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Author: Jonathan Tannenwald

  • Trinity Rodman and Lily Yohannes lead the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup roster, but some big players are out

    Trinity Rodman and Lily Yohannes lead the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup roster, but some big players are out

    The theory after the U.S. women’s soccer team’s January camp was that the SheBelieves Cup in March would be the first big step toward World Cup qualifying in the fall.

    Tuesday’s announcement of the tournament roster signaled that the step might not be as big as believed.

    The 26-player squad doesn’t lack for marquee names. Naomi Girma, Sam Coffey, Lily Yohannes, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, and Alyssa Thompson are among them. But just as significant are two names not on the squad.

    Sophia Wilson is back from maternity leave and participating in the Portland Thorns’ preseason camp out west. Catarina Macario hasn’t played since December for the U.S. or her English club, Chelsea, but there’s been a lot of chatter that a reported heel injury isn’t the only reason. She turned down a new contract offer in London and could be headed to the NWSL’s San Diego Wave.

    Catarina Macario (right) likely is leaving Chelsea after three years at the London club.

    U.S. manager Emma Hayes has made it clear that she won’t call in players who haven’t been playing for their clubs lately. That makes sense. Still, Monday’s news raised some eyebrows. Hayes was not surprised to be asked about the two stars and said she would have called in both, were they healthy.

    “‘Soph’ and I spoke, and she’s just not ready,” she said, noting that the Thorns didn’t deem her fit yet either. “The return to play protocol, it’s just not given her enough time, I think, for her to be in the place that she wanted to be in. So it’s right that she’s not part of this squad, however much I want her to be.”

    The USWNT will return to north Jersey in March to play Colombia

    The manager described Macario as “getting closer and closer [to returning] every day” and said she didn’t know when the forward will return to club action.

    “She’s not available for selection yet at Chelsea. ”I don’t know when that is going to come — I don’t know if it’s a week, two, three weeks away.”

    The situation is different with two other major absentees. Mallory Swanson, the third member of the “Triple Espresso” forward line, is also a new mother and hasn’t returned to work with the Chicago Stars. Centerback Tierna Davidson has resumed training with Gotham FC after a torn ACL last year — “we’ve missed her,” Hayes said — but isn’t yet in game shape.

    “A player coming back from injury, you have to give them the time to be able to find their best version of themselves,” Hayes said. “I expect Tierna, when she is cleared to play for Gotham, to be competing, to come back into this side as soon as she, ideally, starts competing for Gotham on a regular basis. But most importantly, when her body is ready.”

    Why Trinity Rodman’s contract situation was the biggest story in women’s soccer this winter

    As for players who are on the 26-woman squad, the battle to be the new starting goalkeeper is one of the biggest stories. Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Claudia Dickey, and Mandy McGlynn are the three on this squad as the competition continues.

    Tullis-Joyce has the most club pedigree at Manchester United, at least for now. But she hasn’t always looked the part in a U.S. jersey. Dickey, of the Seattle Reign, has looked sharper in starting five of the last seven U.S. games, though Tullis-Joyce missed December’s games with an injury and January’s as they weren’t in a FIFA window.

    Phallon Tullis-Joyce hasn’t played for the U.S. since the Americans lost to Portugal in October at Subaru Park.

    “I’ve been really happy with Claudia Dickey and Mandy McGlynn from [the] last camp,” Hayes said. “With Phallon, we didn’t get the chance to select her because she was injured in the back end of November, December, so I’m looking forward to having Phallon back with the group. And, for now, I’m happy with this group.”

    The U.S. will play Argentina, Canada, and Colombia in this year’s tournament, on March 1, 4, and 7, respectively. Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., will host the last day’s doubleheader, Argentina-Canada and U.S.-Colombia. As ever, a sellout crowd will be expected, with a few Philadelphia accents in the stands from fans making the trip north.

    Six days later, the NWSL season will kick off in Washington with Rodman’s Spirit hosting Wilson’s Thorns. That will be Rodman’s first game since signing her big new contract in D.C. The potential for Wilson to return to action that night will make it an even bigger occasion.

    Lindsey Heaps is a natural in the Champions League. But will other USWNT stars fit well in Europe?
    Claudia Dickey (center) dives for a loose ball during a U.S. game last November.

