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Morning Espresso, 3.19: USL announcement on promotion/relegation, USOC underway
Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.
USL has announced a promotion/relegation system this morning (right after recording), as reported by Paul Tenorio last night and independently confirmed by the SDH Network. Not many details will be in the announcement, with the setup expected to start when the Division 1 league launches under the USL banner in 2028. It's hard to judge how this will go because there won't be the huge national revenues to chase by getting promoted, but there also won't be the huge losses of revenue by getting relegated that we've seen decimate clubs in other countries. Will there be increased national costs of travel? There will be increased costs in salary you would assume, where will the increased revenue come from? It's going to be a fascinating story in all facets.
Concacaf Nations League will see some changes to the USMNT roster due to injury. It will also see tests of the World Cup surface that SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will be using next summer.
One "cupset" last night in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup as FORO SC defeated USL League One Texoma FC (in their first ever competitive match) in extra time. Two penalty shootouts saw USL League One sides advance as Chattanooga outlasted New Jersey Alliance and Greenville defeated Asheville City.
UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinals this week saw Lyon win at Bayern yesterday, Arsenal lost at Real Madrid on a terrible pitch, Wolfsburg will host Barcelona today followed by Manchester City hosting Chelsea.
World Cup qualifying will continue this week, or start in Europe's case. Some interesting storylines as quite a few potential debutants in the tournament are still alive and thriving at this stage in Asia and Africa. Venezuela is battling to earn a spot for the first time from South America, the only country yet to qualify from CONMEBOL. Check out the video below for more details on some teams to learn about ahead of next summer if they make it.
Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago