The welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso here on the SDAH Network, brought to you by our friends at Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. Atlanta United could use a few soccer powerhouses right now. First time in club history that the team has lost back to back games by three goals or more. Another three nil loss on the road at Orlando City over the weekend was not a pleasant match in any way.
A decent start, gave up a goal. Do you do a var intervention on a penalty which I didn't love the intervention and it took forever it's given and things didn't really come back from there. Two bad goals in the second half and Atlanta United ends up losing three nil. And look, there's a lot of pressure on the team coming back home for a match on Saturday afternoon against
Nashville SC. A Nashville team that won seven to two over the weekend against Chicago and an Atlanta team that needs to find some life in it somehow, some way. We'll talk a lot about this this week. There'll be a lot about it this morning on SDHAM, starting at nine oh five. On the YouTube page, also on Twitch, and also on x I'll be talking about it on Atlanta Soccer tonight on Tuesday as well, and we'll be out at training Tuesday and Thursday this week with training
ground dispatches on both days. Going to be a big week in a very big game on Saturday against Nashville. We'll be talking about it as we go. But it's got to be better than it has been these last two games on the road, and you've got to find some goals, which you haven't done in quite a while.
Haven't scored a goal from the run of play.
Because the last goal was a penalty scored by Miguel Almeron. Haven't scored a goal in the run of play in a long time. That has to change. It has to change. I wish there was an easy answer to it. I think people are in times trying to oversimplify it. It's a it's not a good situation, and we will see what happens this week. It's a very big week for the club and we'll see what happens. Let's talk around
MLS right now. Enter Miami. They lost their first game of the season in terms of MLS play, lost to Dallas for to three. They had to lead three one after the hour mark, rested Messi, rested Busquetz, wrested Alba,
rested Suarez. Ahead of the CONCA CAF Champions Cup second leg against Vancouver in the semi final, Jave Masherno put his hand up afterwards took blame for the loss, said we played a very good game for sixty five minutes, managed to come back from being one nailed down early, he said, But unfortunately I made a mistake in reading the match in In the end, I couldn't help the players. They kind of got too defensive there with the lead
and ended ended up costing them. On the other side of that semi final, they won three to one at Minnesota United. Sebastian Burhalter scored from outside the eighteen, his third goal in the month of April. He'd only scored five goals across all competitions in his first five pro seasons. He's got three goals in April. Also in this match, MLS announced that it is aware of a reported violation of the league's non discrimination policy. Happened late in the game,
apparently ninety fifth minute. The broadcast feed showed a verbal altercation between Minnesota's Joseph Rosalis and Vancouver's Emmanuel Sabi, with Sabi's teammate Berhalter joining in and gesturing at Rosalis. There were continued arguments after the final whistle. MLS is investigating, as are both clubs. Mentioned Chicago's seven to two loss to Nashville, Greg Berhalter apologized. He said, we deserve to
lose the way we did. Blame the defeat not just on the defense, but a collective failure is the quote across all lines quote. Today was an absolute disaster, unquote. Cincinnati. They stay on top in the East, a two to one win over Kansas City Kevin Dankey with a goal of the Year contender a bicycle kick in the seventy
eighth minute. Portland, they remain unbeaten in seven straight after a four to two win in Los Angeles over the Galaxy and Denny Bwanga last night scored an amazing goal deep in stoppage time to level the match with Saint Louis two too. It was a chaotic go ahead goal for the visitors, where the ball's deflecting around, it deflects a clearance, deflects off the back of a player into the back of the net. They checked var for about five different things in the situation, nothing given, so it's
a goal. But then Bwanga goes down and puts the team on his back and finds the equalizer. To two top five teams in MLS after this weekend, Vancouver number one on twenty three points, Cincinnati on twenty two, Columbus on twenty one, Philadelphia on nineteen, Charlotte on nineteen.
They lost to New England at home over the weekend.
Bottom Fire DC on nine, Kansas City on seven, Toronto on seven, Montreal on three, and La Galaxy on three. Y're defending champions Copa del Ray in Spain. What a match, Jules Conde. He scored an extra time winner to beat Real Madrid. It was two to two through ninety minutes. It looked like penalties were coming. Counde scored from about twenty two yards out, a great goal to win it.
Barca had been the better team in the first half, Pedri with an outstanding goal from outside the eighteen to open the scoring.
