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Author: Kerith Gabriel

  • Matt Campbell is flipping commits and building out his staff at Penn State. Is bringing in D’Anton Lynn as DC next?

    Matt Campbell is flipping commits and building out his staff at Penn State. Is bringing in D’Anton Lynn as DC next?

    There is one more game separating Penn State from the Matt Campbell era, after the longtime Iowa State coach was hired by the program earlier this month.

    In one week, the transfer portal for college football will open, and Campbell’s staff at Penn State is starting to take shape, with several familiar names from the coach’s tenure in Ames, Iowa.

    Last week, Noah Pauley was named Penn State’s wide receivers coach and Jake Waters came aboard as the quarterbacks coach. The week before that, Taylor Mouser was announced as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, while Deon Broomfield (secondary) and Ryan Clanton (offensive line) also joined the staff.

    DeSean Jackson signs contract extension to remain Delaware State’s coach through 2028

    Much of the defensive staff must still be filled out, especially after Jon Heacock, who was expected to follow Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State, decided to retire. The Nittany Lions reportedly are interested in former letterman D’Anton Lynn, who has been the defensive coordinator at Southern Cal the past two seasons. Adding Lynn, whose defense this year ranked inside the top 50 in points and yards allowed, would help solidify a staff with a strong nucleus.

    Iowa State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser will fill the same role at Penn State.

    Mouser’s offense at Iowa State was better statistically in 2024 than 2025, but this year was only his second season as the play caller. Clanton, who played at Oregon under Chip Kelly, has been successful developing offensive linemen. While at Northern Iowa, he was instrumental in helping Trevor Penning become a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft and aided Jalen Travis, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, at Iowa State.

    Bloomfield has developed a couple of secondary players into NFL draft picks (T.J. Tampa in 2024, Darien Porter in 2025), while Pauley has similarly had success in the growth of his receivers, with Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins getting drafted earlier this year. Pauley also was key in Christian Watson’s development at North Dakota State.

    Penn State adds two Iowa State offensive coaches to Matt Campbell’s staff

    Waters, meanwhile, has worked closely the past two years with quarterback Rocco Becht, who recently entered the transfer portal.

    Campbell’s staff is a mix of experienced coaches and others who have transitioned from analysts to position coaches. But there has been plenty of staff turnover, even as interim coach Terry Smith was retained, along with assistant quarterbacks coach Trace McSorley.

    Among those who have departed are defensive line coach Deion Barnes, the North Philly native who was vital in developing the likes of Abdul Carter, Chop Robinson, and Odafe Oweh. Barnes took the same job at South Carolina, alongside former Temple coach Stan Drayton, who coached running backs at Penn State and will do the same for the Gamecocks as running backs coach and assistant head coach for offense.

    Former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, also a Philly native, is heading to Tennessee at the same position, and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is not returning next season, although he will coach in the Pinstripe Bowl. A few others followed James Franklin to Virginia Tech, including Ty Howle, Danny O’Brien, and Chuck Losey.

    While Campbell has brought in some of his own guys, he will need to continue to look externally to fill out the rest of his staff, which likely will happen over the next couple of weeks.

    Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht (3) was a player whom new Penn State quarterbacks coach Tyler Waters helped develop.

    Flipping commits and bringing in transfers

    Penn State signed just two players in the 2026 recruiting class, so it was natural that once Campbell was hired, that number would change. And it has in recent days.

    Offensive linemen Mason Bandhauer and Pete Eglitis were among the seven players who previously committed to Iowa State and flipped to Penn State, bringing their 2026 recruiting class to nine players and counting.

    And more reinforcements could be on the way via the transfer portal. Along with Becht, former Iowa State running back Carson Hansen and wide receivers Brett Eskildsen and Xavier Townsend have entered the portal.

    Becht seems like a natural fit in Happy Valley, considering his experience, familiarity with staff, and the high-profile nature of the games Penn State will play, though there will be a considerable number of suitors. The ex-Iowa State quarterback has thrown for over 9,000 yards and 64 touchdowns in 39 starts.

    Matt Campbell has one job: Rebuild Penn State’s national title hopes

    Campbell likely will try to reconnect with some of the players he coached at Iowa State, but he also will need to recruit the players currently on Penn State’s roster. A number of key contributors, including edge rusher Chaz Coleman and defensive backs A.J. Harris and Elliot Washington, headline those who have announced their intention to enter the portal. Several starters from the 2025 season also will be making the jump to the NFL.

    The new staff has its work cut out for them as they continue to build out the rest of the team for next year and beyond. But first, the rest of the staff remaining from the 2025 team will focus on beating Clemson on Saturday (noon, 6abc) to salvage what was a lost season in early October.

    Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) and interim coach Terry Smith will look to end the season on a high with a win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.

    Games of the week

    Amid a holiday weekend of college football, there are two games with local flair certainly worth watching. Enjoy.

    Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson (Saturday, noon, 6abc)

    It’s a chance for the Nittany Lions to end a rough year by their standards on a high note against a quality Power 5 opponent. Motivation? Penn State enters the game as three-point underdogs. It’s a test for fresh-faced Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, but the must-watch player on offense will be in running back Kaytron Allen as he continues a season-ending climb to the top of the Big Ten history books. Fun fact: Despite being two of the oldest programs in college football, this will only be the second time these teams face off.

    Missouri quarterback and Spring-Ford alum Matt Zollers, left, will lead the Tigers in Saturday’s Gator Bowl.

    Gator Bowl: Virginia vs. Missouri (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. 6abc)

    Saturday will provide another chance to see Spring-Ford alumnus Matt Zollers lead the Missouri offense after Mizzou starting quarterback Beau Pribula announced his intent to leave the school. In six games this season, Zollers, the freshman backup, threw for 402 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception and won four of the six games in which he played. The Tigers hope he can keep that energy while entering the game as four-point favorites.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of college sports right here!
  • Here’s what ticket prices are looking like for World Cup games in Philly following FIFA’s latest presale

    Here’s what ticket prices are looking like for World Cup games in Philly following FIFA’s latest presale

    For those hoping to get into a World Cup game in Philly, the assumption was that obtaining a ticket, even at face value, would be costly.

    Well, that was correct, and on Thursday, fans interested in attending learned just how much.

    FIFA’s random selection presale was the third in a four-part lottery phase in which interested buyers from around the world were able to select their match by venue or by the team they’d most like to see.

    It also marked the latest opportunity to obtain tickets in the aftermath of last week’s World Cup draw.

    Among the 72 group stage matches scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer, five will take place at Lincoln Financial Field, with the Ivory Coast and Ecuador kicking off Philly’s slate of matches on June 14.

    Philly fans are ready for the ‘once in a lifetime experience’ of hosting a World Cup in their hometown

    So what’s it looking like?

    The least expensive seat for that match was $180 under Category 3 tiered pricing (which applies to upper-level seating and designated supporter sections). The most expensive ticket was $500 for a Category 1 seat (lower level, prime placement) or another section called a Supporter Premier Tier.

    The cheapest ticket price was $180 for upper deck seats at Lincoln Financial Field for the World Cup opener between the Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

    The costliest tickets were for the June 19 match between Brazil and Haiti, with the cheapest seat coming in at $265 and the priciest Category 1 tickets at $700. Even Category 2 seats, which generally are still lower- to mid-level but have corner sightlines, were $500 per seat.

