Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Author: Kerith Gabriel

  • In his rightful spot as the Union’s main striker, Milan Iloski is doing more than scoring goals

    In his rightful spot as the Union’s main striker, Milan Iloski is doing more than scoring goals

    Just how much of a team player is Milan Iloski?

    During an interview in March conducted while Iloski was serving in a hybrid role under former Union manager Bradley Carnell, both the coach and player confirmed that his role was essentially meant to be the glue, the bridge between the opposition’s final third and the goal.

    But what did that message mean to Iloski’s subconscious?

    Milan, you’ll still get your opportunities, but they’ll be fewer in your new role as the support system we believe we need offensively right now.

    For Cavan Sullivan, ‘the dream is reality’ in a successful USMNT debut

    Here’s how Iloski explained it back in March.

    “For me, I love playing next to someone up top and I like scoring goals,” he told The Inquirer. “But also, I can be that creative player who can come inside or can float underneath the strikers. So, for me, I’m open to anything that can help the team. And I’m totally bought in. So whatever the staff needs from me is what I’ll try and provide.”

    How diplomatic of him, knowing now that he was miserable.

    Not miserable enough that he couldn’t still score a team high seven goals by the time the Union limped into the FIFA World Cup break. But enough to know that this role was not sustainable, even if he was taking advantage of his fleeting moments in front of goal.

    But since the team’s return to the pitch, while much of the spotlight has gone to the Union’s young guns, the limelight has been Iloski’s to the tune of 16 goals, finishing that run with a hat trick against Orlando City on Saturday to head into a weeklong break for FIFA’s international window.

    “When [interim coach Ryan] Richter came in and the new staff, it was really clear what we were going to do with me, and it was to switch me back into what I’ve been used to, and I was super happy to hear that,” Iloski said. “So really comfortable, really happy. And I feel like I’m impacting games, which is really important.”

    What sparked Mark McKenzie’s return to the Union? Being closer to ‘family,’ on and off the field

    One can easily tell he’s much happier now.

    Proof of that came by way of the smile Iloski flashed when talking about the freedom he has under Richter. He’s the club’s target man again.

    “I mean, that’s what I was brought here to do and the position I was brought into to play,” Iloski said. “It’s where I’ve had all the success in my career really.

    Milan Iloski (center) celebrates with defender Kai Wagner (right) and Quinn Sullivan in the Union’s 4-2 win against Orlando City last Saturday.Courtesy / Philadelphia Unio

    The “fun” he had last Saturday led to an MLS Man of the Matchday Award alongside teammate Indiana Vassilev, who had a goal of his own and two assists in their 4-2 win. The team, now producing goals at a feverish rate, recently set the club record for an unbeaten streak at 12 games, and tied an MLS record for having taken the most points (32) from any 12-game span in league history.

    Over those 12 games, you can credit Iloski with nine goals in that time. He’s also been sharing a good deal of the responsibilities with fellow striker Bruno Damiani, who has also turned it on as of late to the tune of five goals in the last five matches, including a hat trick of his own in the club’s 5-0 rout of FC Cincinnati on Sept. 9.

    “Me and Bruno have a great connection up there and really work well together,” Iloski said. ”It’s been a lot of fun and a guy I’ve been pushing to play alongside for a while. When [coach] Richter came in and the new staff, it was made really clear that that was what we were going to do, and I was super happy to hear that.”

    Iloski and the Union aren’t resting on these good vibes even though they were afforded a weeklong respite from MLS action due to the break for the latest FIFA international window. He noted that the job is not over and that there’s still plenty of work to be done.

    The difference is, for the first time in quite some time, he did it with what felt like an all-knowing smile across his face.

    Milan Iloski’s 16 goals ranks tied for third-best in Major League Soccer. Courtesy / Philadelphia Unio

    “It’s important that we don’t allow ourselves to get too wrapped up in the moment,” Iloski said. “I mean you saw it in this [last] game [against Orlando] … it’s easy to lose a little bit of focus there when you’re up 4-0. We know what we want and how we all want this season to end. All of this doesn’t matter if at the end of the day we’re not in a good position to chase what every other team is chasing, so we just need to get out there and finish the job.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • What sparked Mark McKenzie’s return to the Union? Being closer to ‘family,’ on and off the field

    What sparked Mark McKenzie’s return to the Union? Being closer to ‘family,’ on and off the field

    Mark McKenzie still can’t quite put his finger on it, but a return to Chester feels right.

    On Wednesday, his professional career came full circle when the Union officially announced that he will join the team on Jan. 1 via a designated player contract during January’s FIFA transfer window. McKenzie, 27, will return to the club “that took a chance on him” when he joined its first team in 2018, after grooming the central defender for years in its youth academy and developmental teams.

    He will enter coming off a year as a mainstay on the backline of Toulouse in France’s Ligue 1, with performances that caught the eye of U.S. national team coach Mauricio Pochettino. That landed him a spot on this past summer’s 26-man roster for the FIFA World Cup.

    So how did the Union ultimately land McKenzie? It definitely took some convincing. He had options from other clubs in Europe, and his decision to return wasn’t just a simple phone call from Union brass. However, to hear McKenzie tell it, when he was looking for what would come next in his now nine seasons as a professional, Philly checked a lot of boxes.

    “I don’t think it was necessarily a ‘who called who,’” said McKenzie. “It was more of I was looking for something next in my career, and to be honest [initially, I] couldn’t pinpoint exactly what that was. Some players want more money. Some players want to play in certain leagues, or play in the [UEFA] Champions League. Some players just want to go home.

    Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield’s USMNT debuts vs. Peru weren’t forgotten amid Cavan Sullivan’s hype

    “I think for me it was a mix of different things. And my agent and I were on the same page with what I wanted and what I envisioned for that next step. So we were putting out feelers and figuring out what that would look like.”

    With that as the mindset, McKenzie said his agency representation at The.Team met with Union sporting director Jon Scheer and others on whether a move back would even be viable. It took stages, but according to McKenzie, it worked out that Philly felt like the right choice for the Bear, Del., native, with several family members still in the area.

    In May, Mark McKenzie (center, right) battles Senegal forward Sadio Mané during an exhibition match ahead of the World Cup.Scott Kinser

    Scheer told The Inquirer that convincing McKenzie meant a face-to-face with him and his representation, meeting McKenzie outside of the country just before preparations began for the World Cup.

