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

Welcome back. Apologies for going missing the last few days. I picked up a cold at just about the worst possible time, and it has been a fight trying to get over it.

Hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel is actually feeling better and not an onrushing train, big thanks to Ange Postecoglou for the line. Either way, we’re back in the chair, the game never stops, and there is plenty to catch up on this morning.

The Champions League always has a way of turning familiar matchups into something unforgettable, and Wednesday delivered another round of that chaos. Real Madrid and Manchester City have become one of the defining fixtures of this era of European football, and once again it gave us a night that felt larger than life. Federico Valverde was the unlikely headliner, scoring the first hat trick of his career as Madrid stormed to a 3-0 win at the Bernabeu and put Pep Guardiola’s side in a massive hole heading into the second leg.

It was not just City feeling the heat. Chelsea were blown away in Paris in a wildly open match that ended 5-2 for PSG, even though the visitors twice fought their way back level. Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all helped swing the night toward the French champions, while Chelsea’s attempts to play out of the back proved costly in the biggest moments. By the final whistle, PSG had turned an entertaining game into a commanding advantage, and Pedro Neto’s late apology to a ball boy after a heated stoppage-time incident summed up the frustration of the night for the London side.

Arsenal at least gave England something steadier to hold onto, earning a 1-1 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen. Mikel Arteta made the kind of bold in-game decision that managers are judged by in these moments, taking off Bukayo Saka with his team chasing the match and turning to Noni Madueke for a different kind of threat. Madueke’s direct running changed the tempo, won the dubious late penalty, and Kai Havertz converted against his former club to leave Arsenal in a much stronger position than it looked like they would be in for long stretches of the night.

Elsewhere, Bodø/Glimt produced the kind of result that makes this competition feel so special every season. The Norwegian champions beat Sporting Lisbon 3-0 inside the Arctic Circle, where favored visitors keep finding the conditions and the occasion too much to handle. It is another reminder that the Champions League is never only about the biggest names. Sometimes it is about a team from a fishing town on the Norwegian Sea, playing on artificial turf in the offseason, and looking completely at home while a traditional power comes undone.

That is what this competition does better than any other. First legs in two-leg knockout ties are so often cagey, cautious affairs, with teams more concerned about avoiding disaster than chasing the game. That was not the feeling over the last two days. We saw swings of momentum, big managerial decisions, defensive mistakes punished immediately, and attacking players willing to take over the occasion. From Madrid’s latest European masterpiece to PSG’s statement performance to Bodø/Glimt refusing to play the role of underdog, these first legs felt alive from the start, and they set up a second week that now carries real tension.

If the Champions League gave us heavyweight drama, the Concacaf Champions Cup answered with pure chaos. San Diego FC and Toluca played one of the wildest matches of the week, with the tournament debutants beating the Liga MX Apertura champions 3-2 despite finishing with nine men. Both Toluca goals came from penalties tied to the fouls that produced San Diego’s red cards, but in between those setbacks, Mikey Varas’ young side played without fear and tore into one of Mexico’s best teams.

That fearlessness made the result even more striking. David Vazquez, who just turned 20, scored twice, while Anders Dreyer added the third in a stunning stretch that flipped the match on its head. San Diego leaned on a group full of young players, including 19-year-old goalkeeper Duran Ferree, teenage fullbacks Luca Bombino and Oscar Verhoeven, and 20-year-old center back Manu Duah. Even with the game constantly threatening to spiral away from them, they kept swinging and found a way to carry an advantage into the return leg in Mexico. Remember, though, away goals still matter in Concacaf, so Toluca’s two scored at Snapdragon Stadium could loom large.

Elsewhere, the LA Galaxy eventually found the margin their performance deserved in a 3-0 win over Mount Pleasant FA. It stayed tighter for much longer than expected, but Gabriel Pec took over late, scoring twice in the final minutes to complete the first professional hat trick of his career after opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Nashville, meanwhile, earned a scoreless draw against Inter Miami in a match where the numbers suggested they deserved more, only for new Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair to come up with the biggest saves of the night. Miami controlled long stretches of the game, but the Boys in Gold found a few transition moments that looked much more like the Nashville sides that have caused teams problems in the past.