    While it remains to be seen, prices for France’s game in Philly on June 22 could mimic the Brazil game as both are high-powered nations in the top 10 of the latest FIFA World Rankings, complete with rosters expected to draw a crowd. France awaits whom it will play at the Linc, as a FIFA playoff in March will determine whether it will be Iraq, Suriname, or Bolivia.

    Ranking the five World Cup group stage matches headed to Philly next summer

    The least expensive game in Philly as of Thursday’s presale was the June 25 match, which features Ivory Coast against Curaçao. Lower-level tickets were $450 for Category 1 and $380 for Category 2 seats. For those who don’t mind sitting in the 200-level section, the price is $140 each.

    The game between Ivory Coast and Curaçao on June 25 looked to offer the most affordable path to securing World Cup seats.

    It’s believed that with fan bases not as large as some of the other matches coming to Philly, this might be the best chance for people looking to obtain tickets, not just in the presale but perhaps when tickets officially hit the resale market.

    The final group stage match at the Linc, Croatia against Ghana on June 27, offers a live look at Croatian midfield legend Luka Modric, who at age 40, will be playing in his final World Cup. Although Ghana has consistently been a strong nation in past World Cups and enters as one of the better nations throughout Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifying, the draw is Modric — and FIFA knows that.

    Tickets for that match in the presale start at $500 for Category 1, and the least expensive ticket is $180 for a Category 3 seat.

    Croatia-Ghana on June 27 offers fans a live look at probably the last time Croatian midfield legend Luka Modric will chase World Cup glory.

    So how does it all work?

    Interested fans must create a FIFA ID. Creating one is quick, and once you do, you’ll be able to enter the lottery, which runs through 11 a.m. on Jan. 13. FIFA says it will alert people who have won by Feb. 5 if they’ve earned the right to purchase tickets.

    Still, you could find out sooner by checking your bank or credit card statement and noticing a balance decrease of hundreds or thousands of dollars.

    When it comes to how the World Cup shook out, these are our picks of the early winners and losers

    In the process, fans are entered into a queue to buy, which on Thursday had potential purchasers experiencing wait times of up to 30 minutes. Once there, fans can access two ticket portals: the random selection draw, which allows them to choose one game or preferred venue, and another in which fans can select a preferred team and choose from that nation’s three matches throughout the group stage.

    From there, a debit or credit card goes on file, from which, if selected, FIFA will automatically pull funds from the account beginning on Feb. 9. Incidentally, there’s no guarantee that fans will receive their full allocation, as there are options for ticket sales to be “completely successful” or “partially successful.”

    What does the latter mean? Here’s is FIFA’s explanation:

    “‘Partially successful’ means you received some, but not all, of the tickets you applied for. For example, if you requested tickets for three different matches but were allocated tickets for only one or two of them, your application is considered partially successful. If you are allocated tickets for any match, you will always receive the full quantity you requested for that match; you will never receive fewer than requested.”

    The random selection draw is the last presale before FIFA will release remaining tickets in what’s sure to be a first-come, first-served frenzy. This late sales phase is expected to launch closer to the start of the tournament.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of World Cup soccer right here!
  • When it comes to how the World Cup shook out, these are our picks of the early winners and losers

    When it comes to how the World Cup shook out, these are our picks of the early winners and losers

    We are a week removed from the FIFA World Cup draw, and in the aftermath, a proverbial ball is beginning to roll on several fronts. FIFA opened its latest presale ticket lottery on Thursday for fans to enter the random selection phase of the tournament, the latest chance to hope and wish your name will be called to purchase tickets — ones that might still be priced in the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars by the time it’s your turn.

    These past few days have provided a greater opportunity to examine FIFA’s ways and which nations, cities, and fans benefited or flopped as next steps begin to trickle out.

    With that said, these are our picks for winners and losers post-draw.

    Wilson Velez, 36, of Northeast Philadelphia, Pa., (left), Edwin Martinez, 25, of Central Philadelphia, watched the FIFA World Cup draw at Stateside Live! on Friday.

    👍🏽 Philly getting Brazil, France, and Croatia

    For many fans, it’s going to be a breathing-into-a-brown-bag moment watching players like Brazil and Real Madrid’s Vinicús Jr., Croatian midfield maestro Luka Modric, and countless players on France’s squad, undoubtedly headlined by forward sensation Kylian Mbappé, chasing World Cup glory at Lincoln Financial Field. Especially when you consider the French are one of the early favorites to win next summer’s spectacle at +700, according to futures odds on FanDuel.

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (right) is presented with a novelty World Cup ticket by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in October.

    👎🏽 Dynamic pricing on tickets

    For some reason, it just seems counterintuitive for FIFA to stress its desire to grow the game — and then turn around and make the world’s biggest sporting event available only to those who still have expendable cash in this current economic climate.

    This is the first time in the history of the tournament that soccer’s governing body has opted to use dynamic pricing for tickets, and some of the early price tags to secure a seat, even during presale, are laughable. Now, some matchups could see prices fall slightly, but it’s the World Cup; demand will always be higher than supply, and that holds for the bulk of the 72 group-stage matches beginning June 11.

    Your next chance to get FIFA World Cup tickets starts Thursday
    MetLife Stadium was the center of the soccer universe this past summer hosting the semifinals and final of the Club World Cup. It’s on the big stage yet again as host of the World Cup final.

    👍🏽 The BIG apple

    It was already one thing that MetLife Stadium will be the center of the soccer universe next summer as host for the World Cup final. But after last Friday’s draw, it could be argued that the New York-New Jersey delegation hit the jackpot with the group-stage matches and nations coming to East Rutherford, N.J.

    First up, Brazil-Morocco (June 13, 8 p.m.), when Morocco is one of the hottest nations in the world, with its senior team just one place outside the Top 10 in FIFA’s latest world rankings. Additionally, MetLife will also host European giants Germany (June 25), England (June 27), and one of the most highly anticipated rematches in France-Senegal (June 16, 3 p.m.). The Senegalese defeated a star-studded French side in the 2002 World Cup, and it’s been the talk since this match got paired.

    Haiti’s Leverton Pierre controls the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match against the United States in June.

    👎🏽 Banned fans

    Some fans won’t be able to see their team play live in the United States due to immigration rules and restrictions. Nations like Iran and Haiti will find out just how strong their expat communities are here in the States, but both coaches wouldn’t mind a little diplomacy.

    “[President Donald Trump] is a peace prize winner,” Migné said after the event, alluding to the U.S. president winning FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize award. “Maybe he will continue, and it will open the possibility for our fans to come here.”

    A fan of Ghana cheers prior to the start of the African Cup of Nations Group B soccer match between Mozambique and Ghana in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in January 2024.

    👍🏽 African-Caribbean vibes come to Philly

    In addition to the big nations like France, Brazil, and Croatia, Philly will host matches featuring the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Curaçao. Having matches here in Philly that feature the first two bode well for the city’s sizable West African population situated primarily in the West and Southwest sections of the city. They’re also among the top teams in Africa, with Ghana consistently fielding a strong national team, and the Ivory Coast, the defending AFCON champions, ran through qualifying without conceding a goal.

    There are 72 group stage games in next summer’s FIFA World Cup. Here are 10 of the best.

