WEBVTT
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The game never stops, and neither do we.
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Welcome in.
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It's time for the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network.
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We're always around the corner from everywhere. I'm Jason Longshore,
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and the Morning Espresso is brought to you by Oglethorpe University,
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Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. Today marks
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one hundred days until the start of the twenty twenty
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six FIFA World Cup. One hundred days until the largest
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tournament the sport has ever staged begins across the United States, Mexico,
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and Canada. One hundred days until the eyes of the
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world turn towards cities like Atlanta. Yet it doesn't feel simple.
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Over the weekend, escalating military action involving Iran, Israel, and
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the United States dominated the headlines. The human consequences matter
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more than sport. They always do, say stability. These aren't
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abstract ideas, they're real concerns for real people. Sport doesn't
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exist outside the world. It never has. As we sit
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here one hundred days from kickoff, there are a lot
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of unknowns. How will geopolitical tensions shape participation, travel, security,
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the atmosphere around the tournament. At the same time, The
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World Cup remains one of the rare events that gathers
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the world together. It creates shared space, it invites connection
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across borders. My hope is that the next one hundred
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days brings d escalation, that diplomacy prevails, that when the
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first whistle blows in June, it does so in a
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world moving forward, not backward.
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That's where we begin this morning.
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Let's stay home in Atlanta and talk about Atlanta United
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signing Mattias galar They've officially announced the signing yesterday morning.
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He's on loan from River Plate through the end of June,
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with an option to make the move permanent. The twenty
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four year old Potaguayan midfielder brings over one hundred and
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fifty professional appearances across Argentina and Brazil, recent experience helping
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Podaguay qualify for this World Cup alongside Miguel al Moron.
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Sporting director Chris Henderson described him as dynamic, experienced, ready
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to compete tactically for Tata Martino.
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This is about balance.
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Atlanta has needed cleaner transitions from the back to the front,
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more tempo in the midfield. Galarsa profiles as that connector
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he can pass, he can recover, he can progress the ball,
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but he's clean on the ball, and I think he
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can help in that build up.
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That Tata talked about after.
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The Cincinnati game, and we didn't see improve in the
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match in San Jose. Also, the loan structure gives some flexibility,
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but the expectation is impact and the expectation is that
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he will impress and be here in Atlanta for a while.
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He has a loan spell to prove himself. Let's go
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to Brazil. Flamengo. They have parted ways with Felipe Luis
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just hours after an eight nier win sent them into
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the Campianato Carioca final, that is the state competition. Not
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really a shock that Flamingo wins that big. It is
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a little bit of a shock that they make this
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decision in the way that they do and when they do.
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It's not a shock, honestly that the decision has been made,
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because it's been a turbulent start to twenty twenty six
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losses in the super Copa do Brasil the Iricopa Sudamericana,
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underwhelming league position very early on, but true reports indicate
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that tension had been building behind the scenes even after
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he signed a contract extension in December, and maybe because
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of the prolonged conversations around that extension. Felipe Luis leaves
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with a huge legacy as a player and as a
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manager at Flamengo, but the club is now already reportedly
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in talks with Leonardo's Jardim as they reset before the summers.
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Our Deem said before the end of last year that
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he would only ever manage Cruzero again. Well, that's going
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to be put to the test here. Lots of talk,
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a little bit of a surprise, and I think it's
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just a shame the conversations we have about managers and
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the amount of time they get to work and the
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respect for their work. It's Brazil and some other leagues
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that have the shorter competitions. We see it in Mexico
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as well, Dolmain torn out now at Monterrey. We see
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it in other countries. Argentina has been notorious for this.
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Managers are affected by the short termism of the media,
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of the fan bases, of the league structures at times,
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and it creates these constant moments of chaos, and I
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don't think it helps the clubs. I don't think it
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helps the managers obviously, and I don't think it helps
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the quality of the game. It's something that I don't
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really see a way to change outside of club leadership,
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having maybe a little bit stronger backbone to stick with
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people longer and give them time to build. There's always
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a point where you have to make a decision. I
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think right now that decision is made too quickly, too often.
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Felipe Luis is a.
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Great, great manager and what he's done with Flamengo over
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the last year plus is incredibly impressive. He's not gonna
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hurt for work, but I just hate to see some
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of this short termism affect these situations. We'll see where
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Felipe Luis ends up. He was reportedly under consideration by
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Chelsea around the time that they brought in Inzo Moresco.
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We'll see if he becomes another consideration for a European club.
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Let's look at a couple national teams at this one
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hundred days out mark. Let's go to Brazil first, and
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according to some of the reporting out of Brazil, there's
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basically open competition in every sector of the field. The
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roster is not totally secure for Carlo Ancelotti right now,
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there's a core group, but beyond that there's still meaningful
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decisions to make. Alison is seen as a clear first
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choice in goal. Behind him, depth chart is being evaluated.
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Defensive group, you have Markinhos for sure. Form and club
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minutes are shaping the conversation. For the fullback spots. For
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the other center back spots, there's lots of options, but
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there's not a lot of certainty right now.
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Midfield, same thing.
