlanta United earned a draw on the road in Cincinnati in a gritty performance during the international break. Losing Tristan Muyumba to injury made it even more difficult, as did conceding twice in quick succession in the second half. However, they battled back and created an opportunity that led to an own goal. The 2-2 felt fair, even if Atlanta will feel like they were good enough to win on the day. Nashville and Chicago have won three in a row in MLS after slow starts in the first couple of matches. Austin won yesterday, even if they were extremely wasteful in front of goal and let San Diego hang around. New Zealand qualified for the World Cup by defeating New Caledonia 3-0 in the Oceania qualifying final. They're back in the tournament for the first time since 2010. New Caledonia will have one chance to reach their first World Cup via the inter-confederation playoffs next year. Information is coming out about the U.S. bid for the 2031 Women's World Cup and it could see multiple games being played in multiple Concacaf countries. Great article from Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports over the weekend with the latest. Excited to see how everything comes together with the bid. Plenty more stories from a jam-packed Espresso in the video. Enjoy!More Espresso on Wednesday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Disappointing night for the USMNT who lost 1-0 to Panama on a stoppage time goal from Cecilio Waterman. Panama's 5-4-1 gave the US fits, and there wasn't enough urgency to find answers or take risks. Mauricio Pochettino said afterwards that the US shirt wasn't enough in games like this, he said you could feel the difference in the hunger shown by the two sets of players, and he said the US needed to take more risks going forward. That's not easy to change overnight, and I'm really curious to see the response in the third place game against Canada on Sunday. Mexico will face Panama in the Nations League championship match on Sunday after a 2-0 win over Canada on two goals from Raul Jimenez. The top six teams in South American World Cup qualifying should be fine to qualify. Paraguay is unbeaten in 7 after their 1-0 over Chile. Brazil needed a stoppage time winning deflected goal from Vinicius Junior to beat Colombia. Then, Raphinha needed to prevent Vini from getting a time-wasting yellow card as he was subbed out which would have had him suspended from the Argentina match on Tuesday. Was he trying to get suspended? It looked bizarre.South Korea, Iran, and Australia should be the next teams from Asia to earn qualification to the World Cup after their results yesterday. New Zealand will face New Caledonia for the Oceania qualifying spot after both won their semifinals. Denis Bouanga scored twice for Gabon in their win in African World Cup qualifying. The door has cracked open for Nigeria who has struggled mightily so far after Benin could only manage a draw, Nigeria faces Rwanda and can pull to within two points of qualifying with a win. Mozambique moved into a qualification spot with a win, but Algeria could jump them with a win today. The New York Pancyprian Freedoms became the 6th team to pull off a cupset in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, winning a penalty shootout with FC Cincinnati 2. England starts their World Cup qualifying journey today, hosting Albania. England are unbeaten in their last 31 World Cup qualifiers and have never dropped points to Albania. The highlight of the qualifiers is tonight as Uruguay hosts Argentina in one of the world's oldest rivalries. More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.The Concacaf Nations League semifinals will be played tonight as the USMNT hosts Panama at 7pm followed by Canada vs. Mexico at 10:30pm, you can watch both on Paramount+. Excited to see a fully healthy Tyler Adams working under Mauricio Pochettino, curious to see if Josh Sargent can be the player for the USMNT that he's been at Norwich, and I want to see if Weston McKennie's desired "nastiness" comes out tonight in the team. With meaningful games few and far between for the USMNT between now and the World Cup opener next June, this is an important test for Pochettino and the team. Lots of eyes on Jesse Marsch and Canada as well against a Mexico side that has not been impressive for a little while now. Japan booked their spot in the 2026 World Cup this morning with a 2-0 win over Bahrain. Takefusa Kubo scored a goal and assisted on the opener. They are the first to achieve qualification, joining the hosts for next summer's tournament. Australia moved a step closer with a 5-1 win over Indonesia this morning as well.4 upsets in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup last night as El Farolito, Little Rock Rangers, and Virginia Dream knocked off pro teams to advance. The Des Moines Menace, stacked with former pros, also won although it's hard to put it in the same group as the other amateur teams. Sacha Kljestan scored twice as the Menace defeated Sporting Kansas City II. One element of the USL promotion and relegation announcement yesterday that came out after the fact is that it is contingent on the first division professional league launching. Paul McDonough feels that it wouldn't be as "authentic" if it just includes the current USL Championship and USL League One setup. According to the USSF Pro League Standard, they'll need 12 teams in 3 time zones and in stadiums of at least 15,000 seats to start a first division professional league. I'm just hoping that the plans are more concerned with long-term sustainability than short-term buzz. A new 7v7 event is launching internationally for women's teams called the World Sevens Football. The idea is for it be like grand slam events throughout the year and with a $5 million purse for each event. The first is set for May in Portugal and will include top women's professional clubs. Will it include current women's professional players? UEFA Nations League quarterfinals today, Italy will be shorthanded against Germany at Mateo Retegui is out with a thigh injury. 