    2026 USWNT SheBelieves Cup roster

    Goalkeepers (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, England)

    Defenders (9): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Emily Fox (Arsenal, England), Naomi Girma (Chelsea, England), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit)

    Midfielders (8): Sam Coffey (Manchester City, England), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, France), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, France)

    Forwards (6): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea, England)

    2026 SheBelieves Cup schedule

    Sunday, March 1: Canada vs. Colombia, 2 p.m. (truTV, Universo) and U.S. vs. Argentina, 5 p.m. (TNT, Universo) in Nashville

    Wednesday, March 4: Colombia vs. Argentina, 3:30 p.m. (truTV, Universo) and U.S. vs. Canada (6:45 p.m., TNT, Universo) in Columbus, Ohio

    Saturday, March 7: Canada vs. Argentina, 12:30 p.m. (truTV, Universo) and U.S. vs. Colombia (3:30 p.m., TBS, Telemundo 62) in Harrison, N.J.

    Amid much criticism, the NWSL stands firm on the High Impact Player rule

  • Isabeau Levito and the ‘Blade Angels’ highlight Olympic TV schedule on Tuesday

    Isabeau Levito and the ‘Blade Angels’ highlight Olympic TV schedule on Tuesday

    U.S. figure skaters Isabeau Levito, Alysa Liu, and Amber Glenn will take the ice Tuesday during NBC’s coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

    The American trio, who call themselves the “Blade Angels,” will compete in the short program, which will be televised live beginning at 12:45 p.m. Philadelphia time on USA Network. Coverage will move to NBC at about 2:40 p.m.

    Levito, Liu, and Glenn will skate in the fifth and final group. Here’s when they’re scheduled to take the ice:

    • 4:20 p.m.: Liu
    • 4:27 p.m.: Levito
    • 4:46 p.m.: Glenn

    The free skate, the second part of the event, is scheduled to take place beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday.

    The three U.S. skaters are trying to end a two-decade medal drought in the women’s event. The last American to medal was Sasha Cohen, who took home a silver in Turin, Italy, in 2006. Sarah Hughes won the gold for Team USA during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

    Liu and Glenn have already won gold medals in Milan after the U.S. edged Japan by one point in the team figure skating team event last week.

    Levito, a Philly native who grew up in Mount Holly, is skating in her first Olympics after winning the bronze medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January. The 18-year-old also won silver at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, but a foot injury prevented her from competing most of last season.

    This is the moment 18-year-old South Jersey figure skater Isabeau Levito has been waiting for: The Olympics

    Tuesday’s Olympic TV schedule

    As a general rule, our schedules include all live broadcasts on TV, but not tape-delayed broadcasts on cable channels. We’ll let you know what’s on NBC’s broadcasts, whether they’re live or not.

    NBC
    • Noon: Freestyle skiing — Women’s and men’s aerials qualifying (tape-delayed)
    • 12:45 p.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s slopestyle final
    • 1:30 p.m.: Freestyle skiing — Men’s big air final
    • 2:40 p.m.: Figure skating — Women’s short program
    • 8 p.m.: Prime-time highlights include women’s figure skating
    • 11:35 p.m.: Late night highlights
    CNBC
    • 7 a.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s slopestyle final
    • 8:30 a.m.: Speedskating — Men’s and women’s team pursuit semifinals
    • 9:05 a.m.: Biathlon — Men’s 4×7.5 kilometer relay
    • 10:20 a.m.: Speedskating — Men’s and women’s team pursuit finals
    • 12:15 p.m.: Men’s hockey — Czechia vs. Denmark, playoff
    • 12:45 p.m.: Figure skating — Women’s short program
    • 3:10 p.m.: Men’s hockey — Sweden vs. Latvia, playoff

    How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online

    NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference between Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.

    As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.

    NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.

    Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.

    On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

    Here is the full event schedule for the entire Olympics, and here are live scores and results.

  • An analysis of the Union’s roster at the start of the season, with new players in the mix

    An analysis of the Union’s roster at the start of the season, with new players in the mix

    As we do every year to start a Union season, here’s a player-by-player look at the team’s roster.

    The list at each position is in order of what looks to be the depth chart heading into the campaign, which starts Wednesday in the Concacaf Champions Cup at Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago (6 p.m., FS2, TUDN). The regular-season opener follows on Saturday at D.C. United (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

    Goalkeeper

    Andre Blake

    This analysis has been going since 2018, and the same name has gone first every time. It will stay first for as long as Blake remains, not just as the Union’s No. 1, but as the best goalkeeper in MLS for a decade.