    “We went out to Spain to speak with him and his agent, and for us it was more a gauge to see where his head was at and what he wanted to do next,” said Scheer. “It wasn’t necessarily easy, as he had options, but at the end of the day, I think we offered a package and an opportunity for him to come home and that’s something he wanted.”

    The dollar amount of that total package remains to be seen but could be revealed when the Union holds their official news conference to announce McKenzie, scheduled for a virtual conference later today at 12:30 p.m. For McKenzie, who is expected to rejoin the team on a designated player contract, he says coming home will still allow him to “continue to develop.”

    Mark McKenzie (left) spent three seasons with French Ligue 1 club, Toulouse FC. Emma Da Silva

    Success in bunches

    Even before his departure for Europe, McKenzie knew immense success with the Union. As a homegrown player, he played along the club’s back line for former coach Jim Curtin, and helped guide the team to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2018-20.

    The 2020-21 season saw him head to Belgium’s Genk on a transfer valued at $6 million. He’d celebrate winning the Belgian Cup later that season with Genk, and go on to play two more seasons before a move to France’s Ligue 1 and finding himself a mainstay on Toulouse’s starting 11. It was his performances there that enabled him to earn that spot on the national team roster for the World Cup.

    He says that all of those stops along the way have helped him grow as a player and as a person in his professional career, choosing to go the gradual approach to stardom as opposed to a big splash that felt unnatural.

    “There was the possibility to go to maybe a bigger league or to a different club [from the Union my first time around], but I think for me, I wanted to take steps that were right for me,” McKenzie said. “I feel that too many times, especially young players, they get fixated on the idea of going to maybe a big club or going somewhere that looks optically like the thing to do, and then end up regretting it, or end up going and bouncing along.

    Mark McKenzie (left) battles Australia’s Connor Metcalfe during their international friendly last year. David Zalubowski

    “I wanted to go somewhere where I can develop, where I can play meaningful minutes, where I could be seen for the player I was and the person I was, and still be challenged in the same way. And going to Belgium from Philly was like that first step for me in getting my feet wet in Europe.”

    Dive deeper and McKenzie says the moves all along the way were more strategic, in terms of acclimating to the rigors of European soccer than being thrust into it from the outset.

    “I was able to experience the [UEFA] Champions League, Europa League and Conference League and after going through those years, it was like, all right, well, what’s the next step now? It was a strategic step of how can I make sure that I’m one, playing week in and week out, and two, still playing against some of the best players in the world and showcasing what I can do against the best in the world.”

    Union’s wild unbeaten streak continues with a dominant win over Orlando City

    Now McKenzie says he gets the opportunity to do that, surrounded by the familiar confines of the Union’s sprawling complex in Chester and in front of familiar faces of family and friends he had to say goodbye to while plying his trade overseas.

    Union defender Mark McKenzie plays against the New England Revolution in 2020.YONG KIM / Staff Photographer

    Family comes first

    Just before the start of the 2025 Gold Cup, McKenzie and his wife, Carley, welcomed their first child, Micah. For the new father, it meant several sleepless nights, getting acclimated to the rigors of parenting on top of preparing for a major tournament. In November, while McKenzie was back in Philly as a member of the U.S. national team, he noted that he was still balancing fatherhood and his thriving professional career.

    So how much did having family and friends minutes away instead of a world away factor into his decision to return, especially having a new, young family of his own?

    “It’s huge, man,” McKenzie said. “I think about the years that I’ve been in Europe, and you get the opportunity for family to come visit, be together and watch games. But now, the opportunity to walk off the field, to come back home and laugh and talk to a lot of the same people? That adds more to your career or who you are as a player than sometimes the wins and losses do.

    “At the end of the day, when I look back at my career, I’m just a product of who my family is and how strong my support system is. So, for me to come back here, not only make sure that they feel that love, but also my family at the Union … family is a core value, you know, and that’s what’s pushed me to get to where I am today. It’s a big part of the reason why I made the decision to come back here, and it’s going to be a big part of the reason why we’re successful as a club.”

    Mark McKenzie and fellow former Union player Paxten Aaronson bang the ceremonial drum ahead of a match in 2023. Philadelphia Union

    On Saturday, McKenzie was in Chester and watched the Union deliver a 4-2 win over Orlando City, setting a franchise record as they now revel in an unbeaten streak of 12 games. McKenzie opened the match with the ceremonial banging of the drum on the field. It not only started the game, but also the countdown of his return to the field in a few short months.

    When asked what that moment was going to feel like, McKenzie was a man of few words, but he had one that spoke volumes.

    “Surreal,” he said. “Yeah, I think that’s the best way to describe it.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • Union’s wild unbeaten streak continues with a dominant win over Orlando City

    Union’s wild unbeaten streak continues with a dominant win over Orlando City

    If there was any concern about how the Union would fare with five of their customary starters away on international duty — the answer was emphatic.

    Four goals, the first coming in the 11th minute, fueled a 4-2 win over Orlando City on Saturday inside a wet Subaru Park, as a hat trick from forward Milan Iloski paved the way for the Union to set a franchise record with 12 games unbeaten in MLS play.

    The outburst came despite defenders Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre and midfielder Cavan Sullivan made their U.S. senior national team debuts in a 4-1 win against Peru just a few hours earlier. Also missing were midfielder Danley Jean Jacques (Haiti) and longtime goalkeeper Andre Blake, who is on duty with Jamaica.

    On Saturday along Chester’s waterfront, Iloski struck first on a penalty kick after being taken down in the box by Orlando right back Zakaria Taifi. Following a delay and a request from referee Sergil Demianchuk to move the ball onto the spot, Iloski blasted home his 14th goal of the season. He scored his second just eight minutes later, taking a ball into space and slotting it past Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

    He sealed the match in the 51st with a blast just outside Orlando’s 18 that Crépeau had no chance of saving. Iloski leads the team with 16 goals and is tied for third in the league. Indiana Vassilev also scored in the 48th to set the tone early in the second half. He took a pass from Jesús Bueno in the box and blasted it past the hands of Crépeau.