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.USL has announced a promotion/relegation system this morning (right after recording), as reported by Paul Tenorio last night and independently confirmed by the SDH Network. Not  many details will be in the announcement, with the setup expected to start when the Division 1 league launches under the USL banner in 2028. It's hard to judge how this will go because there won't be the huge national revenues to chase by getting promoted, but there also won't be the huge losses of revenue by getting relegated that we've seen decimate clubs in other countries. Will there be increased national costs of travel? There will be increased costs in salary you would assume, where will the increased revenue come from? It's going to be a fascinating story in all facets.Concacaf Nations League will see some changes to the USMNT roster due to injury. It will also see tests of the World Cup surface that SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will be using next summer. One "cupset" last night in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup as FORO SC defeated USL League One Texoma FC (in their first ever competitive match) in extra time. Two penalty shootouts saw USL League One sides advance as Chattanooga outlasted New Jersey Alliance and Greenville defeated Asheville City. UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinals this week saw Lyon win at Bayern yesterday, Arsenal lost at Real Madrid on a terrible pitch, Wolfsburg will host Barcelona today followed by Manchester City hosting Chelsea. World Cup qualifying will continue this week, or start in Europe's case. Some interesting storylines as quite a few potential debutants in the tournament are still alive and thriving at this stage in Asia and Africa. Venezuela is battling to earn a spot for the first time from South America, the only country yet to qualify from CONMEBOL. Check out the video below for more details on some teams to learn about ahead of next summer if they make it.

Episode Overview:This episode explores the concept of clinical vulnerability with Dr. Emily Bailey, a professor at Oglethorpe University and expert in anxiety and OCD. Join us as we discuss the importance of making mistakes, the art of exposure therapy, and how clinicians can best support their patients through open communication and personalized treatment.Key Insights:Clinicians are human: Therapists make mistakes, and it's important for both clinicians and patients to recognize this. Growth comes from acknowledging mistakes and learning from them.The art of exposure therapy: Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is not a rigid, cookie-cutter approach. It requires creativity, rapport building, and trust between therapist and client.Responding with urgency reinforces anxiety: Responding immediately to patient emails or calls can reinforce unhealthy patterns. Setting boundaries around communication is crucial for both the clinician's well-being and the patient's growth.The importance of processing: Sometimes, patients need to process their emotions before jumping into exposures. Recognizing when to pause and address underlying issues is key to effective treatment.Saying "I don't know" builds trust: It's okay for clinicians to admit when they don't have all the answers. Exploring solutions together fosters a stronger therapeutic relationship.Avoiding hard conversations is detrimental: Addressing comorbid disorders and other treatment interfering behaviors, even if challenging, is vital for a patient's long-term recovery.Referrals are a graduation: If a clinician isn't the right fit, they should refer the patient to someone who can better meet their needs. This is a positive step towards effective treatment, not a failure.Treating the whole person: Effective treatment addresses the individual's entire context, not just their symptoms. This includes family dynamics, life stressors, and any other relevant factors.Notable Quotes:"It's almost like an art. There's a science to it, but there's this creative piece of treating anxiety and OCD..." - Dr. Emily Bailey"If you focus on being right, you can guarantee you're gonna be wrong." - Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale"The only mistakes that are made are the ones we don't learn from." - Cali WernerTimestamps:[00:00:00] Introduction + Guest Introduction[00:06:09] Anxious moments + Marathon pacing anxieties[00:13:49] Clinical mistakes + Learning from experiences[00:20:11] Ethical boundaries in communication[00:25:06] Meeting clients where they are at + Not being rigid in treatment[00:32:28] Importance of the right treatment + Ethical referrals[00:41:03] Projection in clinical practice[00:47:45] Summarizing key takeaways[00:54:05] Where to find Dr. Bailey + Future episode topicsGuest Links:atlantaocdandanxietytreatment.comOglethorpe UniversityCall to Action:Subscribe to The Anxiety Society Podcast on your favorite platform + leave a review! Connect with us on Instagram @theanxietysocietypod to explore more content, submit questions, & join our community! Let's change our relationship with anxiety, together!