    As for Curaçao, the nation with the smallest population competing in the World Cup, despite making Jamaica’s road a bit harder by defeating them in November and forcing the Reggae Boyz into a three-team FIFA playoff in March, people will naturally root for the underdog in a city where the underdog mantra has been fully embraced.

    The presence of Ice and Border Patrol agents at World Cup matches could be an issue for fans.

    👎🏽 ICE fears

    The Club World Cup served as a litmus test of how active U.S. immigration and customs enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol would be in detaining fans attending the event, specifically in Philadelphia. Before that tournament, there were legitimate fears that ICE would be stationed outside arenas targeting fans.

    While there were instances, and still could be next year, for the most part, it wasn’t as large as some led people to believe. During the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was explicitly asked in a room full of reporters if he had any concerns about the enforcement and harassment of fans, to which he replied: “I don’t have any concerns about anything … most important for us is to be able to guarantee safety for the fans who come to the game.”

    It’s important to know that a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told The Inquirer via a statement in June that “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners … as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged.”

    A rendering shared by FIFA of what Philadelphia’s 2026 World Cup fan fest site at Lemon Hill Park is expected to look like.

    👍🏽 Philly’s party HQ

    While planning for the next phase of the process is still forthcoming, the revival of the Lemon Hill Mansion and grounds in Brewerytown ahead of the World Cup is promising as FIFA will use the park and grounds as the Philadelphia chapter of its fan festival.

    A storied park with incredible views of the city will receive a much-needed facelift and serve as the side stage on matchdays for the six games scheduled to come through Philly. It’s steps from the larger Art Museum area and the Parkway, which will be a fun time to navigate for visitors from around the world, said Meg Kane, the host city executive for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, responsible for planning the event in the city. However, questions still remain on things like transportation, logistics, vendors, and more, but it’s December, so we’re just going to ride out on the excitement of what’s to come.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of World Cup soccer right here!
  • Philly is one step closer to knowing the World Cup nations headed to the Linc next summer

    Philly is one step closer to knowing the World Cup nations headed to the Linc next summer

    WASHINGTON — We’re one step closer in learning which teams will head to Philly ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup.

    A packed house inside the Kennedy Center featuring world leaders, celebrities, and the delegations of over 40 nations watched as their countries were pulled from pots and slotted into 12 groups in FIFA’s expanded 48 team tournament.

    Lincoln Financial Field is scheduled to host six matches, five in the group stage of the tournament and a Round of 16 game on July 4. Those early-round matches will be in Groups C, E, I, and L.

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    The four nations in Group C were Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

    Brazil, which earned its qualification following a win over Paraguay on June 10, kept its streak of qualifying for every World Cup intact. We certainly learned that Morocco, which qualified in September, brings the party, evidenced by the fanfare brought to Philly by fans of the country’s Wydad AC in this summer’s Club World Cup.

    “We’re incredibly excited about the potential for what the match schedule is going to be,” said Meg Kane, host city executive for FIFA Philly 2026, which is coordinating the events in Philadelphia next summer. “I think as we look at the four groups that have the potential of coming through Philadelphia, there are some big name teams, [like] Brazil and Morocco. We got to experience their fans last summer during Club World Cup. We would welcome them back, and I think [fans would] really lean into the excitement of that.”

    Moroccan fans of Wydad AC brought one of the most festive displays of celebration at the FIFA Club World Cup matches at Lincoln Financial Field earlier this year.

    Possibly hosting Haiti and Senegal is exciting for Kane, too. It will be Haiti’s second World Cup appearance, and first since 1974. The Caribbean nation remains on the U.S.’s travel ban list under the Trump administration, however.

    Haiti manager Sébastien Migné said he hopes President Donald Trump, who on Friday was awarded FIFA’s inaugural peace prize, will show diplomacy.

    “[Trump] is a peace prize winner,” Migné said after the event. “Maybe he will continue, and it will open the possibility for our fans to come here.”

    Kane is eager for Haitians living in the Philadelphia area to have the opportunity to see their country at the Linc.

    The USMNT will play Paraguay, Australia, and a European qualifier at the 2026 World Cup

    “When it comes to Haiti, Ghana, and Senegal, I think that’s going to be potentially incredible when you consider the West African and Caribbean diaspora in West Philadelphia and across the region,” Kane said. “But looking at all the prospects, I think this has the potential to deliver [five incredible] group-stage matches. It’s really exciting.”

    Philly’s group C match is on Friday, June 19, coincidentally on the day the U.S. men’s national team has a match in Group D in Seattle.

    There will be two Group E matches at the Linc. That group features Germany, Curaçao, the Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. A match in Group E will kick off the series of World Cup games hosted in Philly on Sunday, June 14, with the second Group E tilt is Thursday, June 25 — another matchday on which the U.S. will have a Group D game in Los Angeles.

    Curaçao, which is making its first World Cup appearance and is the field’s smallest nation by population, will be the first match for Germany, another popular team.

    “I think we’re also excited to potentially see Germany appear in Group E,” Kane said. “That would be an incredible opportunity. France, in Group I, is huge, as well as England [in Group L]. I mean, really, when you think of major teams and the matches that we could have, the potential is there to really draw some of the top two teams.”

    Along with France, Senegal, Norway, and the winner of a March playoff between Iraq, Bolivia, and Suriname could be in the mix for Philly’s Group I match, scheduled for Monday, June 22.

    Finally, along with England in Group L, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama are together. The Linc’s Group L match, the penultimate in the series of games in Philly, will kick off on Saturday, June 27. England will open its World Cup campaign against Croatia in a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semifinal.

    Brian Swanson, FIFA’s director of media relations, told the Inquirer that a decision to extend the draw an extra day to announce the venues was to “allow for greater discussion to take place on the exact locations.”

    It already was known that no host nation will play group matches in Philly as Mexico (Group A1), Canada (B1), and the United States (D1) were predetermined.

    Now, it’s a 24-hour wait before all 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico find out the nations they’ll host. Kane said that’s when the work begins of outreach to the various federations and understanding accommodation needs while preparing to introduce “Philly to the world” in a little under seven months.

    FIFA World Cup 2026 draw: As it happened

    “Once we see where those matches fall and what comes out, it’s the outreach that we’ll need to start planning in early 2026, related to which nations are coming,” Kane said. “It would have been an amazing opportunity to be in D.C. and start to be able to do that, but given that we’re not going to know until tomorrow, a lot of that outreach will be planned for in January and February.

    “Looking at this list [of potential nations], there’s not a team on here where I don’t go, ‘Wow.’ There’s a passionate fan base with ties to our area on every team, which I find fantastic and is going to really meet the moment incredibly well for Philadelphia.”

    Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal, actor Kevin Hart, and former NFL player Tom Brady were among the big names at Friday’s draw.