    Orlando notched two second-half goals. Iván Angulo scored in the 78th, and the second came off a well-timed run and shot from Martín Ojeda in the box, courtesy of a smart cross from substitute Harvey Sarajian. Despite the goals, backup goalkeeper Andrew Rick was strong in net and arguably didn’t have to do much, courtesy of an Orlando attack that lacked much bite.

    A hallmark of the Union’s remarkable run since the return from the FIFA World Cup break has been their ability to create — and finish — many their chances.

    The Union have amassed 35 goals on this run and have scored at least four goals in each of their last four matches, including 5-0 wins over FC Cincinnati (Sept. 9) and San Diego FC (Sept. 13).

    Now, a break in league action awaits courtesy of a FIFA international window that extends through Oct. 10, when the club returns to Subaru Park to host Real Salt Lake (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

  • These are the numbers that stand out in the Union’s remarkable regular season turnaround

    These are the numbers that stand out in the Union’s remarkable regular season turnaround

    Much of the talk surrounding the Union has focused on the turnaround the team has shown since returning to league action after a reset courtesy of the FIFA World Cup. It was a seven-week break that left the team searching for answers about how a season with so much promise ended with just one win after 15 matches in Major League Soccer.

    On Saturday, the Union will embark on Matchday No. 27 when they host Orlando City inside Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). A win would set a franchise record of 12 straight matches unbeaten in MLS, an impressive run accomplished under an interim coach and with a sizable chunk of the roster away on international duty during the first FIFA window since the World Cup.

    A Bridesburg basement and three older brothers helped Cavan Sullivan become the future of U.S. Soccer

    The club’s second-half surge has them in great position to earn a trip to the MLS Cup playoffs, with seven games remaining before brackets and seeds are set. However, what’s often overlooked during the Union’s 11-match unbeaten run are the numbers behind their surge up the Eastern Conference standings and the metrics that have made them a contender again instead of an afterthought.

    Here are a few figures that stand out.

    3

    The number of head coaching roles within the Union by current interim head coach Ryan Richter. In addition to once being the director of the Union’s Junior Academy, Richter, 37, was also head coach of the club’s developmental team, Union II, before taking over as interim head coach of the senior team in May.

    Cavan Sullivan pays tribute to LeBron James with his celebration after scoring a goal for the Union against CF Montréal on Sept. 5. Philadelphia Union

    8

    The number of wins and draws the Union have amassed in 23 league meetings against Orlando City. They’ll be looking to avenge a 4-3 loss to the Lions at Inter & Co. Stadium on May 13. It was a game in which Cavan Sullivan scored his first MLS goal, but a last-minute clincher by Orlando sent the Union to their second straight loss in May.

    Eight is also the number of goals by a player with the last name “Sullivan” on the roster. Cavan Sullivan has scored seven goals, including six in the Union’s last six matches, while his older brother Quinn has one since returning from a season-ending ACL tear last season.

    Despite the absence of key players, Union boss Ryan Richter remains ‘confident’ results will come against Orlando City

    12

    The number of goals the Union have allowed since their second-half return in MLS play. By comparison, during their slump before the World Cup break, the Union allowed 30 goals. Nestled within that are four shutouts, including 5-0 outbursts against FC Cincinnati (Sept. 9) and four days later on the road against San Diego FC.

    Union captain Alejandro Bedoya has been impactful on and off the field. Courtesy / Union

    16

    Union captain Alejandro Bedoya’s appearances this season. Bedoya, 39, might be considered the elder statesman on the roster, but his work rate, particularly when he enters in the second half, has been a key contributor to the team’s second-half surge. He owns a 65% accurate passer rating and has three assists in league play. However, Richter and several players on the squad suggest the leadership Bedoya brings is the real talent of this chapter of his 11-year career in Philadelphia.

    Philly's Cavan Sullivan reacts to being called up to U.S. men's national team.
    Video: Philly’s Cavan Sullivan reacts to being called up to U.S. men’s national team.

    18

    The average age of the three Union players who were called into the senior U.S. men’s national team ahead of four matches for the Americans during the FIFA window. Defenders Frankie Westfield (20) and Neil Pierre (18), and midfielder Cavan Sullivan (16) make up the trio who, along with midfielder Danley Jean Jacques (26, Haiti) and goalkeeper Andre Blake (35, Jamaica), will miss time with the team due to international duty.

    Frankie Westfield is one of three current Union players in camp for the U.S. men’s national team ahead of four matches. Jonathan Tannenwald

    29

    The number of points the Union have amassed in this second half of the season. The club limped into the break with a 1-10-4 (seven points) record. Since the break, the Union are 9-0-2 in MLS play.

    30

    The number of MLS goals the Union have scored since the restart of the season. In total, the club has scored 50 goals in league play, meaning that 60% have come since July 22 when the Union took home a 3-1 win against Red Bull New York at home.

    2,321

    The number of minutes played by defender Nathan Harriel, who is the only player to have started every league match for the team. Harriel, who has been a bona fide presence at outside back, ranks third in MLS for the most minutes by a player who isn’t a goalkeeper.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • Despite the absence of key players, Union boss Ryan Richter remains ‘confident’ results will come against Orlando City

    Despite the absence of key players, Union boss Ryan Richter remains ‘confident’ results will come against Orlando City

    Ryan Richter said a variation of the word “confident” or “confidence” six times over the course of his weekly press conference on Thursday.

    The Union boss was referring to several different questions posed, but mainly to his ability to earn a result against a visiting Orlando City team without multiple Union players who have fueled an 11-game unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer since the break for the FIFA World Cup.

    The Union are changing the narrative around the fate of their season in real time

    Orlando enters Subaru Park on Saturday (7 p.m., Apple TV) looking to get back on track after having its five-game MLS unbeaten streak come to an end last weekend against New England. There’s also no guarantee that French star Antoine Griezmann will play this weekend as he picked up an injury during a midweek game against Columbus in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

    Griezmann has been a firecracker since arriving in Orlando during the summer transfer window with eight goals and three assists in just 10 games in all competitions. Whether or not Griezmann makes a return to Philly, Richter knows they are a club not to be taken lightly, but feels confident in who remains in the locker room and is ready for availability.