That is part of the beauty of this tournament. It rarely unfolds in a neat or predictable way. You can control a game late and suddenly turn it into a rout, as the Galaxy did. Or you can go down a man in the opening minutes, lose another before the end, and still beat a Liga MX champion anyway. Concacaf almost always gives you something memorable.

The NWSL opens its 2026 season tomorrow night with more reach, more momentum, and a clearer sense of where it is headed. Boston Legacy and Denver Summit bring the league to 16 clubs this year, and Commissioner Jessica Berman made it clear this week that the growth is not slowing down. The league plans to award its 18th franchise later this year, with both that team and Atlanta set to begin play in 2028.

That matters because it shows the NWSL is no longer talking about growth as a possibility. It is planning for it as an expectation. Berman said there are “dozen or so” ownership groups in the mix for future expansion, a sign of the demand now surrounding professional women’s soccer. The league has also shifted to a rolling expansion process, moving away from arbitrary deadlines and toward a model that gives new clubs a longer runway to build properly before taking the field.

Atlanta remains one of the clearest examples of just how fast the business of the league is moving. Arthur Blank’s group secured the 17th franchise with a record $165 million expansion fee, and the club has already reportedly landed Aflac as its front-of-jersey sponsor on a seven-year deal worth $28 million, a new benchmark in women’s sports. That kind of investment is not just a local story. It is evidence of how the league’s commercial profile continues to rise alongside its competitive growth.

On the eve of a new season, the message from Berman was clear: this is a league thinking bigger. Expansion is accelerating, the ownership line is growing, and the next media rights cycle is already part of the conversation. For a league that once fought simply for stability, entering 2026 with 16 teams and a path to 18 feels like a statement about where women’s soccer in this country is headed.

Soccer in Iran is sitting in a deeply uncertain place right now. On the men’s side, the biggest question is whether Iran will actually take part in the 2026 World Cup after Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali said it is “not possible” for the country to compete following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the wider war involving the United States and Israel. Iran had already been drawn into Group G and was scheduled to open the tournament on June 15 against New Zealand in Inglewood before facing Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

What makes the situation even more complicated is that FIFA is still publicly projecting openness while Iranian officials are signaling the opposite. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said after meeting with President Donald Trump that the Iranian team would be welcome to compete in the United States, and the AP reported that a White House official confirmed that message. But within Iran, federation president Mehdi Taj has already said it is hard to view the World Cup with hope after the attacks, and the sports minister’s comments have pushed the issue from uncertainty toward a real withdrawal threat.

There is also no clean soccer answer if Iran does not go. FIFA’s rules do not lay out a simple automatic replacement process for a team withdrawing this late, so the governing body could be forced into a discretionary decision about who would take Iran’s place in the field. That leaves the sport caught between geopolitics, tournament logistics, and the basic reality that one of Asia’s strongest national teams may no longer be part of the biggest event on the calendar.

At the same time, the women’s side has become part of the story in a different and more personal way. After Iran’s exit from the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, Australian authorities granted humanitarian visas to multiple members of the Iranian delegation who said they feared for their safety if they returned home. The situation intensified after some players declined to sing the national anthem before one match, drawing backlash from supporters of the Iranian regime. Taken together, it is a stark reminder that for Iranian soccer right now, the conversation is not only about results or tournaments. It is also about safety, freedom, and whether the game can offer any refuge at all.

USMNT picks Irvine as World Cup base
The U.S. men’s national team will base itself in Irvine, California during the 2026 World Cup, training at Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium. With two group-stage matches set for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the location gives the USMNT a practical base in Southern California while also echoing the team’s setup for the 1994 World Cup on home soil.

Foxboro moves closer to final World Cup approval
Organizers, Kraft Sports + Entertainment, and the Town of Foxboro say they have reached an understanding that clears the way for final approval of the event license for World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium. A key part of the agreement is that Foxboro will not absorb financial burdens tied to the tournament, with Boston Soccer 2026 funding security-related costs and event needs.

Orlando City makes an early change
Orlando City and head coach Óscar Pareja have mutually agreed to part ways after the club opened the 2026 season with three straight losses, including a 5-0 defeat at NYCFC. Assistant coach Martín Perelman will take over on an interim basis as the Lions try to stop the slide before the season gets away from them.

Kansas City Current add Penelope Hocking
The Kansas City Current strengthened their attack by acquiring forward Penelope Hocking from Bay FC for $350,000 in intra-league transfer funds. Hocking scored a team-high six goals for Bay last season, and Kansas City is betting that her ability to both finish and create will add another dangerous layer to an already ambitious squad.

