The game never stops, and neither do we.

Welcome to the SDCH Network.

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Morning Espresso is brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.

I'm Jason Longshore.

It's Wednesday, January twenty eighth, and today is just one of those days on the calendar.

There's days in this game that feel loud even before a ball is kicked.

Today's one of them.

It's decision Day in the UEFA Champions League.

All thirty six teams, eighteen matches, one live table, every goal, flipping the math in real time.

I'll be watching all the chaos this afternoon over at the brew House Cafe.

I will more than likely have an around the Corner logger in hand, powered by our friends at No Faux Breuco, and I'll be hitting refresh on the just like the rest of you.

With multiple games on all around me.

I'm looking forward to all the madness.

That's what these days are all about.

This format.

This is why it exists.

Today, All of the math of seven rounds and now round eight, all of it starts to become real let's finish up this league phase.

In the Champions League, thirty six teams all kick off at three pm.

Eighteen matches, one table.

Every goal will swing the standings.

Here's the tension.

Only Arsenal and Byron are safe.

Everyone else is still negotiating with math, which is always dangerous.

Real Madrid's in third place on fifteen points, Borussia Dortmund in sixteenth place on eleven.

All of them have an opportunity from third to sixteenth to finish in the top eight and avoid the play in round.

That's the jam, that's the chaos.

The cut line is re Thinn.

Chelsea right now are in that eighth spot on thirteen points.

Barcelona are in ninth, also on thirteen points.

They are separated by a single goal of gold differential, one bounce, one extra goal, one crazy deflection, one late concession.

Everything starts to move.

No club captures the pressure of today better than Napoli.

They come into the day in twenty fifth place, on the outside looking in no margin for error.

Here.

It's no longer about managing moments or playing for later.

This is about survival.

For the current Italian champions.

A draw probably doesn't do it for them.

Gold differential isn't friendly on their end.

You need a win here and they probably then still need some help.

Who are they facing Chelsea Antonio Conte against his former club, Chelsea chasing a top eight finish of their own, trying to avoid the play in round, trying to avoid two extra matches.

Napoli needing to chase the game.

How aggressive will they be and when will they choose to be aggressive?

Going to be a fascinating story at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

It's not gonna be comfortable for Napoli, that's for sure.

Meanwhile, in Paris the Marquee matchup, it's PSG hosting Newcastle sixth versus seventh, both on thirteen points.

Lose and you almost certainly fall into the playoff round.

Even a draw could be dangerous and both teams could fall into the playoff round.

That's why this format is great and creates this drama because both teams are in a pretty good spot.

I think in the past you would normally see the situation play out in a four team group with well, we're fine, we're good, let's go, let's just we'll play.

We're not worried about it.

But in this case, you're gonna have both teams really playing hard for a win because of all the other chaos going around them.

I don't think a draw is going to get them into the knockout round and avoid that play in round.

I think a draw is going to force both of them into the play in round.

That's the point of a day like today.

It's not just about Okay, get into the knockout round.

It is about avoiding that play in round.

Nobody wants two extra games right now.

Nobody wants two extra games of just minutes on legs, but also the pressure and the toll that it takes you get into the top eight.

You skip Champions League games next month, ninth through twenty fourth, welcome to two extra games, extra travel, extra pressure, playoff draws coming on Friday, once we know who is ninth through twenty fourth.

This is one of those days where the table moves like the airport departures board.

Whatever you thought was comfortable, look down in ten minutes and it it probably will disappear.

It's gonna be a chaotic day in Champions League.

I can't wait.

You can watch all of it on the CBS Paramount family of networks.

The Paramount app will be getting lots of business today.

The Golasso Show will be getting lots of business today.

You're gonna need multiple screens, however you choose to consume it.

If you want to go with a whip around show, or if you want to watch a game or two or three or four, depending on how much you can do, You're gonna want to consume a whole lot of it.

It is gonna be a fun day in Champions League.

It was a fun night last night for the US women's national team.

Some clarity in another big win for them, five nil over Chile in Santa Barbara that closed out the January camp.

This lineup was even least even less capped.

I think it's the better way to put it.

English.

It's a good language to try to speak sometimes.

This lineup was even less capped than the last starting lineup.

So this lineup now is the least capped starting lineup in the last twenty five years.

Wasn't about names, it was about being ready for the assignment.

Three players scored their first international goals, one of them being Georgia Borne, Croy Bethune, Jamise Joseph and Emily SAMs.

Two debutants also both from Georgia Iooke and Riley Jackson.

They both picked up their first assists.

Emily SAMs wore the captain's armband for the first time.

Emma Hayes rotated heavily, she said she would after the Potaguay win on the weekend.

This group averaged just five point two caps per starter performance sure didn't look like that though seventy one percent possession twenty one shots, zero allowed.

Chile never looked dangerous in this one.