    ‘Brothers’ Cavan Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, and Neil Pierre getting called up to the USMNT together is ‘another level’

    The Union will be without five players due to international duty, which includes starting goalkeeper Andre Blake (Jamaica), defenders Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre (U.S. men’s national team) and midfielders Danley Jean Jacques (Haiti) and teen phenom Cavan Sullivan, who, like Pierre and Westfield, are taking part in their first senior-level camp for the USMNT.

    “When I look at the team that we’re going to put out on Saturday, we still have a ton of quality,” Richter said. “Of course we’re missing players, and some guys [who] haven’t gotten much minutes lately. But when I look at the group, you’re talking about putting in national team-level players; you’re talking about putting in players that have a pretty good track record in this league and other leagues. So … I step in with full confidence and the message is the same; we attack this game, trying to win.”

    With two pieces of the backline gone, two things remain to be seen: whether defender Nathan Harriel will shift into center of defense with the absence of Pierre, or remain an outside back. Also, it’s expected that with Pierre out, the team will see the return of Japhet Sery Larsen in the middle, but who pairs alongside Larsen is very much a wait-and-see.

    Union defender Nathan Harriel is a strong presence at both center or as an outside back for the club. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “We want to give the team consistency, that’s clear,” said Richter. “And one thing that we’re all confident in is that Nathan can do a great job at center back like he’s proven over the last couple of months. But as he’s proven over the last five years, he’s a great right back as well. So we’re totally confident in the group that we’re putting out there. And Nathan is going to be a key piece no matter what position he lines up in.”

    For all the hype, Cavan Sullivan has genuinely earned his moment on the USMNT’s biggest stage

    Offensively, much of the club’s firepower will be available this weekend, most notably forward Milan Iloski, who leads the team with 12 goals. The international window game also opens up an opportunity to see more of midfielder Quinn Sullivan, who has been electric off the bench following a long rehab from an ACL injury.

    Sullivan has started just one match in league play this season, but has contributed a goal and six assists in 11 matches, none more thrilling than his rabona pass for the game-tying goal in last week’s thriller on the road against Sporting Kansas City.

    Another player who the Union could certainly benefit from running back a breakthrough performance is forward Bruno Damiani. Damiani, who has eight goals on the year, five of which came in the last three matches including a hat trick in the club’s 5-0 rout of FC Cincinnati on Sept. 9, is someone who Richter felt was peaking at the right time.

    Now, it’s all about consistency.

    “He makes it a tough game for the center backs, and he gives us an outlet,” said Richter. “Any time we play direct, he’s the target. The main job of the striker is to score goals. And now he’s been doing all the other work. … But he can’t drop that. There will be a run where he doesn’t score again. That’s every player. That’s every striker, but as long as he keeps all the other good work that he’s doing [and] he continues to help the team in a really positive way … it’s incredibly important for the team.”

    Should they emerge with the result, the team will set a record for the longest unbeaten streak in club history at 12 straight. And while it appears that’s the last thing on Richter’s mind, it’s the reality the Union now inherits.

    Not a bad place to be, all things considered.

    MLS levies fines on Union, Sporting K.C.

    On Wednesday, MLS’s Disciplinary Committee issued fines to Damiani, Jean Jacques, Kai Wagner and athletic trainer Paul Rushing for their involvement in a scuffle as the two teams headed into the locker rooms at halftime of last Saturday’s 4-3 win over Sporting Kansas City. It marked the first time the Union had violated the league’s mass confrontation policy, which is surprising for those who remember the fracas that took place during the Union’s home match against Inter Miami on Aug. 19.

    Follow the Union’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • The Union are changing the narrative around the fate of their season in real time

    The Union are changing the narrative around the fate of their season in real time

    It was Frankie Westfield’s shot that set the tone.

    His shot from just outside Sporting Kansas City’s 18-yard-box was hit with a verve that said so much — without being able to say anything.

    It was angry, it was forceful, it was frustrated.

    Fortunately, it was also extremely accurate. Watch it, and you’ll see that’s apparent.

    It would be the goal that would see three more follow in a nine-minute span that fueled a 4-3 Union win against Sporting, after Philly took a 3-0 deficit into the locker room at halftime.

    Up until Westfield’s strike in the 64th minute, the story was written to appear like a night in which nothing would go right for the Union, a team on the precipice of finding a 10-game unbeaten streak snapped on the road by Sporting, a team desperately looking to surge out of the basement of Major League Soccer’s Western Conference.

    Before Ryan Richter became the Union’s interim manager, he was a hooper from Bucks County with Iverson-like swag

    Two of Sporting’s three goals were scored by an attacker the club spent $17 million to acquire in Brazilian André Luiz, from Greece’s Olympiacos FC. And for the first 50-plus minutes of the first half, Luis was earning his game check, embarrassing Union defenders with his speed and using deft whipping shots that sailed past seasoned goalkeeper Andre Blake.

    Honestly, watching it felt like it fit the narrative of Philly sports teams. It can’t be too good for too long.

    After all, things in the past few weeks were going too well for the Union. They were riding that unprecedented unbeaten streak, spearheaded by a 16-year-old who the soccer world is watching mature into his own in real time. We already knew Cavan Sullivan was different, but over the course of 11 matches in which the Union have taken at least a point, his maturity has blossomed.

    Cavan Sullivan earns his first USMNT call-up, as do Union teammates Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield

    And then you have three Philly-area players who have a spotlight on them as products from the Union’s own youth academy that will now be the latest, and among the youngest to get the opportunity to represent their country on the senior level. By the time you read this, in addition to Sullivan, 18-year-old defender Neil Pierre and Westfield, 20, will be on their way to the U.S. Soccer’s national training site in Atlanta to begin preparations ahead of four games during the first international window since the FIFA World Cup.

    Cavan Sullivan (center) blows past a Sporting Kansas City defender in the club’s come-from-behind win at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday.Courtesy / Philadelphia Union

    In fact, all three had contributions on the goals that saw the Union bypass Sporting. It started with Westfield, then Sullivan got his goal in the 66th off a great run into the box by midfielder Danley Jean Jacques to slot it past Sporting goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland, and Pierre’s header down off a ball into the box in the 73rd forced an own goal after defender Zorhan Bassong headed the ball into his own net.

    “The mentality of this group is outrageous,” said Union interim manager Ryan Richter, postgame. “[It] would have been easy to to quit at halftime, on the road, long travel, down 3-0 with guys going away with the national team after the game.

