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Author: Owen Hewitt

  • Union drops opening match of the Leagues Cup to Cruz Azul

    Union drops opening match of the Leagues Cup to Cruz Azul

    The Union dropped the first of three Leagues Cup matches, 1-0, to Cruz Azul Thursday at Subaru Park.

    José Paradela scored a third-minute goal that put the Liga MX side in control of the match, securing three points for fourth-seeded Cruz Azul in the Cup’s Phase 1 standings.

    The loss severely dampens the No. 5 seed Union’s odds of advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament, which pits 18 Liga MX teams against 18 qualified MLS teams.

    Ryan Richter balances wanting a deep Leagues Cup run for the Union with a packed August

    After three Liga MX vs. MLS matchups, the top four teams from each league advance to a single-elimination bracket.

    This is the Cup’s second season utilizing an eight-team bracket. In 2025, no MLS team that lost in regulation in any of its three matches advanced to the knockout stage.

    Paradela’s goal for Cruz Azul came before some spectators had settled into their seats.

    Paradela launched a left-footed strike from the edge of the 18-yard box that beat an outstretched Andrew Rick, who started in place of usual goalkeeper Andre Blake.

    While one could question how much stock the Union should place in the Cup competition amid the attempted revival of their MLS campaign, Ryan Richter approached Thursday with a mostly first-choice lineup, aside from Rick.

    Quinn Sullivan returned to the starting lineup for the first time since tearing his ACL at the end of the 2025 season, across from his younger brother Cavan Sullivan.

    “[It throws] you into the fire,” Quinn Sullivan said of his first start back. “I love it. We know any Mexican team’s going to bring the intensity and the fight, the hitting and the afters. I’m all for it, as long as it’s not too out of line. … Physical match. Sixty-five minutes on my legs. I’m definitely going to be sore tomorrow.”

    It is the second time the Sullivan brothers started together for the Union. They also started together against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup.

    “It was great to see [Quinn] back,” Cavan Sullivan said. “Obviously he still has some restrictions, but it’s great to see him back, [being] dynamic, beating guys. We had a couple linkups, some unsuccessful, some successful. I’m really happy.”

    Cruz Azul fans cheer on at the start of the Leagues Cup match against the Union in Chester.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    Seven minutes after his goal, Paradela was shown yellow for obstructing a free kick awarded to the Union at the edge of the attacking third.

    It appeared Omar Campos added a second goal to Cruz Azul’s lead in the 13th minute, but a Video Assistant Referee check determined Gabriel Fernández was offside in the build up, disallowing the goal.

    Jesús Bueno was shown yellow in the 23rd after a dangerous challenge on Cruz Azul’s Érik Lira. Bueno, making his first start for the Union since April, brought his left leg up near Lira’s shoulder to contest the possession.

    Cruz Azul set social media ablaze by putting its flag on the Rocky statue before Leagues Cup opener against Union

    Under high heat and oppressive humidity that necessitated a hydration break past the 30th minute, Cruz Azul held on to its 1-0 lead through a physical opening half. Both the Union and Cruz Azul finished the first half with an equal number of shots and fouls (3).

    The Union continued to press in the second half, registering seven shots between the 45th and the 65th minutes. Both Cavan Sullivan and Milan Iloski registered near misses on potential equalizers in the 59th and 61st, respectively.

    “I was very proud of the way we went for this game in the end,” Richter said. “The goal just didn’t come. But there [were] a lot of positives we can take from it.”

    Richter made his first pair of changes in the 66th minute, bringing on Indiana Vassilev for Quinn Sullivan and Bruno Damiani for Ezekiel Alladoh.

    Another trio of swaps came in the 79th minute, with Neil Pierre, Agustín Anello and Jovan Lukić replacing Japhet Sery Larsen, Nathan Harriel and Bueno.

    Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques (left) on the ball during the first half against Cruz Azul.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    Iloski broke through on goal in the 85th, but his shot sailed over the crossbar. Iloski was held scoreless Thursday, snapping a six-game scoring streak.

    The Union wanted a penalty in the 90th minute after Iloski’s cross appeared to make contact with the arm of a Cruz Azul defender inside the 18-yard box, but referee Juan Gabriel Calderon Pérez did not award a spot kick.

    Play on

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    — Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd.bsky.social) August 6, 2026 at 10:19 PM

    “I didn’t speak to the ref about it, but, yeah, I think it was a penalty,” Richter said after the match.

    “They said that they were checking it,” Richter added. “[It is] disappointing. I think it would have been the fair decision.”

    Instead, the Union suffered their first loss since returning from the FIFA World Cup break.

    Up next …

    The Union will face Necaxa in their second Leagues Cup match on at Subaru Park on Sunday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

  • Ashley Sessa is already leaving her mark with USA field hockey. Her next goal? Grow the game.

    Ashley Sessa is already leaving her mark with USA field hockey. Her next goal? Grow the game.

    Entering her final season at Northwestern, Ashley Sessa has accomplished nearly everything in her college field hockey career.

    After winning the 2022 national championship as a freshman at North Carolina, the Schwenksville native transferred to Northwestern, where she helped lead the Wildcats to back-to-back national titles in 2024 and 2025.

    She has earned several accolades and honors, including two Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year awards, two National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-America nods, and a spot on the 2025 NCAA All-Tournament team.