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You've got experience in Casimiro, who's playing great for Manchester United.
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He'll be looking for a new club for the fall.
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Bruno Gui Maraj younger profiles are pushing for more time.
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I think the tactical balance that Encelotti settles on will
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matter here too, and it will affect how players are selected.
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Brazil's got to.
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Decide how much control they want versus how much verticality
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they want, versus how much defensive strength they want, and
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typically Brazil has not really opted for that, although Dounga
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would argue otherwise. Carlo Ancelotti maybe a little more pragmatic,
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not in a truly defensive way, but just in what's
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it gonna take to win? Maybe he will look for
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a little more defensive strength than previous Brazilian managers would
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it's gonna be fascinating. And then upfront, look Vensis Junior
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Rafina foundational pieces to the best players in the world.
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Step Au from Chelsea. His rise has added intrigue. Endric
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has started to show at Leon. Will he get into
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this And there's always the nay, our question is he
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gonna be healthy? Is he gonna be able to play
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his way into this team. He's such an influential figure
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that if he is healthy and can even be an
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option off the bench, I would not be surprised if
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he's in the group for Carlo Encelotti. So talent is there,
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but what that hierarchy is going to look like. Carlo's
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got a lot of decisions to make in Brazil, Javiiera Guira,
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He's got a lot of decisions to make in Mexico.
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I don't think their roster is really truly resolved either
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goalkeeper situation. You have Luis anhel Maragone and Raoul Tala Ranguel,
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but you have Mimo Ochoa still lurking in the background.
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If you haven't seen the tiktoks about Ochoa being basically
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called upon again for every World Cup between now and
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the year twenty three hundred, it's very, very entertaining. He
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could be part of this roster as the third goalkeeper.
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He's playing in Cyprus now. We'll see if he gets
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called up for the March friendlies. If not, then it's
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the end of his international cycle, even with all that experience.
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It'd be his sixth World Cup with Mexico. In the midfield,
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Alva Fidalgo, he is now eligible. He's in the discussion,
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has moved to Real. Betti's disrupted a potential earlier integration,
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but his quality is what Mexico really needs in that midfield.
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Obed Vargas, another named monitor, hasn't played a lot at
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at Letti, but his presence at that club in La
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Liga is going to keep him in the mix.
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As Aguire evaluates all of the depth.
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Options in the back, Johann Vasquez says ar Montez, they
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look locked in as starters, but Chiquita Rosco's injury has
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opened some space for another center back in the group.
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Everardo Lopez. He has strengthened his case with a good
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performance against Iceland in the friendly last month. Eduardo Aguia
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he has impressed domestically. Ramon Juarez. He remains a veteran
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alternative as well, even though he hasn't been in the
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group lately. Up front, it looked settled before Now it's
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kind of fluid with the performances of Ordermiga. For Chievas,
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he's been outstanding. He scored his first national team goal
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in that win over Iceland. He continues to produce in
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Saudi Arabia. He hasn't consistently been involved under a guire,
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but you're gonna take who's inform and he's been in form.
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Ermann Bert Rame. He offers some versatility. He offers some
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good play at the club level now with Miami, but
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his role is not guaranteed. So with Mexico one hundred
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days out, I think the spine is a little more
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established than maybe at Brazil, but the edges around it
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are still being drawn. So Carlo Ancelotti, Javier Guire two
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of the managers that are going to be at the
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World Cup that have a lot of decisions to make
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with their rosters as you get ready for friendlies at
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the end of March, let's bounce around the domestic scene.
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MLS All Star Game is returning to them versus Lega
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MX format and will be going to Charlotte for the
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first time on July twenty ninth. You'll have the All
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Star Skills Challenge as well. That'll be at Truest Field
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on July twenty eighth. Everything will be on MLS Season
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Pass on Apple TV. Third straight MLS versus Lega MX
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All Star Meeting. Love this partnership. Love this format. It
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makes this game far more interesting than any other potential format.
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I love that you're seeing these teams work together in
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this It's part of the broader partnership that includes the
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League's Cup and Campion's Cup. I think everybody wins with
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this kind of format. This is the best All Star
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format going right now. It's that good and I hope
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it continues for a long time. Weston McKenny. As we
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shared last week in the Morning Espresso from Italian media sources,
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McKenny has signed a new contract with Juventus through the
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twenty twenty nine twenty thirty season. That ends the speculation
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about a potential summer move. Seven years old, the Texas
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native has been really strong in twenty twenty six six goals,
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three assists in sixteen matches. He's drawn praise from the
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club for his versatility across the midfield, wide roles. He's
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played in the back, he's played up front, he's played everywhere.