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Miami was the better team on Sunday night against Atlanta United at the Benz for Sunday Night Soccer, but the margins were very thin as both teams put on quite a display. Atlanta nearly found the Brooks Lennon to Latte Lath connection twice in the first half, but the second one was narrowly offside. Going from 2-0 up to 1-1 pretty quickly was a gut punch, Bartosz Slisz got caught in possession against a strong Miami press and Lionel Messi took the ball and scored a goal that maybe only he can with the scoop over Brad Guzan.After a pretty wide open rest of the match with both teams having chances to win it, it was Miami who took advantage of Atlanta losing focus as Luis Suarez was arguing with the referee (again). They played a short corner, Jordi Alba delivered a mostly uncontested cross to the back post where Fafa Picault was able to get behind Jay Fortune and head it back across the goal to nestle it into the far side netting. Fans threw things on the field after the final whistle as the referees left the field. Completely unacceptable and there should be repercussions for that, it shouldn't happen under any circumstance. Vancouver stayed perfect in MLS play with a win at Dallas. Nashville ended Philly's unbeaten start to the season. Sporting KC scored 3 goals in 12 minutes to come back to draw Minnesota in the orange ball extravaganza. Austin gave LAFC a taste of their own medicine with a 1-0 defense-led win. Zack Steffen was outstanding with 12 saves in Colorado's 2-1 win at San Jose. Orlando Pride started their defense of their NWSL title with a 6-0 thrashing of Chicago, Barbra Banda scored twice and assisted once. Newcastle won their first trophy since 1969, lifting the Carabao Cup by beating Liverpool 2-1. Liverpool goes from contesting for 4 trophies to only winning one. That one (eventually) will be the Premier League, the biggest one, but will it feel like a disappointment for Arne Slot's side? It shouldn't.Atleti had a 2-0 lead over Barcelona in the 70th minute, but ended up losing 4-2. Real Madrid kept pace with a win at Villarreal. Inter and PSG won to extend their leads in Serie A & Ligue 1. Chelsea's women won the Subway Women's Cup Final 2-1 over Manchester City in the first of 4 meetings between the teams in the next 12 days (Champions League quarterfinal & league match). The pitch was poor at Pride Park and did not suit the occasion. Sergio Ramos earned his first red card in Liga MX, I know you're shocked. A match in France was abandoned after Montpellier fans threw flares that started a fire in the stands as their team was trailing. This has happened far too often in France in recent years, but I don't know if the power brokers know how to stop it. Colombian professional players in the top two men's divisions and the top women's division have voted to strike over disagreements on multiple working conditions. They have not said when the strike might begin.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Lionel Messi came off the bench last night in Kingston to help Inter Miami advance in the Concacaf Champions Cup, defeating Cavalier FC 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. He scored late to seal the match after Luis Suarez converted from the penalty spot in the first half. Miami will face LAFC in the quarterfinals of the competition. Club America will battle Cruz Azul 3 times in 12 days in April as they'll meet in an all-Liga MX quarterfinal. Vancouver will play Pumas and the LA Galaxy will play Tigres. New season for the NWSL kicks off tonight as they continue their growth that has been remarkable over the past 5 years. My questions going into the 2025 season are:  can Orlando win another trophy with Marta & Barbra Banda leading the attack, is Washington the most fun team in the league to watch when Croix Bethune & Trinity Rodman get healthy, can the reigning MVP Temwa Chawinga lead the Kansas City Current to a trophy this season, and can Ally Sentnor continue her scintillating form from the USWNT into the league season?UEFA released frame-by-frame photos of Julian Alvarez's penalty double touch that showed "minimal" (the air quotes are important here) contact with his plant foot. I disagree with the conversation about allowing an accidental double touch to stand, just allow the attempt to be retaken, the same as when goalkeepers come off their line early. US Men's Beach Soccer National team reached the semifinals of the Concacaf Championship, they'll face El Salvador with a spot at the World Cup on the line. 3 big games this weekend for you to keep an eye on:  Atleti hosts Barcelona with one point separating them in La Liga on Sunday, the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Newcastle on Sunday, and Saturday's Women's League Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester City. Refresh your latest content from the SDH Network and our friends at 92.9 The Game on the Off The Woodwork podcast. Some great pieces of audio that you might have missed over the last few days.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Awful way for Atleti to be eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League yesterday. Losing in a penalty shootout is always brutal, even more so against your eternal rivals after winning on the night (Connor Gallagher's 1st minute goal set the table for an epic night). But losing due to a rarely seen situation that is still not 100% clear after watching it almost 100 times is really rough. UEFA said in-ball technology was not used to determine the double touch from Julian Alvarez on his penalty attempt. If additional cameras other than the broadcast cameras were used, I hope UEFA will walk the public through the process because the decision came very quickly in a situation that to the normal eye was not clear cut. And the bigger issue coming from this is one of fairness. A goalkeeper intentionally coming off their line early to make a save results in a retake, a kicker accidentally slipping and hitting the ball twice unintentionally results in a miss... this doesn't make sense and isn't equal. Time for IFAB to fix this in my opinion. Lille took the lead early over Dortmund, but the Germans held their nerve and found two second-half goals to advance to the quarterfinals. They're joined by Arsenal and Aston Villa, who handled their business comfortably on the night. The first legs of the quarterfinals will take place on April 8-9, second legs take place one week later. In the first leg, PSG will host Aston Villa, Arsenal