    But now, Sessa, 22, is preparing for something new. She will make her first trip to the Women’s International Hockey Federation World Cup with the United States national team from Aug. 14 to 30.

    Reese D’Ariano embraces role as youngest player on USA field hockey’s World Cup roster

    Sessa will travel to Belgium with the rest of the U.S. team for the tournament, which is held every four years in between the Summer Olympics. The U.S. begins its group stage schedule with a match against two-time champion Argentina on Aug. 15 (11:30 a.m., watch.hockey).

    Sessa has 62 appearances with Team USA, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but she says the World Cup presents a different challenge. The U.S. team left for Europe from Charlotte, where it trains, on Friday.

    “We just introduced a few double sessions, two each day, and then [we are] scrimmaging each other on Saturdays,” Sessa said. “It’s been a hard few weeks and months leading up to it, but we’re really excited to see how things go at the World Cup.”

    Team USA will look to top its third-place finish in 1994, and it has a large contingent of players from the Greater Philadelphia area. Nine of the 20 players on the roster are from Southeastern Pa., and one from Ocean City, N.J.

    Ashley Sessa has made 62 appearances with Team USA, including the 2024 Paris Olympics.World Sport Pics / Simon Watts

    Sessa, who played for Spring-Ford and Episcopal Academy in high school, said her familiarity with her teammates is a benefit. She’ll compete alongside current and former teammates from Northwestern in Hershey native Maddie Zimmer and Lebanon County native Lauren Wadas.

    “We know each other pretty well,” Sessa said. “I’ve known a lot of the girls since I was at WC Eagles, [a Chester County-based youth club], since I was maybe like 11, 12 years old. We have a good connection, especially through schools, too … Just growing up with the girls and now playing in a World Cup with them is super amazing.”

    The U.S. team medaled at an international competition this summer, earning a third-place finish at the FIH Nations Cup, hosted in New Zealand in June.

    Sessa scored two goals, including a 46th-minute winner, to lift the U.S. over Chile in the third-place game. The forward was joint top scorer with six goals in the tournament and was named its best player.

    Sessa hopes that the momentum the U.S. team built from its best-ever finish at the eight-team Nations Cup will carry forward to the 16-team World Cup.

    “I think we have the determination to go out there and prove to each other that the USA is improving in field hockey,” Sessa said. “We have a great team and a great system that allows us to improve every time we step foot on the field.”

    In addition to representing her country, Sessa is determined to make field hockey more visible around the U.S. Through her coaching venture, AS3, Sessa has hosted free youth field hockey clinics in Manayunk and Norristown.

    Sessa handed out donated equipment at her clinics, and hopes to do more events across the Northeast and Midwest in the future to get more young athletes interested in the sport.

    Ryleigh Heck’s field hockey career won’t end at North Carolina. It’s just beginning with Team USA.

    She said the idea to hold free clinics and equipment distributions came from her mother, Tracey Sessa, who grew up in Norristown. Sessa said she remembered playing against Norristown Area High School as a freshman at Spring-Ford, before transferring to Episcopal Academy.

    “You could tell the girls loved the sport, it was just the fact that they didn’t have access to the newest stick or the newest shoes to help them be able to perform,” Sessa said. “I don’t think money should prohibit your sporting abilities or for you to be able to compete in something you love.”

    In addition to hosting free clinics in the Philadelphia area, Sessa has hosted a talk and donated equipment to a youth field hockey organization in Charlotte, N.C. She hopes to hold an event in Chicago in the near future.

    Her goal is to help draw attention to field hockey, which has a large international audience, but remains obscure in much of the U.S.

    The sports’ viewership is growing, with an estimated 10 million Americans watching women’s field hockey during the 2024 Olympics, a 220% increase from the 2021 games.

    Leading up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the first Summer Games on American soil since 1996, Sessa wants to get more Americans interested in the sport.

    “I think this is the most important time to do it, especially two years out,” Sessa said. “America is such a huge avenue for sports, and focusing on that, I think if they do it right, it could be a huge opportunity to grow the sport.”

    Sessa tries to stay focused on her day-to-day with the national team and her upcoming senior season at Northwestern, but every once in a while, she lets her mind visualize what it would be like to play at the Olympics on home soil.

    “If I have a bad practice day, I let myself think forward a bit and just say, ‘You know what, this is good, I’m learning something new,’” Sessa said. “This preparation will help me further in the future for the L.A. Games.

    “Just having that mindset, for me, is really good. … It’s still so far away, and [I am] just doing every I can do to get better, not only as an athlete, but as a person as well, to help me grow, to hopefully be a part of those games.”

  • Heroics from Neil Pierre and Ezekiel Alladoh vs. Atlanta United keep Union’s winning streak alive

    Heroics from Neil Pierre and Ezekiel Alladoh vs. Atlanta United keep Union’s winning streak alive

    The Union secured a 3-2 win over 10-man Atlanta United behind stoppage-time goals from Neil Pierre and Ezekiel Alladoh.

    Pierre scored in the 96th minute to bring the Union level, and Alladoh scored in the 97th to complete a stunning comeback.

    Atlanta played at a man disadvantage for more than an hour after Enea Mihaj was shown off for a dangerous challenge on Milan Iloski in the 27th minute.

    Miguel Almirón and Tristan Muyumba netted shorthanded goals to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage by the 66th minute.

