Speaker 1: The welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso
Speaker 1: on the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University,
Speaker 1: Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. Welcome back
Speaker 1: to the Morning Espresso. It's been a little hectic as
Speaker 1: of late on the travel front. Tuesday afternoon went to Austin,
Speaker 1: Texas one hundred degrees on the ground in Austin Wednesday
Speaker 1: there with Atlanta United a one to one draw. Flew
Speaker 1: back overnight, landed at about four am, So no espresso yesterday.
Speaker 1: I was sleeping during the espresso, slept right through espresso,
Speaker 1: slept right past any need for espresso, and then had
Speaker 1: Georgia High School State championships last night up in Duluth.
Speaker 1: We'll talk about that in this edition, along with a
Speaker 1: whole bunch of other things. Were back on the normal
Speaker 1: schedule as you get ready for a home game on Saturday,
Speaker 1: Atlanta United hosting the Philadelphia Union. It's part of rivalry
Speaker 1: Week in MLS, and I don't know if the league
Speaker 1: necessarily considers Atlanta Philly a rivalry. I know I do,
Speaker 1: and I know quite a few others do. As Atlanta
Speaker 1: and Philly have had some interesting matchups over the last
Speaker 1: few years. Philly trailed the LA Galaxy two nil on
Speaker 1: Wednesday before coming back to win three to two on
Speaker 1: a goal from Ty Barribo, his second of the day.
Speaker 1: It's a seven forty kickoff at Mercedes Benz Stadium, six
Speaker 1: thirty four year pregame on ninety two nine The Game
Speaker 1: and the Odyssey app with Ape Gordon and Madison Cruise.
Speaker 1: The weekend starts with Montreal hosting Toronto at two thirty
Speaker 1: on Saturday afternoon Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati, they travel to
Speaker 1: Ohio rivals Columbus the hell Is Real derby seven to
Speaker 1: fifteen on Saturday night. Portland hosts Seattle Saturday Night as well.
Speaker 1: That's a nine to thirty start Eastern Time and a
Speaker 1: great Sunday doubleheader that I'm looking forward to. Miami hosting
Speaker 1: Orlando at seven o'clock, followed by hel Traffic Coo. Let
Speaker 1: me know if you like the l Traffic Coo name.
Speaker 1: I know some people love it. I'm not a big fan.
Speaker 1: I think it's kind of silly, but it worked for
Speaker 1: the LA Galaxy in LAFC. That's a nine pm kick
Speaker 1: for a doubleheader of Sunday night Soccer on Apple TV
Speaker 1: and MLS Season Pass. Some other news around the league.
Speaker 1: Jordi Alba has signed a new contract at Enter Miami
Speaker 1: through the twenty twenty seven MLS season. He will be
Speaker 1: a designated player And could this mean Sennor Messi and
Speaker 1: maybe Senor Busquetz and maybe Signor Suarez are going to
Speaker 1: sign new deals. Now there's a lot of talk about
Speaker 1: Luis Suarez, who has struggled this season, missed a game
Speaker 1: due to a friend's wedding in Spain. People are starting
Speaker 1: to get bent out of shape. The tabloids are starting
Speaker 1: to really get going in Miami talking about these things.
Speaker 1: Suarez would seem to be the most unlikely, along with Bousquettes,
Speaker 1: but Lionel Messi new contract in Miami. Lots of talk
Speaker 1: about this worldwide, so stay stay tuned. Training ground dispatch
Speaker 1: later today from Marietta, the Children's Health Care of Atlanta
Speaker 1: Training Ground, as Ronnie Diila and Saba Loop Genieza will
Speaker 1: speak to the media. Barcelona. They won their twenty eighth
Speaker 1: La Liga title yesterday. Lamin Ya Mal scored another stunning goal.
Speaker 1: Because this is what the guy does. Darby Wynn over Espanol,
Speaker 1: the seventeen year old. He's still not eighteen years old.
