Today, NBA free agency negotiating begins, and new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey will look to bolster the Sixers’ roster, but where?
Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George remain on max contracts accounting for nearly $155 million of the projected $165 million salary cap. So once again, the Sixers will hope for better health during the 2026-27 season.
Gansey has started to build the roster by drafting Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., while picking up the team options for Dominick Barlow and Dalen Terry.
But the Sixers still need to address positional needs at wing and in the frontcourt. Gina Mizell breaks down how they could attack those areas in the coming days.
And while you’re in the free agency spirit, the NHL’s signing period gets underway on Wednesday. The Flyers have pivoted in their so-far elusive quest to land both a No. 1 center and a bona fide power-play quarterback on the blue line.
They won’t be able to plug those holes on Day 1, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find creative solutions to upgrade their roster.
Kyle Schwarber’s MLB-leading 30 home runs have helped the Phillies erase their poor start to the season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phillies entered Monday’s matchup against the Pirates a season-high 10 games above .500. They’ve all but erased their dismal start.
Despite their 11-7 loss to Pittsburgh in the series opener, the Phillies sit 3.5 games behind the Braves for the lead in the National League East. It’s a gap that was as wide as 10½ games in May. Suddenly, it’s a race again.
What we’re …
🥍 Discovering: Twin lacrosse stars Brinn and Ava Findora from Downingtown flipped their commitment from Virginia to Clemson. Why?
🏒 Seeing: It looks like national media experts weren’t too impressed with the Flyers’ NHL draft, as they didn’t give the team a grade higher than C+.
🤔 Wondering: What Ben Simmons said in his interview with Men’s Health, which mentioned his desire to make an NBA return — possibly even “back to Philly.”
🥊 Learning: The Joe Frazier statue moved to the Philadelphia Museum of Art after previously being in South Philly for more than 10 years.
Porter Martone was on the ice Monday for his second development camp despite his playoff heroics last year with the Flyers.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
At last year’s Flyers development camp, Porter Martone was freshly drafted and heading off to college, and Denver Barkey and Alex Bump were going into their first full pro seasons. Now, despite playing key roles in the Flyers’ run to the second round of the playoffs, all three are back at camp.
Gio Reyna (right) at work during Monday’s U.S. men’s soccer team practice.Jonathan Tannenwald
The U.S. men have indeed been among the last 16 teams standing at five of the eight World Cups they played in from 1990-2022. With that said, this World Cup isn’t about being one of the best 32 or 16 national teams.
It’s about the mentality of knockout soccer on the sport’s biggest stage, and whether the U.S. players of this era can prove themselves in the way they’ve long told us they can.
Arnold Ebiketie (47) was a productive pass rusher during his tenure in Atlanta. Greg M. Cooper / AP
While the news didn’t exactly dominate headlines, Arnold Ebiketie could be a sneaky good signing for the Birds. The linebacker has four years of NFL experience, and his football journey began at two local schools.
While the Eagles’ defensive front is loaded, Ebiketie should be a decent rotational piece. Also, undrafted rookie Jaedan Roberts is among those trying to crack a crowded rotation along the offensive line.
Athletes making news: Phil Mickelson (left) faces serious allegations, Caitlin Clark (center) has been taking her lumps in the WNBA, and the Canadian World Cup team is making its own history.Associated Press
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has been the victim of nine flagrant fouls since she joined the league in 2024, more than anyone else. There’s no doubt that she’s been a target of jealousy and resentment since her arrival.
She is, after all, the greatest asset in the history of women’s sports. The WNBA and its officials should do a better job of protecting her, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.
What you’re saying about high school sports
We asked: Should high school state playoffs be split between non-boundary and boundary schools? Among your responses:
YES! Archbishop Ryan had a basketball player who lived in Trenton, New Jersey. Enough said. — Reilly O.
Public schools have the athletes that live within their borders while private schools can recruit the best athletes from within a wide area. Very difficult for the public schools to compete against the major private power house schools such as those in California and Texas. — Everett S.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Ryan Novozinsky, Jonathan Tannenwald, Nick Vadala, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, Lochlahn March, Ariel Simpson, Gustav Elvin, Gabriela Carroll, and Mia Messina.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
That’s it for me this week. Stay cool these next few days. Maria will be in your inbox with Wednesday’s newsletter. — Bella
With Eagles training camp drawing nearer on the horizon, The Inquirer is taking a closer look at the more than three-dozen new faces who are expected to report along with the rest of the team on July 28. Whether a 2026 draft choice, a veteran addition, or a rookie free-agent hopeful, we’re telling you more about each player’s potential role this season. We’re rolling out two players per day in a mostly unscientific order that balances offense and defense, bigger names with mysteries, and locks with longer shots to be chosen for the 53-man roster.
Player: Arnold Ebiketie
Position: Linebacker
Age: 27
Previous experience: Ebiketie has four years of NFL experience, and his football journey began at two local schools. The native of Cameroon played linebacker at Temple from 2017 to 2020 before transferring to Penn State for his senior year. Ebiketie began his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons, the team that selected him in the second round, 38th overall in the 2022 draft.
Ebiketie started 12 of 67 games played over four seasons with the Falcons. In total, he has 16.5 career sacks and 129 tackles. His best season came in 2022, when he logged 6.0 sacks, six tackles for loss and 38 tackles.
The Eagles signed him in March to a one-year, $7.3 million contract, including $4.3 million fully guaranteed.
Arnold Ebiketie first got onto the local radar as a player at Temple. Gail Burton / AP
Path to a roster spot: While the news didn’t exactly dominate headlines, Ebiketie could be a sneaky good signing for the Birds. Yes, their defensive front is loaded, but Ebiketie projects to be a decent rotational piece/situational edge rusher who will generate pressure, especially under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s guidance.
Despite a limited role in Atlanta, Ebiketie still managed to post 24 solo tackles, which ranked 45th among 115 eligible edge rushers last season. If he takes advantage of every snap, he could be another diamond-in-the-rough signing by Howie Roseman.
Fun fact: The Cameroonian Ebiketie did not play organized football until high school. He initially focused on soccer and basketball when he emigrated to the United States at age 13, until his high school basketball coach challenged him to give football a try. “He made a joke like, ‘Are you scared?’ So, that got me,” Ebiketie said via the Eagles’ website. “I’m competitive. I wanted to prove him wrong. After that, I liked it.”
Quotable: “The fans in this city and the Eagles, it goes hand in hand. Everything is about the Eagles. I saw that at Temple. Everything matters to them. I’m here and I know it’s fast-paced and very, very important. This is a championship culture. That is the standard here. I embrace that. I want that and I know it’s going to help bring out the best in me.” — Ebiketie to the Eagles’ website.
Jaeden Roberts celebrates after Alabama beat Georgia for the SEC Championship in 2023. Mike Stewart
Player: Jaeden Roberts
Position: Guard
Age: 23
Previous experience: Roberts is an undrafted free agent who played college ball for Alabama. He started 12 games at right guard for the Crimson Tide in 2024 and was a projected star in 2025 before an August concussion turned him from guaranteed starter to rotational guard. He started just four games in his final season, playing in 10 overall.
Roberts was a preseason All-American and named to the Outland Trophy Watch List before the season.
Path to a roster spot: If he’s going to make the roster, Roberts will need to prove that last season was a fluke. He has tremendous strength and a massive frame, but he’ll need to combine that with sound technique if he wants to earn a spot after going undrafted.
The Eagles have plenty of fringe offensive linemen who are trying to carve out a role. Names like Tyler Steen, Michael Jordan, Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, and Jake Majors will all enter camp motivated to win jobs. Roberts will need to somehow separate himself from that bunch.
Fun fact: Let’s talk about Roberts’ strength for a second. The 23-year-old earned a spot on The Athletic’s “Freaks List“ two years in a row thanks to some impressive weight room accomplishments. The 6-foot-5, 333-pound lineman can squat over 800 pounds and power clean 415 pounds. Not too shabby.
Quotable: “Just being consistent,” Roberts said when he was asked how he could get on the field more amid a position battle at Alabama last season, via AL.com. “I know I’ve been missing practice time, I have been talking to the coaches and just working on the details that I need to improve on, and consistency is one thing that I think I’ve really improved on.”
When Danny Brière, Keith Jones, and the Flyers’ “New Era of Orange” regime took over in 2023, they silently targeted the summer of 2026 as the potential turning point for the team’s rebuild.
They did so with an eye on a loaded free agent class headlined by MVP candidates like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov — not to mention top-of-the-lineup players like Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Kyle Connor, and Martin Nečas. Fast forward three years, and each of those players has already come off the board via a contract extension or trade, forcing the Flyers to pivot in their so-far elusive quest to land both a No. 1 center and a bona fide power-play quarterback on the blue line.
While they won’t be able to plug those holes via unrestricted free agency once business formally opens on July 1, that doesn’t mean they can’t find creative solutions via trades or even the all-too-infrequent offer-sheet route. With that in mind, here a dozen players the Flyers, who currently have over $33 million available in cap space, could target as they look to build on their momentum from last season and make Philadelphia a destination once again.
1. Zach Werenski
LHD | Columbus | Trade candidate
The Flyers have stated they want to be in the mix when elite players become available, and reports say their interest in Werenski is high. Why wouldn’t it be for a player that just won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman and is coming off back-to-back 20-goal, 80-point seasons? Werenski, who turns 29 next month, is exactly the type of offensive defenseman and power-play quarterback the Flyers have long lacked, and is signed for two more seasons at a $9.5 million cap hit.
The two questions will be: 1) Would Werenski entertain a move to Philly over other cities that are closer to Stanley Cup contention? and 2) Do the Flyers have the pieces outside of Porter Martone to get him? The Flyers are definitely interested here, and you’d think every player on their roster, aside from Martone, would be available for a player of Werenski’s ilk.