    Milan Iloski scored the Union’s first goal in the 73rd before Pierre evened it and Alladoh scored the winner.

    The improbable victory is the third-straight win for the Union (4-10-4, 16 points), who are undefeated since returning from the international break for the FIFA World Cup.

    “That was the mentality,” Union interim manager Ryan Richter said. “That was the clear target for the game. Not come back and tie; get three points out of this. It was pretty cool the way that the guys pushed all the way through.”

    Mihaj was shown a red card in the 27th minute after sliding into a late challenge near midfield. Mihaj’s cleat scraped against the leg of Iloski, which led referee Allen Chapman to show the center back red without warning and sent last-place Atlanta (3-12-3, 12 points) down to 10 men.

    Despite going down a man, Almirón gave Atlanta the lead in the 30th. Fafà Picault lofted a ball for Almirón, who squeezed past Pierre and Frankie Westfield to get through on goal.

    Almirón finished the chance through a last-ditch tackle from Pierre, beating Andre Blake with a slow-rolling shot to his left and giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead.

    Iloski also was cautioned in the physical first half. The Union’s leading goal-scorer was shown yellow in the 28th for a tackle on Almirón.

    The two sides combined for 13 fouls and three cards in the first half, including Atlanta’s bench being shown yellow in the seventh minute for dissent.

    Pierre nearly brought the Union level with a header from a corner in the 43rd minute, but his attempt hit the crossbar and bounced back into play.

    Westfield also hit the woodwork with a shot from a corner in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Westfield’s shot was the final first-half chance for the Union, who went into the break up a man but down a goal.

    Both managers kept their sides the same to start the second half, which began with a prolonged period of control for the Union. The Union launched three shots from four corners in the first five minutes of the second half but could not break through.

    Nathan Harriel was shown yellow in the 53rd minute for a tactical challenge on Almirón, who was running past Harriel on a counterattack.

    Ryan Richter made his first set of changes in the 56th minute, bringing on Quinn Sullivan and Jesús Bueno for Indiana Vassilev and Jovan Lukić.

    Danley Jean Jacques produced another near miss from a corner shortly after. Jean Jacques beat Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos to Iloski’s cross, but his headed attempt sailed over the bar.

    Muyumba sent a curled right-footed shot into the back of Blake’s net from just outside the 18-yard box in the 66th minute to make it 2-0.

    “We fell asleep in two moments to give the goals,” Richter said. “That part isn’t good enough. It’s clear for everybody. And they were on each other about that, too.”

    Richter made another pair of offensively-minded changes in the 71st, shifting the Union to a more attacking formation by bringing on Alladoh and Agustín Anello for Bruno Damiani and Nathan Harriel.

    “In these games, home games in MLS, you have to go for the win,” Richter said. “It’s not satisfying to go for the tie. One point at home is not enough to make the push that you want throughout a season. So in all these, whenever we’re in this situation, it’s us trying to go for the win.”

    The changes paid off, as Iloski beat Hoyos with a crafty right-footed finish for his eighth goal in the last six games.

    Cavan Sullivan nearly brought the Union level twice as the game pushed on. Hoyos pushed a dangerous Sullivan volley wide in the 81st, and in the 82nd, Sullivan took a shot that went just wide of the left post.

    Elías Báez was shown yellow for time wasting in the 92nd minute as Atlanta killed off eight minutes of stoppage time.

    Pierre scored the game-tying goal off a Kai Wagner cross, smashing a header past Hoyos.

    “To be honest, I can’t even really remember it,” Pierre said of his goal. “I just really jumped up. I low-key closed my eyes, and then it just went in the goal, so I was happy.”

    Alladoh scored a minute later to secure the remarkable three-goal comeback for the Union in the game’s final moments.

    “Everybody knows the first half wasn’t good enough,” Wagner said. “But the reaction after the second goal showed that everybody on this team has belief at the moment. We were on the front foot. It showed a really good character from the team.”

    Up next

    The Union will open the group stage of the Leagues Cup against Liga MX side Cruz Azul at Subaru Park on Thursday (8 p.m., Apple TV, FS1).

    The Union will play three group-stage matches at home in the Leagues Cup, which pits 18 Mexican clubs against 18 MLS sides. The Union will host Necaxa on Aug. 9 before closing out Phase 1 of the competition against Santos Laguna on Aug. 13.

    The Union will return to MLS play with a match against New York City FC on Aug. 16 at Yankee Stadium.

  • Neil Pierre earns first start as Union top Seattle Sounders to win second-straight game

    Neil Pierre earns first start as Union top Seattle Sounders to win second-straight game

    A first-half goal from Milan Iloski propelled the Union to a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday evening at Subaru Park.

    Iloski finished a long feed from Frankie Westfield in the 31st minute, giving the Union (3-10-4, 13 points) an early lead that held for their second win in as many games since returning from the international break for the FIFA World Cup.

    Westfield led Iloski into the 18-yard box with a pass from the right sideline near midfield. The ball bounced once before Iloski finished the chance with a right-footed volley that looped over the head of Andrew Thomas.

    Iloski has scored in each of the Union’s matches since the club’s return to play. He’s scored a team-leading 10 goals in all competitions this season, seven of which have come in his last five matches.