Speaker 1: Jamal curled a fantastic shot into the top left corner
Speaker 1: from the edge of the box. It's becoming the Lamin
Speaker 1: Jamal goal, where he cuts in on the left foot
Speaker 1: and goes to goal. He does it again. It's a
Speaker 1: treble for Barcelona. They had already won the super Copa
Speaker 1: dea Spagna and the Copa del Rey and now La Liga.
Speaker 1: Now because it's Barcelona, there are other conversations going on,
Speaker 1: and one of them is about their salary limit for
Speaker 1: next season, because their salary limit for the season has
Speaker 1: been a conversation all year long, and it's still kind
Speaker 1: of unknown as to how they actually got Powerful and
Speaker 1: Donnielmo under the salary limit outside of appealing to the
Speaker 1: Spanish courts and getting an injunction and getting a stay
Speaker 1: and all this stuff. Because the one hundred million euro
Speaker 1: lease of VIP seats that supposedly gave them the ability
Speaker 1: to register those two players in the mid season, because
Speaker 1: there were only six month registrations before that, that's not
Speaker 1: completely and utterly done yet, so I don't know how
Speaker 1: they got to play in the second half of the
Speaker 1: season outside of the courts. We'll see if anything comes back.
Speaker 1: Because of all that, it would not surprise me. This
Speaker 1: is Spanish football after all. But that one hundred million
Speaker 1: euro sale is still part of the conversation about what
Speaker 1: Barcelona could do for next season. So auditors Crow decided
Speaker 1: that they could not include the one hundred million euro
Speaker 1: lease of four hundred and seventy five VIP seats for
Speaker 1: thirty years in this year's accounts, which again gave them
Speaker 1: the ability to register down Naolmo and pal Victor. At
Speaker 1: least allegedly they couldn't include it, but they did include
Speaker 1: it because they had an auditor who worked for four days.
Speaker 1: It's it's crazy. I don't know how this is actually
Speaker 1: going to be upheld. That these two guys should have
Speaker 1: been able to play. So now you're trying to figure out, like,
Speaker 1: can you get the sale done to help you for
Speaker 1: next season when it already helped you this season, so
Speaker 1: it's going to help you twice. I don't know. Barcelona
Speaker 1: are trying to get this done to be in place
Speaker 1: for the next fiscal year. At the end of June.
Speaker 1: They want to have the renovated camp know and I
Speaker 1: say they want to because it's not confirmed yet because
Speaker 1: they've pushed back the start date for all this stuff
Speaker 1: many many times. They want to have it ready for
Speaker 1: action when it comes to the VIP seats by June
Speaker 1: to be able to present the new Era Visionary Group
Speaker 1: in EVEG and Forsha Advisors fo r Tia Fortia Advisors
Speaker 1: with a receipt for their purchase before the end of
Speaker 1: their accounting year, so that can, in theory, prove to
Speaker 1: the auditors named Crow that they have delivered the product,
Speaker 1: while before they said the deal could not be included
Speaker 1: as the product did not exist because the stadium is
Speaker 1: not being used. So as such, without the one hundred
Speaker 1: million euro deal, Barcelona or back in the red with
Speaker 1: regard to their salary limit, and they shouldn't have been
Speaker 1: able to register pal Victor and Doniolmo. But they did
Speaker 1: and they played. And yes, forty advisors have already paid
Speaker 1: their thirty million euro share for one hundred and twenty
Speaker 1: five of the four hundred and twenty four hundred and
Speaker 1: seventy five seats in EVG have put up twenty eight
Speaker 1: million euro. There's forty two million euro to pay. Their
Speaker 1: payments were scheduled for September and December. But the Moldovan
