Off the Woodwork

Jason Longshore and Madison Crews get you ready for Friday's World Cup Draw and Saturday's MLS Cup final on tonight's Atlanta Soccer Tonight.

Jon Nelson takes you through some of the best conversations on SDH AM this week. Hear from Pulso Sports' Niko Moreno on the MLS playoffs, Toronto 2026 Executive Director Sharon Bollenbach, and coaches from Life University and Truett-McConnell ahead of their NAIA national tournament matches.

Gotham FC complete the unthinkable, rising from the No. 8 seed to lift the NWSL Championship behind a brilliant Rose Lavelle performance — while Washington’s mismanagement proves costly on the biggest stage.

In MLS, the Eastern Conference is flipped upside down as Cincinnati and Philadelphia crash out at home, Lionel Messi delivers another playoff masterclass, NYCFC survive on grit, and the Western playoffs produce an instant classic between Vancouver and LAFC before San Diego punches its ticket to the conference final.

Plus, we run through all the key storylines ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League slate, including Liverpool’s crisis, Arsenal–Bayern’s top-tier showdown, and a heavily depleted Real Madrid heading to Greece. We also get you set with all of the World Cup news out of FIFA today.

It’s chaos, it’s trophies, it’s playoff mayhem, it's Atlanta Soccer Tonight.

Jon Nelson takes you through some of the best interviews of the week on SDH AM. In this week's compilation, hear from ESPN's Jenn Hildreth, Apple TV's Miguel Gallardo, and Darrius Barnes of AC Grand Rapids.

Watch SDH AM Monday-Friday starting at 9:05am on the Soccer Down Here YouTube, Twitch, and X channels or listen as a podcast wherever you get your Soccer Down Here shows.

Join Madison Crews as she breaks down the 2025 NWSL Championship showdown between the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC! Get caught up with all the biggest moments from both semifinal matches, and hear insight from Jessica Charman as she shares her thoughts on what to expect in the final. Whether you're a longtime NWSL fan or tuning in for the first time, this episode has everything you need to get ready for the title match.

The U.S. men’s national team delivered a signature win, smashing Uruguay 5–1 in Tampa behind breakout performances, sharp finishing, and Mauricio Pochettino’s fiery postgame message. We break down what it means, who stood out, and why this one hits differently.

Then we head to Hampden Park, where Scotland produced one of their most dramatic nights in years — a chaotic, emotional 4–2 win over Denmark to punch their World Cup ticket. Plus, an absolutely wild night in Concacaf as Curaçao, Haiti, and Panama all booked their places at the 2026 World Cup in stunning fashion.

All that, plus the latest on Europe’s qualifiers, NWSL Championship week, Real Madrid’s potential ownership shake-up, and more on a jam-packed Atlanta Soccer Tonight.

Jon Nelson takes you through some of the best interviews from the past week on SDH AM, which airs live Monday-Friday starting at 9:05 on the Soccer Down Here YouTube, Twitch, and X channels. This week, he's joined by Atlanta United midfielder Cooper Sanchez from the U17 World Cup, commentator Kacey White with her thoughts on the NWSL playoffs and NCAA conference tournaments, and soccer business expert Jason Stephens to talk about the gambling scandal in Turkiye, illegal streaming, and the recent buyout in Atletico Madrid.

Jon Nelson, Madison Crews, and Jason Longshore give their reactions to Tata Martino's introductory press conference in Atlanta this morning.

History was made today in Atlanta. Arthur Blank and AMB Sports & Entertainment officially announced that the National Women’s Soccer League is coming to the city, with Atlanta’s newest professional club set to kick off in 2028.

Jason Longshore is joined by Madison Crews to break down the significance of the announcement — from what it means for women’s soccer in Atlanta to how this move continues the city’s rise as the epicenter of the sport in the United States. The conversation dives into the details of the expansion, Blank’s long-term investment in the women’s game, and the impact this club could have on the next generation of players and fans.

Before Atlanta steps into its potential NWSL future, Atlanta Soccer Flashback looks back at the women who built the foundation — from the 1992 push to make women’s soccer part of the Olympics, to the gold medal night in Athens that changed the sport forever.

Host Jason Longshore retraces how Atlanta became a heartbeat for women’s soccer:

🏅 The lobbying that made Atlanta ’96 a turning point

⚽ The rise and legacy of the Atlanta Beat

🏫 The growth of Georgia’s youth, college, and grassroots programs

🔥 The Dream, the Vibe, and the next wave of women’s sports in the city

💪 And how tonight’s NWSL news brings it all full circle

It’s the story of how belief turned into legacy — and how Atlanta helped change women’s soccer forever.