Between the Hashtags and the Headlines: Morning Espresso, 7.7

burhal Or. He picked out Chris Richards, really good header from him off the underside of the crossbar. I think it was in. Pretty sure it was in, but not one hundred percent conclusive and CONCA CAF doesn't have goal line technology in the situations, so very close decision that var ultimately upheld. Mexico tied it a really nice finish from Raul Jimenez blasted into the roof of the net from close range. Tim Reim trying to get across, wasn't

able to make the tackle. Then Edson Alvarez. He scored the winning goal, heading in Johann Vasquez's flick of a free kick. The foul was dubious, Diego Luna fouling Alexis Vega. There wasn't a whole lot in it, but it's given. Then there was an offside check on the goal, it was on side, and Mexico ends up winning the match to one. Look, the takes were all over the place, as you would expect after a US men's national team match.

Too many people use these games for clout, whether we're talking about social media, whether we're talking about podcasts, whether we're talking about vlogs, whether we're talking about watch alongs. Too many people use these games to It feels like at times like okay, game happens in there is a series of reactions. Then there is a series of reactions

that are bigger than the previous set. Then there's another set of reactions that's even bigger, and this could be bigger positive or bigger negative, which is typically the way that it goes, And then it feels like a little bit of one upsmanship as to how big the reaction is to the game. Mexico is the better team on the night. There's not a question really about that. They had more of the possession, they had more of the chances, they had more of the field position, they were the

better team. I didn't really have a problem with the referee, Merizio po Chatino did after the match the handball call that could have gone in favor of the US men's national team. I'm okay with it not being called, and i know that's the minority opinion, at least on this side of the Rio Grande. It felt like natural movement and the player was bracing himself for a fall. I know it's a different situation than what we typically see when we talk about the bracing arm on the ground

and the ball hitting it. In this one, that arm is going to the ground and it actually the hand lands on top of the ball. I think it still applies. I think that idea still applies here. I think it's a natural movement of the arm when the player is falling to brace themselves, and that's why that was added into the laws of the game. I'm okay with that not being called. The US battled in the match, they showed fight, they had some moments of quality, but they

got overpowered by a better team. This is the life that the US men's national team faces next summer as well. At the World Cup. The top US men's national team against the top Mexican national team. Right now, it's much more of a coin flip. It's much more of a fifty to fifty game than the US has had. I think maybe the advantage when they've had their best team

against Mexico over the last cycle. If you get Christian Polistic, Westin McKinnie, Serginio Desk, Anthony Robinson, they're going to make the team better, no doubt, they'll raise the level of the group. The major questions of who will be the goalkeeper in those matches, who will be the striker, those

are still there. I don't know if Matt Freeze did enough to be the number one no question here right now, I would go in that direction because I think Matt Turner's got to play games and now he's waiting to see what happens with Leon at the moment because that's where he's headed. But they might be in the second division in France instead of the first no telling. Leon reportedly has to find one hundred million dollars by Thursday to be able to keep their spot in the first division.

The striker Patrick Augimon has had moments. I know he is one that the hashtag Brigade likes to really go at on social media, which I think is extremely unfair. A lot of shots at him for the game last night. I don't think he really had a whole lot of opportunity to impact the game. He did draw it to pretty dangerous free kicks, including the one that led to the US goal. I don't know who the striker is

going to be. I want to see everybody get healthy, because there are a lot of injuries in that position right now, but I don't think anybody has stepped out to claim it. Goalkeeper and striker big questions. Regardless of what those answers are. The US men's national team are going to run into multiple opponents at the World Cup that are better than them. You know, you might see

one in the group stage. Hopefully you will see one in the first knockout round round of thirty two, and hopefully you will see one in the round to sixteen. That's where I am setting the bar for what this team needs to do at the World Cup. They have to win a knockout game. They've only done that one time in history. They have to win a knockout game round to thirty two now to get to the round to sixteen. That should be the bar. This is a team that is a top twenty team in the world.

They should be in the final sixteen of a home World Cup. The draw is going to impact that. Luck within the group is going to impact that. Matchups in the knockout round is going to impact that. There's so many variables that we can't control and we can't see what they're going to be yet. But the US should get to the round to sixteen. In those games where they are playing teams that are better than them, they have to fight. They have to be difficult to beat.

They have to be resilient. They have to make the match tough for the opponent. I think they showed that ability last night with a less than full strength team. I will take that course. I want to see more, but you have to be realistic. Instead of just yelling and screaming and stomping your feet, you have to be realistic. This Mexico team was a better roster than this US team. That's not a judgment on the overall talent pools. That's a judgment on these two teams that were on the

field in the match. Mexico is the better team as well. But the US was right there in it. They had opportunities, they did not take advantage of them. They weren't able to keep Mexico off the board for that second goal, and they end up losing to one in the final. That is not a shock in my opinion. I will take what happened in the Gold Cup for the US. I think there's far more positive than negative coming out of this tournament and we'll see where it goes from here.