Robertson’s name is out there and he’s looking to get paid after reportedly turning down a $15-million-a-year contract offer from Seattle. While the Flyers are well-stocked on the wing, Robertson, who is coming off a 45-goal, 96-point campaign in Dallas, would immediately jump to the top of the pile and is the type of player you move furniture around for. Dallas hasn’t closed the door on keeping Robertson, but he could also be a trade or offer-sheet candidate. The Flyers have the money to pay him and would be wise to look into a move for the highly skilled and well-rounded winger.
3. Dylan Larkin
C | Detroit | Trade candidate
The Flyers are clearly looking for a No. 1 center, and the speedy perennial 30-goal scorer certainly fits the bill. Larkin, who turns 30 next month and is signed for the next five years at an $8.7 million cap hit, has a full no-move clause and seems hell-bent on choosing his next destination. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman doesn’t seem nearly as inclined to trade Larkin to one of his three preferred destinations — Florida, Vegas, and Minnesota ― so Larkin has reportedly expanded his trade list. If the Flyers are on Larkin’s list, they’d likely be very interested.
Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli is a restricted free agent. But could someone price out Columbus?Sue Ogrocki
4. Adam Fantilli
C | Columbus | Restricted free agent
If the Flyers are willing to take a swing on an upper-tier offer sheet (more on others later), Fantilli would seem more attainable than Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson or Chicago’s Connor Bedard with a mammoth offer in the $15 million AAV range. Might Columbus still match? Sure, but if the Flyers are serious about finding a young No. 1 center, making a play for Fantilli would be a worthy gamble. Fantilli, who will only be 22 next season, already has a 30-goal season under his belt and possesses an enticing combination of size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), speed (95th percentile in 22 mph speed bursts), and competitiveness.
Fantilli is almost certainly staying put, especially with Werenski and Kirill Marchenko wanting out of Columbus, but he’d be worth the offer-sheet compensation of four first-round picks over the next five years. The Flyers and Blue Jackets could also work out a deal in place of an offer sheet if that appealed to Columbus.
5. John Carlson
RHD | Carolina | Unrestricted free agent
The oldest player on this list at 36, the New Jersey native is reportedly a target for the Flyers as they try to fix their anemic power play. The idea behind signing Carlson would be paying him a high AAV (likely over $10 million) on a two-year deal to act as the team’s bridge power-play QB. The former Stanley Cup winner can still generate offense (60 points last season in Anaheim) and run a power play, but could the allure of another Cup chase trump the financial incentives Philly could offer? He might not even make it to free agency either, as Carolina acquired his negotiating rights on Saturday and now has a head start on the competition.
Dallas has the aforementioned decision to make with Robertson and is also circling when it comes to Werenski and Larkin. That could make Bourque a prime candidate for an offer sheet. Bourque, 24, has played mostly as a wing on a deep Dallas team but is a natural center who would fit a Flyers need as well as the team’s ideal age range. He’s a highly intelligent offensive player who topped 20 goals last season and has room to grow. A former AHL scoring champ and MVP, an offer sheet for Bourque over $5 million AAV would cost the Flyers first- and third-round picks in 2027. This might be the Flyers’ most realistic shot at a potential top-six center this offseason given Dallas’ cap pinch.
Ottawa Senators center Dylan Cozens would check a lot of boxes for the Flyers if he is available.Patrick Doyle
7. Dylan Cozens or Shane Pinto
C | Ottawa | Trade candidates
The Flyers have been linked before with Cozens and Pinto, both of whom are 25, and acquiring either would represent an upgrade down the middle. The Sens may not want to move another top forward after having to trade Brady Tkachuk against their will, but the Flyers do possess a player they are reportedly high on in defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
The 6-3, 205-pound Cozens, who scored 28 goals last season and is signed for five more years at a bargain $7.1 million, is probably the more attractive of the two given he’s faster (one of the NHL’s fastest per NHL Edge), more physical, and more of a point producer (59 to Pinto’s 46). Pinto, meanwhile, carries a $7.5 million cap hit for the next four years and is an elite defensive center coming off career highs in goals (23) and points (46). How far would Ristolainen and a first-round pick get you in conversations with Ottawa?
Nikishin is a name I didn’t expect to be on this list given he’s not eligible for an offer sheet and arrived in Carolina a year ago with so much hype after a prolific career in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. But reports over the weekend have indicated that Carolina is at least taking calls on the 6-4, 216-pound offensive blueliner. Nikishin, 24, figures to be expensive both in terms of trade compensation and his next contract, but he’s the prototype offensive defenseman the Flyers are looking for with his passing vision, skating ability, and booming shot from the point. There are some defensive warts, but the youngster’s upside is immense, not to mention he’s a former teammate and friend of Matvei Michkov’s. He had 11 goals and 33 points, including 10 on the power play, as a rookie.