And in there was the moment Emissars scored twenty seven seconds into the second half.

Trinity Rodman comes on and scores, and in this time, after she tried last time, she dragged Emma Hayes into the celebration dance on the sideline.

Rodman joke that she had been telling her coach to practice, said that Emma had embarrassed her on the weekend.

Emma Hayes went for it.

You got your TikTok moment there.

That kind of moment matters, though, because it tells you everything about this group, loose, confident connected.

I'm sure there were as I said last night on Atlanta Soccer Tonight, I'm sure there were some old typewriters being banged on last night after Emma Hayes was dancing.

It was fun.

It wasn't disrespectful to the opponent.

It was fun.

It is what we enjoy in moments like this, or I think we should.

You love to see the connection between a group of players and a manager, and I think Emma Hayes has excelled in building that connection with all of her players, whether we're talking veterans who have over one hundred caps to brand new players who have never played in this kind of environment.

Before two matches, eleven goals, noneconceded.

January camp is done.

She believes Cup is coming up next.

And I think now you're seeing, as Emma talked about it, you are building for World Cup qualifying later this year, for a World Cup in Brazil in twenty twenty seven, for the Olympics in Los Angeles in twenty twenty eight.

But you're also building for the Women's World Cup in twenty thirty one that is going to be co hosted by the US.

So a lot of things happening at once.

It's exciting to see all this young talent breaking through for the US women's national team.

Let's talk MLS.

Let's talk MLS and Apple.

The timeline the deal that they have.

It's going to conclude at the end of the twenty twenty nine season, a little bit earlier than originally planned, but the league and Apple are focused on the scale of the deal going forward.

MLS executive Seth Bacon has been clear the goal is growing the audience together.

Apple matters because it's an e ecosystem, and you think about how connected the Apple ecosystem is.

MLS wants to be in that.

I think now with all the matches included in standard Apple TV as opposed to the separate and additional MLS Season Pass, it's less friction, it's more access.

It's a good adjustment in this partnership.

Another adjustment is the Walmart Saturday Showdown.

It's a weekly Marquee match beginning opening weekend this season, kind of like Sunday Night Soccer appointment viewing enhanced production.

They're going to have the shot on iPhone Angle social first kind of moments.

MLS is trying to do something that I think every league is trying to do right now, streaming first.

That shift is happening really quickly, and you are still dealing with a fan base that is on all fronts of streaming and connectivity.

You have some people who still do not do the streaming stuff or don't do it often, although I think with seeing what the NBA and what the NFL and Major League Baseball are all doing there, it's becoming more of a necessity to be in the streaming world.

Understand the streaming world, but then there's also the social world of it as well.

The short form content.

I mean, we talked about ma Hays and Trinity Rodman and doing a TikTok dance like this kind of stuff is important as well.

MLS is trying to create shared experiences in this world where everything is more accessible, but it's also more disconnected in a way, so trying to figure all of that out.

I mean, MLS isn't the only ones doing it.

In WSL is trying to figure this out.

FIFA is trying to figure this out with their partnership with TikTok for the World Cup.

Every league, every sport, every entertainment entity is trying to figure this out right now.

Soccer world and especially the MLS world.

You are building these connections within the Apple ecosystem.

You have a World Cup come in the summer, you have the schedule shift coming in twenty twenty seven.

You start to see all of the strategy.

Now you want more moments, you want more big moments, and you want more things to talk about.

What happens after twenty twenty nine at the end of the deal totally open question.

I think MLS is trying to ensure that when they get there, the league is easier to find and harder to ignore.

It's a really exciting time when we talk about soccer in this country, and Major League Soccer is a huge, huge part of that, especially with what the next two years are gonna look like.

This season, the World Cup, the schedule shift next year going to be a fun ride, not a fun ride.

Right now is hanging out with John Texter.

Let's get caught up on what's going on in his world.

In Leon, reports say that he attempted one last maneuver to regain control ahead of the club's general assembly.

Michelle Kang and one of John Texter's many creditors, Aries shut it down.

Aries reportedly went further, backing his removal as a director, effective immediately.

This is all according to reports in France.

At the moment, money talks, and when it does, ambition doesn't really matter anymore, especially if you got a whole bunch of people you owe money to aries.

I think it's at the front of the line, but it's a line for sure.

Speaking of the line.

In Brazil, the fallout from all of this stuff continues both the Fogo another club of Mister Texters.

They are facing legal action again over unpaid commissions tied to the Danilo transfer involving Nottingham Forest agents are pushing for fast payment, account freezes, even revenue seizures.

Again in line, different continents, same theme.

It's multi club ownership.

I think at times gets a bad rap because of stuff like this.

This has nothing to do outside of the fact it is a multi club ownership.

That's not why this is a problem.

This is a problem because someone over extended themselves, and someone has not lived up to their business dealings, and someone has consistently shown that they don't live up to their business dealings, and someone is now paying the price for all of it.

