Good morning. Two of MLS's best teams got bounced from Leagues Cup contention last night, Europe's trophy season kicks off today in Salzburg, and Atlanta United is sorting out a suddenly crowded back line ahead of its long awaited return home. That's a lot of soccer for one Wednesday, and we've still got a full slate of Georgia college openers kicking off tonight.

The game never stops and neither do we. Welcome to the SDH Network, Around the Corner from Everywhere.

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Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati opened Leagues Cup 2026 perfect through two matches. After Tuesday night’s losses, both clubs' quarterfinal hopes look effectively finished as Phase One concludes today and tomorrow.

Cincinnati led first against already-eliminated Atlas. Evander, riding the best form of his career (12 goals, 12 assists across his last 14 matches in all competitions), dribbled past a sliding defender in the 44th minute and rifled a shot from outside the box past the Atlas goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, his third Leagues Cup goal contribution in as many matches. Atlas answered with two goals in five second-half minutes, from Florian Monzón in the 79th and Jesús Serrato in the 85th, both off second-chance looks inside the box, to steal a 2-1 win.

Charlotte's night was crueler. Allan Saint-Maximin made his club debut off the bench in the 72nd minute and drew a penalty nine minutes later that could have put the hosts ahead against Pachuca. Archie Goodwin's spot kick was saved, and in the first minute of stoppage time, Alan Bautista scored the only goal of the match to send Charlotte home with nothing.

While two of MLS's best regular season teams fell, the ones chasing them moved. The Columbus Crew needed penalties to get past an already eliminated Pumas side. Tarun Karumanchi's early header was canceled out by Álvaro Angulo before halftime, but Rudy Camacho converted in the shootout and Columbus walked away with 8 points through three Phase One matches, the most in MLS's table. Real Salt Lake did it without the drama, routing a previously unbeaten FC Juárez side 3-0 behind a Morgan Guilavogui penalty, a Sergi Solans chip that was his second straight game with a goal, and a first Leagues Cup goal for Lineker Rodrigues, newly signed from MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Real Monarchs, in the 68th minute. "There's a lot of positives to take away from this game," said RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni. "We're just different when we're not just focusing on one aspect of the game, but when we're playing free, we're playing for each other." Salt Lake sits second in MLS with 7 points.

Round three continues Wednesday night, with Monterrey hosting Nashville among the games left to play, and wraps Thursday when the rest of Phase One decides which four MLS clubs and four Liga MX clubs advance to the knockout round.

Cincinnati's night in Leagues Cup ended in a two goal collapse, but the goal Evander scored before it did was the kind of moment that explains why he's in the conversation for the best player in MLS right now. Watch him take a touch past a sliding defender and bend a right footed strike from outside the box into the corner, the latest entry in a scoring streak that's now reached 14 straight games in all competitions.

Ten days removed from Atlanta's stoppage-time collapse in Philadelphia, Júnior Alonso and Luke Brennan met with reporters in Marietta on Tuesday, and both described a week spent moving past it rather than dwelling on it. Alonso, part of the back line that watched a 2-0 lead disappear in Chester, didn't look for an excuse for the two late goals. "In football everything is decided in seconds, in millimeters," he said. But he pointed to the days since as proof the group has already turned the page, calling the week productive and saying all the focus now is on Saturday.

Brennan struck a similar note, saying training has been sharper and more competitive since the loss, with no one's head down. Both players will have more options at their disposal this weekend. Paulo Díaz has his visa and is training with the group, giving Tata Martino a decision to make at center back alongside Alonso and Stian Gregersen, with Enea Mihaj unavailable after his red card in Chester. Brennan didn't hold back on his first look at the new center back, calling Díaz a "killer" who can see passes and beat opponents on the ball.

Jay Fortune is back from injury and worked with the group Tuesday, though Martino won't confirm his availability until Friday. New signing Mauricio Amaro, in from Uruguay's Defensor Sporting, is still waiting on his visa and isn't expected to factor in this weekend.