9. Darnell Nurse
LHD | Edmonton | Trade candidate
Nurse, who is the nephew of former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, might be the NHL’s poster boy for being judged by the numbers on your contract ($9.25 million AAV) and not your on-ice play. The 31-year-old is certainly not a $9 million defenseman, but he is still a solid second-pair guy who blocks shots, eats up minutes, and provides toughness. The Inquirer has reported there is mutual interest between Nurse and the Flyers, with the Flyers on the short list he sent to the Oilers. Sportsnet reports that Nurse has added Pittsburgh and Boston. Nurse only truly makes sense if the Flyers are moving Ristolainen AND Edmonton is willing to retain 25-30% of the rugged blueliner’s salary over the next four seasons.
Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, a former top-five pick, could be a worthwhile reclamation project.Jae C. Hong
10. Shane Wright
C | Seattle | Trade candidate
The 2022 fourth-overall pick’s name has been out there in trade rumors, but his value seems to have taken a significant hit following a disappointing 2025-26 season that saw his point total drop from 44 to 27. The Inquirer has learned that Wright isn’t high on the Flyers’ list and that the team has some serious doubts about his ability to stick down the middle in the NHL. Regardless, Wright is still just 22, came up as a center, has draft pedigree, and a year ago had 19 goals and 44 points without top-of-the-lineup deployment.
Could the Flyers circle back to Wright with centers like Robert Thomas, Mason McTavish, and Connor McMichael off the board? They’ve had success with these types of reclamation projects in recent years, even if Wright doesn’t seem an ideal fit on paper. Matty Beniers would represent a more attractive center from a Flyers’ perspective.
11. Teddy Blueger
C | Vancouver | Unrestricted free agent
The Flyers’ fourth line could use some help, particularly after trading Garnet Hathaway last week. Blueger has experience playing under Rick Tocchet in Vancouver, won a Cup with Vegas, and is a solid left-shot defensive center who kills penalties and can provide some secondary scoring. The Flyers seem to be considering bringing back 37-year-old Luke Glendening, but if they don’t, Blueger and right-shots Colton Sissons, Kevin Stenlund, Oskar Sundqvist, and Noel Acciari would all make some sense as 4Cs who kill penalties.
12. Noel Acciari
C | Pittsburgh| Unrestricted free agent
The Flyers’ fourth line could use an infusion of energy, and Acciari brings that in spades. A right-shot center who is excellent in the dot (53.5% since 2022-23), kills penalties, and plays an in-your-face game, he also chipped in 13 goals last season (his fourth double-digit goal campaign). Acciari is older at 34, but he is still someone who empties the tank on every shift and relishes getting under opponents’ skin.
For the better part of a decade, Aaron Nola has been the Phillies’ workhorse.
It’s a role he takes pride in. Six times, he has taken down over 180 innings in a season. But lately, that durability has started to show cracks.
Last year, Nola was uncharacteristically hampered by injuries. He’s healthy now, but his bounceback season hasn’t gone according to plan. And after Monday’s 11-7 loss to the Pirates, where he allowed a season-high seven earned runs over just 4⅓ innings, the path forward isn’t clear.
“I haven’t really had a stretch like this ever in my career,” said Nola, whose season ERA has risen to 6.04.
Nola squandered a 5-0 lead the offense built against Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh each hit solo homers in the first inning, while Bryce Harper hit a two-run shot in the third. All three homers came in two-strike counts.
But Nola had issues with homers, too. He looked efficient early with an eight-pitch first inning, and was getting a lot of batters to swing and miss. But he started to falter by the fourth. Bryan Reynolds was inches away from clearing the top of the railing in left-center, settling for a leadoff double. He scored anyway when Esmerlyn Valdez teed up a curveball over the middle of the plate for a two-run shot.
“Early in that game I thought he was going to roll,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “The way he was throwing the ball, it seemed sharp. Good breaking ball, down in the zone, a lot of swing-and-miss early in the game. And then just got sideways. So I’m not quite sure what happened.”
For the seventh time this year, Nola failed to get out of the fifth inning, which turned ugly quickly. Nola allowed four hits — including another homer and a double — and walked two in the frame.
Three runs had already scored when Seth Johnson finally relieved him with the bases loaded, and all three inherited runs would score, too.
“It just sped up on him quite a bit there,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto. “The stuff diminished quite a bit. … You could just tell he got a little tired, it was hot, just the stuff wasn’t as good that inning.”
Although Nola induced 23 whiffs from Pirates hitters, the second-most in a game in his career, he wasn’t able to take many positives from his outing.
“A lot of runs tonight, I didn’t really do well with the lead I got, what the guys gave me. They hit really well tonight,” Nola said. “… Swing and misses, honestly, tonight it doesn’t really matter. Gave up too many hits, too many runs, got to be better at that.”
The two homers Nola allowed Monday upped his season total to 19, which is tied for fifth-most among pitchers this year.
As Nola tries to find a way to turn his season around, he has started toying with a slider as a potential different look for hitters. It can be a challenge to add a new pitch mid-season and he hasn’t thrown it much. He flashed it three times against the Pirates, generating one whiff.
“Just something different,” Nola said. “I throw so many curveballs, and I feel like we saw it tonight, if one pops, it usually gets barreled. So we’ll see.”