    Andre Blake begins his 13th season with the Union, still waiting for fate to finally smile on him
    Andre Blake has won MLS’s goalkeeper of the year award three times.
    Andrew Rick

    He showed again last year that he’s a safe pair of hands as the backup, and he’s still only 20 years old. The question will be if he’s willing to wait longer than Matt Freese did — understandably — to get more playing time. If he is, his time will come, but Blake isn’t going anywhere yet.

    How Andrew Rick solidified his place as the Union’s No. 2 goalkeeper
    Andrew Rick making a save during a U.S. Open Cup game last year.
    George Marks

    A short-term contract last year earned him a longer deal to be the No. 3 in net.

    The Union weave Philly history into the design of their latest jersey ahead of the World Cup and America 250
    George Marks in action for the Union’s reserve team last year.

    Left back

    A player who hasn’t been signed yet

    There’s no other way to put it right now. The Union are shopping for a new starter, and are close to sealing a deal for that player to be 20-year-old Philippe Ndinga from Swedish club Degerfors. But as Yogi Berra might say if he was a soccer fan, it’s not official until it’s official.

    Jon Scheer, the Union’s head of academy and professional development, has been the face of the front office this winter with Ernst Tanner on leave.

    Frankie Westfield

    Until Ndinga settles in, Westfield is likely to do the job. The rise of the Northeast Philadelphia native last year was one of the season’s great stories.

    Frankie Westfield’s debut for the Union last year came as his brother was winning a Catholic League basketball title
    Frankie Westfield was one of the Union’s breakout players last year.

    Right back

    Nathan Harriel

    He has definitely earned the starting job, even though his attacking contributions are still limited. Once Ndinga gets going, Harriel might start platooning with Westfield to play in certain matchups.

    Nathan Harriel earned the U.S. men’s national team’s respect last year, not just the Union’s
    Nathan Harriel played 31 games last year, often stepping in at centerback when the Union were short there.
    Olivier Mbaizo

    He’s highly regarded in the locker room, especially as part of the unofficial welcoming committee for new players who come from abroad. But that doesn’t guarantee playing time, and it’s tough to tell how much he’ll get this year.

    Olivier Mbaizo got a contract extension at the end of 2024
    Olivier Mbaizo is going into his ninth season with the Union’s first team.

    Centerback

    Olwethu Makhanya

    He hadn’t played a second for the first team at the start of last year, but Bradley Carnell trusted his fellow South African to step up. Now the 20-year-old is a stalwart, and importantly the only returning player in the centerback group. That, perhaps, makes his role even bigger.

    A look back at Olwethu Makhanya’s breakout game last year
    Olwethu Makhanya was one of last year’s most impressive players.
    Japhet Sery Larsen

    The Union don’t often sign experienced players from abroad, preferring to find underrated names they can develop and sell. But they knew they needed a veteran to replace Jakob Glesnes, and the 25-year-old Denmark native fits the bill. Now, can he handle the physicality of MLS?

    Japhet Sery Larsen got an assist from Mikael Uhre as he decided to join the Union
    Japhet Sery Larsen is expected to have a big role on the Union’s back line this year.
    Geiner Martínez

    We haven’t seen much of the 23-year-old Colombian yet, but it’s a safe bet that we will in time. The Union have a busy schedule with the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, and compressed stretches of the regular season around the World Cup. Rotating centerbacks will be as important as ever.

    The Union continue to bolster their defense with the signing of Colombian centerback Geiner Martínez
    Geiner Martinez during one of the Union’s preseason games.
    Finn Sundstrom

    A 19-year-old prospect who grew up with North Carolina FC of the second-tier USL Championship, Sundstrom is a name for the future, and likely will spend more time with the Union’s reserves than the first team this year.

    Bradley Carnell opens up about what drives him and his tactics as Union manager
    Finn Sundstrom working out during a preseason practice.
    Neil Pierre

    The best centerback prospect in the Union’s academy pipeline is on loan to Denmark’s Lyngby, where the Union own a stake, through June. Hopefully he will be closer to ready for first-team minutes when he returns.

    Why hopes are so high for Neil Pierre’s potential
    Neil Pierre (right) made his Union first-team debut last year.