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After several summers where his next season was not guaranteed
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in during he has secured his place through performance, through
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hard work, through that versatility, and he has a central
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figure for Juventus. We'll see how big of a figure
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he's going to be for the US men's national team
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this summer. Houston Dash, the ownership group has restarted the
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process to sell the NWSL club. Prior negotiations with RHC
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partners fell apart amid league level scrutiny. The earlier talks
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reportedly valued the Dash around one hundred and twenty million dollars,
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But with the NWSL's rapid commercial growth, including Atlanta's recent
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one hundred and sixty five million dollar expansion fee, plus
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Columbus's interest that we talked about yesterday, those expectations and
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that price tag could go up a little. But separating
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the Dash operationally from the Houston Dynamo does present some
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logistical challenges, particularly given shared infrastructure and staffing. What that
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would look like would be very interesting. I'm a little
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surprised by where this goes. I'm a little surprised that
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the Dynamo would want to get out of this business
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right now, where it looks like a lot of other
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MLS clubs are getting into the business of the NWSO,
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so I'm fascinated to see where this goes for Houston
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Gabby Portillo. She moves from Gotham to San Diego for
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one hundred and seventy five thousand dollars in intra league
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transfer funds. Portillo recorded three goals three assists last season
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helped Gotham win both the NWSL title and the CONCA
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caf W Champions Cup. Thirty year old Brazilian international now
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joins a San Diego side that is continuing to rebuild
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its attacking core. MLS They unveiled a pretty significant reorganization
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of their league office leadership. It's aimed at operational alignment
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future growth. Longtime executive Joeanne Neil will depart at the
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end of April after nearly three decades with the league.
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Came on in season three in nineteen ninety eight. Several
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senior leaders, including Camilo, Dorana and Nelson and Rodriguez. They
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will take on expanded responsibilities. Don Garbert framed the changes
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as positioning MLS for its next phase amid continued expansion,
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possibly and commercial momentum. Absolutely, Cristo Fernandez. You might know
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the name, you might not, but you do know Donny
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Rojas on ted Lasso. That is Cristo Fernandez. He is
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the actor who portrays Rojas. He is on trial with
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the USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive. Really this is happening.
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The thirty five year old former youth player logged minutes
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in a preseason match and previously had trained with Chicago
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Fire two. He's trying to play professionally. It's crazy. It
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is a novelty, but it's also so a second chance
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after a serious knee injury ended his playing career as
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a teenager in Mexico.
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So who knows. I don't know if this is really
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the the.
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Attention that the USL Championship wants. Right now, when you're
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in the midst of this conversation with the CBA and
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the USL Players Association and higher standards, I don't know
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what this actually says to the world outside. I'm very,
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very curious as to what that's gonna look like. All
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right around the corner, John Nelson is hosting this morning's
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edition of the SDCHAM Show. It starts at nine oh five.
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You can watch live on YouTube and on Twitch. As always,
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John and crew will talk about the latest from MLS,
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the international game, the build up to the World Cup,
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the summer.
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Today's guest list, It's packed.
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Dave Leno, radio voice of the Philadelphia Union, will join
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Casey White from Apple TV's MLS coverage. She's joining the
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breakdowns some of the league storylines, her perspective of Atlanta's
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loss to San Jose over the weekend, and MLS next
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Pro President Ali Curtis will discuss the league's development pathway
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how it fits into the broader growth of the game
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in North America. All right, let's kick into Summer a
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little bit. If you're not subscribed to our dedicated World
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Cup newsletter, get on that list. It's Kick into Summer
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dot behive, b ee hiv dot com. You can always
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check us out on social and get those links as well.
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We have a weekly magazine coverage with Kick into Summer
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of what's coming the summer with the World Cup, both
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on and off the field. We're at that one hundred
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day mark now, so here's a few things that are
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important at the moment the ticket demand, it is still surging,
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even with the political tension, even with the backlash about
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the pricing. Nearly two million tickets have already been sold.
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Early phases over subscribed more than thirty times. But yeah,
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there are concerns about travel plans, there's concerns about unrest,
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there's concerns about the soaring resale prices. There's a lot
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of concern but there's a lot of interest. I don't
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know how to resolve that. I wish tickets were cheaper.
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I absolutely wish tickets were cheaper. I could afford to
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go to go to games if tickets were cheaper. But
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this is a conversation about sports and entertainment in general.
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I don't go to big concerts anymore, even though I
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grew up going to big concerts as often as I could.
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Why.
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Because the prices are too high for me. Same with
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some games. It's just the reality of the world that
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we live in, and the World Cup is part of
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that reality. I really wish it was more affordable for kids,
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for families to go. However, the World Cup is not
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in isolation in ticket prices being too high for your
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average person. That's something that I think everything needs to
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figure out in terms of long term fan support, long
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term building, long term growth. The World Cup's no exception
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to that. Like I said, I wish, I wish they
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were cheaper, but they're not an outlier in prices going
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up dramatically and outpacing a lot of people.
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San Diego, they are going.
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To host both Switzerland and New Zealand as World Cup
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base camps this summer. The Swiss will be at the
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Fairmont Grand del Mar as its team hotel. They'll train
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at the San Diego Jewish Academy. Proximity and infrastructure as
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key factors for them. New Zealand, the All Whites will
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train at the University of San Diego's Torrero Stadium, and
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they're going to open their tournament in La at the
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moment on June sixteenth against Iran the Dutch Netherlands. They
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will face Algeria in Rotterdam on June third as their
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official farewell match before departing for the US. They'll play
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an additional two up on American soil ahead of their
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opener against Japan in Dallas on June fourteenth. Morocco we
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talked about this for a while now and Reports from Foot,
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Mercato and France still indicate that Morocco are preparing for
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the World Cup without Walid Rigragi following his resignation. A
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difficult Afcon campaign, even though they got to the final,
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they didn't win it. The expectations were crazy. Administrative steps
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are reportedly being finalized. The federation is evaluating successors, with
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Mohammad Awabi emerging as a leading candidate. Joel Sacramento, who
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was formerly on staff with PSG lel Roma Tottenham Hotspur.