Nola’s shorter outing caused the Phillies to turn to their bullpen earlier than hoped, as the unit had been taxed recently after some tight games against the Nationals and Mets.
After entering the game, Johnson issued a leadoff walk to force in the go-ahead run, and then induced a grounder to Harper. He got the force out at second, but Turner flung the ball high over first base, allowing two more runs to score for the 8-5 Pirates lead. Turner’s error is his 11th of the season, which has already surpassed his full-season total of eight in 2025.
Bryce Harper (right) celebrates with Brandon Marsh after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning of Monday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The offense showed some life late, though. Marsh hit his second homer of the game in the eighth to start chipping away. He fell behind in the count, 1-2, to Gregory Soto, but put a good swing on a high and inside fastball. Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto hit back-to-back two-out singles to cut the lead to 8-7.
Derek Hill kept the line moving with a walk, but Justin Crawford was called out on strikes to end it, stranding two.
In the ninth, Mattingly opted to use righty Chase Shugart, who had blown a save against the Mets on Sunday, with the intention of preserving his higher-leverage arms. It backfired when he gave up a three-run homer to Pittsburgh catcher Endy Rodríguez that put the Pirates back ahead by four runs.
“I really didn’t feel like I have much of a choice, honestly, there,” Mattingly said. “Didn’t really feel like, where we’re at with everything, we could just keep chasing a win in with our back-end guys and lose another one. Yeah, I felt like we had to get through that with Shug. He gets two outs quick, and then little kind of a halfway flare to center, and yeah, obviously the breaking ball he hits for the homer.”
In the bottom of the ninth, Turner struck out, Schwarber grounded out, and Marsh struck out to end it.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jose Canale scored on the first sudden death penalty kick, Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, and Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties Monday to earn the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup so far.
The round of 32 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Paraguay took the lead when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half, but Kai Havertz equalized in the 52nd minute for four-time champion Germany.
“We had to analyze every player, every detail. Thanks to that I was able to only miss two penalties,” Gill said afterward. “This is for all the people of Paraguay.”
Paraguay, ranked 34th by FIFA, is the deepest betting long shot to win a World Cup match and did it against 12th-ranked Germany.
The Paraguayans will next face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden in the round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia. A win in that match would land them back in Foxborough for a quarterfinal match on July 9.
“I think we deserved one more game and to be honest considering everything that was said, everything we went through,” Canale said. ”What I wan to highlight from our team is how united we are. … Today was a game we really needed to show our true colors.”
Germany had won six of seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments, including six straight since losing to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final.
In the only previous World Cup match between the teams, Germany beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 tournament. Nearly a quarter-century later, Paraguay has its revenge.
Paraguay’s players celebrating at the end of the shootout.Mark Stockwell
Paraguay had appeared in five previous knockout games but failed to score in each. It advanced only once in those previous occasions, winning on penalty kicks against Japan in the round of 16 at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. It fell that year to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals.
Monday was Germany’s first knockout game since the 2014 final in Brazil when the Germans beat Argentina 1-0 to capture their fourth World Cup title. The Germans were eliminated from the group stage at the last two World Cup tournaments.
“We had very big plans for this World Cup. It’s very difficult to disappoint again,” Havertz said. “It was difficult to create chances and keep the pace.”
Paraguay broke the early stalemate in the 42nd minute Monday with some perfect ball movement to set up Enciso.
Paraguay’s Julio Enciso (19) celebrates his goal with teammates.Petr David Josek
Miguel Almiron split Germany’s Aleksandar Pavlovic and Nathaniel Brown with a left-footed pass to Matias Galarza. Galarza sent a cross to Enciso, who was unmarked by Germany’s defenders and easily headed it past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
In the second half, Havertz took a cross from Florian Wirtz, which he got just enough head on to redirect it past Gill.
And then in extra time, Germany appeared to take a 2-1 lead in the 102nd minute when Jonathan Tah headed in a corner kick by Nathaniel Brown that was just above the reach of Gill. But a video review ruled that Waldemar Anton has pushed Gill to the ground before the shot and the goal was disallowed.
Germany, whose 10 goals in the group stage was tied for the most of any team, struggled to find a way through Paraguay’s 4-5-1 setup. The Germans had 78% of the possession in the first half.
As expected, Paraguay was without defender Omar Alderete, who left with an injury in the second half of the team’s 0-0 draw against Australia. Canale started in his place.
The Phillies returned to Citizens Bank Park for Monday’s series opener against the Pirates a season-high 10 games above .500.
It’s a far cry from where they were in April, as they tumbled as far as 10 games under .500 on April 26. But their improbable rebound has made them the first team in baseball history to bounce back from 10 games under .500 to 10 games over .500 before the end of June.
Now, they’ve all but erased their dismal start. At the 84-game mark last year, the Phillies had a 49-35 record, and would go on to finish with 96 wins and win the division. This year, they are 47-37 at the same point.
“This is a 96-win club last year, this is not a club that didn’t show up every day and play every day,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “You win 96 games, you’re playing good baseball, so nothing that you really didn’t expect to happen is happening. Just want to keep it going.”
Not only that, but the Phillies have closed within three games of the Braves for the lead in the National League East. It’s a gap that was as wide as 10½ games in May.
NL East standings
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It’s helped out that the Braves’ early-season dominance has somewhat faltered, with Atlanta posting a 9-13 record so far in June. But the Phillies have managed to capitalize, and a chasm that seemed insurmountable a month ago is shaping into a race again, with two series remaining between the teams in September.
“I wasn’t really looking at Atlanta,” Mattingly said. “I was looking more at us getting back to .500 at first, then to five [games over .500], and then trying to get to 10, and now trying to get to 15, and wherever you end up landing is where you land, but obviously you want to win the division. But still day to day, and so much baseball to be played.”
Right fielder Adolis García was at the ballpark on Monday to get checked out after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn lat on Wednesday.
García, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal in the offseason, spent time catching up with his teammates behind the batting cage pregame. His rehab is expected to take place primarily at the Phillies’ facilities in Clearwater, Fla.
“He’s just coming in to see where he’s at. He’s had surgery a few days ago, he’s not going to be able to do a whole lot, but it’d be good to see him,” Mattingly said.
Starting pitcher Andrew Painter will likely make his next start for Lehigh Valley on Saturday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Painter’s next start
The Phillies haven’t officially announced when Andrew Painter will make his next start for triple-A Lehigh Valley, but Mattingly said he expects the righty will remain on a regular schedule.
With the minor leagues having a day off built into their schedule each Monday, that means joining a six-day rotation, which would line up Painter to next appear on Saturday in Rochester.
“Unless they want to move him, or there’s a reason for us to move him to keep him on a certain day to match up with certain guys,” Mattingly said. “So, in general, I think he’s just one of the boys down there and working on his craft and getting it together.”
Mattingly said pitching coach Caleb Cotham’s report was that Painter was OK in his first appearance after getting optioned, in which he allowed one run over four innings.
“Still felt like some of the things that they talked about implementing, he’s starting to be able to do that,” Mattingly said. “We just let it play out now.”
Tommy Pham made his first appearance for the Florida Complex League Phillies on Monday after signing a minor league deal with the organization. Pham, who the Phillies picked up as outfield depth after he was released by the Orioles, went 2-for-2 in the Complex League game.
The 38-year-old outfielder has a .256 career average and .764 OPS across 13 seasons and 10 teams. He went hitless in 13 at-bats across nine games with the Mets this April before being released and catching on with the Orioles’ triple-A affiliate.
“I know Tommy from the past; I always liked Tommy, he gives you good at-bats,” Mattingly said. “I don’t know what the plan is other than to see where it goes and how he’s swinging and how he’s performing, and what we need.”
Extra bases
Gabriel Rincones Jr. was back in the lineup Monday against right-hander Braxton Ashcraft after sitting in the series finale against the Mets. Rincones has a .118 batting average in 32 major league at-bats. “[Sunday] was more of a day off, and kind of a little bit of a reset for Rico, see where it goes,” Mattingly said. … Cristopher Sánchez (9-3, 2.13 ERA) is scheduled to start opposite Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler (3-7, 4.42) on Tuesday.
Porter Martone didn’t intentionally wear a Flyers playoff hoodie to the first day of development camp.
“It’s the only Flyers hoodie I have,” Martone joked.
Still, it was a physical expression of just how much has changed for Martone, Denver Barkey, and Alex Bump since the last time they were at development camp 12 months ago.
Last year, none of the three had made their NHL debut. Martone was freshly drafted and off to college, and Barkey and Bump were headed into their first full pro seasons. Now, all three are bona fide NHL regulars who played key roles in the Flyers’ improbable run to the second round of the playoffs.
They don’t even need to be here. Martone’s barely had three weeks of rest, following up his playoff run by playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini for Team Canada at the World Championships. But it was important for each to come back to Voorhees, both to work on their skills and to help the next group of prospects along.
“I’m still a young guy here,” Martone said Monday. “I think I could use my learned experiences — and my experience in the playoffs and at the ending stretch there with the Flyers — to help everyone here. I still might be younger than some guys, but I think that’s valuable, to come back here, be a leader, show them what it’s like being a Philadelphia Flyer.”
Winger Porter Martone said Monday it was important to be at development camp to show other youngsters “what it’s like being a Philadelphia Flyer.”Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Martone didn’t participate in the skill sessions on the first day, choosing instead to focus on power skating and off-ice workouts. Monday was his first day back on the ice since the World Championships. After camp, he plans to return to East Lansing for a week to train with the strength coaches at Michigan State, and then head home to Ontario before training camp in the fall.
Having guys like Martone, Barkey, and Bump — who know the drills, the facility, and the staff — on hand can be an invaluable resource for the newer members of the organization.