It's the obligations are stacking up the consequences when someone doesn't do all of these things, those consequences get public really fast.

At landa United Dunnilo's agents, Leon Ari's Michelle Kang.

I mean we can go on and on and on Iconic Sports, you know, almost one hundred million dollars their own.

Yeah, sorry, John Texter.

We'll see what continues to happen with you, and we'll keep talking about it here on the morning Espresso.

Let's get caught up on the domestic side of things.

Convo Ball president Alejandro Dominguez says that the door is open for MLS and LEGA MX clubs to enter the Copa Libertadores Inter Miami manager or I'm sorry, owner Jorge Maas.

He's called it a dream.

Dreams do need permission.

Conca CAFF and FIFA are opposed to this.

They point to the Champions Cup as the pathway to the FIFA Club World Cup.

It's gonna take a lot of configurations.

There's a lot of talk about maybe a long term partnership when it comes to competitions, but still trying to keep independence between Convo Ball and Conca CAFF.

Maybe this is another step in that direction.

In roster news, the La Galaxy acquired Joel Klaus from Saint Louis two point three seven five million dollars.

They use the designated player spot opened by Ricky PUC's season ending injury.

Proven goalscorer in this league presence up top, he is with the Galaxy for the upcoming season.

Portland is trying to land Cole Bassett from Colorado in a deal that could reach three point seven million.

He'd be a U twenty two player in Portland, would become a central piece under Phil Neville surprise move.

Chico Urrango is headed back to Colombia with Atletico Nacional after just one year in San Jose, score thirteen goals, but now the Quakes have two open DP spots.

They're trying to get the deal done for Timo Werner as they rebuild their attack from scratch.

Cincinnati trying to add depth in goal, finalizing a loan for Fabian Morosik from Liverpool.

Purchase option would be included and some US Soccer news.

Cindy Parlow Cone will run unopposed for re election.

She will be in charge of the federation through twenty thirty, can run again one more time after that and would potentially be in charge of the federation for a home Women's World Cup.

The refill some stuff from around the world and we'll stay in the domestic side.

USL officially announcing USL Premier, its future Division one league, launching in twenty twenty eight, Sitting atop a promotion relegation pyramid.

They've got to get approval from US Soccer to B Division one, and they've got a lot of things to deal with, including a collective bargaining agreement with their current USL Championship players, a lot of structure in terms of what that promotion relegation looks like.

There's still a lot to figure out beyond just the name of it.

We will see how this continues to develop over the next couple of years.

FIFA their global transfer report dropped this morning, smashing records on the spending side, over thirteen billion dollars in fees.

Women's football up more than eighty percent year over year in transfer fees.

The market accelerating everyone and fast.

Lucas Packeta looks like that deal is done for him to go back to Flamingo forty two million euro roughly.

It is structured carefully in installments to protect Flamingo's finances.

We talked about their finances yesterday.

They're in really good shape, but they want to retain flexibility.

This is a big spend to bring back Lucas Packetau came to the academy at Flamingo.

They're trying to protect themselves.

They're also far more trustworthy than John Texter Douglas Luiz.

He's headed back to aston Villa on loan from Juventus.

Is Villa push through a midfield injury crisis at the moment.

West Ham continuing their reshuffle.

They have added Adama tri Ore, they have loaned out James Ward Prowse and they are resetting under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Let's go around the corner from everywhere.

SDHAM is live this morning, John Nelson hosting.

You'll hear some postgame audio from the US women's national team, updates from London as Gotham is facing Corinthians in the FIFA Women's Champions Cup semi final, full look at Champions League decision Day as well on SDHAM at ten Huntsville City FC Managing director Chad Emerson joins the show to preview the MLS next Pro season and if you missed it last night, Atlanta Soccer Tonight it's up on the Odyssey app and on the off the Woodwork podcast feed, got into some Atlanta United, talked about Adrian Gill and his signing for Atlanta United, got into Trinity Rodman's new contract and what it means for the NWSL, went kind of deep diving on Chess Fabregas and what he's doing at Como, and got into the US Men's National Team Champions League and more.

Go check that out Odyssey app or the Off the Woodwork podcast feed Atlanta Soccer Tonight.

Decision Day, Man, it always has a way of pulling everything towards it.

The math in Europe is definitely mathing.

The future has stepped forward for the US Women's Nation Team MLS, positioning itself for what comes next.

Roster doors open and closing all over the world as we're into the last week of the transfer window for the major European clubs.

Some days are about clarity, Some days are about movement.

Some days are about both, and today might be one of those days.

It's built for the ride.

Enjoy all the chaos.

We'll be back tomorrow to talk all about all of that chaos and more on a new edition of the Morning Espresso for Thursday.

Thank you so much for spending your time with me this morning, have a great Wednesday,