The rain has been heavy for Atlanta United this season, but Wednesday morning the sun is out. Cooper Sanchez scored his first career goal, Jay Fortune hit a milestone only one Homegrown player has reached before him, and the Five Stripes are in the US Open Cup quarterfinals. Meanwhile, PSG and Bayern Munich reminded the rest of us why we clear our calendars for this sport. The game never stops and neither do we. Welcome to the SDH Network, Around the Corner from Everywhere.

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

Atlanta United came to Charlotte two days after a road win in Toronto and played like a team that knows exactly what it is right now. The Five Stripes controlled the match from the opening whistle, outshot Charlotte FC 8-1 in the first half, created three big chances to none, and left with a clean 2-0 victory that puts them in the US Open Cup quarterfinals. The draw is Thursday morning at 9 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Golazo Network's Morning Footy, with Atlanta's next cup match scheduled for May 19 or 20.

Alexey Miranchuk was, again, the engine of everything good that Atlanta did. He opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when a chip through traffic deflected off a defender's leg and floated past the far post, and his fingerprints were on nearly every dangerous moment in the first half. Luke Brennan was excellent from start to finish, working relentlessly on the right channel and earning the assist on the opener. Jon Nelson's full match report is on soccerdownhere.net if you want the complete picture.

The goal everyone will be talking about, though, belongs to Cooper Sanchez. The 18-year-old Homegrown pressed a long ball forward in the 71st minute, forced a collision between Charlotte's keeper and a defender, gathered the loose ball inside the six, and slotted home his first career goal for the club. It was exactly the kind of play that defines him: relentless, physical, zero hesitation. Jay Fortune also hit a milestone on the night, reaching 75 appearances in all competitions to become just the second Homegrown player in club history to reach that mark, joining Caleb Wiley.

As Madison Crews writes in Maddie's Version, this felt like a team win front to back. The homegrown players are not just getting minutes anymore. They are becoming fixtures, players Tata Martino can lean on. Two more wins and Atlanta United is in an Open Cup final, with a Concacaf Champions Cup berth waiting on the other side of that.

Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich played one of the great Champions League matches Tuesday night at the Parc des Princes, and PSG came away with a 5-4 victory in the first leg of their semifinal. It was the highest-scoring semifinal in Champions League history, and Luis Enrique called it the best match he has ever been involved in as a coach, which is saying something for a man who won the trophy with Barcelona and again last year with PSG.

The match had everything. Harry Kane converted a 17th-minute penalty to put Bayern ahead, and PSG came roaring back through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and a João Neves header to lead 2-1. Michael Olise equalized before Ousmane Dembélé converted a stoppage-time penalty to send PSG into the break ahead 3-2. The second half opened with PSG on the gas: Kvaratskhelia added his second in the 56th minute and Dembélé made it 5-2 two minutes later. It looked like the tie was over. Then Bayern did what Bayern do. Dayot Upamecano and Luís Díaz scored in a three-minute span to make it 5-4 and put the Bavarians very much back in this thing.

The second leg is next Wednesday at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Kane, who became the first English player to score in six consecutive Champions League fixtures and now has 13 goals in the competition this season, framed it simply: whoever takes their moments wins. Luis Enrique is not planning to sit back and protect the lead. When he asked his staff how many goals PSG would need to win in Munich, the answer was a minimum of three. PSG won at the Allianz Arena last season in the Champions League final, 5-0 over Inter Milan. They know the ground.

Vincent Kompany watched the whole thing from the media seats, serving a one-game suspension, and his face told the story of every swing in momentum. He will be back on the touchline next week and is already calling for an atmosphere beyond what Bayern produced in their quarterfinal win over Real Madrid.

Nine goals. Two of the best teams in the world. Ninety minutes that Luis Enrique called the greatest match he has ever coached. If you missed PSG vs Bayern last night, this 13-minute highlights package is where you start your Wednesday morning.

The other Champions League semifinal first leg kicks off today as Atlético Madrid hosts Arsenal at the Metropolitano, and it is a matchup that would have seemed unlikely at the start of the season. Atlético has not been in the final since 2016, when they lost to Real Madrid. Arsenal's only final appearance was in 2006, a loss to Barcelona. Both clubs have spent a long time waiting for another shot at this stage. Tonight one of them takes a significant step toward ending that wait.