And there’s still plenty for that trio to learn. Martone said he felt like he had to improve at “everything” this summer to become the power forward he wants to be. Barkey agreed, but had a few more specific things he was getting a jump start on at camp.
“The biggest thing for me this summer is putting on a couple extra pounds and working on my first three steps,” Barkey said. “Getting in and out of corners, having the weight and the strength to win battles, and then also having the first three steps to get away from the bigger guys, and have a little bit of space to make plays. I think that’ll be my bread and butter, and it takes time, but definitely working toward that.”
Three of the Flyers’ draft picks, Czech goalies Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenička and Finnish defenseman Max Laatikainen, were not able to travel in time for the start of development camp, but they are expected to participate later in camp … Jett Luchanko was not among the players on the ice for the first day of camp. According to Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong, Luchanko is dealing with a lower-body injury. He is expected to be back skating next week and to be ready for training camp… Assistant general manager Brent Flahr told The Inquirer that Cole Knuble has a good motor. Kind of sounds like Denver Barkey a little bit, no? “I think just growing up, kind of realized that’s the way I’m going to be able to make it, a guy that’s going to go in every battle,” Knuble said. “And I think growing up the emphasis was, not goals or assists, it was always, did you win your 50-50s and did you stick your nose in there. That’s kind of the way I was coached growing up. So yeah, that was just how I’ve always played.” So was it his dad, former Flyers forward Mike Knuble, who taught him that? “Oh, yeah, he used to say if you have 12 eggs in your pockets, they should all be broken.”
The Flyers were required to submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents by 5 p.m. on Monday.
After the deadline, they announced that they did not provide qualifying offers to forwards Philip Tomasino, Brett Harrison, Tucker Robertson, and Karsen Dorwart, and defensemen Artem Guryev and Christian Kyrou. They will now be unrestricted free agents on July 1.
They gave qualifying offers to forwards Trevor Zegras and Nikita Grebenkin, as well as defensemen Jamie Drysdale and Hunter McDonald. Drysdale, Zegras, and McDonald are eligible for arbitration.
According to Puckpedia, Zegras’ qualifying offer is $5.75 million. It is the same amount as his expiring three-year contract signed in 2023 with the Anaheim Ducks. Drysdale is due $2.3 million, the same as the three-year deal he inked with Anaheim in 2023. Grebenkin’s is $850,000, and McDonald’s is $897,750.
In his first season in Philly, Zegras had 26 goals and 67 points — both were career highs — in 81 regular-season games before adding another six points in 10 playoff games. It was his first playoff experience, as it was for Drysdale, who stepped up his game this past season and had a career high in goals (eight) and tied his career high in points (32). He added two goals and four points in 10 playoff games, scoring the first Flyers playoff goal since 2020.
Grebenkin has not played since late March due to an upper-body injury. “Initially, we thought it was going to be something short, and it just never got better,” Flyers general manager Danny Brière said at his end-of-season press conference. “Now we’re looking at different options for him. So he’s the only one that I would say maybe [he’s not ready for training camp], if it doesn’t improve.” Brière did not have an update when speaking to The Inquirer at the start of June at the NHL scouting combine.
McDonald made his NHL debut this season, skating in the season finale, and registered the secondary assist on Oliver Bonk’s first NHL goal. A rugged blueliner, he had six assists in 65 games for the Phantoms.
“Hunter took a big step last year in his development, and that’s why he played that game late in the season,” Brière told The Inquirer in early June. “I think our coaching staff was really impressed [with] how he took a step forward this year. He put in the work and really elevated his game, earned that NHL game at the end, and he was around the team when we played in the playoffs as well.
“Really exciting to see him have growth to his development. It’s a big summer for him, but we’re excited about him. A big, physical defenseman like that is not easy to find, and we hope he’s going to be one of those guys, eventually. But he’s going to have to beat someone at some point to earn those minutes.”
Tomasino was acquired this past season in a swap that sent Egor Zamula to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He potted 12 goals and 41 points in 52 regular-season games between the two teams’ AHL affiliates. A first-round selection of Nashville in 2019, he has 218 NHL games under his belt.
Traded to the Flyers with Jackson Edward for Alexis Gendron and Massimo Rizzo in March, Harrison had two goals and four points in 12 games with Lehigh Valley. Guryev was part of the deal that sent Ryan Ellis’ contract to the San Jose Sharks, and Christian Kyrou was acquired in a one-for-one, with Samu Tuomaala going to the Dallas Stars.
Dorwart was signed out of Michigan State as a college free agent in March 2025. He skated in five games after inking his entry-level contract, making his NHL debut in Montreal. Last season, he had 10 goals and 24 points in 70 games for the Phantoms.
IRVINE, Calif. — The assertion on these pages of the importance of this World Cup’s first knockout round for the U.S. men’s soccer team drew a noteworthy response from a history-minded reader.
“Just because they changed how to make it from 32 to 16 doesn’t automatically make doing it more meaningful,” it said. “Not to be too ‘Bluesky reply guy’ but portraying it otherwise empowers FIFA’s money grab imo. On Wednesday the USMNT will try to do something they’ve done 5 of the last 8 men’s World Cups.”