    “It feels nice to do my job,” Iloski said of his goal streak. “I think I should honestly have five or six from the first two games [back]. As much as I’m happy that I scored two goals and scored in back-to-back games and that we won, I try to do more and hold myself to a higher standard.”

    Ryan Richter, managing his second game since taking over as interim head coach in May, repeated his lineup from Wednesday’s win over Red Bull New York against the Sounders (7-6-3, 24 points), with one notable exception.

    Neil Pierre earned his first start for the Union against Seattle, taking Japhet Sery Larsen’s spot at center back. The 18-year-old, who spent the first half of 2026 on loan at Danish side Lyngby, came on as a substitute and scored his first goal in the Union’s 3-1 win over New York on Wednesday.

    Sery Larsen injured his hamstring during Wednesday’s match, but he was healthy and available to come off the Union’s bench for Saturday’s win.

    Richter said his decision to start Pierre was based on his effort in training and the Union’s upcoming crowded schedule. Between the Leagues Cup and MLS play, the Union will play eight matches in August.

    “With the stretch of games that we have coming up, if we lose a key player for that stretch, it gets pretty difficult for us,” Richter said. “[Pierre] deserved to play. By the way he performed in training, by the way he performed in the last game. It just made sense, with the timing of everything, to start [Pierre] tonight, and I think he proved that was the right decision.”

    Ryan Richter’s journey to Union interim head coach follows a familiar path for the club

    Pierre looked comfortable in his first MLS start. He was responsible for five recoveries and four clearances, and he started the play that led to Iloski’s goal.

    “[Pierre] did a good job,” Richter said. “He won his duels. He was organized. He was focused. He played a subtle game. It was quiet for him. That’s a good thing for a centerback.”

    Iloski’s goal was the focal point of the first half, but another dramatic moment came when Seattle’s Stuart Hawkins collided with Cavan Sullivan in the 26th minute.

    Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan gets taken down by Seattle Sounders defender Stuart Hawkins during the first half on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The two American teenagers collided near midfield as Sullivan tried to control a long throw-in from Kai Wagner, who made his 200th MLS start on Saturday.

    Sullivan hit the pitch before popping back up to exchange words with Hawkins. Both parties walked away from the incident without a caution, and the Union were awarded a free kick that Seattle cleared away.

    Seattle logged two shots in the first half, but Nathan Harriel provided a crucial block on one of them.

    Harriel chased down Osaze De Rosario as he broke away on a Seattle counter-attack in the 18th minute. As De Rosario turned to shoot on Andre Blake’s net, Harriel slid in and blocked De Rosario’s shot out for a corner.

    The Union outshot a shorthanded Seattle team, 16-8. Blake needed one save to secure his third clean sheet of the season.

    It looked like Iloski had scored a second goal in the 64th minute, but he was ruled offside after racing past the Sounders’ defense and pushing the ball across the goal line.

    Richter made his first set of changes shortly after Iloski was caught offside, bringing on Quinn Sullivan and Ezekiel Alladoh for Bruno Damiani and Indiana Vassilev in the 65th minute.

    Another switch came in the 80th minute, with Jesús Bueno replacing Danley Jean Jacques in midfield.

    Richter’s final change of the night came in the 89th minute, with Alejandro Bedoya coming on for Cavan Sullivan to help close out the match’s final moments.

    Sad that the World Cup is over? Take our quiz to find out which Premier League team you should support.

    After spending the international break with the league’s worst record, back-to-back wins under Richter have lifted the Union off the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

    The Union now sit nine points behind the playoff cutline with 17 games to go.

    “It’s two wins, but at the same time, we’re still in second-to-last place,” Harriel said. “We’re nowhere near where we want to be at, but sometimes you have to take it one game at a time, which we’re doing. But the momentum is great. The vibes are great. Everyone’s performing on the training ground and then on the weekends here at home, which is important.”

    The win is the Union’s first over Seattle since 2018, and their first home win over the Sounders since 2017.

    Up next

    The Union return to Subaru Park to face last-place Atlanta United next Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

  • The Ryan Richter era of the Union begins with a win against rival Red Bull New York

    The Ryan Richter era of the Union begins with a win against rival Red Bull New York

    After a 59-day break for the FIFA World Cup, the Union picked up their first home win of the season behind a 3-1 final over Eastern Conference rival Red Bull New York at Subaru Park on Wednesday night.

    Milan Iloski opened the scoring for the Union (2-10-4, 10 points) in the ninth minute. Indiana Vassilev scored the second, and 6-foot-6 defender Neil Pierre scored off a pinpoint set-piece header in just his second career game for the first team.

    Cade Cowell scored the lone goal for New York (6-6-4, 22 points) in the 38th minute.

    People are selling the free World Cup bracelets they waited hours in line for

    In his return from six months at England’s Birmingham City, Kai Wagner was instrumental in creating Iloski’s goal and was credited with the assist on Pierre’s. Wagner took his familiar spot at left back five days after the Union announced his return to Chester.

    The Union’s win over New York was their second win of the 2026 season, and their first league win at Subaru Park in 269 days. Before Wednesday, the Union’s most recent home MLS win was a playoff victory over Chicago Fire FC on Oct. 26, 2025.

    Union interim head coach Ryan Richter celebrates a win in his first team debut. Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    It also marked a win in the first team debut as interim manager for Ryan Richter. Richter, the longtime Union assistant and former player earned the role after the club parted ways with Bradley Carnell in May.