    Draw tidbits

    Kevin Hart, who ended the event on stage with Heidi Klum, Tom Brady, and other celebrities gave a shoutout to Philly: “I know my guys back in Philadelphia are happy who could be coming to Philly next summer.” … Carli Lloyd, who was among the crowd at the draw noted how the men’s game coming to North America bodes well for the growth of sport — on the men’s and women’s side. The Delran native was the hero of the U.S. women’s national team’s women’s World Cup win in 2015 after her hat trick in the final cemented her legacy on the world stage. “I think it’s going to be great for both the men’s and women’s sides and we need to leverage that and harness it … to inspire girls and boys in our country,” she said. … The prize won by Trump is given to individuals who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, have helped to unite people all over the world, soccer’s governing body noted. Trump called the award “one of the great honors of his life,” and touted that peace accords he’s helped broker in the Middle East, Africa, and between Israel and Hamas have “saved millions and millions of lives.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of World Cup soccer right here!
  • The Union’s latest signing offers insight into who’s making decisions in absence of sporting director Ernst Tanner

    The Union’s latest signing offers insight into who’s making decisions in absence of sporting director Ernst Tanner

    After he rattled off a slew of regular-season accomplishments, it was time for Union manager Bradley Carnell to get down to the prevailing question in the room:

    Who is making player decisions now in the absence of sporting director Ernst Tanner, who remains embroiled in multiple allegations of misconduct?

    And for how long?

    In many ways, it appeared Carnell knew that would be the question on everyone’s minds before the Union’s final news conference of 2025 on Wednesday.

    Union manager Bradley Carnell had his first season with the club end with the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Coach of the Year honors.

    It’s why he chose to lead with a statement that divulged the plan of attack before reiterating highlights like the club winning the Supporters’ Shield for the second time or the fact that defenders Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner were named to Major League Soccer’s Best XI.

    All great reminders, just not what anyone in the room was feverishly writing down.

    It’s clear the Union already knew that, too, as Jon Scheer, the club’s director of academy and professional development sat alongside Carnell. Carnell revealed that alongside himself, Scheer, scouting director Chris Zitterbart, and assistant sporting director Matt Ratajczak will be the brain trust on player comings and goings for “the foreseeable future.”

    FIFA’s World Cup draw is this week. Here’s what to know before, during, and after Friday’s event

    “We’ve established an internal structure that brings together myself, Jon Scheer, Matt Ratajczak, [and] Chris Zitterbart all working in close collaboration with our ownership group,” Carnell said as part of his opening statement. “This is a collective and collaborative effort … to remain prepared, deliberate, and focused on making the strongest possible decisions for the club.”

    How long this setup will continue remains a mystery, as neither the club nor the league has offered any clarity regarding Tanner as an investigation continues into his alleged racial, homophobic, and sexist behavior over seven years with the Union.

    Scheer noted that decisions on players have always been a “collaborative and data-driven” effort by the club, which is known for being more of a developmental franchise than one ready to spend cash on high-value talent.

    “I would say having worked in the club for seven years, I’ve seen the day-to-day and how that’s evolved,” said Scheer, who noted that the new group doesn’t change much in the process of how things work, despite Tanner being the architect of multiple player brokerages. “Every decision that’s been made over the last several years has been a collaborative effort with multiple people involved.

    Jon Scheer (far right) has been with the club for seven seasons, playing a key role in pipelining players from the club’s youth academy to the professional ranks.

    “We’re a very data-driven club, I think that’s been well documented. I think we’ve done a really good job of empowering our people across different domains. And that’s something that’s not going to change. We’re looking to take a step forward as a club and [continue] the on-field success. However, there’s a lot that’s going to remain the same in terms of decision-making and what that process looks like across the board.”

    A high-value transaction made waves in Wednesday’s proceedings, as earlier that morning, the Union confirmed that they secured Ghanaian forward Ekeziel Alladoh via transfer from Brommapojkarna of Sweden’s top flight for a club-record $4.5 million fee, with incentives. Alladoh, 20, is locked up through the 2028 season with option years in 2029 and 2030.

    Alladoh had been rumored to be joining the club for weeks and it’s believed that before his leave of absence, Tanner played a major part in bringing Alladoh to Chester.

    “He really suits and fits our style of play,” Carnell said. ”He’s very aggressive, runs very vertical in transition, and with our game model intact, [I think he] shows exactly what type of striker we were looking for to complement [forwards] Tai [Baribo] and Bruno [Damiani] at this stage.”

    Ezekiel Alladoh holds up his new Union jersey at the team’s practice facility in Chester.

    It’s unknown how long the Union’s decentralized approach to player decisions will last. Despite the comments from Scheer and Carnell about the group effort, someone ultimately makes the final decision in the role of sporting director — a role currently unfilled.

    “We were all involved in these decisions and processes to begin with, and this is just a look at how collaborative we need to be as a club,” Scheer said. “We are a development club, and we’re always looking from within first … so there’s so much natural overlap already.”

    When it came to any insight into the impact of Tanner’s absence, Scheer deflected.

    “No comments as it relates to an ongoing investigation that our club is collaborating with, so we’re just focusing on day-to-day and doing the best job that we can in terms of our decision-making process and the path forward,” he said.

    Which Union players should stay…or go? You decide.

    More on Alladoh

    “I think being proactive in the market is always a sign of intent, especially coming off of a successful season where we look to continue to maintain those standards,” Carnell said of Alladoh’s signing.

    Said Scheer: “It shows the ambition of our club and our ownership group.”

    Though Alladoh’s transfer fee qualifies him as a designated player, his age means he can be classified as an under-22 signing and not count as a DP. The Union’s announcement didn’t give him a label, and Scheer said the team would not pick one until the league’s 2026 roster compliance deadline in February.

    The Union announced they will return to Marbella, Spain, for training camp in January.

    Preseason news

    The Union’s preseason will begin Jan. 17, with plans for a trip to Spain, which the team took last year. Carnell said they’ll play two scrimmages there, then make their annual trip to Clearwater, Fla., where they are expected to play FC Cincinnati and CF Montréal.

    The Union return to the Concacaf Champions Cup in mid-February, and the regular season begins Feb. 21 at D.C. United.

    The Union’s Mikael Uhre (left) and Jovan Lukic celebrate Uhre’s goal against New York City FC on Oct. 4.

    Other notables

    Carnell reiterated that the club is in negotiations with forward Mikael Uhre about a new deal, but he was coy about the team’s desired outcome.

    “There’s no denying the fact that Mikael, within the game model, has a certain quality, right?” Carnell said. “So I think one [factor] of that is family, what do his family want; what does Mikael want; and what does the club want? And I think if all of those come together and find the best possible solution for player, family, and club — ‘Mika’ had a good end to the season and showed exactly what made him so strong here over the years.”

    As the Union announce end-of-year roster moves, they haven’t closed the door to Mikael Uhre yet

    Carnell said that form “sparks a lot of interest” to consider a deal. He also paid the Danish striker what felt like a notable compliment.

    “Mikael was one of the nicest teammates you could ever imagine, and we have had a good working relationship,” Carnell said. “So we’ll see what happens over the next due course.”

    Union academy director Jon Scheer says the club still is high on young defender Neil Pierre.

    There also was talk about Neil Pierre, the 18-year-old centerback with a high ceiling. He played regularly for the Union’s reserve squad this year but hasn’t yet reached the physical maturity he needs for the top level.

    “We’re really high on the potential of Neil Pierre, but we’re also going to make sure that he’s in the best possible environment to reach and maximize that potential,” Scheer said. “I think you’ll see here soon we’re still looking at other centerback options. But Neil, for the future, is one we still have a lot of belief in, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the best environment to continue to develop him in will be.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!

  • NIL and the transfer portal can be lucrative — if you know what to do. Just ask La Salle’s Truth Harris.