    Defensive midfielders

    Jovan Lukić

    Perhaps the best of last year’s signings, Lukić jumped effortlessly into the midfield engine room. His tackles and his talking can be a little too robust sometimes, but the total package has been great.

    It didn’t take long for Jovan Lukić to fit in with the Union
    Jovan Lukić getting stuck during a game last summer.
    Danley Jean Jacques

    A great partner to Lukić, Jean Jacques is now set for a true star turn with Haiti at the World Cup. It can’t be said enough how special it will be if he plays in Philadelphia against Brazil this summer.

    The World Cup puts Danley Jean Jacques in an even bigger spotlight
    Danley Jean Jacques also had a strong season in the Union’s midfield last year.
    Alejandro Bedoya

    The longtime captain is in his 11th season in Chester, and third in a series of one-year contracts. The mental side of his game is as sharp as ever, but the clock is inevitably running on a body that will turn 39 in April.

    The Union re-sign Alejandro Bedoya for another year
    Alejandro Bedoya models the Union’s new jersey this year.
    Jesús Bueno

    He probably deserves better than the playing time he gets. Carnell has hinted at it, too. Will this be the year it happens?

    Bradley Carnell orchestrated the Union’s success in 2025. His second season in charge matters more.
    Jesús Bueno in action last year.

    Attacking midfielder

    Milan Iloski

    His arrival in August was the turning point in the Union’s season. They likely would not have won the Supporters’ Shield without him. Carnell likes playing Iloski at forward sometimes, but the team as a whole is clearly better when he’s in midfield. That forces opposing defenses to open up.

    Indiana Vassilev

    Early on in his time in Chester, it looked like most of his contributions would come from industrious pressing. But over the course of last season, he blossomed into more, and finished last year with seven goals and four assists.

    Indiana Vassilev (center) celebrates scoring a goal for the Union in August.
    Quinn Sullivan

    When he returns from a torn ACL in July, after the World Cup break, it will give the team a huge boost. He’s been greatly missed on the field, although he’s fortunately been able to stay a vibrant presence off it.

    Quinn Sullivan ‘would love to be the face’ of the Union. When he returns from a torn ACL, he just might be.
    The Union greatly missed Quinn Sullivan (left) after his ACL injury in September, especially during the playoffs.
    Cavan Sullivan

    With two years to go until he leaves for Manchester City, the now-16-year-old is running out of time to make an impact on his hometown club. Or perhaps it’s better to say the club is running out of time for him to impact it. Will this be the year he breaks out?

    Cavan Sullivan looks ahead to what should be his biggest year yet with the Union
    Lots of people around the soccer world are waiting for Cavan Sullivan to truly break out on the field.
    Jeremy Rafanello

    The Delran native has become the unofficial closer for Union wins, but he isn’t likely to overtake the players ahead of him here. It also bears saying that time given to him is time that Cavan Sullivan could get instead.

    Everything you need to know about the Union ahead of the 2026 season
    Jeremy Rafanello (center) on the ball against Inter Miami last year.
    Ben Bender

    Carnell likes his willingness to sacrifice, which has led to testing the 24-year-old as an emergency left back. That doesn’t look likely to stand for the long term, but at least he has the manager’s respect.

    MLS strikes a deal with prediction market Polymarket, says it’s about protecting the integrity of games
    Ben Bender (right) has earned Bradley Carnell’s appreciation.
    CJ Olney

    He was a marquee prospect a few years ago, and is still just 19. But he has plateaued since signing a first-team contract in 2024.

    How the Union’s front office is handling player matters with Ernst Tanner still on adminstrative leave
    CJ Olney in action with Union II last year.

    Forward

    Bruno Damiani

    It was easy to see his strengths in his first season here: size, speed, physicality. But in the stats that mattered most, he tallied only nine goals and one assist in 40 games. That has to change this year, especially with Tai Baribo and Mikael Uhre gone.

    A look back at Union players’ salaries last year
    Ezekiel Alladoh

    You can tell just from practices why the Union broke their transfer fee record to sign the 20-year-old Ghana native. He’s still raw, though, and Carnell has preached patience. Alas, only so much will be given if he doesn’t find the net.

    New Union striker Ezekiel Alladoh speaks softly but hopes to carry many goals
    The Union paid a team record $4.5 million to sign Ezekiel Alladoh.
    Agustín Anello

    He’s an intriguing signing: born in Florida to Argentine parents, raised in Spain, and a pro career in four countries by age 23. Even better, he played with Harriel and Damiani at some of his stops along the way. He projects as the No. 3 striker right now but should still see significant playing time.