    “It’s a good way to start, but it’s one game,” Richter said. “But it is nice to get some positive momentum going in to the second half of the season.”

    Quinn Sullivan made his return from a torn ACL, coming on for the first time in 10 months, to replace Vassilev in the 73rd minute. It was Sullivan’s first match since September, when he suffered the injury in a 6-0 win over D.C. United.

    “I’m just really thankful for everyone involved and happy to be back out on the field,” Sullivan said of his return. “Hopefully [I will] get a little bit more sharp and not get pushed off the ball as much. But it was a good start tonight. I was happy with my performance.”

    Olwethu Makhanya hasn’t returned to the Union since the World Cup

    Wagner’s impact was felt before play started on Wednesday. He was welcomed with raucous cheers from Union fans during the introduction of the team’s starting 11.

    Kai Wagner gets a loud welcome back to Subaru Park:

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    — Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) July 22, 2026 at 7:37 PM

    In the ninth minute, Wagner sent a cross in from the left flank that Red Bull goalkeeper Ethan Horvath tried to catch out of midair.

    Horvath collided with a New York defender inside the 18-yard box and spilled the ball to Iloski, who capitalized on the error with a right-footed blast to put the Union up, 1-0.

    It was Iloski’s team-leading eighth goal of the season across all competitions.

    Cowell pulled New York level with a goal in the 38th minute. Ronald Donkor made a run through the center of the Union defense before passing to Emil Forsberg near the top of the 18-yard box.

    Forsberg laid the ball off to his right, sending Cowell in behind the Union’s defense. Cowell finished the chance with a right-footed shot that beat Andre Blake and tied the match at one.

    The Union nearly reclaimed their advantage in the 44th minute, but Bruno Damiani was unable to finish a one-on-one chance against Horvath, who stopped the striker’s shot at close range.

    Cavan Sullivan created the Union’s first chance after halftime, launching a curled shot from the right side of the 18-yard box that Horvath tipped onto his left post.

    Blake made a crucial save in the 54th minute to keep the match even, coming up with a save against Julian Hall after the 18-year-old forward sped past Nathan Harriel.

    Kai Wagner is happy to be back with the Union — and to be one of the team’s leaders

    Richter’s first substitution came in the 56th minute, when Pierre replaced Japhet Sery Larsen at center back. Pierre spent the first half of the 2026 season on loan at Danish club Lyngby.

    Vassilev put the Union up, 2-1, with a goal in the 57th minute. Frankie Westfield played a cross to Vassliev from the right wing, and Vassilev tucked away the chance with a left-footed shot that snuck past Horvath.

    It was Vassilev’s second goal of the MLS regular season.

    As for Pierre, the 18-year-old homegrown player used all of his 6-6 frame to score his first goal with the Union from a corner in the 66th minute to give the Union a 3-1 lead.

    Wagner whipped a cross toward the back post from the left corner flag, and Pierre rose above a crowd of Red Bull defenders to slam a header past Horvath. With his family watching on from the stands, Pierre called scoring his first goal for the Union “a dream come true.”

    Richter made his final changes in the 85th minute, bringing Ezekiel Alladoh and Jesús Bueno on to replace Cavan Sullivan and Iloski.

    The Union picked up their first home win of the season on Wednesday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    The 3-1 score line held through nine minutes of stoppage time, and the Union broke an eight-game, 102-day winless streak.

    “It’s so important for us to start this in the right way,” Richter said. “But, again, it’s one game. We turn around and play again in a couple days, and we have to approach with that same fighting spirit in the next game. But for the first game, for me, it was all positive.”

    Up next …

    The Union will return to Subaru Park to face the Seattle Sounders on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

  • Phoenixville native Tyler Nase is announced as head coach of Penn’s women’s rowing program

    Phoenixville native Tyler Nase is announced as head coach of Penn’s women’s rowing program

    Tyler Nase is the new head coach of women’s rowing at Penn, the school announced Friday.

    Nase, a Phoenixville native and graduate of La Salle College High School, will take over the program after former head coach Bill Manning resigned in May to focus on his health.

    Nase will begin his duties starting on Monday.

    Nase most recently served as the head coach of the men’s lightweight program at Cornell. Under Nase, Cornell finished sixth at the 2026 Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championship.

    Nase’s coaching career started at Penn in 2017, where he served as an assistant coach for the men’s lightweight program. He became the head coach at Cornell in 2022.

    Nase is a former Olympian who trained and competed with the U.S. team from 2013 to 2016. He rowed in the men’s lightweight coxless four race at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

    Before becoming an Olympian, Nase rowed at Princeton, helping lead the Tigers to an Intercollegiate Rowing Association varsity lightweight eight title in 2010.

    “Twenty years ago, my rowing career began on the Schuylkill, and my coaching career began right here at Penn, so stepping into this role feels like coming home,” Nase said in Penn’s release. “I’ve witnessed what this program is capable of, and I’m excited to be a part of it. Women’s rowing is one of the largest and most competitive sports in college athletics — the female equivalent of college football in scale and depth.

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    “Penn has the foundation for success: a world-class boathouse, a phenomenal body of water in the Schuylkill, and an amazing strength and conditioning facility in the Greene Family Intercollegiate Strength and Conditioning Center, all right in the heart of Philadelphia.”