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He's being discussed as part of the coaching structure to
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guide the Atlas Lions into the summer. I hate this
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for Rigragi. I think he should not be leaving, and
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I don't know why he's being either forced to resign
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or resigning due to the backlash to them finishing as
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runners up in Afcon. I think it's going to hurt
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the Moroccan team in general. The refill news from around
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the world as we wrap up the morning espresso Areal Madrid.
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They have stumbled again, falling one nill at home to
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Haitafe and Martin at Satriano's first half strike ends up
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giving the win to the visitors second straight La Liga
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defeat for Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona. Franco Mastantuono,
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the young Argentine, was sent off in stoppage time for descent.
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Tensions flared to the final whistle. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa. He says,
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the race isn't over, but you've got injuries for killing
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Abape and Jude Bellingham. Not sure what their availability is
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going to be over this final stretch of twelve matches.
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At Letti Diego Semioni, he says they are in a
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fantastic position which they are entering the final third of
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the season, but more importantly the second leg of the
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Copa del Rey semi final against Barcelona Today. They will
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be without Pablo Barrios due to a hamstring injury. But
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Jolo Simioni, he's very happy.
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About where they are.
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They are in the Champions League knockout rounds, they are
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in third in La Liga and they have a chance
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to get to the final of the Copa del Right
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west Ham they reported losses of over one hundred million
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pounds for the last season their accounts, warning of serious
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financial consequences if relegated. Their wage bill rose to one
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hundred and seventy six million pounds, pushing the wages to
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turnover ratio to seventy seven percent. Now, if they get relegated,
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there will be mandatory wage cuts. But you've had managerial turnover,
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you've increased spending. None of it is translated into results
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right now? What is the long term sustainability at west
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Ham for success at Eduardo Kyle Deett He has said
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goodbye to a Laves.
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He is expected to take.
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Over at River Plate, pending final financial arrangements between the
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two clubs. River are trying to resolve that and his compensation,
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while Kyle Debt prepares to assemble his staff, including Damian
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Musto as an assistant. Alaves will move forward with Key
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Key Sanchez Flores as they battle to stay in La Ligo.
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Malro Accardi our old friend. He could return to Argentina
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for the first time in his pro career. River are
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exploring a two year deal for the thirty three year old.
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He's got fifteen goals this season for Galatasarai. Doesn't look
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like he's going to sign a new deal to stay
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in Turkey. He could be huge for River if he
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decides to come back and get there. I'm intrigued. He's
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never played in Argentina. That once surprised me. He went
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to Italy when he was very young. Tottenham Hotspur they
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have issued indefinite bands to three supporters who made Nazi
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salutes during a Champions League match in Germany. UEFA fined
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the club thirty thousand euro for discriminatory behavior imposed additional
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sanctions related to objects thrown by fans.
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Spurs condemned the actions.
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They stated they do not reflect the club's values or
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those of the broader support base. Those bands should be
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permanent and they should not be rescinded. I mean, these
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are the things that just have to be eradicated from
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the game, and clubs have to take a strong position. Yeah,
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it's three people, three customers that you are losing. I
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don't think those are customers that you want, frankly, and
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that has to be dealt with. I wouldn't say indefinite ban,
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I'm sorry. It would be a permanent ban and you're
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not buying tickets from me anymore. It's got to be
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eradicated from the game.
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One hundred days. One hundred days.
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It feels different today than it did a week ago
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when we talk about the World Cup.
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It's coming fast.
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All the conversations around it, with rosters taking shape, base
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camps being finalized, ticket demand, ticket prices. But at the
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same time, the politics, the global tension, it sits just
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beneath the surface of all of this. This summer, this tournament.
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It's not going to unfold in a vacuum. The World
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Cup never does. Between now and kickoff, we're going to
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talk rosters, We're going to talk lineups, We're gonna talk logistics,
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we're going to talk coaching changes and coaching quality, and
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we're going to talk about all the moments that will
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define this build up. But we also have to keep
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an eye on the bigger picture, because the story of
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a World Cup it's always larger.
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Than just ninety minutes at a time.
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We got one hundred days to prepare, we got one
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hundred days to hope. That's this edition of The Morning Espresso.
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I'll be live on ninety two nine in the Game
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and the Audissey app tonight Atlanta Soccer Tonight starting at
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ten pm.
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Hopefully you can join me there.
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It's always available as a podcast afterwards if you miss
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it on off of the Woodwork from the Odyssey app.
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Also wherever you get your podcast from ninety two to
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nine in the game, and then tomorrow we'll be back
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for another edition of the Morning Espresso
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The game never stops, and neither do we.