Real Madrid.
They improved dramatically when killing and Pope came on as a substitute, curled a free kick into the bottom corner that tied it to a many headed Real Madrid into the lead from an Artagouler corner. Barcelona leveled it before the end of regulation. Federal Dorees ran onto La Migna. Mal's long ball dribbled, the goalkeeper slotted it in. Looked like Barcelona was going to get a penalty and injury time or Athena drew it. Decision was overturned after a
long var check goes to extra time. Counde's goal makes the difference. The whole build up to this was dominated by scrutiny of the referees. It was in large part due to a video that Real Madrid TV posted complaining about the referee and pointing out mistakes that he had made in previous games. The referee had a press conference on Friday, tearfully talking about how it was and I can't really repeat it. Not FCC violations here, but we're not gonna run a foul of that and have to
put the adult language thing on here. But the referee was very upset about the video. This is not the first time that Real Madrid has done this. I think it's a horrible look and it's something that the club really has to stop doing.
It's for a club that I think has tried to.
Always bring an air of honor outside of their time with Jose Mourinho. This is a horrible look and they've done it all season and it's created issues going into pretty much every big game that they've done this with In this one you get more issues. Antonio Rudeger throws something on the field after a decision very late. He's sent off. Lucas Vasquez is sent off from the bench, Jude Bellingham is sent off after the final whistle for
angrily confronting officials. It's just an extremely bad look. There was talk that after the referees press conference that Real Madrid wasn't going to go forward with any of the pomp and circumstance around the Copa del Rey final.
They eventually did.
Spain's got to get control of the situation in general the Spanish Federation a La Liga. But Real Madrid has to stop with this, they really do. It's gotten really bad. Also with Real Madrid, they got to figure out what they're going to do with the coaching situation. Carlo Ancelotti set for more talks about taking over as the Brazilian national team manager that continue. A Brazilian businessman, Diego Fernanje has been acting on behalf of the Brazilian federation. He
was at the game. He's going to sit down with Carlo Ancelotti, reportedly sometime this week, trying to get Ancelotti to take the Brazil job as soon as the La Liga season is over. That would mean Ancelotti would leave before the Club World Cup and he would be in place for the June World Cup qualifiers for Brazil. Shabi Alonso byer Levercusen they're waiting for a call from Real Madrid to figure out what's going to happen with them.
Marca has reported this in Spain, but they've also reported that conversations are still at least being had internally at Real Madrid about talking to Jurgen Klop. Now, Klop's agent shut down rumors that he was unhappy in his role with Red Bull. That kind of said, I'm not interested in going back to management. He has a contract. There's nothing more to say. But as we know, contracts can be broken and they can be bought out. Same thing
with Shabi Alonzo. By the way, there is a track leverkeus And has said they won't stand in the way, but they're going to have to get some money out of this, as would Red Bull. If Real Madrid is going to go for either Klop or Shabi Alonso, stay tuned. Speaking of Jurgen Klop his previous team Liverpool, they won their second Premier League title, their twentieth English top flight championship.
They're now level with Manchester United as the most successful side in English top flight history with twenty championships.
Arnest Slott.
He becomes the third manager in Liverpool's history to win the title in his first season in charge. Joe Fagan did it in nineteen eighty four, Kenny dald Gleish did it in nineteen eighty six. He also joins an elite group of managers Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte who won the Premier League in their first season.
Mosala twenty eight goals, eighteen assists, crazy numbers. Four games left Sala's one goal contribution away from tying the forty seven that's the record that's set by Alan Shear and Andy Cole. Those were during forty two games. He seas not thirty eight incredible for Mosala. Incredible for Liverpool, Incredible for Arne Slot. Nobody gave them a chance to win the league this season. Everybody was talking about he's gonna fail, he might be the first manager fired, and he wins
the title. Incredible work from Arne Slott and great work but from Jurgen Klopp as well on the way out in helping Arne Slot be set up for success. It's hard to follow a legend. It's very hard to follow a legend. After they did not win, Arnes Slot went better than the legend with this title. After last season that was a little bit of a disappointment for Liverpool. UEFA Women's Champions League Arsenal with an incredible comeback. They whooped up on Leone in France for one win for
Arsenal in front of twenty thousand people. They were down to one after a late winner for Leon in London. So Arsenal gets to the UEFA Women's Champions League final. They will face Barcelona. Speaking of whooping up Barcelona, where they won the second leg against Chelsea four to one. They won the first leg against Chelsea four to one.
