A whole new World Cup | Sports Daily Newsletter
The U.S. women open their title defense with 14 fresh faces on the roster.
The U.S. women’s national team is kicking off its quest for an unprecedented third straight World Cup title, and it’s certainly not business as usual.
True, old standbys Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Julie Ertz are Down Under with the U.S. team, which opens the tournament Friday at 9 p.m. Philadelphia time against Vietnam. But there are 14 American players who will be making their women’s World Cup debuts.
U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski has achieved a generational overhaul, from Naomi Girma at the back to 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson up front — the first teenager to make an American women’s World Cup squad since 1995.
Staff writer Jonathan Tannenwald is in New Zealand, covering the tournament for The Inquirer from start to finish. How will the new-look U.S. team fare against the world’s best? With 14 World Cup debutantes and a much-anticipated infusion of youth, the 2023 squad feels much more unknown than past ones, he writes.
— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
WORLD CUP COVERAGE: We’re kicking in the savings — Subscribe now and score Jonathan Tannenwald’s exclusive, on-the-ground coverage from the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand! Get unlimited access to Inquirer.com, The Inquirer App and e-Edition, premium sports coverage, Inquirer columnists, political analysis, restaurant reviews, and more. All for just $1 for 3 months! Subscribe now.
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The Phillies got a strong dose of Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and Abner Uribe on Thursday, finishing with 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Phillies managed only two hits and gave starter Taijuan Walker little room for error. His outing was not too bad, except for what he called “one bad inning” when he gave up a three-run homer to Christian Yelich.
A strange strikeout by Bruce Harper on Wednesday night raised some eyebrows. Manager Rob Thomson tried to explain what happened.
Next: Ranger Suárez (2-4, 3.84 ERA) takes the mound for the Phillies against Cleveland’s Gavin Williams (1-2, 3.94) on Friday at 7:10 p.m. (NBCSP).
Sports can be powerful in so many ways, whether it be in teaching life lessons, unifying different groups of people, or providing people an escape for their everyday lives. They also have the ability to help people heal and come together in times of great difficulty.
Thursday in Aukland, New Zealand, provided the latest example of the power of sports. After a senseless shooting left three people dead just hours before the first game of the 2023 women’s World Cup, a nation turned to sports, specifically soccer, for a much-needed lift.
What happened next can only be described as beautiful, as the co-hosts and massive underdogs from New Zealand went out and fought like lions for 90 minutes to deliver the mourning nation a moment it will never forget. Jon Tannenwald was on the ground in Auckland to take in an emotion-filled day that started in tragedy and ended with a historic triumph.
Next: The United States women’s national team kicks off its quest for a three-peat Friday at 9 p.m. Philadelphia time against Vietnam (Fox29).
Don’t expect the Eagles to get back to the Super Bowl this season. That’s not to say they aren’t the best team in the NFC. They are. And that Jalen Hurts isn’t the best quarterback in the NFC. He is.
It just means that the Super Bowl will be really difficult to pull off. It’s a harder schedule. And only one team in the last half-century has won a Super Bowl after losing one the year before. In storybook fashion, the Eagles would come back with a vengeance to win it this year. Set your standards and expectations accordingly, writes Mike Sielski.
NFL owners unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders to a group headed by 76ers owner Josh Harris.
The NBA will credit Ben Simmons with a full year of service time for the 2021-22 season, despite the fact that he refused to play for the 76ers for half of it. David Murphy explains how this recent bit of legal wrangling over Simmons’ holdout reinforces how little leverage the Sixers have with James Harden.
What can the Sixers expect from newly signed Mo Bamba? We asked a reporter who covered him for his impressions of the backup center.
Worth a look
Soul resurrected: The Arena Football League plans a relaunch, and the Philadelphia Soul are likely to return.
Top 10: We rank the most memorable owners in Philadelphia sports history.
City Series reboot: The inaugural schedule and format are set for the new, six-team Big 5.
Take our quiz: What Premier League team should someone from Philly support?
What you’re saying about the Eagles
We asked: Do you think expectations are too high for the Eagles this season? Why or why not? Among your responses:
The Eagles are a very strong team. Injuries have such an impact in professional sports. If the Birds can stay healthy and lucky … Super Bowl? Nah, too early for predictions. “Stay healthy, my friends.“ —John S.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Alex Coffey, David Murphy, Mike Sielski, Kerith Gabriel, Sapna Bansil, Matt Mullin, and Gina Mizell.