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Welcome in.
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It's time for the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network.
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We're always around the corner from everywhere. I'm Jason Longshore,
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and the Morning Espresso is brought to you by Oglethorpe University,
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Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse. Today marks
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one hundred days until the start of the twenty twenty
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00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:35.320
six FIFA World Cup. One hundred days until the largest
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tournament the sport has ever staged begins across the United States, Mexico,
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and Canada. One hundred days until the eyes of the
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world turn towards cities like Atlanta. Yet it doesn't feel simple.
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Over the weekend, escalating military action involving Iran, Israel, and
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the United States dominated the headlines. The human consequences matter
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more than sport. They always do, say stability. These aren't
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abstract ideas, they're real concerns for real people. Sport doesn't
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exist outside the world. It never has. As we sit
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here one hundred days from kickoff, there are a lot
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of unknowns. How will geopolitical tensions shape participation, travel, security,
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the atmosphere around the tournament. At the same time, The
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World Cup remains one of the rare events that gathers
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the world together. It creates shared space, it invites connection
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across borders. My hope is that the next one hundred
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days brings d escalation, that diplomacy prevails, that when the
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first whistle blows in June, it does so in a
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world moving forward, not backward.
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That's where we begin this morning.
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Let's stay home in Atlanta and talk about Atlanta United
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signing Mattias galar They've officially announced the signing yesterday morning.
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He's on loan from River Plate through the end of June,
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with an option to make the move permanent. The twenty
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four year old Potaguayan midfielder brings over one hundred and
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fifty professional appearances across Argentina and Brazil, recent experience helping
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Podaguay qualify for this World Cup alongside Miguel al Moron.
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Sporting director Chris Henderson described him as dynamic, experienced, ready
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to compete tactically for Tata Martino.
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This is about balance.
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Atlanta has needed cleaner transitions from the back to the front,
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more tempo in the midfield. Galarsa profiles as that connector
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he can pass, he can recover, he can progress the ball,
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but he's clean on the ball, and I think he
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can help in that build up.
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That Tata talked about after.
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The Cincinnati game, and we didn't see improve in the
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match in San Jose. Also, the loan structure gives some flexibility,
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but the expectation is impact and the expectation is that
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he will impress and be here in Atlanta for a while.
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He has a loan spell to prove himself. Let's go
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to Brazil. Flamengo. They have parted ways with Felipe Luis
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just hours after an eight nier win sent them into
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the Campianato Carioca final, that is the state competition. Not
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really a shock that Flamingo wins that big. It is
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a little bit of a shock that they make this
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decision in the way that they do and when they do.
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It's not a shock, honestly that the decision has been made,
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because it's been a turbulent start to twenty twenty six
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losses in the super Copa do Brasil the Iricopa Sudamericana,
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underwhelming league position very early on, but true reports indicate
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that tension had been building behind the scenes even after
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he signed a contract extension in December, and maybe because
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of the prolonged conversations around that extension. Felipe Luis leaves
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with a huge legacy as a player and as a
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manager at Flamengo, but the club is now already reportedly
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in talks with Leonardo's Jardim as they reset before the summers.
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Our Deem said before the end of last year that
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he would only ever manage Cruzero again. Well, that's going
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to be put to the test here. Lots of talk,
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a little bit of a surprise, and I think it's
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just a shame the conversations we have about managers and
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the amount of time they get to work and the
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respect for their work. It's Brazil and some other leagues
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that have the shorter competitions. We see it in Mexico
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as well, Dolmain torn out now at Monterrey. We see
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it in other countries. Argentina has been notorious for this.
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Managers are affected by the short termism of the media,
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of the fan bases, of the league structures at times,
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and it creates these constant moments of chaos, and I
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don't think it helps the clubs. I don't think it
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helps the managers obviously, and I don't think it helps
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the quality of the game. It's something that I don't
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really see a way to change outside of club leadership,
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having maybe a little bit stronger backbone to stick with
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people longer and give them time to build. There's always
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a point where you have to make a decision. I
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think right now that decision is made too quickly, too often.
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Felipe Luis is a.
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Great, great manager and what he's done with Flamengo over
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the last year plus is incredibly impressive. He's not gonna
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hurt for work, but I just hate to see some
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of this short termism affect these situations. We'll see where
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Felipe Luis ends up. He was reportedly under consideration by
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Chelsea around the time that they brought in Inzo Moresco.
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We'll see if he becomes another consideration for a European club.
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Let's look at a couple national teams at this one
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hundred days out mark. Let's go to Brazil first, and
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according to some of the reporting out of Brazil, there's
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basically open competition in every sector of the field. The
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roster is not totally secure for Carlo Ancelotti right now,
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there's a core group, but beyond that there's still meaningful
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decisions to make. Alison is seen as a clear first
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choice in goal. Behind him, depth chart is being evaluated.
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Defensive group, you have Markinhos for sure. Form and club
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minutes are shaping the conversation. For the fullback spots. For
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the other center back spots, there's lots of options, but
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there's not a lot of certainty right now.
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Midfield, same thing.