    Agustín Anello took the long way back to the United States, then found familiar faces with the Union
    Agustín Anello (left) is settling in with the Union after arriving late in preseason.
    Stas Korzeniowski

    A promotion to the first team was a nice reward for the former Penn star’s 12 goals for Union II last year.

    Three wishes for the Union heading into a massive year for soccer in America
    Sal Olivas

    He showed promise in his brief shots with the first team last year. A few more shots this year would be a welcome sight.

    What’s the secret sauce at the Union’s youth academy? Here’s a taste of it.
    Sal Olivas (left) got a brief run with the Union’s first team last summer.
    Eddy Davis

    Definitely still a prospect, but his work rate and enthusiasm make him easy to root for.

    Union alum Brenden Aaronson is on a hot streak with Leeds United at an ideal time for his World Cup hopes
    Markus Anderson

    He is reportedly going out on loan this year.

  • Andre Blake begins his 13th season with the Union, still waiting for fate to finally smile on him

    Andre Blake begins his 13th season with the Union, still waiting for fate to finally smile on him

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Sometimes, you don’t have to hear Andre Blake speak to know what’s on his mind.

    You can tell from looking at eyes that have seen more Union games than any other player. From hands that have stopped more shots than any goalkeeper should have to, and let more by than any goalkeeper would want to. From feet that have stood by nets across the United States, the continent, and beyond.

    You also don’t have to be a Union fan or a Jamaica fan to share the question that resonates so deeply with the 35-year-old, as he begins his 13th season with the only professional team of his career.

    Why has Blake been denied, time and again, the privilege of reaching the twin peaks he so deeply craves: winning an MLS Cup with his club and qualifying for the World Cup with his country?

    Andre Blake suffered an injury during last year’s playoff loss to New York City FC.

    The soccer gods can be cruel, and they have forced Blake to suffer. Yes, he has won two Supporters’ Shield titles, but all of his playoff runs — and his U.S. Open Cup runs, Leagues Cup runs, and Concacaf Champions Cup runs — have ended in defeat, often heartbreak, and most often out of his control.

    With Jamaica, the pain cuts especially deep right now. If the failures of past World Cup qualifying campaigns, Gold Cups, and Concacaf Nations Leagues weren’t hard enough, this moment seems almost unfair.

    Quinn Sullivan ‘would love to be the face’ of the Union. When he returns from a torn ACL, he just might be.

    The Reggae Boyz entered the last night of qualifying needing a win at home over Curaçao. But they were held to a scoreless tie, with Blake stuck at the other end of the field from his misfiring teammates. Curaçao took the berth and sent Jamaica to next month’s intercontinental playoffs.

    Up the hill and knocked back down, again and again.

    Curaçao players celebrating in Jamaica’s stadium after qualifying for the World Cup at the Reggae Boyz’ expense.

    ‘We need silverware’

    “I felt like we were so close again,” Blake said of the Union falling short last year. “We had it — had it where we wanted it to be. But that’s just soccer. Single-elimination games can go either way.”

    How much does he let himself use that as fuel?

    Bradley Carnell opens up about what drives him and his tactics as Union manager

    “I really thought that last year would have been it, knowing that MLS Cup would have been in Philly, but it didn’t happen,” Blake said. “But we just use that as motivation, as experience for us to know that we were that close. And just use that to give us confidence to know that hopefully this year we can go one or two steps closer and win the whole thing.”

    Will the stars finally align this year? That’s not how this works, in either Chester or Kingston, and Blake knows as well as anyone. But he’s ready to go once more.

    Andre Blake has won two Supporters’ Shields with the Union, but nothing more so far.

    “Pretty simple for me: My personal goal is to be better than I was last year,” he said. “That’s always my challenge, to be a better version of myself. And for the team, it’s always the same as well: We need silverware. And the ultimate one is the MLS Cup, so that’s got to be the goal.”

    Four years ago, the case was made in these pages that Blake is the most important player in Union history. The time since then has only proved it more. Look no further than last year’s playoffs, when he played a starring role in the first-round sweep of Chicago.