I also agree with what Maritzio po Chatino has said about the impact that fans can have in the building, and he's right about the level of support that Guatemala and Mexico received in these last two games. There's fans of the US men's national team that do an amazing job supporting the team all over the country. But work has to be done to grow that number that are making it into the building and supporting the team. That should not be a debate that should happen. You see

it across this country with soccer fans. They are there, we are seeing them in large numbers. They have to come out and support the US men's national team. There is absolutely an effect from the overwhelming negativity from the hashtag brigade on social media, quite a few in the media and online influencer group as well. That does not help get people in the building at all. I think it becomes a reason why some people choose not to get into the building to go support the US men's

national team. I know there were debates about ticket prices for the CONCACAFF Gold Cup and blaming US Soccer for that. US Soccer has nothing to do with the CONCACAFF Gold Cup pricing for tickets. And by the way, I don't think the Mexican fans had any issue with the pricing for tickets, so let's stop that complaint right now. Guatemala fans didn't have that issue either on Wednesday, let's stop with that debate. Are tickets for US friendlies maybe a

little too high on that side? Yes, I would agree with that absolutely, and that's something that should change in. US Soccer needs to figure this out. It's not going to be an easy thing to solve. Ticket pricing for games that they control is part of the conversation, but honestly a very small part of the conversation. I don't know how this turns Between now and the next World Cup. You will get US fans in the building for the World Cup. Yes, you will get casual fans in the

building for the World Cup that will support the US. Yes, but this is a big job for US Soccer to contemplate to make this US men's national team more popular in its own country. It is a very unique issue. Don't know if there's any other country in the world that would have the same issue. I don't think there's really any other team even in this country to compare

it to. It's quite the challenge, but it's something that US Soccer has to work at, and it's something that I do think a lot of people inside of the game at all different levels, and yes that includes media and online influencers and bloggers and podcasters and bloggers and everybody it does. It does need to be contemplated, it does need to be thought about because the US men's national team is a huge driver of the soccer business

in the United States. It is by no means the only one, but it is a very portant one, and I feel like the negativity around it does not match the reality around it, and that has a very negative impact on the product as a whole. It's very frustrating at times and I'm sure Ma'rito Pochatino was very frustrated with basically playing two away games in the United States, in two major knockout games. That's got to be extremely foreign to him. I think at times US soccer people,

and I'm not saying that the organization. I'm saying people in the United States in soccer just kind of put their hands up and say, Oh, it's just how it is. Should it be? I mean, I think it's going to be to an extent, and that's the unique nature of the United States of America. But should it just be accepted and just that whatever. No, it shouldn't. If people are buying the tickets to these games, you would like for the people buying these tickets to these games be

from the United States. If people from other countries or other fans are buying these tickets to support their team, why is the Why are the fans of the United States not buying these tickets instead they're offered to both. I don't I don't know. It's not an easy it's not an easy thing to answer, and it's gonna be a very difficult thing for the United States Soccer Federation to work on between now and the World Cup, and it's a long term thing. It's not just about the

World Cup twenty twenty six. It's about everything past that, especially when you get into qualifying for the next World Cup, where fan support is going to be a very important thing in some of these games. Because everybody in CONCA CAF is getting better. Right now, the games are getting more difficult. It's why you're seeing teams like Guatemala mike runs that they are. It's not easy and fan support

is a big factor in it. And right now the US men's national team doesn't get enough fan support and it's something that needs to change one way or another. Let's go to Major League Soccer. Yesterday one one draw between Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew right before the Gold Cup final, and it ended in a very strange way. Stephan Fry scary incident. He was forced to leave the

match in an ambulance. Full credit to Brian Schmetzer and Wilfrid Nanci, the two managers, for asking that the match be called and stoppage time instead of continuing with the corner kick there were seconds remaining at that stage. I didn't see any hesitation from Nanci, who would have had the cornerkick for Columbus, by the way or Brian Schmetzer in asking for the match to be called at that moment.

It was an accidental knee to the head and a collision with a marceditch in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Schmetzer said his captain was alert when loaded into the ambulance, no paralysis, nothing major, but he didn't want to downplay it. Fry tweeted Sunday night that he had returned home at following the incident, so sounds like he's going to end up being okay. Really scary moments, and I thought it was very well handled by the referee crew and the

two managers to stop the match when it did. Atlanta United this weekend, it was just, frankly, not a good enough performance in a scoreless draw at d C United. There's really little to talk about on the offensive side, very few chances, very few opportunities to score goals. Second clean sheet of the season. F Ryan Morales was excellent. He was our man of the match on the radio broadcast.