All of it sets up Saturday's real headline: Atlanta's first match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since May, against a New York Red Bulls team, with the World Cup having occupied the stretch in between. Brennan called Atlanta's fans among the best in the league and said getting back home should give the team a lift.

Paris Saint-Germain opens its trophy season Wednesday against Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, the annual meeting between Europe's reigning Champions League and Europa League winners. PSG is defending its title after beating Tottenham on penalties last year and has six trophies on its radar this season, with a third straight Champions League crown as the priority. Villa arrives having ended a three-decade wait for a major trophy, beating Freiburg 3-0 in May to win the Europa League, Unai Emery's fifth career title in that competition and the club's first silverware since the 1996 League Cup.

Both squads are shorthanded and undercooked, barely three weeks removed from the World Cup final. Villa will be without Emiliano Martínez, Ollie Watkins, and Ezri Konsa, none of whom have returned to full training, plus injured new signing Johan Manzambi. The club also said goodbye to Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne this summer, Digne joining PSG itself in a 10 million euro move back to one of his first clubs. "We are not stopping here," Emery said of the rebuild, with Villa having sold off pieces and reinvested in the squad. PSG has its own returning internationals still finding their footing, with Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Fabián Ruiz only back in training since Monday. Luis Enrique was blunt about what that means for Wednesday. "In terms of preparation, this is not how it should be," he said, adding he doesn't expect a great game. PSG will also defend the French Super Cup on Sunday against Lens.

The match will be officiated by Omar Artan, the Somali referee UEFA handed the assignment after the United States barred him from working the World Cup over vetting concerns that UEFA has publicly pushed back on.

LaLiga's 2026/27 season kicks off across ESPN platforms on August 15, and the league is arriving with more World Cup pedigree than anyone else in the club game. Twenty-four of the 52 players who took the field in Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup Final play their club soccer in LaLiga, nine of them at Atlético de Madrid and eight at Barcelona, more representation than any league in the world.

The marquee dates are Aug. 22 and 23. Real Madrid and Barcelona both had their season openers pushed back to honor the mandatory 21-day World Cup rest period, but ABC will still get its stars soon enough: RCD Espanyol hosts Real Madrid Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Elche CF hosts Barcelona the next day at the same time. Between the two rosters, U.S. viewers get a first look at Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, and Ferran Torres fresh off winning it all with Spain, alongside Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vini Jr. Matchday 2 also brings Athletic Club against Sevilla and Atlético Madrid against Villarreal to ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+.

All 380 matches will stream on ESPN+ in English and Spanish, with at least 20 games spread across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes carrying at least 200. It follows the league's best season yet in the U.S., with 20.1 million viewers and 3.9 billion minutes watched on ESPN platforms in 2025/26, both up double digits year over year.

Olivia Moultrie Out for the Season With Torn ACL: Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie will miss the rest of 2026 after suffering an ACL injury to her right knee in training last week. The 20 year old has five goals and five assists in 16 appearances this season and will also miss November's Concacaf W Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2027 World Cup.

Houston Dynamo Add Uruguayan International Marcelo Saracchi: Houston has signed left back Marcelo Saracchi from Boca Juniors through the 2028-29 season, with club options through 2030-31. The 28 year old has 11 caps for Uruguay and won a Scottish league title and Scottish Cup with Celtic, and joins a Dynamo side sitting fourth in the Western Conference and on track for a home playoff spot.

South African Defender Tylon Smith Nearing Move to New England Revolution: Championship side Queens Park Rangers are reportedly ready to move on from defender Tylon Smith, whose move to New England Revolution is described as imminent. The deal is expected to be a loan with an option to make it permanent, and Smith was part of South Africa's Africa Cup of Nations squad earlier this year.

SDH AM — Wednesday, 9:05 AM Eastern: Leagues Cup After Dark gave us plenty to talk about, and Jon Nelson is digging into every bit of it this morning. MLSSoccer.com's Dylan Butler joins to break down Tigres' wild second half, and we've got your reviews and previews as round three continues tonight. Then in hour two, USL Show's Kaylor Hodges takes the wheel with everything USL, Oakland, Birmingham, and the Gainbridge Super League all get their moment, plus the rest of your morning news.