Speaker 1: businessman and convicted fraudster Ruslan beer Lodino, he's already secured
Speaker 1: the commercial agreements necessary, according to folks at Barcelona and
Speaker 1: the media, and could advance the second payment to this
Speaker 1: June rather than September. That could aid Barcelona in their
Speaker 1: bid to prove to the auditors in La Liga that
Speaker 1: the deal should be included in the accounts. It would
Speaker 1: not be the end of the matter, again, because this
Speaker 1: is Spanish football. If the deal is included in Barcelona's audit,
Speaker 1: Laaliga are suspicious over the business links between Barcelona, forty
Speaker 1: advisors and ANYVG. They're investigating all of the deals. The
Speaker 1: lease is over thirty years. There's a suggestion that La
Speaker 1: Liga could say the deal has to be pro rata
Speaker 1: and include the income. Divide the income over the link
Speaker 1: of the deal, which again makes you wonder how Doniomo
Speaker 1: and how Victor are playing outside of the court system,
Speaker 1: and why now you're going to get double credit for
Speaker 1: these sales that are already a little odd. I'll put
Speaker 1: it that way to be safe. Yeah, just smile a
Speaker 1: nod and move on. Brilliant on the field, Barcelona, but
Speaker 1: off the field questions Sarah. Almost everything is still uncertain
Speaker 1: heading into the next to last round of matches this weekend.
Speaker 1: Two teams fighting for the title, six teams trying to
Speaker 1: avoid relegation, four are vying for the final Champions League spot,
Speaker 1: another two are still in that mix. All the games
Speaker 1: this Sunday are kicking off simultaneously nine to forty five
Speaker 1: pm local time. Inter and Napoli are chasing the title.
Speaker 1: Napoli has a one point advantage. They won the title
Speaker 1: two years ago. They had one of the worst title
Speaker 1: defenses in history. Last year they went through three managers
Speaker 1: and they finished tenth. Inter are the defending champions. Antonio
Speaker 1: Conte went to Napoli and he's brought all kinds of
Speaker 1: stability to the team. They're looking to make him a manager.
Speaker 1: With three teams that have won Seria titles, he wanted
Speaker 1: to enter and he won at three times at Juventus.
Speaker 1: Napoli goes to Parma, who are trying to avoid relegation.
Speaker 1: On Sunday, Inter hosts fifth placed Lazzio, so if they
Speaker 1: stay tied through the last two rounds of the season,
Speaker 1: there will be a playoff. They don't go to Gold. Differentially,
Speaker 1: they don't go ahead to head, they go to a playoff.
Speaker 1: The final round is set for May twenty fourth or
Speaker 1: twenty five, but if it's needed, a playoff game is
Speaker 1: going to be really difficult to schedule because Enters in
Speaker 1: the Champions League final against PSG a week later. Then
Speaker 1: they have the Club World Cup the summer. One idea
Speaker 1: that has been pushed to the side for now would
Speaker 1: be to move Napoli and Enter's final games up to Thursday,
Speaker 1: freeing Sunday for a potential playoff. SARAA has voted to
Speaker 1: keep it as it is for now, they have not
Speaker 1: changed it yet. If Napoli wins an Inter loses, then
Speaker 1: Napoli wins the title this weekend and we don't have
Speaker 1: to worry about a playoff. Also in Italy, Bologna they
Speaker 1: won the Copa Italia over Milan this week, their first
Speaker 1: major trophy since winning the Copa Italia in nineteen seventy four.
Speaker 1: Bologna Joey Saputo very very excited this week. Liga MX
Speaker 1: playoffs semi finals right now cruz Asul and Club America.
Speaker 1: Last night La Machina they won one zil to take
Speaker 1: the advantage. Nacho Rivera's goal won at Club America. Manager
Speaker 1: Andre Jardine was sent off the other semi final first
Speaker 1: leg finished one to one. Second legs are this weekend.