Ronnie Dila also cited Luisa brom Will Riley Mitao's click in the midfield as key contributors to the clean sheet. The team played in a four to three three with two holding midfielders in front of two center backs, as opposed to the three center backs and one holding midfielder alignment we have seen lately. The best chances of the night came from Brooks Lennon's right foot out wide. You couldn't create much of anything through the middle. Unfortunately, play

was far too slow in the first half. It was too easy for DC United to get back and reset. It changed a little bit in the second half, but not enough. There were only two shots on goal, actually I think there were three. I think Brad Gazan had two comfortable saves and there was one comfortable save for Luis Barrazza. This is not good enough for two teams that are trying to get into playoff picture in the

Eastern Conference. It was not a good match and the level has to go up, especially on the attacking side. As Atlanta gets ready to go to Toronto on Saturday, the unified team will be playing in Toronto as well. We'll have that broadcast for you earlier in the day on Saturday, followed by Atlanta United and Toronto FC on Saturday Night. Plenty more to come this week about that one Club World Cup. The semi finals have been confirmed. Flamenense will play Chelsea on Tuesday. PSG will play Real

Madrid on Wednesday. Both will be at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. PSG are seen as the favorites to win the competition by Opta, almost forty percent chance of winning it, fifty nine percent chance of advancing to the final over

Real Madrid Chelsea. They have a very wrong chance of defeating Fluminense according to OPTA, which I'm not so sure of that, but they also then are a thirty three percent chance of winning the competition eighty one percent chance of reaching the final over Flaminense according to OPTA's prediction model. The final match here in Atlanta was one of the best you will see anywhere. PSG advanced with a two zero win over Byron in front of over sixty six

thousand fans. We talked about it on our Atlanta Soccer Tonight special, but more has come out since. I was disappointed with the booing of gian Luigi Donna Ruma in the second half from Byron fans. I was even more disappointed with the comments that came out of the mixed zone later and they were very targeted in terms of how they were delivered because our own John Nelson was downstairs and these were not delivered in English. They were

delivered to German media. Manuel Neuer and Byron sporting director Max Eberill. They I don't think they really attempted to blame Joan Luigi Dona Roma. They absolutely blamed Donna Ruma for the injury on Jamal Muciala. It was extremely out of place for the sporting director to be in the mix zone after the match. For one two. I think it was very unfair for Neuer to try to take credit for Donna Ruma going to say anything to Musiala

after the incident. I guess at halftime, I don't know what kind of credit you're trying to take for that, And it was very unfair for both of them to blame Donna Ruma in this situation and to act like he didn't care. That's absolutely not fair and I thought very poor form from Noyer and Everel to do that.

I was honestly shocked at the sporting director was speaking about it after the match and did not expect to see that from Manuel Neuer, who has been a goalkeeper who has been very aggressive in plays in his own career, and I don't think he would really apreciate being questioned in a moment like that, especially when it was blatantly obvious to anyone watching the broadcast or anyone in the building that Donna Rumo was one hundred percent affected once

he saw the severity of the injury. Reports have come out since that he has spoken to the club psychologist for support. Just don't like to see finger pointing in a moment like this when it's a soccer accident. It's a shame for Jamal Musciali. He's going to be out for a long period of time, suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle in the incident. But the blaming of Donna Ruma afterwards I thought was extremely out of place, and frankly, it's not something that I expected from a

club like Bayern Munich. I did not expect to see or hear that from them and their sporting director going to the mix zone to speak on it afterwards is honestly really shocking and I'm surprised hasn't been talked about more. Let's get into silly season because there's a whole bunch of updates is by no means all of it. Things that are bubbling up as we speak. Arsenal they have gotten the deal done for Martin Zubin Zubimindi from Orel Sosiadad.

It's going to be about seventy six and a half million dollars higher than the release clause, but by spending more they'll be able to pay it in installments rather than one lump sum. They have also agreed to personal terms with Chelsea's winger Noni Madoweke, twenty three years old. He's given the green light to the move. No club to club talks between Arsenal and Chelsea yet. Arsenal are also in advanced talks with Sporting in Portugal for Victor Yulkaris,

twenty seven year old striker. It's not done, the situation is progressing. Personal terms are in place for a proposed five year deal. The Swedish international wants to go to Arsenal. If they get all these deals done, they have to be a major contender for major trophies this year. There's no way around it. And I've talked a lot over the years about Mikhael Artet and I think at times the unfair criticism that he has dealt with at Arsenal, sometimes from his own fans. This changes it for me.

