⚽️ Start your day with a Cup | Sports Daily Newsletter

We’ve be talking about it for years, waiting and planning for almost as long, and on Sunday night, the World Cup finally arrived in Philadelphia as Ecuador took on Ivory Coast at Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Stadium. Even Jay-Z was on hand.

From South Philly to Lemon Hill and all across the city, fans celebrated as a years-long effort culminated, and a stretch of six games over the course of the next three weeks commenced. The Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador was the first of five group stage games, with a Round of 16 finale scheduled for July 4.

To many in the Philadelphia area — outside of the passionate Ecuadorian and Ivorian fans that made their presence known throughout the city over the weekend — the outcome of last night’s game likely mattered very little. What did matter, however, is that the city’s World Cup party has officially started. And it’s time to enjoy that thing it felt like would never arrive. Because it will be gone before you know it.

According to columnist Marcus Hayes, Philadelphia was the star during its men’s World Cup debut.

— Matt Mullin, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓After the team’s big 4-1 win this weekend, how far do you think the U.S. can advance in the World Cup? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly didn’t mince words when talking about the situation in which rookie outfield Justin Crawford now finds himself.

“We’re pretty much platooning him,” Mattingly said.

That wasn’t the initial plan, but the left-handed hitting Crawford is 4-for-28 (.143) with three walks and no extra-base hits against lefties. And so, the plan changed. But does Crawford need to see left-handed pitching in order to improve against left-handed pitching? Mattingly is leaning on his on experience.

“I kind of rely on my own history because when I first came up, I platooned, and it wasn’t a terrible thing for me,” he said. “I probably would’ve struggled with the lefties. [Crawford]’s a guy that I think is going to hit lefties. But the amount of lefties we see, we don’t see a ton. So, it’s days where he can step back and keep working on his swing.”

Meanwhile, the Phillies dropped two of three to the Brewers in Milwaukee this weekend. The latest series loss isn’t cause for panic given the opposition, but it is worth noting that while the Phillies are 38-33 — and 29-14 under Mattingly — they’re only 3-9 against the Brewers, Dodgers, and Braves, the cream of the National League crop.

Now, the Phillies return home for six games against the Marlins and Mets, the start of 12 straight against the two teams at the bottom of their division.

Next: Phillies vs. Marlins, 6:40 p.m. (NBCSP)

🙋‍♂️ Asking: Now that the Sixers promoted Jameer Nelson, what’s next for Elton Brand?

🏁 Learning: Why everyone loves Pocono Raceway, which hosted its annual NASCAR event this weekend.

🤔 Wondering: How hard can it really be to stop a penalty kick?

It probably hurt most Philly sports fans to watch the Knicks, who steamrolled the Sixers in the second round, hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy on Saturday night. They were a deserved champion, for sure, taking care of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in five games, but there’s something about seeing a rival — especially one that so thoroughly beat your hometown team — win a title.

But if you went to Villanova or are a Wildcats fan, you’re likely ranging somewhere between an existential crisis and pure joy. And columnist Mike Sielski likely wouldn’t blame you for applying your Villanova loyalties to the ‘Nova Knicks. He believes the seeds of their greatness — especially that of Finals MVP Jalen Brunson — was forged on the Main Line.

“It was the perfect preparation for these playoffs, for these NBA Finals, for a remarkable run capped when Brunson took control of Game 5, when the sub-six-foot guard with the impeccable footwork, with the endless array of head fakes and mid-range shots, with the glorious old man’s game was once again the coolest customer on the court,” Sielski writes.

Speaking of Villanova, the team landed a commitment from 7-foot-3 Italian center Luigi Suigo, who recently withdrew his name from the NBA draft despite some scouts suggesting he could go late in the first round.

That Villanova was able to lure a player projected to make up to $3 million as an NBA rookie says a lot, and not just about their team next season. In fact, it may say more about the school’s future — and its ability to financially compete with some of the sports’ biggest programs.

It also caps off a roster retool that saw the Wildcats replace all but one of the eight players to appear in their NCAA Tournament game in March. And the reviews so far are promising.

The NHL draft is rapidly approaching, and it’s going to be new territory for general manager Danny Briere, whose team made the playoff for the first time in his tenure and holds the 21st overall pick, not a lottery pick. But there are still plenty of needs — and plenty of options — for the Orange and Black.

Last week, Jackie Spiegel caught up with Briere for a two-part interview about all things Flyers, including the draft and some of the team’s young players. But this week, she zeros in on just next week’s draft with assistant GM Brent Flahr, who runs the team’s draft, in another two-part interview.

It was a beautiful weekend, so hopefully you were outside enjoying the start of summer. If you were, here are a couple more stories you might’ve missed from around the sports world ...

Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges are not the first members of Jay Wright’s two Villanova national championships teams to win an NBA title. Who was the first?

A) Collin Gillespie

B) Eric Paschall

C) Donte DiVincenzo

D) Ryan Arcidiacono

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Mike Sielski, Gina Mizell, Devin Jackson, Ariel Simpson, Jeff Neiburg, Jackie Spiegel, Henry Savage, Lauren Jones, Jonathan Tannenwald, and the Associated Press.

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