🥊 Don’t mess with Rocky | Sports Daily Newsletter

Philadelphians are known to be superstitious — especially when it comes to sports.

And now, international soccer fans are feeling those effects. After Ecuadorian supporters fitted the Rocky statue with a yellow La Tri kit, they saw their team fall to the Ivory Coast, 1-0, in its FIFA World Cup group-stage opener on Sunday.

Yup, that’s the “Rocky curse.”

However, Brazilian fans didn’t plan on making the same mistake ahead of Brazil’s World Cup clash with Haiti at Philadelphia Stadium (also known as the Linc). Instead, they went to great lengths to make sure supporters did not put a Brazilian shirt on the iconic statue during a fan rally Thursday.

Brazil enters Friday night as favorites, but underdogs have a habit of rising to the occasion in Philly. Before that game, all eyes will be on the United States men’s national team, which will play Australia at 3 p.m. (Fox29, Telemundo 62). Check out how our writers predict this one to shake out.

And in Seattle, Team USA will be welcomed by an all-time World Cup home field advantage, and we should expect the atmosphere to be pretty rowdy.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

🏟️ Learning: The UFC 330 fight card in Philly is starting to come together. Dana White announced two title fights will be on the line.

🏒 Celebrating: Tessa Janecke was among seven Penn State women’s ice hockey players to be selected in the PWHL draft.

🤔 Wondering: The Eagles used the week after mandatory minicamp to bolster their depth. What roster changes have been made?

📖 Reading: The South Jersey community is mourning 16-year-old wrestler Chase Sudano, who died in an electric bike crash in Burlington County.

The Phillies may say they were on the verge of signing Bo Bichette as a free agent, but Bichette has a slightly different recollection.

The Mets jumped on José Alvarado in seventh inning of Phillies’ 6-4 loss in Thursday’s series opener. Alvarado allowed three runs in the inning.

And Andrew Painter was understanding when told that he was being sent down to triple A. The pitcher knew that the Phillies couldn’t keep him in the starting rotation. Not with a 1-8 record and 7.06 ERA.

The 76ers’ offseason is about to ramp up, with the NBA draft next week and free agency beginning at 6 p.m. on June 30. These will mark the first opportunities for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey to make roster decisions.

There is a lot to ponder and discuss — from biggest draft needs to Joel Embiid’s future — which means it’s the perfect time to answer reader questions.

Santino Harwood wanted to play baseball at a Division I school but his chances were dimming when he started his senior year at Roman Catholic without a college scholarship offer.

Since the shortstop was 5-foot-11, he was overlooked by most college coaches. That was until he met an assistant at Delaware State, who offered Harwood a spot as a walk on.

Now, he’ll represent Delaware State at Citizens Bank Park days before the All-Star Game when he plays in the HBCU Swingman Classic on July 10.

Join Inquirer writer Jonathan Tannenwald and host Lisa Carlin, analyst for CBS Sports Golazo, as they dissect the matches, the moments, and more as Philly has its moment in soccer’s brightest spotlight. Watch our latest episode right here.

Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors pick the best sports images from the last seven days. From World Cup celebrations — and agony — to Garrett Stubbs on the mound, here are the best Philly sports photos of the week.

Golf’s governing bodies declared Wednesday at the U.S. Open that the rollback of hyper-engineered golf balls would be rolled back itself. Any adjustment now will go into effect in 2030 instead of 2028.

The rollback is dead. It would take players months to adjust to a new ball, which is the most important piece of the myriad pieces of equipment they use. They will never agree to that, writes Marcus Hayes.

We asked: If you were Dave Dombrowski, what moves, if any, would you make and why? Among your responses:

Right now the Phillies do not look like they can be a serious threat to the Dodgers and other top NL teams. The team is aging and Dumbrowski needs to start rebuilding. Phillies having just sent Painter down really don’t have a whole lot to deal with, but I would start by trading Nola to a contender for a couple young promising pitchers. The team really has just about one more year after this one where Schwarber, Harper, and Realmuto will be productive. — Everett S.

Dombrowski has wasted the last few years and is still left needing most of an outfield, including a significant right-handed hitter, and now, a starting pitcher after allowing Suarez to go last year. One could argue that he also needs a middle infield that can hit. I like both Turner and Stott, but neither has lived up to his skills. Has Turner ever been worth what the Phillies paid for him? — Wayne H.

Phillies need an outfielder badly. Marsh is pretty good right now but I doubt that can last. Probably under. 280 at season end. Also a decent backup catcher who can hit over. 125 as age is catching up to JT a little. Pitching will be fine eventually. — Bob M.

I believe it is time to bring Mike Trout home.I don’t know if the Angels would even consider a trade but we absolutely should try. — Richard F.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Kerith Gabriel, Matt Breen, Jonathan Tannenwald, Rob Tornoe, Gina Mizell, Ariel Simpson, Mia Messina, Ryan Novozinsky, Isabella DiAmore, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, Owen Hewitt, and The Inquirer’s photography staff.

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.

Thanks for wrapping up the week with me. Enjoy the weekend and happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. — Bella