    Penn finished seventh at this years’ Ivy League championship, with its third varsity eight boat earning bronze.

    “Coming into this role, I want to listen first, then lead,” Nase said. “My goal is to build a program where every athlete feels heard, supported, and pushed to become the best version of herself on and off the water. This next chapter is about continued development and growth for our athletes and for this program.”

  • Villanova and Wisconsin men’s hoops will meet at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Dec. 12

    Villanova and Wisconsin men’s hoops will meet at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Dec. 12

    Villanova and Wisconsin are set to meet in nonconference men’s basketball play for the second straight season, Villanova announced Wednesday.

    After Villanova claimed a 76-66 overtime win over Wisconsin at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee last December, the schools will meet again for a matchup at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Dec. 12 in an event Villanova is calling the Philly Hoops Showdown.

    Kevin Willard coached the Wildcats back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26 after a three-season drought. Villanova was eliminated from the dance in the first round by Utah State, but Willard has reinforced his lineup with key portal pickups, including Italian big man Luigi Suigo.

    Greg Gard has led Wisconsin to six of the last seven NCAA Tournaments. The Badgers were a No. 5 seed in last year’s bracket but were upset by No. 12 seed High Point in the first round.

    While Villanova has historically played home nonconference and Big East games in South Philly, the school’s announcement specifies Xfinity Mobile Arena will be considered a neutral site, and that all aspects of the game will be managed by Chicago-based marketing company Intersport.

    Tyler Perkins returns to a Wildcats team that is looking to defeat the Badgers of the Big Ten for a second straight year. Kayla Wolf

    Last season’s game in Milwaukee was also considered a neutral site event. That factor could influence how the NCAA Tournament selection committee views the game closer to March. A home win against a team ranked in the top 30 of the NET is considered a Quadrant 1 win, but at a neutral site, the threshold for a Quad 1 win is expanded to the the top 50 teams in the NET rankings.

    Villanova played three games at Xfinity Mobile Arena last season, two of which were considered home games. The other was the Big 5 Classic final, which the Wildcats won for the first time since the retooling of the Big 5 format in 2023.

    The matchup against Wisconsin in South Philly will be the fourth-ever meeting between the schools’ men’s programs. Before 2025, Villanova picked up a win against Wisconsin in 1995, and the Badgers upset the defending champion Wildcats in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

    Wisconsin is the latest confirmed addition to Villanova’s nonconference schedule, which will open with Notre Dame in Rome at the Eternal City Tip-Off on Nov. 1. The Wildcats’ nonconference schedule also includes a trip to face Kansas on Nov. 27 at Allen Fieldhouse as part of a home-and-home series.

  • Phillies prospect Gage Wood gets a preview of his potential future home in Futures Game

    Phillies prospect Gage Wood gets a preview of his potential future home in Futures Game

    Gage Wood was the envy of the National League Futures team locker room on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.

    Not only did Wood earn the starting nod in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, but he also took the mound in his potential future home ballpark.

    “When I got up those steps, and I got out there on that grass, I looked up and I was like, ‘Wow, this looks way bigger than from the suite when we signed last year,’” Wood said. “That was awesome. The park’s huge. Everybody here was like, ‘Man, you’ve got a good home park.’”

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    Wood, the No. 2 prospect in the Phillies farm system and No. 51 across MLB, gave up a hit and a run on 11 pitches in the top of the first. The American League Futures team went on to win the seven-inning game, 6-1.

    “It was fun,” Wood said after his start. “I know before that first pitch my heart was pumping.”

    The Phillies picked Wood out of Arkansas with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft. The right-handed pitcher started his season with Clearwater, the Phillies’ low-A affiliate, before earning a promotion to double-A Reading in May.

    Gage Wood (center) heads to the dugout before pitching in the Futures Game on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Wood has a 3.45 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across eight starts for Reading, which earned him a spot on the National League Futures team.

    Former Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino managed the National League team and informed Wood he would start over a Zoom call on Friday.

    “I hope it was a moment he’ll never forget,” Victorino said before Sunday’s game. “It’s always an honor to hand the ball to someone that’s a home-team kid, who will get an opportunity, hopefully, to someday pitch for that team.”

    Wood gave up a leadoff single to Leo De Vries, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 prospect. De Vries stole second and third before coming home on a Franklin Arias ground out.

    After De Vries scored, Wood kept the other batters he faced off the base paths. Luis Peña ranged back from his spot at third base to snag a Ralphy Velazquez fly ball down the left-field foul line, earning a tip of the cap from Wood.

    Walker Jenkins then grounded out to first base on the first pitch to end Wood’s inning.

    Wood finished his lone inning without a strikeout, but nine of his 11 pitches were strikes. He threw two changeups, two sliders, and seven fastballs, topping out at 97.7 mph.

    While Sunday’s outing gave Wood a glimpse of his potential future, Wood is not interested in projecting when he will be ready for the majors.

    “I don’t look that far ahead into things,” Wood said. “I just, kind of, stay where I’m at. [My] main goal was to go out there today and enjoy this experience with these awesome players. I’m very blessed to be here.”

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    Wood was not the only Phillies pitching prospect in action on Sunday.

    Wen-Hui Pan, the No. 12 prospect in their system, took the mound with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the sixth inning.

    Pan walked the first batter, then gave up a two-run homer to Nathan Flewelling. Pan struck out Xavier Neyens to end the top of the sixth and was replaced in the seventh.