will host Real Madrid, Barcelona will host Dortmund, and Bayern will host Inter.Vancouver went to Mexico and eliminated Monterrey after a 2-2 draw on the night that saw them overcome a dubious penalty given and converted by Sergio Ramos, and copious amounts of additional stoppage time given. The Whitecaps advanced on away goals with USMNT striker Brian White scoring the crucial goal from the bench. It's even more impressive that Vancouver did this with White coming off the bench and Ryan Gauld and Jayden Nelson unavailable. LA Galaxy won their first competitive match of 2025 handily, beating Herediano 4-1 to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals. Club America thrashed Chivas 4-0 to also advance. Miami is in Jamaica tonight to determine the final quarterfinalist, the Herons have a 2-0 lead. Lionel Messi made the trip, but we'll see if he makes the field. Congrats to ESPN legend Bob Ley for being named the recipient of the 2025 Colin Jose Media Award by the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Bob covered soccer throughout his time at ESPN from 1979-2015, 10 World Cups in total, the growth of MLS, and so many other critical moments in U.S. soccer history.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. Disappointing/frustrating draw for Atlanta United against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at the Benz. The visitors did not test Brad Guzan at all in the match, but Atlanta was unable to take advantage of 5 big chances in the first half and some very strong play.  Miami comes to town next weekend, they managed to beat Charlotte while playing with 10 for the majority of the match yesterday. Lionel Messi was an unused substitute yesterday, mainly due to the way the game played out with the first half red card to the goalkeeper Oscar Ustari followed by getting the lead and then defending deeper. Charlotte did not manage a shot on goal in the match.  Philadelphia and Vancouver remain perfect with three wins in three tries this season. Ryan Gauld left the match for the Whitecaps in the first half with a non-contact knee injury though, which is a massive concern for them.  Seattle throttled LAFC 5-2, Jordan Morris became the club's all-time leading scorer, Paul Rothrock starred in the win, but Pedro de la Vega left with an injury in the first half. The Sounder next go to Mexico, where they haven't won in their last 7 tries, to face Cruz Azul in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 matchup after a scoreless draw in the first leg.  Kansas City has lost 10 straight in all competitions (plus 6 preseason losses) after a loss in DC on Saturday night. They lost 10 straight during the 2024 season as well, and lost 10 straight to open the 2023 season, and had a 7-game losing streak in 2022. When will things improve for SKC? When will they improve for Portland as well? James Pantemis made two penalty saves in the first 20 minutes but the Timbers still lost 2-0 in Nashville.  The LA Galaxy lost their 4th straight to open 2025, 2-0 at home to St. Louis. Marco Reus has not been the Riqui Puig replacement Greg Vanney hoped for, and they're missing Dejan Jovelic as well, and now they have to get a win against Herediano to advance in Concacaf Champions Cup. The Premier League Summer Series is coming back to Atlanta on August 3rd. Another huge crowd is expected at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Bournemouth vs West Ham followed by Everton vs Manchester United. More than 20 soccer games at the Benz this season are on the books and crowds will exceed one million for the year by a pretty wide margin.  Real Madrid pulls even with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. The Blaugrana did not play over the weekend, as their match was postponed followed the unexpected death of a team doctor.  Milan rumors heating up the tabloids in Italy with meetings to hire a new sporting director expected shortly and that could lead to a new manager hire in the summer.  Other nuggets included in the podcast. Thanks for subscribing to SDH on YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts, and on your preferred social media platforms!

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.The U.S. (and Canada in some of these) now has more professional teams in its top three divisions than England has in its top four divisions. The 2nd Division USL Championship and 3rd Division USL League One and MLS Next Pro kick off their 2025 seasons this weekend. Including MLS, there's 97 professional teams playing this season (we'll leave NISA out of this for now because no one seems to know what 2025 looks like for them). The NWSL Challenge Cup is tonight as well as the curtain raiser for their season. The trophy will be decided between last year's double winners Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit. Their regular season starts next Friday. Lionel Messi missed his second straight game, but Inter Miami won 2-0 over Cavalier FC of Jamaica last night in Ft. Lauderdale. The National Stadium in Kingston will be packed full next week, will Messi make the trip?Neymar will be back with the Brazilian national team for important World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina later this month. It's his first call up in 17 months as he's playing his way back into form at Santos. Keep an eye on the Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid triangle of chaos. Will they push Carlo out the door if he wins La Liga or Champions League this season? Raul is already hitting the escape hatch. He's been at the second team in Madrid since 2019, but now he's linked with Schalke, where he finished his playing career. Big games this weekend in the Premier League as the only remaining storyline in the table is the race for Champions League spots. 6 points separate 3rd through 10th and there could be three Champions League spots on offer for that group of teams. FIFA is going to consider a proposal for a one-off (yeah right) expansion of the World Cup to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2030. The president of the Uruguayan federation proposed expanded the tournament to 64 teams. Logistically, it makes sense for a format but it would be a massive challenge to execute. Luckily this tournament is spread out on either side of the Atlantic Ocean and might get more games in South America if the tournament expands, but is any of it feasible? Check out the video below for more nuggets of news you should know about today. Thanks for being a subscriber and have a great weekend!