    NIL and the transfer portal can be lucrative — if you know what to do. Just ask La Salle’s Truth Harris.

    It’s been four years since college athletes have been able to legally profit from their name, image, and likeness.

    It’s been less than 10 years since those athletes could enter the NCAA’s transfer portal without needing to redshirt. Yet, it feels like so much of what transpires is taking shape in real time, not just for the students who partake, but also for the coaches, officials, and administrators who navigate it.

    College sports, specifically revenue-generating college sports, have become a year-over-year proposition for coaches to find and retain talent. The latter has become even harder, given the trend of student-athletes initially recruited to big-time schools jumping ship after not receiving what they anticipated, often to mid-majors, and becoming big fish.

    Conversely, student-athletes who have outkicked their scholarships at a mid-major can enter the portal for a fresh start at a power program — and potentially a substantial payday.

    Darris Nichols and his brother have one mission at La Salle: Make Explorers men’s hoops a winner

    It’s an extremely time-consuming process, depending on what side of the ball you’re on.

    Coaches have retired as a result. Administrators have stepped down, possibly unable to keep pace with the new realities of the industry; some of whom have spent a major part of their lives involved in it.

    But it’s been fantastic the athlete. It’s why, according to Front Office Sports, nearly 4,000 players in men’s and women’s college basketball entered the most recent transfer portal, the highest number of players in a year in the history of the NCAA.

    Truth Harris takes a few shots inside La Salle’s TruMark Financial Arena earlier this year. Harris joined the Explorers in the offseason, his fifth school in five years.

    One of those players is Truth Harris, a graduate guard who followed new La Salle coach Darris Nichols after he succeeded Big 5 legend Fran Dunphy in March.

    For Harris, 23, his fresh start with the Explorers was his third Division I program and his fifth school since 2020.

    After his start at East Tennessee State, Harris, a Mt. Vernon, N.Y., native, who led Mount Vernon High School to a state title in 2017, spent two years at junior colleges, Pensacola State and Indian Hills Community College, where he starred. It afforded Harris a spot with Nichols at Radford ahead of the 2023 season — and he has been alongside him ever since.

    While Harris sees these moves as opportunities, there are some within college sports who view them as exploitation and a lack of control by governing bodies.

    Harris, who noted that his move to La Salle was paired with a five-figure sum through NIL opportunities, is why many students like him see the portal as a better way to navigate a college career.

    “It was always going to get to this eventually,” Harris said in a sit-down with The Inquirer this summer. “I feel like students do deserve the recognition, do deserve the money. As student-athletes, we do go through a lot. We push our limits. We have to get paid for that. So, yeah, I think [the new reality of college sports is] right where it should be.”

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    This season’s top earners likely would agree. The highest paid hooper, BYU guard AJ Dybantsa, is earning $4.4 million this year, according to On3’s NIL valuations. The top 10 earners in men’s college basketball, according to that list, stand to make over $1 million this season.

    It’s a far cry from the days in which the guarantee of a college scholarship was the allure.

    These days, that comes standard.

    Student-athletes are guided by the promise of a payday, with the masses who continue to jump into the transfer portal serving as proof.

    BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) is the highest earner in college basketball, with a valuation of $4.4 million this season.

    ‘It’s not that hard, really’

    Instructions on how to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal are available on the NCAA’s website. Once a player decides to go, though, there’s a bit of unknown. But if you’re a proven talent, it’s pretty straightforward, Harris says.

    “When you enter the transfer portal, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “If we are saying if there’s stress [involved], I would say that’s the bad stress? But at the same time, when you start hearing from schools and hearing those schools out, it does ease you down a bit more.

    “The hardest decision is picking the right school, picking the right option for you. And that all goes into [questions like], ‘Is the team good? What’s the coaching like? What’s their history, their culture?’ It’s about making sure they want you for the right things and you’ll be a good fit there. But once you do it once, it’s not that hard, really.”

    Perhaps what causes little concern for student-athletes freely moving from school to school is that many are moving with general studies majors, or, in Harris’ case, chasing a master’s degree. He’s working on a master’s in communications, a degree he noted as “a well-known major that a lot of schools carry.”

    La Salle’s Truth Harris is working on his master’s in communications, a popular degree he says has made it easier for him to change schools as much as he has.

    In Step 1 of the NCAA’s guide to transferring schools, a line reads: “Your new school should help you satisfy both your academic and athletic goals.” However, graduation rates for athletes reflect the lack of emphasis on academics.

    “I think we’ve opened up two different cans of worms. When we opened up the transfer portal and NIL at the same time, it became chaotic,” said Nichols, who added that fluctuating graduation rates and the impact it has on schools being treated like a revolving door isn’t being talked about enough.

    “I think that if we’re about student-athletes graduating, we should be focused on retention and doing what’s best for both parties. Everybody’s talking about the money situation, but, to me, let’s clean up the situation of these student-athletes transferring so much but making sure they still graduate.”

    However, according to the NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rates, a metric that is supposed to hold institutions accountable for the academic performance of student-athletes, graduation rates for men’s basketball players hovered around 83% as of the 2025 season — though that did have a 4% decline since last year.

    La Salle men’s basketball coach Darris Nichols says graduation rates aren’t being talked about enough in the era of the transfer portal and NIL.

    “I think that there are just some challenges people don’t talk about,” Nichols said. “If you’re a player that’s transferring every year, are all your credits rolling over, so you’re actually eligible? Something as simple as uniforms, think about it: you bring in nine new players every year, you’ve got to get nine new uniforms. And for people who say, ‘Well, why don’t you just not put their names on the back,’ every one of them comes in different sizes, and [a player] can be number 0 to 99.

    “So it’s not just about the cost of NIL for potential players, it’s about operating costs, budgets, revenue. Everybody’s talking about NIL, but there are the little things that go into all this change.”

    La Salle’s three-phase rebuild of its revived baseball program is now headed to second

    Works both ways

    Still, to Nichols, a former Division I star at West Virginia whose playing days preceded NIL, players should be compensated. That’s not the issue. The issue is the time coaches spend trying to field winning teams every season in what’s essentially a free-agent market.

    “You’re constantly trying to get kids to buy in,” he said. “When I was playing, it was a buy-in for four years. And now it’s buy-in for a year. Look, we’re not in a position to try to hold anybody back. If you play here, you do well, and you want to go elsewhere, I get it. But as a staff, we do our utmost to just have honest conversations with [our players] about the new landscape of athletics and not try to hide behind it.”

    Darris Nichols (right) says open communication about expectations is all a program can do when it comes to the the transfer portal process.

    It’s impossible to hide when the data is so stark in that most schools, especially mid-majors, will see significant movement across their programs each year, especially in revenue-generating sports like football and basketball.

    Across the NCAA’s 364 Division I programs, 1,156 undergraduate transfer portal entrants found new homes in men’s basketball alongside 384 graduate entrants this past offseason. In women’s basketball, 720 undergrads found new homes alongside 344 graduate students.

    On the men’s side alone, that averages out to four players a coach would need to replace on their roster — solely from transfers — before entering the 2025-26 season.

    Men’s basketball coaches needed to replace an average of four players after transfer portal movement last season.

    For players like Harris, who stands to graduate from La Salle after his five-year journey, he’s happy to have benefited from this new reality.