    The Taiwanese reliever missed the entire 2025 minor league season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November 2024.

    Phillies prospect Wen-Hui Pan gave up two earned runs in 1/3 of an inning on Sunday in the Futures Game.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    This season, Pan, 23, has a 3.38 ERA in eight relief appearances since being called up to double-A Reading in June.

    Before Sunday’s Futures Game, Pan said he relished an opportunity to take the mound at Citizens Bank Park.

    “[I am] really excited about the game today,” Pan said through a translator. “Before [I get] into the major leagues, [I am] really happy that he got a chance to get on this mound and pitch in this stadium.”

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    Both teams of minor league prospects were managed by former Phillies. Victorino, who won a World Series with the Phillies in 2008, managed the NL team, while Larry Bowa led the American League team.

    “When you have an opportunity to have an organization love you as much as you love the organization, that means a lot,” Victorino said. “To be able to do stuff with Major League Baseball as well, and be asked to do this, the Futures Game, the opportunities with MLBx and all the other things around Philadelphia this weekend, it’s an honor.”

    Bowa, who won the World Series with the Phillies in 1980, stacked his staff with former Phillies. Juan Samuel, Milt Thompson, Billy Wagner, and Michael Bourn all coached with Bowa on Sunday.

    Former Phillie Shane Victorino was the National League manager in the Futures Game on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Bowa, 80, had two stints managing the Phillies and has served as a senior adviser to baseball operations since 2017.

    “I’ve been very fortunate,” Bowa said. “Not only with health and the good man upstairs, but [with] the organization, the Phillies. … The fact they let me do this. Without the help of those guys, I couldn’t keep suiting up the way I’m doing right now.”

  • Three things we learned from the Union’s exhibition against New England with MLS’s return drawing closer

    Three things we learned from the Union’s exhibition against New England with MLS’s return drawing closer

    The Union wanted to host a closed-door friendly against the New England Revolution at Subaru Park on Thursday morning to help prepare for MLS’s return after a six-week break for the FIFA World Cup.

    Mother Nature had other plans.

    After lightning extended the exhibition’s halftime break, the game entered a second delay in the 66th minute after a loud clap of thunder sent the players off the pitch. The match, which was initially planned as a 120-minute exhibition, was relocated and finished with a 45-minute half inside the WSFS Sportsplex.

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    New England won the disjointed friendly, 3-2. Milan Iloski and Ezekiel Alladoh scored for the Union.

    Despite the interruptions, the friendly gave an early glimpse of what the Union may look like under interim manager Ryan Richter, who took over after the Bradley Carnell’s dismissal in May.

    Here’s three things we learned from the Union’s exhibition against New England:

    Union uniformity

    Those expecting the dismissal of Carnell to change the Union’s identity will be disappointed.

    Richter has kept the Union’s structure and shape the same through the club’s World Cup break.

    The Union came out for Thursday’s friendly in their usual shape, with four backs, two defensive midfielders playing centrally, two attacking midfielders stretching wider, and two strikers atop the formation.

    Interim manager Ryan Richter kept the Union’s shape the same during Thursday’s friendly.Jonathan Tannenwald / Staff

    The club’s shape stayed consistent through both portions of the outdoor friendly. The Union trotted out an entirely different lineup of players after the second delay moved the friendly indoors, but the shape stayed the same.

    The Union pressed New England in their own defensive third, as they have done to all of their MLS opponents this season. Richter is well-versed in the way the Union want to play. The Warminster, Bucks County, native, who played college soccer at La Salle, has been on the Union coaching staff since 2018 and spent last season as the head coach of Union II.

    Players in place

    The personnel on the field looked a bit different during the friendly. Olwethu Makhanya and Danley Jean Jacques, still recovering from World Cup runs with South Africa and Haiti, respectively, did not play.

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    Andre Blake started in goal, and Nathan Harriel and Frankie Westfield took their usual spots at outside back. Japhet Sery Larsen played in central defense alongside Neil Pierre, the 18-year-old center back currently on loan at Lyngby, a Danish club the Union own a minority share of.

    “He can clearly hang with the physicality,” Richter said of Pierre. “He’s improved so much in the way he’s reading the game and his decision making. … There’s no reason why he can’t compete at this level.”

    Indiana Vassilev and Jesús Bueno made up the defensive midfield, Ben Bender and Cavan Sullivan started in attacking midfield, and Bruno Damiani and Iloski made up the starting striking partnership.

    The lineup remained unchanged after the lengthy lightning delay at halftime. Richter made a pair of changes in the 65th, bringing in Alladoh for Damiani and Jovan Lukić for Bender, shortly before the second lightning delay.

    Ezekiel Alladoh, shown in May, scored the Union’s second goal on Thursday when the friendly moved indoors.Philadelphia Union

    The Union made mass substitutions after the friendly moved indoors. Geiner Martinez, Philippe Ndinga, Finn Sundstrom and Agustín Anello, among some Union II players, were brought into the lineup for the indoor portion of the match.

    Alladoh scored the Union’s second goal once the match moved indoors. Ndinga made a run into the right side of the 18-yard box before playing the ball across the face of goal to Anello, who set it for Alladoh. The 20-year-old Alladoh laced a shot from close range that beat New England’s keeper.