They win the series eight to two on aggregate. Barsa and Arsenal in the UEFA Women's Champions League Final INWSL Kansas City, Current first place coming into the weekend, they lose three to two, first loss of the season to the North Carolina Courage. Courage hadn't won in five Current was perfect with five wins in five games. Kaylee Kurtz equalized in the ninetieth minute. Ashley Sanchez won the game
for the Courage three minutes later. There's also news on the NWSL front that they're going to start a second division very similar to MLS Next Pro as a reserve league. Eight teams are committed in starting second teams in NWSL's new second division.
FA Cup semi Finals.
Manchester City they've qualified for the FA Cup Final for the fourteenth time in their history. Two nil winners over Nottingham Forest Crystal Palace, three nail winners over Aston Villa. They'll meet in the final on May seventeen at Wembley. Wrexham they have advanced to the championship. Now they have earned promotion, first time in forty three years that they will be in the second division, first time any club
has achieved three straight promotions across England's top tiers. Club was bought by Ryan Reynolds Rob Mcalenny two point five million dollars. In twenty twenty one, they were promoted back to the EFL after fifteen years. In twenty twenty three, they were promoted after a second place finish in League two last year. Looks like they're going to finish second in this League one to go to the championship this year. Birmingham City, Who's going to win the league one hundred
and five points. That is a new League one points record, breaking Wolves's one hundred and three points in twenty fourteen. So two interesting teams. Wrexham's going to get a lot of the headlines. Birmingham City another one that are going up into the championship. Very very curious to watch the championship next season. SARAA Napoli. They now have the lead by three points over Inter ter lost at home to Roma Napoli one two nil over Torino. Scott mctominy scored
both goals for Napoli. He's got eleven on the season, now the most by a Scottish player in sari AI history, passing Dennis Law's nineteen sixty two season at Toreno Enter. On the other side, They look exhausted. They were going for a quadruple. They didn't score against Bologna a few games ago, they didn't score against Milan, and the Copa Italia semi final second leg they didn't score against Roma. They might not have any trophies after not too long ago looking for a quadruple.
They do have Champions League. They do get Barcelona this week. We'll be talking about it.
But can they find something because right now it's not good for Inter and they're in second place in Sarria, River and Boca. The Argentine Superclassico River with the two one win Franco Mastantuono and Sebastian Drewsy Your goal scorers. The free kick from Maustantuono seventeen years old. He's one of the next jewels of Argentine football. All the big clubs around the world want to sign him. What a free kick from him? Go seek that one out. River is trying to get to level the all time series
with Boca. They're four wins away from doing that. Let's go to Africa. The African Champions League surprises in the semi finals. We've talked about it a little bit here on the Espresso the first legs both scoreless in South Africa. The second legs were in Cairo, and it's not the two Egyptian teams that are in the final. One of them is Pyramids, the other one Mammalodi Sundowns. An upset result over the defending champions in the competition, a lak Lie.
It was an own goal from Yaser Ibrahim in stoppage time late in the second leg in Cairo, the Sundowns beat a lac Lee on away goals after a one to one draw. Second game of the day, Pyramids, they came back twice to beat Orlando Pirates three to two fisted Mayla score twice for the home team to advance to the final. First ever Champions League final for Pyramids.
They will take on Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg in Pretoria in May twenty fourth second leg will be back in Cairo on June first, SDHAM starting in about twenty minutes or so on the YouTube page here, also on x also on Twitch. Tons of content all week long. High school state tournaments are into the round of sixteen. We'll be talking about that. We'll have plenty of games starting on Wednesday with Johns Creek's Boys on the road
at Macintosh. That'll be Wednesday night, games on Thursday, games on Friday. Soccer is in session all week as well. At noon you'll hear from high school coaches all around the state at Georgia. Very busy week ahead, Lots of games this weekend, with Atlanta United hosting Nashville First Team Action Unified Team Action Second Team Atlanta United two, who drew yesterday scoreless on the road at Cincinnati. Atlanta United two will be on the road at Huntsville Saturday night.
We'll have coverage of all of that and more this week. But thank you for watching, and thank you to our friends at Oglethorpe University for presenting another edition of The Morning Espresso