    “It’s just a better feeling,” Harris said. “You’re more relaxed. You can do more things for yourself without having to ask your mother and ask your parents for money all the time. I feel like it’s a relief off my parents to know they don’t worry about me [financially]. They’re not worried if I’m good or not because they know I am.

    “So if you’re asking me? Yeah, I think it’s a reality that’s right where it should be.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of La Salle athletics right here!
  • Matt Freese is on the verge of something big with the USMNT. First, he’s got to beat the Union.

    Matt Freese is on the verge of something big with the USMNT. First, he’s got to beat the Union.

    If there was anything to learn about Matt Freese, it’s that he’s a really serious individual.

    Last week, in his return to the Philly area with the U.S. men’s national soccer team, the former Union goalkeeper and Wayne native said he spent the bulk of the week inside the team hotel instead of visiting family and friends.

    He wasn’t a complete recluse. He visited a few old friends from the Union, who were training on fields adjacent to the USMNT at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex in Chester. He even took time to speak to classes at YSC Academy, the school created specifically for soccer players aspiring to be in Freese’s shoes.

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    Other than that? Freese treated the homecoming as a business trip, which was clearly conveyed in refusing all requests for interviews the day before a game and the serious gaze on his face even after the USMNT’s 2-1 win over Paraguay last Saturday.

    He returns on Sunday when the Union host New York City FC in MLS’ Eastern Conference semifinal (7:55 p.m., FS1, Apple TV, MLS Season Pass).

    “I actually didn’t see my family. I didn’t do anything,” Freese said. “[This week], I just stayed in the hotel. [Chuckles], I’m a bit of a loser, but when I’m in camp, I’m locked in. I’ll see my family in the offseason at some point.”

    Freese being locked in isn’t because he’s being standoffish. Instead, it’s his effort to prove to himself that he belongs. He has made sacrifices — particularly whenever he receives that call from the men’s national team.

    See, it was roughly around this time last year that Freese was a bit of an afterthought. Incumbent goalkeeper Matt Turner was on a tear for club and country and looked to be a shoo-in for being first up on USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino’s roster.

    But amid a lack of playing time with Crystal Palace, Turner’s club team, he fell down the depth chart, as Pochettino told reporters in May that “it’s open for another player maybe to challenge in between [the goalkeepers] and maybe to try to give the possibility to play [to] another player,” according to an ESPN report.

    The Union’s 2026 MLS schedule is set. Here’s what to know about it.

    Enter Freese, who has had several call-ups since Pochettino’s remarks and has impressed, notably his performance in the U.S.’s shootout win over Costa Rica the Gold Cup quarterfinals in June. He made three saves in the penalty kick portion of the match, which helped the U.S. vault into the semifinal, and earned soccer’s version of the nickname “Matty Ice.”

    From that moment, he’s been a mainstay with the national team. Now, with the last games of the November cycle wrapping up earlier this week, it’s a waiting game to see if he’ll be called into camp for Pochettino’s World Cup squad.

    From being an unknown to being No. 1 — the opportunity arguably has never been bigger for Freese.

    “What’s driving me is this chance to represent my country,” Freese said. “Having that opportunity is one that I dreamed about but didn’t know if I was ever going to get. So every time I’m called up, I want to make the most of training, and then every time I get to play in a game, I want to make the most of that as well.”

    Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques’ Haiti qualify for the World Cup

    From favorite to foe

    One thing that stood out in a conversation with Freese was his reply that when it came to visiting family, he’d do so “in the offseason at some point.”

    Coincidentally, if the Union have their way, he might not have to commute too far. A week removed from being the hero against Paraguay, Freese returns to Subaru Park as the villain in his role as the starting goalkeeper for NYCFC.

    Matt Freese (49) guided NYCFC past fourth-seed Charlotte FC to set up an Eastern Conference semifinal date against the Union.

    The meeting is the fourth time the teams will battle in the postseason and the second time for Freese, who was released from the Union in 2022 following the team’s run to the MLS Cup final.

    Instead of looking at his ouster from the Union as being on the outside looking in at a professional career, which started in the team’s youth academy, Freese locked in. Just a year after joining NYCFC was named the team’s MVP last season.

    Now, he leads NYCFC as the fifth seed in the East looking up at the No. 1 team and Supporters’ Shield winner — on its home field.

    Matt Freese (right) shown as a member of the Union against his current team, New York City FC during a game in 2021.

    “It’s a really exciting time in my career right now,” Freese said. “It’s important however to stay humble and be thankful that I’m in this situation. I have a job to do, and our goal as a team is to be the last team standing. We have to beat the best. That’s what it comes down to.”

    Fellow U.S. national team member Max Arfsten notes that mentality as the reason Freese has arrived at this moment. Arfsten, whose Columbus Crew side recently fell out of the Eastern Conference playoffs following a loss to rival club FC Cincinnati, gets a routine look at Freese firsthand over the course of the season and sees something special in the goalkeeper.

    “He’s my guy,” Arfsten, a midfielder, said following last week’s USMNT win in Chester. “His ability to control our back line and his communication is big. It allows us to do our job because we know he’s got it covered back there. He’s locked in right now, and that’s really good as we continue to push forward toward the World Cup.”

    U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Freese dives for a save during a training session earlier this month at the WSFS Sportsplex in Chester.

    On his way out of the Union’s locker room last Saturday, Freese briefly struck up a conversation with a security guard stationed just outside the main doors. What was said was muffled, but what was distinctly heard was the security guard ending the conversation in jest with “see you on Sunday.”

    Given what’s at stake, and having an obvious familiarity with Philly banter, it might have been one of the few times Freese let his armor down and cracked a smile.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of all things soccer right here!
  • The Union put Ernst Tanner on leave as MLS reopens an investigation into alleged misconduct

    The Union put Ernst Tanner on leave as MLS reopens an investigation into alleged misconduct

    The Union said Wednesday that they have put sporting director Ernst Tanner on “administrative leave” as Major League Soccer reopened its investigation into Tanner’s alleged misconduct.

    Both moves follow a report by the Guardian that accused Tanner, 59, of a yearslong series of incidents involving racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks toward a range of people across American soccer.

    While Tanner’s lawyer denied the claims, the league said it reopened its investigation after “new allegations and potentially new information.”

    Some of those allegations were raised to the league by the MLS Players Association, although the league said Wednesday that the allegations “had not been independently verified.”

    On Wednesday, The Inquirer received this statement on behalf of Tanner through his legal team: “I continue to firmly deny these accusations. My priority is the team, the employees, and the Philadelphia Union community, particularly at this important time when the team has the opportunity to continue to excel in the playoffs. I will cooperate fully with the league’s investigation as I work to clear my good name and reputation.”

    Tanner has been the Union’s sporting director since 2018. He’s widely regarded as the architect of the team’s rise to one of the top clubs in MLS, all on a tight operating budget. In 2022, he was named the league’s Executive of the Year after putting together the team that reached the MLS Cup final for the first time in the Union’s history.

    The league said that in its investigation, it contacted “more than a dozen current and former players and club employees” and “all individuals were offered the option to participate anonymously and assured they could speak without fear of retaliation.”

    From there, the league said, “a majority of those contacted participated — several anonymously — while others declined. After reviewing all available information and documentation, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations.”