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You've got experience in Casimiro, who's playing great for Manchester United.
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He'll be looking for a new club for the fall.
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Bruno Gui Maraj younger profiles are pushing for more time.
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I think the tactical balance that Encelotti settles on will
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matter here too, and it will affect how players are selected.
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Brazil's got to.
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Decide how much control they want versus how much verticality
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they want, versus how much defensive strength they want, and
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typically Brazil has not really opted for that, although Dounga
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would argue otherwise. Carlo Ancelotti maybe a little more pragmatic,
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not in a truly defensive way, but just in what's
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it gonna take to win? Maybe he will look for
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a little more defensive strength than previous Brazilian managers would
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it's gonna be fascinating. And then upfront, look Vensis Junior
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Rafina foundational pieces to the best players in the world.
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Step Au from Chelsea. His rise has added intrigue. Endric
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has started to show at Leon. Will he get into
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this And there's always the nay, our question is he
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gonna be healthy? Is he gonna be able to play
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his way into this team. He's such an influential figure
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that if he is healthy and can even be an
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option off the bench, I would not be surprised if
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he's in the group for Carlo Encelotti. So talent is there,
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but what that hierarchy is going to look like. Carlo's
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got a lot of decisions to make in Brazil, Javiiera Guira,
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He's got a lot of decisions to make in Mexico.
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I don't think their roster is really truly resolved either
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goalkeeper situation. You have Luis anhel Maragone and Raoul Tala Ranguel,
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but you have Mimo Ochoa still lurking in the background.
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If you haven't seen the tiktoks about Ochoa being basically
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called upon again for every World Cup between now and
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the year twenty three hundred, it's very, very entertaining. He
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could be part of this roster as the third goalkeeper.
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He's playing in Cyprus now. We'll see if he gets
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called up for the March friendlies. If not, then it's
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the end of his international cycle, even with all that experience.
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It'd be his sixth World Cup with Mexico. In the midfield,
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Alva Fidalgo, he is now eligible. He's in the discussion,
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has moved to Real. Betti's disrupted a potential earlier integration,
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but his quality is what Mexico really needs in that midfield.
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Obed Vargas, another named monitor, hasn't played a lot at
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at Letti, but his presence at that club in La
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Liga is going to keep him in the mix.
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As Aguire evaluates all of the depth.
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Options in the back, Johann Vasquez says ar Montez, they
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look locked in as starters, but Chiquita Rosco's injury has
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opened some space for another center back in the group.
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Everardo Lopez. He has strengthened his case with a good
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performance against Iceland in the friendly last month. Eduardo Aguia
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he has impressed domestically. Ramon Juarez. He remains a veteran
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alternative as well, even though he hasn't been in the
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group lately. Up front, it looked settled before Now it's
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kind of fluid with the performances of Ordermiga. For Chievas,
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he's been outstanding. He scored his first national team goal
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in that win over Iceland. He continues to produce in
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Saudi Arabia. He hasn't consistently been involved under a guire,
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but you're gonna take who's inform and he's been in form.
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Ermann Bert Rame. He offers some versatility. He offers some
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good play at the club level now with Miami, but
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his role is not guaranteed. So with Mexico one hundred
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days out, I think the spine is a little more
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established than maybe at Brazil, but the edges around it
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are still being drawn. So Carlo Ancelotti, Javier Guire two
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of the managers that are going to be at the
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World Cup that have a lot of decisions to make
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with their rosters as you get ready for friendlies at
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the end of March, let's bounce around the domestic scene.
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MLS All Star Game is returning to them versus Lega
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MX format and will be going to Charlotte for the
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first time on July twenty ninth. You'll have the All
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Star Skills Challenge as well. That'll be at Truest Field
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on July twenty eighth. Everything will be on MLS Season
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Pass on Apple TV. Third straight MLS versus Lega MX
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All Star Meeting. Love this partnership. Love this format. It
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makes this game far more interesting than any other potential format.
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I love that you're seeing these teams work together in
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this It's part of the broader partnership that includes the
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League's Cup and Campion's Cup. I think everybody wins with
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this kind of format. This is the best All Star
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format going right now. It's that good and I hope
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it continues for a long time. Weston McKenny. As we
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shared last week in the Morning Espresso from Italian media sources,
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McKenny has signed a new contract with Juventus through the
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twenty twenty nine twenty thirty season. That ends the speculation
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about a potential summer move. Seven years old, the Texas
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native has been really strong in twenty twenty six six goals,
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three assists in sixteen matches. He's drawn praise from the
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club for his versatility across the midfield, wide roles. He's
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played in the back, he's played up front, he's played everywhere.