Speaker 1: Everton final game for their men's team at Goodison Park
Speaker 1: this weekend. The women's team will continue at Goodison Park,
Speaker 1: the men's team will move to a new stadium at
Speaker 1: nearby Bramley Moore Doc. This is the final game in
Speaker 1: the team's home of one hundred and thirty three years,
Speaker 1: famous stadium in England, as well more top tier games
Speaker 1: than any other stadium in England that it has hosted.
Speaker 1: Nineteen sixty six World Cup. Pela was kicked to pieces
Speaker 1: before losing a World Cup match with Brazil for the
Speaker 1: only time that he was ever on the field and
Speaker 1: a loss for Brazil. Eight league titles were won, several
Speaker 1: escapes from relegation completed. Everton had been able to avoid
Speaker 1: that fate this season and they will celebrate Goodison part
Speaker 1: on Sunday. Club World Cup. Let's get caught up on
Speaker 1: some of the conversation around the tournament that's coming to
Speaker 1: Atlanta this summer. On held Maria with Benfica. It was
Speaker 1: expected that he would be part of this, but reports
Speaker 1: in Portugal. The magazine Record has said that he will
Speaker 1: not be part of it. That would mean his last
Speaker 1: match for Benfica would be on May twenty fifth, the
Speaker 1: Portuguese Cup final against Sporting. He's been a huge part
Speaker 1: of Benfica this season, thirty eight games played, fifteen goals,
Speaker 1: nine assists. He could be heading back to Rosario Central
Speaker 1: in Argentina, where he started. There's been talk about MLS
Speaker 1: as well. Miami's name has come up, obviously because of
Speaker 1: all the Argentines there, but I don't know how they
Speaker 1: would make that work interesting. I thought he would be
Speaker 1: part of Benfica in the Club World Cup. Stay tuned.
Speaker 1: It's just a report at this point. There's reports out
Speaker 1: of Argentina saying otherwise, so we shall see. Be on
Speaker 1: the lookout later today. On our social media at Soccer
Speaker 1: down here for clips from Jude Bellingham. He spoke to
Speaker 1: FIFA about Real Madrid's ambitions in the tournament earlier this week.
Speaker 1: It's a big opportunity for Madrid to start off the
Speaker 1: Shabi Alonso era right and kind of wash away what's
Speaker 1: been a disappointing year and start a new era in
Speaker 1: a big way. Donny carve Hall also spoke to media.
Speaker 1: He said he's really looking forward to playing teams from
Speaker 1: the rest of the world in meaningful matches. He's obviously
Speaker 1: got experience in doing this with Real Madrid, but he's
Speaker 1: also a big NBA fan, so he's looking forward to
Speaker 1: being in the US for this event, hoping that the
Speaker 1: Madridistas will be turning out in big numbers for the tournament.
Speaker 1: His club, they're trying to get deals done to strengthen
Speaker 1: this back line right now, Dean Huisen from Bournemouth and
Speaker 1: Benfica left back Alvaro Fernandez. They're trying to get those
Speaker 1: deals over the line for Club World Cup enter They
Speaker 1: want to add four to five players ahead of the tournament.
Speaker 1: One of them that has been identified is marse Luis
Speaker 1: Henrique trying to get that deal done. Carrari Della Sport
Speaker 1: has said that the Italians have set a timetable to
Speaker 1: get this deal done, trying to put some pressure on Marseille.
Speaker 1: So stay tuned if you are getting kind of up
Speaker 1: to speed on the Club World Cup, thirty two teams
Speaker 1: from all over the world. Action kicks off on June
Speaker 1: fourteenth in Miami as intern Miami hosts a La Lee
Speaker 1: first game here in Atlanta is going to be Chelsea
Speaker 1: against either Clube America or LAFC on June sixteenth, Miami.
Speaker 1: They make the trip up to play Porto on June nineteenth.
Speaker 1: Manchester City will play Al Ayen from Abu Dhabi on
Speaker 1: June twenty second. Three knockout games here in Atlanta on
Speaker 1: June twenty, ninth, July first, July fifth. The final of
Speaker 1: the tournament will be at MetLife Stadium on July thirteenth.