Those are fair points, especially the one about FIFA grabbing money. The U.S. men have indeed been among the last 16 teams standing at five of the eight World Cups they played in from 1990-2022: ‘94, 2002, 2010, ‘14, and ‘22.
So the point that was made here is worth clarifying. It’s not just about being able to claim a title of being one of the best 32, 16, or any fewer national teams based on World Cup finish. It’s about the mentality of knockout soccer on the sport’s biggest stage, and how different it is from anything else.
Tyler Adams (left) and Walker Zimmerman on the field at the end of the U.S.’ loss to the Netherlands that knocked them out of the 2022 World Cup in the round of 16. This year’s tournament is the first with a round of 32.ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP / MCT
It’s also about whether U.S. players of this era can prove themselves in the way they’ve long told us they can. Lose the round of 32 contest to Bosnia & Herzegovina on Wednesday (8 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62), and all the promises go up in smoke.
That pressure might not be the same as the kind the superstars of Brazil, Argentina, England, and so on face every day. But it’s still a significant burden, and a particular kind for a team with DNA built on fighting for respect.
“I think everyone knows in the back of our minds what this could do for this country,” attacking midfielder Gio Reyna said before Monday’s practice, the last before the U.S. team headed north to the Bay Area for Wednesday’s game in Santa Clara.
“Not that we’ve really spoke about it or thought about it much — we’re pretty much just focused on each game in front of us at this moment, as it is win or go home,” he continued. But they don’t have to.
Gio Reyna (right) in action during the U.S.-Turkey group stage finale.Mark J. Terrill
“We feel the country rallying around us,” he said. “We see the momentum it’s bringing to the sport in this country just through the group stage. But we also understand that if we make a nice run in the tournament, what it could really do for the sport.”
Reyna and centerback Tim Ream were the two players who spoke Monday. Both were part of the 2022 team that took the U.S. back to the men’s World Cup after failing to qualify for 2018. Now Ream is this team’s captain, and its oldest player.
“Would it be weird if I told you I don’t really feel too much pressure at this minute?” he said. “I just think there’s so much pressure that we put on ourselves.”
He acknowledged in his next breath that “it feels very different this time around than 2022, I will say that,” though “not because of the round of 32 or because that was a round of 16.”
Tim Ream (center) on the field after the Netherlands scored its third goal against the U.S. in 2002.Martin Meissner
Instead it’s because of what is already in the players’ minds.
“I think we put so much expectation on ourselves as players — and I said this at the beginning of the tournament — but I think we felt more pressure for that first game against Paraguay than anything,” Ream said. “And that’s coming from ourselves, not from anything on the outside.”
The burden might weigh a little extra on Reyna, too, and not just because of the scandal that engulfed him and his family four years ago. Even if everything back then had been clean-cut, he’d still be the son of U.S. legend Claudio Reyna, who played for the U.S. at the 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cups — but not in 1994 because of a hamstring injury.
“I always like to say it’s just another game of football, but at the end of the day, I think everybody knows what this game is,” Gio said. “World Cups only come around every four years, and especially on home soil, this opportunity will really never come back.”
Could Mike Gansey’s first veteran roster addition be the return of an old friend?
In a new Men’s Health story, Ben Simmons said he’s eyeing an NBA return after a year away.
“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed,” he said.
Simmons spent his most recent NBA season of 2024-25 with the Nets and later the Clippers, playing 51 games and averaging five points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. Simmons has been hampered by various injuries, including a nerve impingement in his back.
Over the last year, Simmons stepped away from basketball, instead spending some of his time off winning a professional fishing tournament with the South Florida Sails, a team of which he is also part owner.
But now, feeling healthier, the 29-year-old Simmons hopes to launch an NBA comeback. With his size and basketball IQ, Simmons said coaches told him that if he got healthy there would be plenty of interest from teams.
“I don’t have a plan on where,” Simmons told Men’s Health, but he had a few spots in mind.
“Maybe I’ll go back to Philly,” he said. “Miami would be nice. And not because it’s Miami — I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture.”
Could Ben Simmons (left) and Joel Embiid coexist as members of the Sixers?Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
Simmons’ breakup with the Sixers in 2022 was messy. The three-time NBA All-Star refused to play for the team after the second-round playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021, and was ultimately traded for James Harden. Would he even be welcomed back?
Simmons famously feuded with center Joel Embiid before he was dealt to the Nets in the middle of the 2021-22 season.
“The situation is weird, disappointing, borderline kind of disrespectful to all the guys that are out here fighting for their lives,” Embiid said back in 2021 training camp of Simmons’ refusal to play for the Sixers. “Some guys rely on the team being successful to stay in the league and make money somehow. Because if you’re on a winning team, you’re always going to have a spot in the league, just because you’re on a winning team and you contributed.”
But it’s been four years, and if Simmons is healthy he could be a depth piece for a capped-out Sixers team in need of help off the bench.