The issue has been that he has done as much as he could reasonably do with the talent that he has had at his disposal. If he gets Yolkaris, if he's gotten Zubi, MINDI, if he gets Mattawaki, along with any other moves that they make, they have to pay that off with trophies this year, and that puts you into the conversation of FA Cup, Premier League, Champions League trophies. We'll see if Arsenal can get it done. Chelsea might

sell Mattawaki. They have confirmed the signing of Jamie Geitttens from Barusha Dortmund fee of forty eight point five million pounds potential add ons as well Tottenham Hotspur. They have failed with their initial bid of fifty million pounds for West Ham midfielder forward Mohammed Kudus. We'll see if that goes up over time. Callum Wilson, he is leaving Newcastle. He said all good things must come to an end. After confirming he will leave contract expired. They couldn't agree

to a new deal. Forty nine goals and one hundred and thirty matches for Newcastle thirty three years old. Will be curious to see where Callum Wilson ends up next season. Fresh from the Club World Cup, Igor jay Esus his transfer from both the Fogo to Nottingham Forest. It's complete. It's been a wild year for Igor jay Esus. He was in the Middle East, won the Copa Debertadores with Botafogo, came in as a backup, ended up taking the starting role.

He's broken into the Brazilian national team. He was a start the Club World Cup and now he's headed to Forest. Speaking of Botafogo, after firing ran out to Paiva, they have hired David Ancelotti in his first managerial role. Yes, he is Carlos's son. He's been his assistant at Real Madrid. Most recently. He was in the running for the job at Rangers this summer, didn't get it. Reports have suggested that Paiva's departure was largely due to disagreements over team

selection and the tactics with club owner John Texter. Texter wanted a more aggressive style to play. He wasn't happy with the one zier loss to Paul Mettis in the Club World Cup knockout stage. Paiva started three defensive midfielders in that match, reportedly against John Texter's wishes. Piva himself has attributed the sacking to his refusal to accept John

Texter's interference in team matters. We'll see if David Ancelotti is ready to manage that side of things, and John Texter might need to interfere more on the financial side of things. And I don't know pay his transfer fees that he has agreed to with clubs like I don't know Atlanta United, as a FIFA tribunal has told him he has to or he's going to face a transfer ban.

And we're getting close to that time when things were supposed to be paid, and I don't know if they have been paid, because John Texter also has the issue with trying to find one hundred million euro for Leone to prevent them from being relegated. Good times all the way around for the Eagle football group. Rodrigo de Paul, his name is coming up a lot right now. This

has been going on a weekend. Now it's being added to by Fabrizzio Romano, but it was Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, who reported first that Miami is chasing him, maybe it's better to say Michellekaufman confirmed that Inter Miami is chasing Rodrigo de Paul. Makes total sense because of the close relationship with Lionel Messi. To Paul often seen as Messi's bodyguard on the field with Argentina. Okay, not a shock. He's in the last year of his deal Atleti.

There's also reports out of Brazil that Flamingo is joining the chase as well, so this could get very interesting with Rodrigo de Paul and I think things are going to come together pretty quickly in this regard as well, so stay tuned. Nico Williams he is staying at Athletic Club in bill Bao. Now that that is done, Barcelona and Byron, who were both chasing Williams, are now chasing Louis Diaz of Liverpool. According to Build in Germany, Luis Diaz is a given the green light to join Bayern Munich.

According to Mundo Deportivo in Spain, Louis Diaz is wanting to join FC Barcelona. Welcome to silly season. We'll see what happens and after a dalliance with Chelsea. Mike Magnon will stay at Milan between the pipes this season and be their goalkeeper. Now he's going into the last year of his contract, we'll see if Milan can get a new deal done with him. Other news on this edition of The Morning Espresso. The Women's African Cup of Nations

started over the weekend. Morocco and Zambia in the opener a two to two draw, while back and forth match. In that one Senegal, they rolled in the first half to beat the Oar Congo four nil. They moved to the top of Group A. Vivian Medema she scored her one hundredth goal for the Netherlands in the win over Whale. At the Women's Euros, France defeated England two to one in the opening match for both teams, puts a little extra pressure on the Lionesses in their remaining two group

matches in Norway. They have booked their spot in the knockout round with two wins. Thus far more games in the Women's Euros today, More games in the Club World Cup this week. More talk about Atlanta United as they get ready to go to Toronto this week. Plenty to come all week long on the Morning Espresso on the SDH Network. Thank you to our friends at Oglethorpe University for sponsoring the Morning Espresso