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After several summers where his next season was not guaranteed
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in during he has secured his place through performance, through
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hard work, through that versatility, and he has a central
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figure for Juventus. We'll see how big of a figure
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he's going to be for the US men's national team
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this summer. Houston Dash, the ownership group has restarted the
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process to sell the NWSL club. Prior negotiations with RHC
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partners fell apart amid league level scrutiny. The earlier talks
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reportedly valued the Dash around one hundred and twenty million dollars,
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But with the NWSL's rapid commercial growth, including Atlanta's recent
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one hundred and sixty five million dollar expansion fee, plus
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Columbus's interest that we talked about yesterday, those expectations and
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that price tag could go up a little. But separating
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the Dash operationally from the Houston Dynamo does present some
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logistical challenges, particularly given shared infrastructure and staffing. What that
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would look like would be very interesting. I'm a little
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surprised by where this goes. I'm a little surprised that
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the Dynamo would want to get out of this business
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right now, where it looks like a lot of other
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MLS clubs are getting into the business of the NWSO,
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so I'm fascinated to see where this goes for Houston
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Gabby Portillo. She moves from Gotham to San Diego for
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one hundred and seventy five thousand dollars in intra league
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transfer funds. Portillo recorded three goals three assists last season
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helped Gotham win both the NWSL title and the CONCA
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caf W Champions Cup. Thirty year old Brazilian international now
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joins a San Diego side that is continuing to rebuild
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its attacking core. MLS They unveiled a pretty significant reorganization
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of their league office leadership. It's aimed at operational alignment
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future growth. Longtime executive Joeanne Neil will depart at the
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end of April after nearly three decades with the league.
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Came on in season three in nineteen ninety eight. Several
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senior leaders, including Camilo, Dorana and Nelson and Rodriguez. They
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will take on expanded responsibilities. Don Garbert framed the changes
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as positioning MLS for its next phase amid continued expansion,
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possibly and commercial momentum. Absolutely, Cristo Fernandez. You might know
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the name, you might not, but you do know Donny
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Rojas on ted Lasso. That is Cristo Fernandez. He is
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the actor who portrays Rojas. He is on trial with
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the USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive. Really this is happening.
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The thirty five year old former youth player logged minutes
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in a preseason match and previously had trained with Chicago
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Fire two. He's trying to play professionally. It's crazy. It
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is a novelty, but it's also so a second chance
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after a serious knee injury ended his playing career as
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a teenager in Mexico.
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So who knows. I don't know if this is really
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the the.
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Attention that the USL Championship wants. Right now, when you're
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in the midst of this conversation with the CBA and
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the USL Players Association and higher standards, I don't know
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what this actually says to the world outside. I'm very,
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very curious as to what that's gonna look like. All
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right around the corner, John Nelson is hosting this morning's
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edition of the SDCHAM Show. It starts at nine oh five.
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You can watch live on YouTube and on Twitch. As always,
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John and crew will talk about the latest from MLS,
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the international game, the build up to the World Cup,
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the summer.
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Today's guest list, It's packed.
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Dave Leno, radio voice of the Philadelphia Union, will join
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Casey White from Apple TV's MLS coverage. She's joining the
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breakdowns some of the league storylines, her perspective of Atlanta's
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loss to San Jose over the weekend, and MLS next
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Pro President Ali Curtis will discuss the league's development pathway
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how it fits into the broader growth of the game
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in North America. All right, let's kick into Summer a
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little bit. If you're not subscribed to our dedicated World
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Cup newsletter, get on that list. It's Kick into Summer
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dot behive, b ee hiv dot com. You can always
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check us out on social and get those links as well.
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We have a weekly magazine coverage with Kick into Summer
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of what's coming the summer with the World Cup, both
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on and off the field. We're at that one hundred
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day mark now, so here's a few things that are
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important at the moment the ticket demand, it is still surging,
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even with the political tension, even with the backlash about
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the pricing. Nearly two million tickets have already been sold.
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Early phases over subscribed more than thirty times. But yeah,
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there are concerns about travel plans, there's concerns about unrest,
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there's concerns about the soaring resale prices. There's a lot
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of concern but there's a lot of interest. I don't
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know how to resolve that. I wish tickets were cheaper.
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I absolutely wish tickets were cheaper. I could afford to
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go to go to games if tickets were cheaper. But
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this is a conversation about sports and entertainment in general.
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I don't go to big concerts anymore, even though I
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grew up going to big concerts as often as I could.
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Why.
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Because the prices are too high for me. Same with
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some games. It's just the reality of the world that
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we live in, and the World Cup is part of
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that reality. I really wish it was more affordable for kids,
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for families to go. However, the World Cup is not
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in isolation in ticket prices being too high for your
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average person. That's something that I think everything needs to
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figure out in terms of long term fan support, long
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term building, long term growth. The World Cup's no exception
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to that. Like I said, I wish, I wish they
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were cheaper, but they're not an outlier in prices going
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up dramatically and outpacing a lot of people.
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San Diego, they are going.
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To host both Switzerland and New Zealand as World Cup
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base camps this summer. The Swiss will be at the
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Fairmont Grand del Mar as its team hotel. They'll train
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at the San Diego Jewish Academy. Proximity and infrastructure as
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key factors for them. New Zealand, the All Whites will
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train at the University of San Diego's Torrero Stadium, and
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they're going to open their tournament in La at the
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moment on June sixteenth against Iran the Dutch Netherlands. They
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will face Algeria in Rotterdam on June third as their
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official farewell match before departing for the US. They'll play
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an additional two up on American soil ahead of their
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opener against Japan in Dallas on June fourteenth. Morocco we
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talked about this for a while now and Reports from Foot,
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Mercato and France still indicate that Morocco are preparing for
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the World Cup without Walid Rigragi following his resignation. A
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difficult Afcon campaign, even though they got to the final,
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they didn't win it. The expectations were crazy. Administrative steps
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are reportedly being finalized. The federation is evaluating successors, with
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Mohammad Awabi emerging as a leading candidate. Joel Sacramento, who
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was formerly on staff with PSG lel Roma Tottenham Hotspur.