    Union sporting director Ernst Tanner is accused of racist, sexist, and homophobic behavior

    The Guardian, a British newspaper and website, reported that in the league’s initial investigation, it contacted 13 people to potentially interview and that eight of them, “who the Guardian understands to be current and former players and employees of the Philadelphia Union, chose to speak with the league.”

    MLS said, as the Guardian reported, that Tanner “has been required to participate in a structured remedial program focused on professional workplace conduct.” The Guardian’s report said this is the second time he has gone through that program.

    Ernst Tanner, who joined the Union in 2018 as its sporting director, has been placed on administrative leave after allegations of misconduct.

    The Union, in their statement, said the team “takes all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously and is committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone associated with our club. Discrimination, harassment, or abusive conduct of any kind has no place here, and all staff are required to complete annual sensitivity training.”

    The team also said it “continues to cooperate fully” with the league and that “throughout this process, our top priority remains the well-being of our players, fans, staff, and community.”

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    The Union have a home playoff game on Sunday, an Eastern Conference semifinal against New York City FC (7:55 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple TV). The winner of that game advances to the Eastern Conference final against either FC Cincinnati or Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.

    The Union have home-field advantage in the playoffs for as long as they’re playing, including if they reach the Dec. 6 MLS Cup final.

  • The long-term vision for Union captain Alejandro Bedoya? Return to the MLS Cup final. Full stop.

    The long-term vision for Union captain Alejandro Bedoya? Return to the MLS Cup final. Full stop.

    Alejandro Bedoya has no idea.

    Don’t talk to him about the next five years; he doesn’t want to discuss them. Will his contract get extended with the Union next season? He says he has no clue.

    In fact, as he arrived for an interview to discuss his career and where it’s going from here, he joked that he didn’t even know where he was supposed to go after this meeting for a scheduled team-bonding activity — one that apparently involved barbecue.

    Bedoya is an enigma. Right now, he might be one of the few people whose off-the-field portfolio, at first glance, shows many avenues. But on this day, as captain of the No. 1 team in MLS’s Eastern Conference … no plans.

    Well, except for one: Get back to the MLS Cup final. That’s it.

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    “Five years from now? I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you,” Bedoya said as he leaned back in his cushioned chair inside the Union’s film room. “What I can tell you? This team is special, and we’ve been special since preseason. We knew this team was special that long ago. I want to be a part of the team that brings an MLS Cup to this club and home to Philly.

    Alejandro Bedoya (right) celebrates scoring a goal in the first half of the Union’s win against the Houston Dynamo on July 29.

    “So, to be honest, I’m not thinking about [anything past that]. I made it a point this season, especially now that we’ve been so successful, to be focused on the team. I don’t want to think too far down the line and cause any disruptions to talk about this or that or what may happen or might not.”

    It’s been an interesting 10-year run in Philly for Bedoya. He’s been the team’s leader since arriving from FC Nantes of the French first division in 2016. He’s been a vocal ambassador for ending gun violence. He’s been a staunch advocate for growing the youth game from a grassroots level.

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    However, this season, he’s mainly been the utilityman that first-year manager Bradley Carnell needs.

    Things get real now for the Union. Coming off a high two weeks earlier after the club captured its second Supporters’ Shield, given to the team that finishes with the best regular-season record, Bedoya now leads the Union into the playoffs with every opponent looking to beat the best.

    Alejandro Bedoya raises the Supporters’ Shield after beating New York City FC at Subaru Park on Saturday, Oct. 4.

    First up is Chicago in Game 1 of a best-of-three series on Sunday (5:55 p.m., FS1, Apple TV+).

    “He’s our leader. He’s one of the guys who holds us together,” Carnell said earlier this season of Bedoya. “That’s why he’s here. He’s committed to doing what he has to for the club. And from a leadership standpoint, there’s no one better. He’s great with the young guys, he’s great with the guys [who] have been here, and he knows what it takes to get to where we’re trying to go.”

    Taste for more

    It was 2022, and the rays of a sunny Los Angeles afternoon beamed onto Banc of California Stadium (now known as BMO Stadium), the site of the MLS Cup final. Led by then-manager Jim Curtin, Bedoya, clad in the Union’s unmistakable lightning bolt kit, took the field for warmups. He didn’t start that day, but his impact to that point was immeasurable.

    That season, at age 36, he’d played in 30 regular-season games for the club and started 27 of them. He played nearly 2,500 minutes and scored six goals along with six assists, highlighted by two goals against D.C. United on July 8, which made him just the third player in club history to join the 20-20 club.

    The fruits of his labor culminated in an Eastern Conference title and a trip to MLS’s final. But as team captain, his leadership guided the Union to its first MLS Cup appearance — and arguably one of the greatest MLS Cup finals ever.

    So what’s changed in his roles and responsibilities from that moment with that coach to this moment with this coach?

    “To be honest? Not much,” Bedoya said. “I’m still one of the captains, whether it’s me, [goalkeeper Andre] Blake or [defender] Jakob [Glesnes]. I, more so maybe than others, act as like that intermediary between the coaching staff, the technical staff, and the locker room. … I’ve been more of a glue guy, if you will. And this year, more than ever.”

    The glue-guy approach has been the case on the field too. Each year, Bedoya’s minutes have dwindled from everyday starter to strategic, none more than this season, when he was used in situations to which he’s unaccustomed, like in the Union’s 7-0 loss to Vancouver on Sept. 13, when he started at right back following the suspension of defender Olwethu Makhanya.

    In that match, the decision — and result — spoke for itself. Bedoya even acknowledged as much. But in the same breath, he noted that ebbs and flows happen in a club-first mindset.

    “We had to rotate a little bit, obviously,” Bedoya said. “Maybe I’m not the best right back. So I took that on the chin there, but we’re all about the collective here … and you have to be an unselfish guy. I think in Bradley [Carnell’s] system this year, I’ve been playing more even on the left side of midfield, which typically I haven’t played in years past. But as I said before, man, whatever it takes, I’m ready to step up and help the team out in any way.”

    A plan for now

    Despite a refusal to look into crystal balls right now, Bedoya’s future does have a number of paths. He has a certification from Harvard Business School and has become an entrepreneur and investor across several ventures.

    He has diversified, but not necessarily in a way where all roads leads back to soccer. Instead, it’s in a way that when he’s not on the field, he can spend more time doing things with his family, namely his children, Santino, age 10, and Milena, 8.

    Bedoya says the two, along with his wife, Bea Hilland, are his biggest supporters. He said he loves doing dad things, like taking them to soccer, dance, and doing school pickups when he’s not on the road.

    But in true dad fashion, sometimes he wants to just sit on the couch and watch football. He says they’re cool with that, too.

    Alejandro Bedoya (left) and his wife Beatrice Hilland (right) were on hand at the White House in 2022 for a celebration of then-President Joe Biden signing new federal gun control legislation.

    “My wife will be the first one to tell you that she plays a major role in the house, with the kids, especially as much as we travel to games,” he said. “And as an old guy myself, you feel more pain, you get more sore the day after games. And you know those Sundays when maybe we have the days off, the younger guys can come in and do even more work, but I just want to sit on a Sunday and watch [NFL] RedZone all day, you know?