    “But the way that the guys responded in the second half was, was fantastic. Congrats to them for showing again the way that they’re believing in each other right now.”

    But it goes on from there. A forward in Milan Iloski, who’s found form. A defender in Kai Wagner, who in addition to playing the role of antagonist, is having one of his best seasons as a pro in a return to the Union during the break. A coach who has provided as good a case as ever as interim boss in Richter, who led the team since the World Cup break and like the rest of us who watched the Union’s performance on Saturday night, looked in stunned disbelief at what he just witnessed — despite playing it cool, postgame.

    Midfielder Danley Jean Jacques (left) celebrates with Cavan Sullivan after his assist on Sullivan’s goal in the 66th minute. Courtesy / Philadelphia Union

    “We got a reminder tonight that we are not perfect,” said Richter. “And when we’re not at our best, any team in this league can beat us.”

    With that wealth of riches, over the past two months witnessing the Union’s first half unraveling felt like it fit the Philly sports mold. We can never have it too good. There’s always got to be a struggle.

    ‘Brothers’ Cavan Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, and Neil Pierre getting called up to the USMNT together is ‘another level’

    Don’t believe it? Ask the Phillies or take a look at their final score as that team continues to claw for a postseason spot.

    But the Union changed the narrative in what might be one of the best come-from-behind wins of the season in MLS. Richter and Co. continue to surge up the Eastern Conference ladder as a team that was written off in June, believed to be a collective franchise in disarray after limping into the World Cup break with just one win in 15 matches. Now, we’re talking about a team with 14 goals in their last three games, with eight still to play in a historically forgiving league.

    In the 98th minute, after getting up from a foul, Wagner looked to the Sporting KC sidelines and their fans and flashed a devilish grin. But it didn’t feel like trolling (as Wagner has been known to do to both fans and the opposition from time to time).

    Union defender Kai Wagner celebrates following the club’s come-from-behind win against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.Courtesy / Philadelphia Union

    As fans chirped at him, undoubtedly frustrated that their club just blew a three-goal lead, Wagner’s grin felt like he knew that this team was destined for big things. That not even a three-goal deficit on the road is a means to an end for this collective.

    “When a group of players responds the way they did in the second half, and that’s not just the guys who started the game, it’s the guys who, whatever role they played, you know, they did a pretty good job … it was fun to be a part of,” Richter said. “It was fun to watch, and it’s exciting to be a part of.”

    Union goalkeeper had two saves, including a monster stop that thwarted a potential hat trick from Sporting’s Andre Luis in the first half. Courtesy / Philadelphia Union

    Odds and endlines

    When Pierre took a hard challenge toward the end of the game, there was cause for concern, considering he was on a flight shortly after to join U.S. Soccer’s 28-man camp ahead of four international games beginning with Peru in Orlando on Sept. 26. However, when asked postgame, Richter had very little concerns about it, saying, “He went down probably five times [over the course of the game] but he kept going. So I think he he’s doing all right. Probably some bumps and bruises but nothing serious.” … It’s wild to say, but if not for a few first half saves from Blake, Sporting seemed primed for more goals. Blake was credited with two saves, including a monster one in the first half to keep Luis from getting what seemed destined to be a hat trick. … Quinn Sullivan certainly looks back to full strength as his rabona pass to Iloski in the 68th, saw Iloski muscle past Sporting defender Lasse Berg Johnsen to score the equalizer.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • Cavan Sullivan cemented his case for making the U.S. men’s national team in the Union’s rout of San Diego

    Cavan Sullivan cemented his case for making the U.S. men’s national team in the Union’s rout of San Diego

    It’s expected that in about 72 hours from the time of this report, U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce his 26-man roster for a series of four upcoming friendlies in the first FIFA international window since this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

    Here’s hoping Pochettino was watching Sunday because Cavan Sullivan not only made a serious case to earn what would be his first call-up to the senior squad, but it looks like at just 16, he’s arguably got the tools to become a mainstay on Pochettino’s roster.

    Take the two goals he scored that day out of it, even though the first was pretty fantastic.

    Sullivan’s runs off the ball to put himself into positions to score were arguably equally as impressive, especially the run in behind San Diego’s backline to score his second of the night. The kid has been a disruptor and it’s been a major catalyst behind the Union’s 10-game — that’s right, 10 — unbeaten streak since the MLS break for the World Cup, a break the club limped into with just one win in 15 matches.

    “For all of the special things that Cavan does, these are the areas we’re asking him to get into,” said Union interim head coach Ryan Richter postgame. Richter, who for weeks has preached the Union “not getting ahead of ourselves” when it comes to priding the long unbeaten streak, couldn’t help but creep a smile when asked about the performance of Sullivan to date. “He can be effective and score a lot of goals. And he’s been committed to that, running into cutback spots, getting himself in the box … over the last few weeks, he’s been really efficient and it’s nice to see the confidence that he’s playing with.”

    It’s a collective confidence, however, as this Union team looks undeniably different from the one managed by former boss Bradley Carnell a few months prior. Milan Iloski, playing in his customary spot as the team’s out-and-out No. 9, has delivered to the tune of a team-high 13 goals on the season. The midfield collective, spearheaded by Danley Jean Jacques, Jovan Lukić, and the tireless runs of Indiana Vassilev, is fueling chances on goal at a higher clip.

    Fantasy meets football — er, soccer — in Union’s latest ticket promo

    Now, this team has the opportunity to do what no one who watches it would’ve thought possible before the World Cup break when it travels to Sporting Kansas City this Saturday (8:30 p.m., Apple TV). The group can tie the franchise’s longest unbeaten streak at 11 with a win or draw against a Sporting side sitting in the basement of MLS’ Western Conference.

    It’s a stat line that undoubtedly matters very little to this current Union team, which appears laser-focused on getting results and climbing higher up the table, but it’s certainly another notch on the belt and a true turning point for a squad that many people counted out — in June.

    The Union celebrate with fans who traveled to San Diego following one of their five goals on Sunday.Philadelphia Union

    There’s also the argument too, that the Union have prided themselves on sticking to their guns and not chasing big names to bolster their roster. Four players directly from the club’s youth academy contributed in Saturday’s 5-0 rout of San Diego, with Sullivan, of course, the highlight. Sullivan and left back Frankie Westfield assisting on Bruno Damiani’s fourth goal in two matches in the 67th minute, followed by a goal off the bench from Malik Jakupovic in the 86th, showcase that the team feels confident it can get results with the young guns it employs night after night.