Catch it live on SDH YouTube, X, and Twitch, and on NSBN Sports.

NCAA Division I women's soccer opens across the state tonight, with four Georgia programs in action within a few hours of each other. Georgia State opens its season at UAB in Birmingham at 8 p.m., with senior captain Aaliyah Faddoul, a 2025 First Team All-Sun Belt pick who led the Panthers with 17 points, headlining a roster that also welcomes 13 newcomers. West Georgia begins its first season in the United Athletic Conference at Jacksonville State at 6 p.m., a rematch of the past two openers between the programs, including last year's 3-2 thriller in Carrollton decided by three goals in the final three minutes. Senior Noemi Casique, who scored twice in less than a minute against the Gamecocks a year ago, leads the Wolves' attack.

Georgia Southern hosts North Florida at 7 p.m. at Bo Pitts Field in Statesboro to open a season in which the Eagles were picked ninth in the Sun Belt preseason poll, exactly where they were picked a year ago before finishing 2-10-6. Head coach Chris Adams says the fix starts with the margins. "We're 2-7 and 2-9 in one goal games" the last two seasons, Adams said, and closing those gaps is the clearest path back into tournament contention.

And in Mississippi, Mercer opens at Jackson State with the deepest roster Tony Economopoulos has had in his fifteen seasons running the program, a group that reached last year's SoCon Tournament final despite dressing as few as 14 players by the stretch run. Sophomore Payton Nutzman and senior Anna Bachman both earned Preseason All-SoCon honors this week, the first such recognition for either. The Bears' home slate at Betts Stadium opens Aug. 23, with Georgia Southern and 19th ranked Georgia both due into Macon before the month is out.

Georgia opens its own season Thursday at Illinois.

Tottenham's Owners Explore NBA Europe Bid in London: The Lewis family, majority owners of Tottenham Hotspur, is exploring a bid for the NBA Europe franchise in London, joined by the Checketts and Eccles families, both experienced sports investors. NBA Europe is a planned 12 team league launching in 2027, with London among the target cities alongside Paris, Madrid, and Berlin.

Leicester City Ownership Puts Full Club Up for Sale: A sale brochure prepared by Citigroup details the Srivaddhanaprabha family's plan to sell Leicester City and its full portfolio, including the academy, King Power Stadium, and Belgian sister club OH Leuven. The family is seeking around $300 million, though a deal closer to $200 million is considered more likely given the club's recent relegation to League One.

PFA Sues EFL Over League One Wage Cap Proposal: The Professional Footballers' Association has filed a High Court case against the English Football League over a proposal to cut the League One wage spend cap from 60 percent of revenue to 50 percent. The EFL says the change is meant to stabilize club finances after League One clubs lost an average of £7.3 million last season.

Memphis Depay Accuses Corinthians of Breaching Contract Agreement: Dutch international Memphis Depay says Brazilian club Corinthians reneged on an agreed contract extension, calling the decision "unacceptable" and vowing to respond publicly. Corinthians say the decision not to extend the 32 year old's deal was financial, after he scored 20 goals in 79 appearances since joining in 2024.

Roberto Martínez in Talks to Become Netherlands Manager: Roberto Martínez is reportedly in discussions with the Dutch Football Association about taking over the Netherlands national team, according to De Telegraaf. The vacancy opened after Ronald Koeman departed following the Oranje's round of 32 elimination at the World Cup, and Martínez previously managed Belgium and Portugal.

Tony Economopoulos last season scraping together enough healthy bodies to run a real practice. Tonight he opens the season with a problem he actually wants, a roster so deep he had to leave players home. That's the story of Georgia soccer tonight: four programs kicking off, and the ones built for a long fall are the ones with options to spare.

Song of the Day: "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge. A day full of rosters welcoming new faces and figuring out where everybody fits.

Jason