    “I make it a routine to make sure every time I’m home, I do a drop off at school and pick up at school. I make sure that even when I do want to be lazy or try to recover on the sofa, that I got both of them next to me on my side … I get emotional sometimes thinking about after we won a Supporters’ Shield, like how happy they were. They’re FaceTiming friends saying, ‘We won the Shield,’ not just ‘Dad won the Shield.’ What I do matters to them, and to me, that’s everything.”

    So how does he juggle a portfolio that doesn’t seem to stop?

    “It’s finding the right balance with them,” Bedoya said. “My kids are at the age where they’re playing sports now. They’re in soccer. They’re in dance; they’re in baseball. I like being part of those special moments. I think part of the beauty of being a father and still being a player is being able to share these moments with them.”

    “Let’s go finish this thing”

    Over the course of his 15-minute interview, the only times Bedoya wasn’t stoic was when he discussed his family and what’s next for the Union. The latter only has a handful of more games before it could be bringing home MLS’s biggest prize.

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    And after 10 seasons in the same league with the same team on the same mission, Bedoya knows he’s not getting any younger. There are no more long-term contracts. His playing career has become a year-over-year proposition with a goal that has been the same since Day 1.

    Bring an MLS Cup back to the Chester waterfront.

    Union captain Alejandro Bedoya is ready to be the leader the team needs as it enters into the 2025 postseason as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference.

    This is the year he truly feels offers the best chance to do that. Whatever happens after that, Bedoya has already affirmed is wait-and-see.

    “I can tell you from that first week [of preseason training] in Marbella [Spain], I could sense that there was something brewing,” Bedoya said. “We already had a basic kind of philosophy, philosophical model of how we want to play, but Bradley and the staff came in and amped that up to another level, to another notch.

    “As far as my place? Like I said, I’m maybe not a starter anymore, but I’ve shown even this year that even when I do start, I can still impact the game in a positive way.”

    He paused and added:

    “This team is special, I think our record and our run to this point reflects that. The standard in training and in games is high, every day. We’re the team to beat and now it’s about going out there and being dominant. Let’s go finish this thing.”

    Follow the Union’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • Temple’s 1-0 approach, more drama at Penn State, and have you heard about Eastern U?

    Temple’s 1-0 approach, more drama at Penn State, and have you heard about Eastern U?

    It’s starting to get really fun keeping track of Temple football again.

    While it might be a bit too soon to suggest that head coach K.C. Keeler has revitalized the program, it’d be unfair to suggest that he hasn’t brought in a fresh perspective bolstered by a new coaching staff and a belief that his roster can deliver results.

    It’s worth noting that Keeler, who could pick up his 276th win as a head coach this weekend with a road matchup against Tulsa on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN+), has been honest with his team — and the media — on his expectations.

    K.C. Keeler earned his 275th career win. The first-year Temple coach recounts how he got there.

    But it also seems like he’s put the right people in place — on the field and off — to deliver.

    “I feel like they are just starting to figure out that they are a good football team,” Keeler said this week. “That’s what showed when we played Charlotte. When we played them, I think it finally came out that we’re a good football team.”

    The Owls (4-3, 2-1 American) have a winning record at this juncture of the season for the first time since 2019. Now, they are eyeing a real possibility of being bowl eligible in Keeler’s first season.

    After Tulsa, the road doesn’t get any easier as teams like East Carolina (Nov. 1) and Tulane (Nov. 22) await. But both of those matchups are at home, where the Owls are 2-2 and could be 3-1 if not for a late flop against Navy two weeks ago on homecoming weekend.

    It appears that Temple is applying the same mentality to its season that Penn State has vowed to employ. Each week, the Owls say they are going into games trying to be “1-0.” Defensive end Allan Haye says that approach is motivating them ahead of this weekend’s game.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Temple athletics right here!

    “Just 1-0,” Haye said during Monday’s press conference. “Last week, we went 1-0, so now it’s 0-0 coming into this week. We’re coming into this game like it’s a clean slate; and every game from now on is our Super Bowl. Every game is very important because it’s the next game. That’s just how we move and how we think.”

    Who would have believed that mindset would be working better for the Owls than the Nittany Lions?

    Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki can’t put a finger on what’s plaguing the Nittany Lions’ offense.

    Choice of words

    Speaking of Penn State, Andy Kotelnicki might’ve wanted to use more time to think about his response when asked about what’s plaguing the Nittany Lions’ offense.

    “I don’t really have a good explanation,” he said when asked Wednesday.

    Now, more was said in context, which is available on the team’s website, but that’s not what fans want to hear about a team that currently ranks 97th in the FBS in total offense with around 355 yards per game.

    Temple, meanwhile, is 72rd with 381.4 yards per game. And while playing UMass and Howard isn’t the same as playing Oregon and Iowa, we’re talking about a team that went from No. 2 in the nation to an afterthought in two months.

    ‘We all failed Coach Franklin:’ Penn State enacts some of the philosophies of its former coach

    Needless to say, Kotelnicki’s response is getting the business on social media forums from irate Penn State fans who are looking for a little more insight into the collapse of a team that reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff just a season ago.

    Fortunately, Kotelnicki and the Nittany Lions have some time to figure it out as a bye week provides a few more days before a showdown with No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 1 (noon, Fox29).

    In one week …

    Lincoln Financial Field becomes the home to one of the most anticipated HBCU college football games of the season when former Eagles Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson go head-to-head as coaches on Oct. 30 (7 p.m., ESPNU, tickets).

    Vick’s Norfolk State will take on Jackson’s Delaware State on the same field where the two made memories for themselves and Eagles fans alike.

    But arguably the most memorable moment didn’t happen at the Linc; it happened in 2010 against Washington at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., when Vick threw an 88-yard pass to Jackson on the first play of the game, part of a six-touchdown outburst by Vick.

    Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide threw five touchdowns on just 13 passing attempts against Hampton last Saturday.

    Three questions

    🏈 How the heck did Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide throw five touchdowns on just 13 pass attempts in a rout of Hampton last week, and can he do it again against Albany at home on Saturday (3:30 p.m., FloSports)?

    🏈 Will Penn pick up its first 3-0 start in conference play after knocking off last season’s co-champs in Dartmouth and Columbia in the last three weeks? This week, a road trip to Yale (noon, ESPN+) will answer that question.

    🏈 How come no one told us about how good the football is over at Eastern University? The Division III Eagles, who play on the campus of Valley Forge Military Academy, are off to a 5-1 start to their season and are on a three-game winning streak. They’ll look to make it four in a row when they travel to take on Misericordia University on Saturday (1 p.m., watch live).

    Saquon Barkley says Penn State firing his former coach James Franklin ‘definitely hurts’

    The BIG number

    20: That’s the number of consecutive home victories Villanova would have with a win over Albany this week. The Wildcats already own the second-longest active home winning streak in college football and are coming off a 56-14 win over Hampton last weekend at Villanova Stadium.

    Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed will lead the Aggies into Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., to take on No. 20 LSU on Saturday.

    Game of the week

    No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 20 LSU (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., 6ABC)

    LSU’s fall to No. 20 is considered surprising, but there’s a real chance to prove naysayers wrong against SEC opponent Texas A&M, the No. 3 team in the nation. Vegas only has the Tigers as a 2.5-point underdog, and that’s because LSU boasts a 4-0 record at Tiger Stadium this season.

    Looking for a channel flipper? Consider No. 25 Michigan at cross-state rival Michigan State happening at the same time (7:30 p.m., NBC10).