Arsenal arrive as the only unbeaten team in this season's Champions League, and they beat Atlético 4-0 in London during the league phase back in October. Mikel Arteta is not using that result as a talking point, though. He knows a visit to the Metropolitano is a different proposition entirely. The Gunners are without Kai Havertz, who came off with a muscle injury in Saturday's Premier League win over Newcastle, and Jurrien Timber is also out. Eberechi Eze is expected to be available. Arsenal sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League with Manchester City holding a game in hand, so the pressure of a two-front push is very real right now.

Diego Simeone had a birthday on Tuesday and will be hoping his squad gives him a result to celebrate. Atlético knocked out Barcelona in the quarterfinals and have won four Champions League semifinals under Simeone in 14 years, though they have not been able to win the title in two final appearances. Striker Ademola Lookman is a doubt after missing recent matches with a muscle issue. Lookman has seven goals for the club since arriving from Atalanta in February and scored in the second leg against Barcelona. His availability could be decisive.

Arteta called Simeone an absolute role model on Tuesday and praised how the Argentine has transformed the club over 15 years. The admiration is real, and so is the competition. Kickoff is this afternoon in Madrid.

FIFA and IFAB approved two significant rule changes at a special meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday, and both will be in effect for the 2026 World Cup. Players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents can now be shown a red card, and players who leave the field of play in protest of a referee's decision face the same punishment. Any team official who incites players to walk off will also be sent off, and a team that causes a match to be abandoned will forfeit it. FIFA president Gianni Infantino is expected to make a formal announcement Thursday.

The mouth-covering rule has an obvious and specific backstory. Earlier this year, Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Vinicius Júnior during a Champions League match while covering his mouth. Prestianni denied the accusations but was later banned for six matches for separate conduct violations. The rule targets exactly that kind of behavior, using a red card as a deterrent when intent is difficult to prove but the gesture itself is not.

The walk-off rule traces back to the Africa Cup of Nations final, when Senegal's players and staff left the field after Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty. Senegal won that match and then were stripped of the title by the Confederation of African Football last month. The optics of that moment clearly accelerated the timeline on this change.

FIFA also announced a yellow card reset adjustment for the expanded 48-team tournament. Two yellows in separate matches will still trigger a one-game ban, but the slate will now be wiped clean after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals. At previous World Cups it was cleared only after the quarterfinals. The change reflects the added round of 32 in this year's format and should mean fewer key players suspended for late knockout matches. FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina said the goal across all of these changes is straightforward: protect the image of the game at the most-watched sporting event in the world.

Nashville Faces Uphill Climb After Tigres Loss: Nashville SC fell 1-0 at home to Tigres in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal Tuesday, with Ángel Correa's 33rd-minute strike proving the difference. Nashville has reason for optimism heading to Monterrey on May 5: leading scorer Sam Surridge could return from injury, the club has conceded just two goals across seven CCC matches, and they have already pulled off a road win at altitude in Mexico this tournament. Tigres has leaked five goals in the competition.

San Jose's Remarkable Run Continues: The San Jose Earthquakes are one of the best stories in American soccer right now. They beat Minnesota United 4-2 Tuesday to advance to the US Open Cup quarterfinals and extend their winning streak to eight straight across all competitions. They are now 11-1-0 on the season. The concern is Timo Werner, who left Tuesday's match in the 34th minute with a hamstring injury.

Miami to Host 2027 Women's Champions Cup Final Phase: FIFA confirmed Miami will host the semifinals, third-place match, and final of the 2027 Women's Champions Cup, January 27-31. Hard Rock Stadium and Inter Miami's Nu Stadium are the candidate venues.

LAFC Opens Door to Selling Grasshopper: After sustained supporter protests, LAFC has signaled it is open to a partial or full sale of Grasshopper Club Zürich. The Swiss club, historically the country's most successful with 27 titles, is currently 11th in a 12-team league and facing relegation. LAFC acquired a 90 percent stake in 2024.