    MLS strikes a deal with prediction market Polymarket, says it’s about protecting the integrity of games

    The present moment proves it again. With Jakob Glesnes, Kai Wagner, Mikael Uhre, and Tai Baribo gone, this Union team feels like the start of a new era. As captain, Blake must help set the tone as newcomers blend in with returnees.

    “It feels new,” Blake said. “That’s the obvious [part]. But I’ve learned to control what I can control, which is my performance. And whoever is here, the goal is to get the best out of everybody.”

    Andre Blake (left) working out at the start of the Union’s preseason.

    For now, he continued, his aim is to “just focus on the positives, and positives are whoever is in this room. That’s what we have, and that’s what we have to work with and make the most of.”

    ‘Everybody starts at zero’

    Considering Blake’s history of criticizing the Union for a lack of ambition, what he said next might please the highest-ups — especially as he goes into the last guaranteed year of his contract.

    Cavan Sullivan looks ahead to what should be his biggest year yet with the Union

    “It’s a new season, everybody starts at zero,” he said. “So I think it’s only fair to judge the season after the season, and not before the season. We have what we have right now, we’re going to do our best, and at the end of the year, we’ll evaluate and see how it was.”

    This team doesn’t seem to have the firepower to beat MLS’s best — Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Son Heung-Min’s Los Angeles FC, and Thomas Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps — in the games that matter most. But it has made substantive moves to replace the players it cast off, signing center backs Japhet Sery Larsen and Geiner Martínez and forwards Ezekiel Alladoh and Agustín Anello.

    The Union broke their transfer fee record to sign Ezekiel Alladoh.

    Sery Larsen could be especially impactful for Blake because of his track record of leadership at past clubs.

    “The most important thing coming into a new team is just the willingness to learn and to adapt, and to listen,” Blake said. “I think he came in with an open mind. He wants to learn, he’s willing to do the work.”

    The new group must build chemistry fast. The MLS season starts at D.C. United on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV), and the overall campaign starts Wednesday in the Concacaf Champions Cup at Defence Force FC in Trinidad.

    Japhet Sery Larsen got an assist from Mikael Uhre as he decided to join the Union

    “The Champions Cup is always a different challenge,” Blake said. “Obviously, it’s a reward to be playing in that tournament. And yeah, the first game against Defence Force — for me, these days, there’s no easy game in soccer. You have to be ready to play, mentally and physically.”

    If the Union win the two-game series against Defence Force as they should, the climb will get steep fast. Not only will they face Mexican superpower Club América next, but they’ll face playing nine games from Feb. 18-March 21.

    The Union could face Club América in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time since the 2021 semifinals.

    “Not looking past that game, but after that it gets pretty tough,” Blake said. “We’ll prepare accordingly, and we’ll approach every game in a professional manner.”

    ‘Very angry’ about Jamaica’s struggles

    Now to the subject Blake rarely enjoys discussing, but he knows he must.

    Everything you need to know about the World Cup coming to Philadelphia

    The intercontinental playoffs are five weeks from now. Jamaica will play New Caledonia in the semifinal, then the winner will play the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Both games will be at Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron, a World Cup venue this summer.

    That task is not fully on Blake’s mind yet with so much to do before then. But it is still a presence, along with emotions from last fall that still simmer.

    “It’s been very tough for me these last couple months,” Blake said. “When you kind of invest so much into something and it doesn’t go the way you want it to go, it can get you, and that’s just kind of the phase I’m in right now as it relates to the national team.”

    The words came mixed with stretches of silence that were equally piercing.

    What’s the secret sauce at the Union’s youth academy? Here’s a taste of it.

    “It’s just trying to still process what really happened,” Blake said. “But when the time is right, I’ll do whatever I have to do, and I’ll be ready to go again.”

    He will play for the seventh manager of his national team tenure, Rudolph Speid, as famed veteran Steve McClaren resigned after the Curaçao game. The players have not changed, though, including big names like Leon Bailey and Michail Antonio.

    It’s on them to deliver.

    Jamaica has one last chance to qualify for this year’s World Cup, through FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs in March. Hockey great Wayne Gretzky was at the World Cup draw.

    “I haven’t spoken to anyone [since] after we left camp, so I don’t know what the vibe [is],” Blake said. “I know I’m very angry. I can only speak for myself, because I feel like we had an opportunity — a big, big opportunity — and we let ourselves down as players, And yeah, that’s just how I feel. I feel like it should have never gone that way.”