    It should be noted that the goal for Jakupovic was his first.

    “The homegrown players have done great, but the team has done great,” said Richter, who was the club’s developmental coach at Union II before taking on his interim role. “I think everyone has [bought in] to being a part of this group and being a part of this team, and it doesn’t matter if they’re 16 or they’re 39.”

    In the same breath, however, Richter added:

    “This is a part of our club strategy, and you’ve seen the great players that have come out of our academy, and now this is a group that is making a difference in a lot of games, and they need to make sure that they continue to stay focused and to keep pushing to get better and better because it’s what makes our club great.”

    Union interim manager Ryan Richter not satisfied with landing in a playoff spot

    With potentially a week in which Richter could see one of the club’s best young players shuffle off to join the U.S. men’s national team in Atlanta later this month for a series of matches, how do you plan around that?

    “He’s excited, we’re excited, the club is excited,” Richter said of Sullivan’s potential call-up. “But we need to make sure that we focus on the day-to-day, keep his feet on the ground, keep training and working in the way that he is because he’s already getting rewarded for that work that he’s putting in. That’s where I’m going to keep the focus, and I know that’s where he’s going to keep the focus as well.”

    Union goalkeeper Andre Blake directs teammates during a match earlier this season.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Odds and endlines

    With all this talk about the offense, it’d be remiss not to note that the recent run of form from Union goalkeeper Andre Blake has been nothing short of remarkable. In Saturday’s shutout of San Diego, Blake made five saves to fuel his third consecutive shutout and his fourth since the end of the World Cup break … The backline of Kai Wagner, Nathan Harriel, Westfield and 18-year-old Neil Pierre has allowed just nine goals in 10 MLS matches. Conversely, in that same span (since July 22), the Union have accounted for 28 goals, with 12 coming in the last three matches.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • Philly’s sports summer saw big events return. Here are five more it would be great to have back.

    Philly’s sports summer saw big events return. Here are five more it would be great to have back.

    Philly’s jam-packed summer of sports has come to a close, but not before it ushered in the return of several events that hadn’t made their way to the city in quite some time.

    From July’s MLB All-Star Game to August’s UFC 330 to the return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, there was a great mix of events that came back for the first time in a long time, which begs the question: What other Philly-centric events would it be great to have back?

    In no particular order, here are five among the several sports staples. Some of these still could, some are gone forever, but all of them were authentically Philly while they were here.

    Philadelphia Sports and Big Five Hall of Fame basketball legend and radio personality Sonny Hill (right) at a Sonny Hill League game at McGonigle Hall in the league’s heyday.

    Sonny Hill Community Basketball League

    It wasn’t just that it was responsible for having some of the best players in the NBA to emerge from the league. It was that for over 50 years, at the height of its popularity in Philly, the famed Sonny Hill Basketball League gave thousands of kids, those directly in the city and some from the Philadelphia area, an opportunity to stay off the streets, hone their hoops skills, and create a pathway toward a college education.

    And for a rare few, it was their bridge to superstardom. But nothing stays on a high forever. At its end, Sonny Hill, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and beloved radio jock — who can still be heard on early Sunday mornings on SportsRadio WIP (94.1-FM), where he’s been since 1987 — ran out of steam trying to keep up with the rise of AAU basketball’s popularity.

    In 2015, writer DelGreco Wilson penned a piece on his blog, The Black Cager, which read: The Sonny Hill League facilitated a broader “Philadelphia” identity and solidarity among Philly ballers. The Sonny Hill League helped translate an “I” mentality into a “we” mentality … [but it] has declined in significance. Philly’s basketball community is poorer as a result.”

    Spectators under an umbrella watch as rowers from St. Joseph’s make their way down the Schuylkill on the first day of the 2022 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

    The Dad Vail Regatta … on the Schuylkill River

    It was the beautiful nuisance Philly just grew to accept. For close to 70 years, the Dad Vail Regatta took over Kelly Drive and a swath of the Schuylkill River to welcome the best college crew teams from across the country.

    The event saw thousands descend upon the banks of the river to cheer on the racers and turn sections of Kelly Drive into full-blown tent parties over the course of the two-day annual spectacular.

    Rowers compete in the 82nd Annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta along the Schuylkill River in 2021. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer

    But when the city decided to dredge a section of the river ahead of the event, race organizers scrambled to find a new venue and were pleased and thankful that Camden County commissioners took it on in 2023.

    The race is still going strong and is projected to return to Cooper River as organizers continue to be cagey with a never-say-never attitude about returning what was conceived as Philly’s “boat race weekend” on the Schuylkill.

    Army-Navy Game

    Ninety, as in 9-0. That’s how many times Philadelphia has hosted one of college football’s most electric games: the annual Army-Navy Game, a showdown between the two service academies. The pomp and pageantry that surrounds all of it is one of the best parts about this annual matchup, now a conference game in the American Conference.

    But that hasn’t been the case for quite some time. The last Army-Navy football game played inside Lincoln Financial Field was in 2022, with Army beating Navy in double overtime.

    It’s a game that saw more than two-thirds of its 126-year iteration played in Philly. But over the last few years, the event has traveled to a number of cities but is expected to return to Philly for the 91st time on Dec. 11, 2027.

    WCW wrestling inside the old Philadelphia Civic Center

    While pro wrestling isn’t exactly for everyone, it’s cool to recall a time when there were steel-cage and barbed-wire matches inside the old Philadelphia Civic Center.

    Before Ric Flair greeted the crowd at Sportsradio WIP’s 26th annual Wing Bowl in 2018, he was electrifying crowds routinely inside the old Philadelphia Civic Center in University City. JONATHAN WILSON / For the Inquirer

    In fact, major wrestling houses brought their show to University City just off Penn’s campus, and with their major wrestlers. The venue has hosted wrestling royalty like Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Razor Ramon, Sting, and more. It was the venue for professional wrestling on the East Coast during the 1980s and 1990s.