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Some Champions League nuggets after the first legs of the Round of 16. Arsenal and Bayern can start looking ahead, although Manuel Neuer won't be part of the second leg after injuring himself celebrating the third goal in Bayern's win over Leverkusen... smh. Road wins by multiple goals for Inter and Aston Villa also set them up for success in the return legs. Late drama for Liverpool and an incredible day from Alisson give them a 1-0 at PSG, Barcelona played with 10 men for a long time but found a way to win 1-0 at Benfica. The return legs of those will be fascinating. Atleti returns home to host their cross-town rivals trailing 2-1 setting up a must-watch second leg. Also, can Lille shock everyone and knock out the runners-up from last year Dortmund?In the Concacaf Champions Cup, there will be drama in the second legs as well next week. One more game to go as Miami hosts Cavalier tonight. LAFC and Pumas are probably good with multiple goal advantages going on the road in the second legs. Chivas beat Club America 1-0 thanks to a late own goal, but now have to go to Mexico City next week to try to hold it. Herediano has to also try to hold a 1-0 lead in Los Angeles against the struggling Galaxy next week. Disappointment for MLS sides as Seattle, Vancouver, and Cincinnati were only able to manage home draws and now need epic results in Mexico in the second legs next week. Go check out the tux worn by Segundo Castillo, manager of Barcelona SC of Ecuador. Look good, play good, or manage good in this case. His side won 3-0 at home over Corinthians of Brazil in a Copa Libertadores preliminary round match. Lots of FIFA updates in this edition, watch the video below for all of them. The biggest in my opinion is that the structure set for bids for the Women's World Cup all but guarantee that the U.S. will host in 2031 and Great Britain will host in 2035. Huge opportunities to grow that tournament after Brazil hosts in 2027 and I think Atlanta could play a massive role in that 2031 event if/when the U.S. is announced as the host.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.UEFA Champions League & Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 gets started today. Here's your schedule in Europe:Tuesday:Club Brugge vs Aston VillaReal Madrid vs Atletico MadridPSV vs ArsenalBorussia Dortmund vs LilleWednesday:Feyenoord vs InterPSG vs LiverpoolBayern Munich vs Bayer LeverkusenBenfica vs BarcelonaSome nuggets for you on each of those in today's pod. Can't wait to see the Madrid derbi and how Atleti stacks up. Also, PSG is an interesting watch tomorrow as they've won their last 10 matches in a row in all competitions. In Concacaf, here's your Round of 16 schedule:Tuesday:Cincinnati vs TigresPumas vs AlajualenseLAFC vs Columbus Wednesday:Chivas vs Club AmericaHerediano vs LA GalaxySeattle vs Cruz AzulVancouver vs MonterreyThursday:Miami vs Cavalier FCDeeper thoughts on all of those in the pod. Vancouver vs Monterrey might be the highest scoring series. LAFC trying to get over the hump against a Columbus side that has owned them lately. And come on, a SuperClasico in the Round of 16 in Concacaf with Chivas and America? Can't wait for all of the drama in all of these matchups over the next few days. Go watch Lizbeth Ovalle's goal for Tigres last night in Liga MX Femenil. Incredible creativity to score that kind of goal.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. Atlanta United will try to right the ship after a disappointing loss in Charlotte on Saturday. Maybe most disappointing because they didn't allow Charlotte to create very much, created quite a bit themselves, but didn't get anything to show for it. Red Bulls await on Saturday night at the Benz.Plenty to chew on after week 2 in MLS. Columbus has proven me, and many others, wrong as they won their second match of the season. San Jose and Vancouver have been two of the big surprises with two straight wins. Tai Baribo has 5 goals in 2 games for Philly, leading the Union to a perfect start. LAFC have completed their transformation into a defensive brickhouse with back-to-back 1-0 wins.Miami went to Houston without Lionel Messi and demolished the Dynamo 4-1. The story after was a red card after the final whistle to Ian Fray from referee Joe Dickerson. Miami manager Javier Mascherano was very frustrated afterwards, and I agree with him. The match was not managed well down the stretch, leading to many issues, and Fray did nothing to deserve a red card.The referee who did not give a straight red to Milwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts might need to be disciplined, it was one of the worst challenges you'll ever see. Jean-Phillippe Mateta needed 25 stitches to close the wound it created.Paulo Fonseca, who just started at Lyon, might be suspended for a while after making contact with a referee in Lyon's 2-1 win over Brest. He was, rightfully as it was proven later as it was overturned by the VAR, arguing a late penalty decision that would have given Brest an opportunity to level the match. However, making contact with the referee, even if it is on the minor side like this one, will result in a suspension. The takeover in Scotland of Rangers by a group including the San Francisco 49ers is in the closing stages. It will be very interesting to see their plans for making over the club.Tigres fired manager Veljko Paunovic with the team in 3rd place in Liga MX and gave the job to now-retired Guido Pizarro, who played in their win over Necaxa on Saturday. Yeah, it's confusing. Pizarro will be on the touchline for their next match, tomorrow night in Cincinnati in ConcaChampions.IFAB announced that starting with this summer's Club World Cup, goalkeepers who hold the ball for more than eight seconds will concede a corner kick. This is a changed from the rarely enforced (sorry Canada in 2012) six-second rule that saw an indirect kick given inside the 18 yard box.