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He's being discussed as part of the coaching structure to
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guide the Atlas Lions into the summer. I hate this
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for Rigragi. I think he should not be leaving, and
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I don't know why he's being either forced to resign
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or resigning due to the backlash to them finishing as
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runners up in Afcon. I think it's going to hurt
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the Moroccan team in general. The refill news from around
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the world as we wrap up the morning espresso Areal Madrid.
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They have stumbled again, falling one nill at home to
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Haitafe and Martin at Satriano's first half strike ends up
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giving the win to the visitors second straight La Liga
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defeat for Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona. Franco Mastantuono,
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the young Argentine, was sent off in stoppage time for descent.
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Tensions flared to the final whistle. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa. He says,
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the race isn't over, but you've got injuries for killing
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Abape and Jude Bellingham. Not sure what their availability is
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going to be over this final stretch of twelve matches.
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At Letti Diego Semioni, he says they are in a
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fantastic position which they are entering the final third of
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the season, but more importantly the second leg of the
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Copa del Rey semi final against Barcelona Today. They will
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be without Pablo Barrios due to a hamstring injury. But
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Jolo Simioni, he's very happy.
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About where they are.
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They are in the Champions League knockout rounds, they are
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in third in La Liga and they have a chance
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to get to the final of the Copa del Right
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west Ham they reported losses of over one hundred million
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pounds for the last season their accounts, warning of serious
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financial consequences if relegated. Their wage bill rose to one
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hundred and seventy six million pounds, pushing the wages to
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turnover ratio to seventy seven percent. Now, if they get relegated,
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there will be mandatory wage cuts. But you've had managerial turnover,
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you've increased spending. None of it is translated into results
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right now? What is the long term sustainability at west
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Ham for success at Eduardo Kyle Deett He has said
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goodbye to a Laves.
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He is expected to take.
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Over at River Plate, pending final financial arrangements between the
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two clubs. River are trying to resolve that and his compensation,
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while Kyle Debt prepares to assemble his staff, including Damian
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Musto as an assistant. Alaves will move forward with Key
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Key Sanchez Flores as they battle to stay in La Ligo.
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Malro Accardi our old friend. He could return to Argentina
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for the first time in his pro career. River are
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exploring a two year deal for the thirty three year old.
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He's got fifteen goals this season for Galatasarai. Doesn't look
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like he's going to sign a new deal to stay
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in Turkey. He could be huge for River if he
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decides to come back and get there. I'm intrigued. He's
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never played in Argentina. That once surprised me. He went
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to Italy when he was very young. Tottenham Hotspur they
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have issued indefinite bands to three supporters who made Nazi
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salutes during a Champions League match in Germany. UEFA fined
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the club thirty thousand euro for discriminatory behavior imposed additional
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sanctions related to objects thrown by fans.
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Spurs condemned the actions.
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They stated they do not reflect the club's values or
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those of the broader support base. Those bands should be
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permanent and they should not be rescinded. I mean, these
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are the things that just have to be eradicated from
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the game, and clubs have to take a strong position. Yeah,
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it's three people, three customers that you are losing. I
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don't think those are customers that you want, frankly, and
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that has to be dealt with. I wouldn't say indefinite ban,
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I'm sorry. It would be a permanent ban and you're
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not buying tickets from me anymore. It's got to be
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eradicated from the game.
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One hundred days. One hundred days.
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It feels different today than it did a week ago
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when we talk about the World Cup.
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It's coming fast.
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All the conversations around it, with rosters taking shape, base
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camps being finalized, ticket demand, ticket prices. But at the
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same time, the politics, the global tension, it sits just
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beneath the surface of all of this. This summer, this tournament.
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It's not going to unfold in a vacuum. The World
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Cup never does. Between now and kickoff, we're going to
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talk rosters, We're going to talk lineups, We're gonna talk logistics,
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we're going to talk coaching changes and coaching quality, and
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we're going to talk about all the moments that will
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define this build up. But we also have to keep
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an eye on the bigger picture, because the story of
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a World Cup it's always larger.
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Than just ninety minutes at a time.
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We got one hundred days to prepare, we got one
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hundred days to hope. That's this edition of The Morning Espresso.
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I'll be live on ninety two nine in the Game
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and the Audissey app tonight Atlanta Soccer Tonight starting at
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ten pm.
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Hopefully you can join me there.
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It's always available as a podcast afterwards if you miss
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it on off of the Woodwork from the Odyssey app.
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Also wherever you get your podcast from ninety two to
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nine in the game, and then tomorrow we'll be back
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for another edition of the Morning Espresso