    But the shows started to dwindle there as wrestling grew in popularity and the Civic Center aged. The building, demolished in 2005, was the beginning, with the baton seemingly passed to the 2300 Arena in Pennsport, which hosts several wrestling matches and other combat sports.

    Just for KiXX …

    Sure, the city is spoiled with having a Major League Soccer team in the Union, but before MLS landed here in 2010, the city was in a bit of a drought for the sport. It had been long since the Atoms and the Fury had played in their since-defunct leagues, and women’s soccer tried twice with different iterations of the Philadelphia Independence.

    The one constant was when the Philadelphia KiXX took to the turf where green carpet met concrete at the old Spectrum. Some of the best KiXX players were guys from Philly neighborhoods who never left and plied their trades here. Goalkeeper Peter Pappas was always tough to beat, and the combination of Pat Morris and former player-coach Don D’Ambra brought crowds out.

    Philly’s Summer of Sports: No ICE arrests, unruly fans, or scary scenes at World Cup, PGA, All-Star Game

    The KiXX shut down operations in 2010, but not before winning the Major Indoor Soccer League title twice while making a number of their players hometown heroes in the process.

  • Will Matt Campbell get Penn State past the James Franklin era? He’s got some things in his favor.

    Will Matt Campbell get Penn State past the James Franklin era? He’s got some things in his favor.

    One of the biggest unknowns of the 2026 college football season is whether No. 18 Penn State will fare better or worse without James Franklin leading the program.

    While many felt it was Franklin’s time to go, it will still be an adjustment that for the first time in over a decade, a new face at the head-coaching position will run out of the gates at Beaver Stadium when the Nittany Lions open their season against Marshall on Saturday (3:30 p.m., FS1).

    So how might Matt Campbell’s success at Iowa State translate to Penn State, since comparing the Big 12 to the Big Ten is like devouring an apple and claiming it was the juiciest orange you’ve ever tasted?

    A good place to start is the College Football Playoff.

    In the history of the tournament, only four teams from the Big 12 have qualified, and none were named Iowa State, the program Campbell led for the last 10 years. Conversely, six Big Ten teams, including Penn State, have qualified for the CFP, with a program in the conference taking home the title the last three years, the latest when Curt Cignetti and Indiana shocked the college football world.

    Pat McQuaide is Villanova’s starting quarterback — for now. Here’s a look at the legal fight over his eligibility.

    Let’s not forget one of those title teams was nearly the Nittany Lions, who were a mere field goal away from a trip to the championship game in 2024 before it all unraveled for Franklin last season and cost him his job.

    Matt Campbell, previously head coach at Iowa State, watches quarterback Connor Barry (10), a transfer from Christopher Newport University, on Aug. 5.Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer

    Here’s what we know about Campbell that bodes well for Penn State.

    In his 10 seasons at Iowa State, he left as the winningest coach in program history with 72 victories. He has an offensive mind, and he convinced quarterback Rocco Becht, the former Iowa State QB and son of former NFL tight end Anthony Becht, to transfer in the offseason and join him in Happy Valley.

    Becht is a whole other beast. The fifth-year player from Wesley Chapel, Fla., is so invested in helping Campbell restore Penn State’s glory that he’s committed to taking just one class this upcoming semester.

    That wasn’t a misprint. One class. Three credits. And it’s an online course, which has legislators questioning how Becht’s situation accurately defines the term “student-athlete.”

    So the program has a new coach eager to prove he can bring the success he had in the Big 12 to the elite level of the Big Ten, a quarterback who’s dialed in to simply being all about football, and an athletics department that’s betting a bit of the farm on Campbell to the tune of an eight-year deal in Happy Valley that will see him collect nearly $80 million over the life of the contract.

    Penn State hosts first ‘Victory Day’ under Matt Campbell: ‘It’s the best day of the year’

    The Nittany Lions also have one of the most favorable schedules. They face just three teams in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll in No. 16 Michigan (Oct. 17), No. 17 Washington (Nov. 7), and will host No. 14 Southern Cal in their annual “White Out” game on Oct. 10 (7:30 p.m., NBC).

    The way the Big Ten configuration landed, Campbell will chase a spot in the College Football Playoff not needing to face Ohio State (current AP No. 1), defending champion Indiana, Oregon, or Iowa, all teams in the AP rankings. It’s the perfect schedule for a team not looking to waste time and millions on rebuilding its program.

    Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft poses for a photo with Matt Campbell, after Campbell was announced as the school’s new head football coach in December. Matthew O'Haren, Imagn Images

    In fact, there is no rebuild. If you listen to Nittany Lions athletic director Pat Kraft, Campbell’s upside is believed to be the perfect option to seamlessly right the wrongs that closed out Franklin’s tenure.

    This was Kraft’s statement in the press release upon hiring Campbell last December:

    “Coach Campbell is, without a doubt, the right leader at the right time for Penn State football. He is a stellar coach with a proven track record of success and his values, character and approach to leading student-athletes to success on and off the field align perfectly with the traditions and values of Penn State.”

    Franklin built something from the ashes of what the program became following the Jerry Sandusky scandal, and honed it into a title-contending program (albeit, one that could never figure out Ohio State or Michigan).

    Penn State fired James Franklin on Oct. 12, 2025, after a third straight loss. The Nittany Lions were 104-45 in 11-plus seasons under Franklin.Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

    Now, it just needs some fine tuning to be driven again. Campbell is squarely in that driver’s seat with the keys in his hands. He’s got the tools when it comes to Penn State’s pedigree, the coins courtesy of a reported 10-year, $300 million apparel deal with Adidas, and the NCAA’s transfer portal, which will continue to provide the resources, especially after the exodus of starters following last season.

    Can Campbell take this new-look team and right the wrongs of Franklin’s past? It’s tough to say, especially attempting to judge anything by the first three games of the season, starting with the Thundering Herd this Saturday, followed by Temple on Sept. 12 at Lincoln Financial Field (noon, ESPN2), and Buffalo on Sept. 19 (noon, Big Ten Network).

    But the notion certainly does seem worth tuning in for.

  • There was a time when college football’s best played against the NFL’s finest. Could it happen again?

    There was a time when college football’s best played against the NFL’s finest. Could it happen again?

    Imagine this: A college football player lauded as one of the best in the country gets roped into a collective of other top college players just as good for an All-Star team.