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Atlanta United makes the trip up I-85 to start Matchweek 2 in MLS. Kickoff is set for 2:25pm in Charlotte as the two Southern rivals face off in front of at least 45,000 at Bank of America Stadium. Abe Gordon and Nick Aliffi will get the day started on 92.9 The Game and the Audacy app starting at 1pm.Wilfried Zaha is back in Charlotte and expected to play a role in the match.Some other headlines from Week 2 around Major League Soccer... San Diego's first ever home opener is Saturday night as they host St. Louis. Sunday Night Soccer will be in Houston as the Dynamo host Miami. Portland needs a bounce back performance as they host Austin on Saturday night. Dallas at Colorado could be a really good underrated match in Commerce City. Another big match will be in the East as Philadelphia hosts Cincinnati after both clubs won their openers last weekend.MLS released their roster profiles for each of their teams, loving the increased transparency from the league office in these matters. Still work to do in that regard, but much improved so we can better understand how teams are constructed and what they can do to improve their rosters in each transfer window.Vancouver reached the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 after a 2-0 home win over Saprissa, both goals from Brian White. The Round of 16 starts on Tuesday, 7 MLS teams will be taking part.Funding approved in Houston for some improvements to NRG Stadium as it prepares to host 7 World Cup matches in 2026.Increased discussion around the world, but especially in England, about leagues taking their TV rights in-house and creating Direct-to-Consumer services. The Premier League one has been dubbed Premflix and would need more than 12M UK subscribers paying £20 per month to justify launching it due to the high start-up costs.Speaking of money, Liverpool's latest accounts are out for the 2023-24 season. They posted a pre-tax loss of $71.8M, with a large amount of that due to increased wages and decreased broadcast revenue due to missing out on the Champions League.Silly season for the summer is already heating up with Joshua Kimmich and Neymar being discussed for moves.Racing won the CONMEBOL Recopa, the Super Cup for South America, after a 2-0 win over Botafogo in Brazil last night.Plenty of coverage from Charlotte this weekend on the SDH Network, make sure you're following us @SoccerDownHere on your social media platforms.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Japan won the SheBelieves Cup last night with a 2-1 win over the USWNT in San Diego. Early goals in each half powered Japan to the win, Ally Sentnor tied the match up in the first half, but the US couldn't find a second goal in the second half. It was the first loss in Emma Hayes' tenure as USWNT manager in 18 games.England's women defeated the world champions Spain yesterday at Wembley Stadium 1-0, Jess Park scored the only goal of the match.Herediano went to Utah and knocked Real Salt Lake out of the Concacaf Champions Cup, winning 2-1 on the night and on aggregate after RSL scored the opening goal which would have sent them through. The Costa Rican club will face the LA Galaxy in the Round of 16.Seattle and Cincinnati took advantage of strong 1st leg wins to cruise through the 2nd legs yesterday and advance to the Round of 16 in the tournament.Concacaf is investigating the incident late in Tuesday night's LAFC-Colorado match where Chidozie Awaziem felt that LAFC's Sergi Palencia said something derogatory towards him.DC United has added Fidel Barajas on loan from Chivas through June 30.Brian Gutierrez will be suspended for Chicago's home opener after the MLS Disciplinary Committee unanimously felt like his elbow to Columbus defender Evgen Cheberko should have been a red card.Edwin Mosquera's late winner for Atlanta United on Saturday night was named MLS Goal of the Week.El Salvador named World Cup veteran manager Hernan Dario Gomez as their new boss as they try to qualify for their first World Cup since 1982.Fernando Gago will likely be on the market shortly as Boca Juniors did not qualify for the 2025 Copa Libertadores, eliminated in the preliminary round by Alianza Lima on penalties. He might be in charge for their Friday match against Rosario Central, but reports in Argentina say a change is imminent.News on the local front includes the US Soccer AGM here in Atlanta starting today, Atlanta's Sonic ID for 2026 produced by Dallas Austin will be unveiled on March 6, and Decatur FC named Joel Gould as their new general manager ahead of their second WPSL season starting this summer.