Shaped by sorrow | Sports Daily Newsletter

Meg Kane, the president and CEO of Signature 57, a strategic communications firm, has been the driving force behind Philadelphia’s World Cup bid.

In November 2019, she was told by the city’s convention and visitors bureau that they were going to bid on the World Cup — and needed her help. Kane knew this would be the project of a lifetime, and she was put front and center as the captain of the city’s World Cup cheerleading squad.

It also has been a round-the-clock operation: From constant interviews to riding the Amtrak to New York or taking a 14-hour flight to Doha, Qatar, to see what she could learn, then debriefing with her colleagues at Philadelphia Soccer 2026.

But two years before she welcomed the World Cup, Kane faced an unimaginable family tragedy when her parents died in a house fire. Since then, a simple message from her father has guided her.

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

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By the time this summer arrived, there was a bar set for the U.S. to make history — and it felt like they could. The program had just one knockout game win in its history. Winning two would mean a quarterfinal berth. It also meant toppling a giant somewhere along the way.

In the round of 16, that giant was Belgium. The U.S. needed its big players to deliver, but they didn’t. Now, what’s next for this “golden generation” of players and their $6 million coach?

And don’t blame Folarin Balogun for the global fallout over whether his red card was justified. It did, however, give Belgium the motivation it needed to win.

👟 Donning: Bryce Harper pays tribute to SEPTA in his new line of Under Armour cleats.

🏀 Learning: The fifth annual Cathedral Classic will return to the Palestra with an expanded five-team field.

👀 Watching: World Series MVP Cole Hamels is joining MLB Network’s draft coverage in Philly this weekend.

👏 Applauding: This Hill School graduate started playing lacrosse six years ago. Now he’s preparing to play at Notre Dame this fall.

🏈 Evaluating: Stone Smartt and Deontae Lawson will have some work to do to make the Eagles’ roster.

For the first time in his career, Jesús Luzardo was named an All-Star. He was added to the National League roster on Tuesday as a replacement. The news of his selection took him completely by surprise.

The Phillies also did some bullpen shuffling ahead of their series opener against the Reds. Right-hander Max Lazar was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley, while lefty Kyle Backhus was optioned. Plus, Brandon Marsh had the day off.

Despite being left off the National League roster, Zack Wheeler put on an All-Star performance by dominating the Reds in the Phillies’ 4-1 win. He tied a career-high with 14 strikeouts.

Noel Acciari checked a lot of boxes, including playoff experience, the fourth-line role, and face-offs, that general manager Danny Brière was looking for from a free agent.

The veteran forward, who was on the Penguins team that lost in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Flyers, inked a two-year deal in Philly and says he’s happy to be on the other side of the Battle of Pennsylvania.

Mike Gansey was focused on building a deeper lineup in his first Sixers offseason as president of basketball operations. This past season, Tyrese Maxey averaged the most minutes in the NBA, and VJ Edgecombe wasn’t far behind.

Bringing in Anfernee Simons to serve as the third guard off the bench should lighten their workload. He also has history with new Sixer Jaylen Brown.

And speaking of depth, Dean Wade, who signed a four-year contract worth almost $39 million, believes his self-made defense and ready-made shooting will make a great fit with the Sixers.

We asked: Are you still going to watch the World Cup with the U.S. out? Among your responses:

Of course. If you follow the Premier League or La Liga or any of the top leagues in Europe you know the players on the remaining teams better than you know the USA players. And many of the “other” (non USA team) games have been fantastic. — Richard V.

Sure why not. Most of the best teams are still in. I’m rooting for Norway. — Bill M.

Actually NO! I found watching a soccer game almost as boring as watching grass grow. Mary and Ron tried our best last night but flipped it off 20 minutes into the game. — Ronald R.

I’m done watching soccer for four years. I find the sport incredibly boring and was only watching because it was the United States. — Stiles B.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Jonathan Tannenwald, Rob Tornoe, Gabriela Carroll, Devin Jackson, Conor Smith, Lochlahn March, Jeff Neiburg, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, and Becca O’Reilly.

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.

As always, thanks for getting your morning started with me — I’ll certainly be tuned into the rest of the World Cup. Maria will be back in your inbox tomorrow. — Bella