SDH AM starts at 9:05 on our YouTube and Twitch channels with Jon Nelson at the controls, getting your Thursday started with the latest from across the game. As always, expect a wide-ranging look at the stories that matter most, with Jon guiding the conversation every step of the way.

Then at 10 a.m., it is time for The Power Hour with Nino Torres of Fubo TV and Niko Torres of Pulso Sports. They will take you around the world in 60 minutes, covering the global game and the domestic scene with the perspective and energy that always makes this show a must-watch.

Alphonso Davies suffers another injury setback
Alphonso Davies is headed for another spell out after suffering a hamstring injury in Bayern Munich’s 6-1 win over Atalanta in the Champions League. The bigger concern is the timing, as Davies had only recently returned from a previous hamstring issue and is still working back from the ACL injury he suffered on international duty with Canada last year.

Mexico loses Luis Ángel Malagón for the World Cup
Mexico goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing for Club América and will miss the World Cup, a brutal blow for El Tri with the tournament now just three months away. His injury creates even more uncertainty around Mexico’s goalkeeping picture, especially with other injuries mounting and Marcel Ruiz also now a concern after leaving Toluca’s match against San Diego with an apparent knee problem.

Yoane Wissa returns for DR Congo’s World Cup playoff push
Yoane Wissa is back in the DR Congo squad for this month’s World Cup playoff after missing the Africa Cup of Nations following a knee injury. The Congolese now have a chance to become the 10th African nation in the 2026 World Cup, with a high-stakes playoff looming at the end of the month in Mexico.

Angola cancel March friendlies
Angola have called off planned friendlies against Jordan and Iran, citing the worsening instability in the Middle East and the broader logistical and financial challenges tied to the trip. With no World Cup qualification at stake for Angola and no head coach currently in place, the federation decided the March window was not worth forcing through.

Marco Verratti looks set to miss Italy’s playoff campaign
Marco Verratti had been tipped for a possible return to Italy’s national team setup, but recurring injury issues now appear set to keep him out of the World Cup playoff campaign later this month. That leaves Gennaro Gattuso likely to stick with his more established midfield core while younger options push for inclusion in a crucial squad.

Mexico works to help Iraq with World Cup qualifier logistics
Mexico’s foreign ministry has started granting visas to Iraqi national team players ahead of their March 31 intercontinental qualifier in Monterrey. The move comes as Iraq deals with serious travel complications tied to the war around Iran, and with airspace closures disrupting the team’s ability to gather normally for one of its biggest matches in years.

A new consortium emerges for Sheffield Wednesday
A consortium led by American aviation executive David Storch has emerged as the preferred bidder for Sheffield Wednesday, with Michael Storch and investor Tom Costin also part of the group. The bid mixes aerospace and private equity money with some football investment background, and it could mark the start of a new ownership era at Hillsborough if completed.

Barcelona fan ends up at the wrong St James Park
One Barcelona supporter looking to attend his club’s Champions League trip to Newcastle wound up 360 miles away at Exeter City after heading to the wrong St James Park. Exeter staff took care of him once the mistake became clear, and while he missed Barcelona’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle, he at least came away with a story he is unlikely to top anytime soon.

Boca Juniors announce major La Bombonera expansion
Boca Juniors say La Bombonera will be expanded rather than replaced, with renovations expected to raise capacity from 57,000 to 80,000. The project is a major statement from one of the world’s most iconic clubs and comes just after River Plate unveiled plans for its own stadium upgrades ahead of the 2030 World Cup.

AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinal field takes shape
Vissel Kobe moved into the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite with a 2-1 win over FC Seoul, joining Machida Zelvia, Johor Darul Tazim, and Buriram United in the eastern bracket. The western side of the tournament remains in limbo, however, with matches postponed because of the war involving Iran and all later rounds still scheduled for Jeddah in April.

That will do it for this Thursday. We have got knockout drama in Europe, Concacaf chaos closer to home, a new NWSL season ready to begin, and plenty of reminders that the game never really slows down, even when the rest of us probably should.

Thanks for sticking with us through a slightly delayed return to the espresso machine. Hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel is recovery and not that onrushing train. Either way, we will keep the coffee hot and the conversation moving.