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.  Anders Dreyer was named the MLS Player of the Matchday yesterday after his brace in San Diego's impressive win over the LA Galaxy. Atlanta United's Latte Lath was named to the Team of the Matchday alongside Dreyer.  MLS clubs are finding cash in Brazil with a number of recent transfers. Santiago Rodriguez (NYC) and Micael (Houston) are the latest to go, Rodriguez for a reported $15M and Micael for a Houston-record $6M. The market in Brazil is strong right now, and after Botafogo's success with MLS recruits helping them win the Copa Libertadores, this will only happen more often.  Canadian international Adrianna Leon is back in the NWSL with the San Diego Wave after leaving West Ham.  Jose Mourinho is in the headlines again after his post-match comments following his Fenerbahce side drew 0-0 with Galatasaray. He once again had derogatory statements about Turkish referees, even though the center ref in this match was brought in from Slovenia. Asked about a challenge early in the match, he said a Turkish referee would have reacted with a yellow card “after the big dive and their bench jumping around like monkeys.” Galatasaray said they would initiate criminal proceedings and file complaints with UEFA & FIFA over the "racist statements".  Robert Platek, with links to Dell Technologies, is the latest to be linked with buying Reading FC. He recently sold Spezia in Italy and previously tried to buy Sunderland.  Big games today include the Copa del Rey semifinal between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, Copa Libertadores preliminary round second leg with Boca Juniors hosting Alianza Lima, Concacaf Champions Cup as Miami hosts Kansas City and LAFC hosts Colorado in second legs. 

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.  Wild Atlanta United win in their opener on Saturday night with two goals from Latte Lath and a banger from Edwin Mosquera. Good start, but definitely things to improve going forward. Had chances to break the game wide open in the first 45, but didn't and Montreal grew into the match and provided some real challenges. San Diego became the story of the opening weekend with a 2-0 win in LA over the Galaxy. The win could have been even bigger, huge statement for San Diego. Bruce Arena started his era in San Jose with a 4-0 win over RSL, Cristian Espinoza with 3 assists from a wing back position there. Philadelphia surprised everyone with a big win in Orlando. Columbus and Chicago combined for 5 goals in the first half of a very interesting match that saw the Crew get the win with Steven Moreira again providing the spark to unbalance the opponent. Youngest USWNT lineup since 2001 saw them defeat Australia 2-1 in the SheBelieves Cup. Japan defeated Colombia 4-0 so Wednesday's USA-Japan match will determine the tournament champion and the USWNT have to win due to Japan having superior goal differential.  Sportico had a fascinating story over the weekend about the US Soccer Federation's interest in overhauling some of men's college soccer. Early stages in all of it, but I can't wait to see where everything goes. The battle for Champions League spots in England will be the defining story the rest of the way as the title is pretty much Liverpool's after their big win over Manchester City. 7 points separate 4th place City and 11th place Brentford, and a 5th Champions League spot could go to England due to the country coefficients.  Rangers fired Philippe Clement as the San Francisco 49ers try to buy up enough shares to become majority owners, setting the table for a clear new vision for the club. The Turkish league has gone outside the country to assign the referee for today's huge clash between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.Neymar scored an Olimpico to silence taunting fans on the road, he's been looking great for Santos in his early days there.  Foster Gillett's failure to pay has stranded another player, now Valentín Gómez's transfer to Udinese in Italy has collapsed and he'll be going back to Vélez Sarsfield. The proposed relationship with Estudiantes is also on the verge of collapsing with Juan Sebastian Veron potentially leaving Argentina entirely to get more involved with The Miami FC of the USL Championship, where his son will be playing.  