    The Union got a chance to see their depth in a competitive environment, which may prove important as the club restarts its match schedule. After two MLS matches in July, the Union will play eight matches in August as they start the Leagues Cup, a competition between MLS and Liga MX.

    “You can train well, but you can’t hide once the game actually starts,” Richter said. “You see exactly how guys fit in, what they’re capable of, what their role could possibly be.”

    Sullivan starts

    Sullivan played well in the friendly, creating the Union’s first goal with a run down the right flank and a cross into the box for Iloski, who headed the ball in.

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    Sullivan created a few other chances that didn’t end up in the back of the net and put a free kick from the edge of the 18-yard box on frame. He was brought off the pitch after the friendly moved inside.

    Sullivan, 16, made nine starts across all competitions during the first half of the Union’s season, including five of the last six matches before the World Cup break. He scored twice in the Concacaf Champions Cup and scored his first MLS goal against Orlando City in May.

    It is yet to be seen if Sullivan, set to depart the Union for English Premier League side Manchester City at the end of 2027, will start to play a bigger role for the Union as they close out the 2026 season.

    The Union will return to MLS play on July 22 when they host the New York Red Bulls (7:30 p.m., Apple TV+).

  • ‘Mbappé gave me a hug:’ These two soccer hopefuls from Kensington got the full World Cup experience

    ‘Mbappé gave me a hug:’ These two soccer hopefuls from Kensington got the full World Cup experience

    It’s hard for Cesar Castellanos to dream of a better way to celebrate his 12th birthday.

    After celebrating his actual birthday with a few friends last Friday, Castellanos, a student at Juniata Park Academy, traveled to Lincoln Financial Field for Philly’s final World Cup match, the round of 16 game between France and Paraguay.

    But Castellanos wasn’t just there to watch.

    The soccer-loving middle schooler walked onto the field with the players as a part of FIFA’s player escort program.

    Cesar Castellanos (left), 12, walks on to the field with France forward Ousmane Dembélé before they play Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match in Philadelphia on July 4.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Castellanos is a regular participant at Safe-Hub Philadelphia, a soccer-centric nonprofit that opened a campus in the Harrowgate section of Kensington in 2022.

    Safe-Hub is one of four community organizations Quaker Oats partnered with in Philadelphia to send children from underprivileged areas to World Cup matches. Safe-Hub hosted two nutritional clinics for its participants, and children who attended both were given a chance to be selected as player escorts.

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    Castellanos attended both sessions, one on Martin Luther King Day and the other on Presidents’ Day. A few months later, he found out he had been selected for the round of 16 match on July 4.

    “I was really going crazy when I realized I got the chance,” Castellanos said before the match.

    Cesar Castellanos got the opportunity to walk out for the World Cup’s final game in Philly, with the reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé. Owen Hewitt / Staff

    Castellanos has played soccer at Safe-Hub for almost three years, starting in early elementary school. The aspiring midfielder follows international soccer closely and intends to continue playing through high school and beyond.

    As such, Castellanos was elated at the opportunity to be up close and personal with some of the game’s best players. After the tournament’s group stage, when it became clear that a star-studded French team could advance to the round of 16 match in Philadelphia, he began rooting hard for Les Bleus to return.

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    He got his wish, with France meeting Paraguay for a matchup at the Linc on July 4. Castellanos did not know which team he would be paired with beforehand, though he hoped for one of France’s international superstars. As a native Spanish speaker, he could handle walking out with the Paraguayans, but he started learning some basic French, just in case.

    Sure enough, once he got into the tunnel before the match, Castellanos got paired with Ousmane Dembélé. Aside from being a star player for France, Dembélé is a forward for France’s biggest club team, Paris Saint-Germain, and the reigning winner of the Ballon d’Or, an award given to the top player worldwide.

    Castellanos couldn’t contain his excitement. He started to cry tears of joy, which led to some extra affection from the French side.

    “I had to keep my cool,” Castellanos said. “I couldn’t go crazy. But I was so excited … I was crying. Mbappé gave me a hug. Dembélé gave me a hug.”

    Castellanos was not the only Safe-Hub participant on the field for the match. Isaac Oquendo was a flag bearer for the match, holding Paraguay’s flag on the pitch as the national anthems of each country played inside the stadium.

    Isaac Oquendo is a Kensington-area youth who received an opportunity to be a part of the matchday activities during Philly’s final game of the FIFA World Cup.Owen Hewitt / Staff

    Oquendo, 16, is a student at Roman Catholic and has been playing soccer at Safe-Hub for a year. Oquendo is part of the nonprofit’s PlayMakers program, which offers higher-intensity soccer training as well as off-field life skill workshops. As part of the program, Oquendo traveled to Boston for Festival 26, a youth soccer summit featuring delegations from across the world.

    Oquendo said the opportunity to get on the pitch with the players was an “amazing experience.”

    “I had a lot of fun,” Oquendo said. “It was great being with people who love the sport as much as I do, and seeing the players right behind me.”

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    Oquendo said he received a brief lesson from World Cup organizers on how to hold the flag and where to stand on the field before he walked out. After the pre-match festivities ended, both Castellanos and Oquendo got to watch France’s win over Paraguay from the 100-level.

    “It was nerve-wracking,” Oquendo said. “It was a great experience, but it’s so nerve-wracking, going on the field and seeing the players walk past you. It was something else.”