    Except these players won’t prove their mettle against other college athletes; they’ll prepare to face the reigning Super Bowl champions.

    Sound preposterous?

    Well, from 1934-1976, this was the case for many of college football’s best athletes, courtesy of the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game.

    The annual All-Star game, also formerly known as the Chicago Tribune All-Star Charity Game, featured not just the full preseason roster of an NFL team that won the league championship but also played many of its starters. The Eagles played in the event in 1949, 1950, and 1961, and actually lost the 1950 game.

    It was an event that offered an honest proving ground for college players to see if they could handle the rigors of playing in the NFL against the league’s top team.

    Imagine being a college player and trying to stop Hall of Fame receiver Tommy McDonald, who scored three touchdowns for the Eagles in the 1961 game.

    What about the Steel Curtain of the Pittsburgh Steelers, against the likes of guys like Ernie Holmes and “Mean” Joe Greene? It happened in 1975 and again in 1976, the last year of the event.

    But as NFL players got bigger, faster, and stronger, the annual preseason spectacle lost its allure. Once considered an even playing field with college’s best lining up against the cream of the NFL crop, the game began turning into a contest of men against boys.

    Fast-forward to today’s college game and NFL, you’ll see that the parity in size, strength, and speed between top college products and NFL players is debatable.

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    Thanks to advances in sports science, training methodologies, and more recently, players simply being allowed to play longer college seasons, the idea reviving an annual game between college’s best and Super Bowl champions is at least a conversation starter, right?

    One argument for the water cooler talk would be the NCAA’s recent “5 in 5 rule,” which will allow Division I athletes up to five years of eligibility as long as their first academic year begins no later than their 19th birthday.

    NCAA President Charlie Baker granted athletes five years of eligibility if they enroll in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday.George Walker IV

    This rule would guarantee that top college athletes could play through their 24th birthday, which already felt like the norm due to the extra COVID-19 year. Earlier this month, a trickle effect began to occur within many college conferences as NFL players who recently signed pro contracts weighed the option to return and play a fifth season of college ball.

    Also, the age gap between a college team and today’s NFL franchise isn’t too wide. Take just last season and look at the Indiana team that ran the table en route to a national championship. Average age? It was 23.1, and 18 of those players cracked the 53-man rosters of NFL teams this season, according to 247 Sports.

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    The average age of the Seattle Seahawks roster that won Super Bowl LX? Just 26.1.

    While there’s precedent for a pro-am like the Chicago Charities College Game to make a return or even have a similar offshoot sprout up, a number of college coaches believe it will never happen — and it has nothing to do with a more level playing field when it comes to athletic abilities.

    Indiana won the national championship with a team that had an average age of 23 when it defeated Miami in last season’s game. Lynne Sladky

    “I think the college kids would be very enthusiastic. I think the NFL guys would be like, ‘Why are we doing this?’” said Temple coach K.C. Keeler, who remembers the old Chicago Charities College All-Star Game well, but contends it has no place in today’s football. “Nowadays, [NFL teams] aren’t even playing their starters in the first preseason game, right? And now you’re talking about a whole game against a bunch of [college] guys who want to prove themselves.

    “But this isn’t about athleticism, it’s about money. One injury can change the trajectory of a player’s career in both pro and college ball. I think just looking at the logistics of pro football, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that would be willing to match up these days and risk it all against college kids who have that ‘I’ll show you’ mentality.”

    Temple head coach K.C. Keeler says there’s too much at risk for players in college and the NFL to consider reintroducing a spectacle like the old Chicago Charities College All-Star Game. Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    A similar thought process came from Villanova coach Mark Ferrante, who also took a larger look at the state of both college football and the country during the heyday of the annual exhibition.

    “My gut tells me that it would be much harder for a college all-star team to beat an NFL Super Bowl champion,” said Ferrante. “And the reason I say that is, even though the college teams are keeping older guys and all the extra years of eligibility that really came through [because of the pandemic], that’s kind of going to get erased [as those eligibility years phase out].

    Villanova head football coach Mark Ferrante posed for a portrait with an all-star helmet worn by former fullback Ralph Pasquariello, who played in the 1950 Chicago Charities game, with the team that defeated the Eagles.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    “Also, I’d like to see the age rosters of those 1940s and 1950s teams. Because, I bet you a lot of those college guys might’ve actually been the same age or even a bit older than the pro guys they were playing against back then because of [World War II].”

    To Ferrante’s point, it’s also harder for a college kid today to crack an NFL roster. There are a little more than 18,500 Division I players competing for 250-plus spots in the NFL draft.

    “It’s still under 2% of college guys that make it to that level,” Ferrante said. “And we’re talking about the best of the best, not that it wasn’t the best back then, but it’s just different and dare I say harder to get to the NFL now than it was then.”

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    But the proving ground for college players in the Chicago Charities All-Star Game was apparent back then, with the Eagles feeling the brunt of it. In 1950, the Eagles lost to a collective of college players, one that featured former Villanova standout Ralph Pasquariello.

    A star fullback for the Wildcats, Pasquariello was coming off an MVP performance a year earlier in the 1949 North-South Shrine Game where he scored the game-winning touchdown.

    Pasquariello was drafted later that year in the first round (ninth overall) by the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles’ loss was one of just nine times a college team defeated an NFL champion.

    Mark Ferrante holds up an all-star jersey worn by former Villanova fullback Ralph Pasquariello, who played on the 1950 college team that defeated the Eagles in the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    But the notion that a college group would beat an NFL champion today — even with a closer-to-equal playing field than we’ve seen between college and professional football in recent years — would be tough to imagine. Between lucrative name, image, and likeness deals in college and blockbuster sponsorship deals in the NFL, both coaches say there’s too much money to be made.

    “Listen, it would be something really cool to see all these young players who are going to be 22- or 23-year-old seniors go up against NFL stars, but I just don’t think it’s viable,” Keeler said. “Everyone has a time frame now to make as much money as they can. Also, they’re getting rid of more and more [contests like these].

    “I mean, look, they just got rid of the Pro Bowl. Why? The impossibility of suggesting that you can play at three-quarters speed and not get hurt when you’re tackling guys to the ground. That’s just not how this game works anymore.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s coverage of college athletics right here!