Houston Dash Sign USL Super League Player of the Year: The Houston Dash signed midfielder Emina Ekic through the 2027 NWSL season. The 26-year-old tallied 10 goals and six assists for the Spokane Zephyr to win the USL Super League's inaugural Player of the Year award before a transfer to Lexington SC.

SDH AM gets going at 9:05 with Jon Nelson, and this morning's show is worth your full attention. Jon has postgame audio from assistant coach Rodrigo Rios and Cooper Sanchez after last night's Open Cup win in Charlotte, plus Dylan Butler of MLSsoccer.com joins in hour two to put Atlanta's run in broader league context. The high school state playoffs also get their due today, with Brooks County boys and girls head coach Joseph Smith and River Ridge's Phillip Thomas joining the conversation.

At noon, Jon walks through the state playoff brackets in the Red Clay Soccer Report, with McIntosh head coach Bunky Colvin joining as well. Then tonight at 7, the network goes live to Peachtree City for the marquee second-round matchup: McIntosh hosts River Ridge. You can listen at soccerdownhere.net/listen.

Carlos Bocanegra is building something new in Atlanta, and it starts with a simple premise: every player deserves real attention. The former USMNT captain and Hall of Fame inductee has launched Atlanta FC, a youth club built around a deliberate development-first model. One team per age group. One dedicated coach per team. No split focus, no players lost in the shuffle. Tryouts for inaugural rosters run May 18-20 at Oglethorpe University's Salamone Soccer Field in Brookhaven. The full story on what Bocanegra is building and why is on soccerdownhere.net.

Mexico Opens Early World Cup Camp: Mexico revealed a 12-man Liga MX-based group that will begin training next week ahead of the tournament, headlined by 17-year-old Club Tijuana winger Gilberto Mora. European-based players will join later in May before the final 26-man roster deadline of June 1. El Tri opens group play against South Africa on June 11.

Germany Delays Squad Announcement: Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann pushed his World Cup squad announcement back nine days to May 21, allowing time for the Bundesliga's final round and the German Cup final to conclude. Any Germany players who make the Champions League final with Bayern on May 30 will join the national team camp afterward.

FIFA Enables Afghan Women to Compete Internationally: The FIFA Council approved a landmark governance amendment allowing Afghan female players to represent their country in official international competition. The ruling covers members of the FIFA-supported Afghan Women United squad, who have been unable to compete under their national banner due to circumstances beyond their control.

Millie Bright Retires at 32: Chelsea and England defender Millie Bright announced her immediate retirement Wednesday, citing six years of playing through injury. Bright earned 88 caps for England, was central to the Euro 2022 title run, and won eight league titles with Chelsea. She will remain with the club as a foundation trustee and ambassador.

Adidas Commits €100 Million to the Bundesliga: Adidas has agreed to a long-term €100 million investment in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga, aimed at supporting international growth for the league and its clubs. The company also extended its match ball deal through 2034. The investment keeps Adidas embedded in German football at the league level as its seven-decade partnership with the German national team winds down in 2027.

Brighton Unveils Plans for Europe's First Purpose-Built Women's Stadium: Brighton and Hove Albion released designs for a 10,000-capacity ground adjacent to their Amex Stadium, at an estimated cost of £75-80 million. The venue, targeted to open for the 2030-31 season, would be the first purpose-built women's football stadium in Europe and one of only three in the world.

Tottenham's Financial Crisis Deepens: Spurs recorded a club-record £120.6 million pre-tax loss for 2024-25, their sixth consecutive deficit, with total losses since 2020 now reaching £450 million. The financial news arrives as the club sits third-bottom in the Premier League with four matches remaining, two points from the relegation zone.

Cooper Sanchez scored his first career goal, Jay Fortune reached a milestone that only one player in club history has hit before him, and Atlanta United is in the US Open Cup quarterfinals. The results are matching the work, and this team is building toward something worth following all the way to the end.

And if you needed any more reason to love this sport, PSG and Bayern Munich put nine goals in the net in Paris last night in what Luis Enrique called the greatest match he has ever coached. On the same night a teenager from Atlanta's academy slotted home his first professional goal, two of the best clubs in the world were producing an instant classic. This is why we watch.

Song of the Day: "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash. For a team that has been through the rain and is finally finding its footing.

Jason