More Espresso on Tuesday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. The USWNT started the SheBelieves Cup strongly with a 2-0 win over Colombia last night in Houston. Ally Sentnor's bombazo was the headline, Catarina Macario also scored. Japan thrashed Australia 4-0 in the other match earlier in the day. Big fan of MLS using the "Only the Captain" rule this season, essentially a throwback to the days that only the captain could speak to the referee. They specifically want to see in contentious situations that the referee only speaks with the team captains. This worked well in the Euros, I think you'll see a good number of yellow cards early on as everyone adjusts their behavior, but I like the move. Only 9 coaches in MLS started the 2023 season with their current clubs, only 16 started last season with their current clubs. Wild numbers for a league that doesn't have any pressure, huh? The coaches definitely feel that pressure. Two familiar faces in new places are Gregg Berhalter in Chicago and Bruce Arena in San Jose. Will be interesting to see how both of them fare. Biggest roster move lately in MLS is Cengiz Ünder joining LAFC on loan from Fenerbahçe. I still have questions about LAFC this season, but Ünder could provide some answers for them. Awesome to see Chris Richards invest in his hometown team, the Birmingham Legion. Rangers in Scotland might be getting new investment from the San Francisco 49ers. Still some things to work through including the Scottish FA rules on dual ownership (49ers own Leeds United), but this could be a big shot in the arm for the current #2 team in Scotland that needs help to close the gap with Celtic. Some tasty matchups drawn for the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. PSG-Liverpool, Real Madrid-Atleti, Bayern-Leverkusen, Benfica-Barcelona are the highlights for me. Christian Pulisic says that all is good with him at Milan, refuting Italian media reports. Argentine media reports say that players and clubs are "fed up" with Foster Gillett not living up to agreements. More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Lionel Messi braved the negative wind chills in Kansas City to lead his Inter Miami side to a 1-0 win in their Concacaf Champions Cup opener. Javier Mascherano with his first competitive win in charge of the club, he said the conditions were "not human".Cincinnati and Seattle went to Central America to get wins in their competitive debuts for 2025, Kevin Denkey and Evander scored for Cincinnati in a 4-1 win over Motagua while Paul Arriola scored for Seattle in Guatemala in a 3-1 win over Antigua. RSL drew 0-0 in Costa Rica against Herediano.According to Axios, DC United wants to add up to 10K seats to Audi Field and have a partially retractable roof. Early stages, but it has been discussed for about a year.Serie A had a disastrous Champions League campaign this year with Milan, Atalanta, and now Juventus all eliminated at the knockout stage. Juventus were the latest ones to go, losing yesterday in the Netherlands to PSV.Milan have more issues as La Repubblica reports this morning that Christian Pulisic wants out if the club keeps manager Sergio Conceiçao for next season.USMNT striker Alex Zendejas has contributed to goals in 6 straight games for Club America as Las Aguilas drew 1-1 with Club Leon, thanks to a goal from Colombian star James Rodriguez.The US U16's are training in Florida, Atlanta United academy goalkeeper James Donaldson is part of the group.Luis Rubiales, the former head of the Spanish FA, was charged and found guilty of kissing Jenni Hermoso without consent, he'll have to pay €10,000 but he avoided jail time as he was acquitted of coercion.More Espresso on Friday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.  FC Cincinnati gets the deal done to add Evander to replace Luciano Acosta who is now in Dallas. Portland replaces Evander with David Pereira da Costa of FC Lens in France. The swaps are all completed. I'm still thinking FC Dallas came out the best in the deal, but we will wait and see how everything shakes out.  Other moves in MLS as we get closer to Opening Day:Josh Atencio moves to Colorado from Dallas for $1.3M in GAMCristian Olivera leaves LAFC for Gremio for a reported $4.5MLAFC adds Ukrainian defender Artem Smolyakov as a U22 Initiative playerDaniel Rios joins Vancouver Whitecaps from Chivas Houston is working to add Nico Lodeiro and Michael Halliday from Orlando according to Tom Bogert of Give Me Sport. Inter Miami's opener in the Concacaf Champions Cup has been move to Wednesday in Kansas City due to expected snow and cold tonight. It's only going to get colder Wednesday night with temps expected to be -10. Yes, -10. Have fun boys.  Colorado hosts LAFC tonight in CCC action. In addition to SKC-Miami tomorrow, three more MLS teams start their Concacaf journeys. Herediano hosts RSL, Seattle travels to Guatemala to face Antigua, Cincinnati travels to Motagua. On Thursday, Saprissa hosts Vancouver.  Other news:Barcelona lead La Liga on goal difference after their 1-0 over Rayo Vallecano.Neymar scored his first goal for Santos from the penalty spotLeon lead Liga MX as they defeated Atletico San LuisThe US U17's qualified for the World Cup later this year after a 2-0 win over Cuba, they didn't concede a goal in the qualification process.Parma have hired former Romania defender Cristian Chivu as their new manager as they try to stay in Serie AChloe Kelly is recalled to the England women's national team after an injury to Beth MeadJames Sands underwent surgery for a complicated ankle injury suffered while on loan from NYCFC to St. Pauli in the Bundesliga Four big Champions League games today. Christian Pulisic and Harry Kane are both doubtful due to injuries. Milan and Atalanta try to overturn deficits at home, while Bayern tries to hold off Celtic in Germany.  More Espresso on Thursday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.