Speaker 1: Tickets are available FIFA dot com slash tickets. Also, hospitality
Speaker 1: packages are available FIFA dot com slash Hospitality and there
Speaker 1: are ticket package is that will get you into the
Speaker 1: mix for World Cup twenty twenty six tickets. Go check
Speaker 1: out FIFA dot com slash tickets. This weekend. The FA
Speaker 1: Cup Final Crystal Palace versus Manchester City on Saturday at
Speaker 1: eleven thirty Eastern time. City have won the trophy seven times.
Speaker 1: They're unbeaten in their last seven games against Palace across
Speaker 1: all competitions, aggregate score of eighteen to four in their
Speaker 1: last three games with Palace and the FA Cup. Expect
Speaker 1: some goals, though eleven goals scored across this season's Premier
Speaker 1: League games between these two teams. Palace have also netted
Speaker 1: two goals in five of their last six encounters with
Speaker 1: Manchester City, so it should be a fun one on
Speaker 1: Saturday at eleven thirty the Women's FA Cup Final between
Speaker 1: Chelsea and Manchester United. That is on Sunday as Chelsea
Speaker 1: tries to add another trophy to the case. And I
Speaker 1: mentioned it off the top. The Georgia High School Finals
Speaker 1: continue tonight, final day of the twenty twenty five Georgia
Speaker 1: High school season in Macon in two to a. It's
Speaker 1: Pike County on the girls side, facing Savannah Arts, Drew
Speaker 1: Charters boys will play Shaw Madison Cruse and I will
Speaker 1: be in Duluth. Five A. Roswell's girls try to finish
Speaker 1: the season unbeaten against Northgate. River Ridges boys face off
Speaker 1: with Sprayberry Your Finals Your champions so far. Single ad one.
Speaker 1: It was a Floyd County sweep, their first soccer title
Speaker 1: since nineteen seventy one. Models girls beat Breeman and Armucci's
Speaker 1: boys came back to win four to three over Thomasville
Speaker 1: Single ad two. Lake Oconey Academy's boys won last night
Speaker 1: in extra time in Macon over Atkinson County. Atlanta Classicals
Speaker 1: Girls beat Loa in the first match of the day.
Speaker 1: In the private bracket Atlanta Internationals Boys they beat Whitfield
Speaker 1: Academy On Wednesday. Love Its Girls beat Greater Atlanta Christian
Speaker 1: in Duluth on Wednesday as well three to a over
Speaker 1: at mckeacheren On Wednesday night, Johnson's Boys beat Northwest Whitfield
Speaker 1: one nil. Oconey County's girls completed their three peat three
Speaker 1: titles in a row. They beat Jefferson in overtime one nil.
Speaker 1: Four A last night Blessed Trinity's girls one nil win
Speaker 1: over Marist on a great goal from Julie Melhuch. Westminster's
Speaker 1: boys needed penalties, but they got it done to beat
Speaker 1: previously unbeaten Marist. Last night in six a over at
Speaker 1: mckeacher and Campbell's Boys they won one nil over Grayson.
Speaker 1: Walton's girls beat previously unbeaten Buford in penalties in the final.
Speaker 1: So the previously unbeaten teams fell last night Marrist's boys
Speaker 1: Walton's girls. We'll see if Roswell can stay unbeaten for
Speaker 1: the entire season and win a state title. Tonight. You
Speaker 1: can watch on the NFHS network. Madison and I will
Speaker 1: be in Duluth, our friend matteen Rad will be down
Speaker 1: in making. That's going to do it for this edition
Speaker 1: of The Morning Espresso. Will be back on Monday to
Speaker 1: recap the weekend around the world of soccer. Make sure
Speaker 1: you're following us at Soccer down here on all our
Speaker 1: social media platforms. Tons of content coming out all weekend long.