    He ran through a series of questions he asks himself about preparation, execution, effort, and controlling the controllable. They brought him back to a repeated answer.

    The Union weave Philly history into the design of their latest jersey, ahead of the World Cup and America 250

    “I just feel like as players we let ourselves down,” he said, “and that’s what made me so angry.”

    The Reggae Boyz haven’t made a World Cup since 1998, and ending the drought in North America would be even sweeter. It cheers him up to know how many people are rooting for him in Philadelphia, across MLS, and worldwide.

    Jamaica is looking for its first berth in the FIFA World Cup since the 1998 edition in France.

    “I believe so,” he said. “At the end of the day I can still hold my head high. You can lose a game, you can not accomplish something, but it’s just how, if you give it your all — you did all you could, you left no stones unturned — and then you lose a game, then you can accept that, you know?”

    It’s a message he takes home to a family that enjoys calling Philadelphia home, and that four months ago welcomed a third child — a first daughter.

    “For me, whenever I go out there, I always try to make, my family, my fans, myself proud by leaving it all on the field,” he said. “So even if you don’t really accomplish what you want, it’s not going to feel good, but you can still be proud.”

    At that point, two more questions remained. Will this finally be his year? And if not now, will it ever?

    They felt best asked toward the heavens.

  • Monday’s Olympic TV schedule: U.S. vs. Sweden women’s hockey and more

    Monday’s Olympic TV schedule: U.S. vs. Sweden women’s hockey and more

    U.S. women’s hockey highlights Day 10 of the Milan Cortina Olympics, with dominant Team USA facing Sweden in the semifinals.

    How dominant? In five games, the U.S. women’s team is undefeated, has outscored its opponents 26-1, and blanked Italy, 6-0, in the quarterfinals. Hilary Knight could also set a new Team USA points record on Monday — she’s tied with former teammate Jenny Potter with 32 career Olympic points (11 goals, 21 assists).

    U.S. vs. Sweden is scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m. Philadelphia time, live on NBC. It will be followed by Canada vs. Switzerland in the second semifinal, which is scheduled to get underway at 3:10 p.m.

    The two winners will face off in the gold medal game on Thursday at 1:10 p.m., while the two losers will play for bronze Thursday at 8:40 a.m.

    The U.S. and Canada have faced off in the women’s ice hockey gold medal game in six of the seven Olympics featuring the sport. Team USA has won twice — 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Sweden sneaked in and won silver in 2006 in Turin, Italy.

    In other Olympics action Monday:

    • Three U.S. bobsledders — Elana Meyers Taylor, Kaysha Love, and defending gold medalist Kaillie Humphries — could be racing for gold in the women’s monobob. The third run begins at 1 p.m., while the final run will start at 3:30 p.m., both set to air live on NBC.
    • Freestyle skier Eileen Gu, a San Francisco native who competes for China (her mother’s native country) will defend her 2022 gold medal in the women’s big air live at 1:30 p.m. on NBC. She won the silver medal in the slopestyle competition.
    • U.S. speedskater Kristen Santos-Griswold will challenge two-time Olympic medalist Courtney Sarault of Canada in the women’s short track 1,000 meters, live at 5 a.m. on USA Network and running again at 10 a.m. on NBC.

    Monday’s Olympic TV schedule

    As a general rule, our schedules include all live broadcasts on TV, but not tape-delayed broadcasts on cable channels. We’ll let you know what’s on NBC’s broadcasts, whether they’re live or not.

    NBC
    • 10 a.m.: Speedskating — Women’s short track 1,000-meter final (tape-delayed)
    • 10:40 a.m.: Women’s ice hockey — U.S. vs. Sweden, semifinal
    • 1 p.m.: Bobsled — Women’s monobob third run
    • 1:30 p.m.: Freestyle skiing — Women’s big air final
    • 2:45 p.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s slalom, first and final runs
    • 3:30 p.m.: Bobsled — Women’s monobob final run
    • 4 p.m.: Figure skating — Pairs free skate
    • 8 p.m.: Prime-time highlights including freestyle skiing, figure skating, and more.
    • 11:35 p.m.: Late night highlights including Alpine skiing, bobsled, and more.
    USA Network
    • 5 a.m.: Speedskating — Women’s short track 1,000-meter preliminaries and final, men’s short track relay semifinal, and men’s 500-meter short track qualifying
    • 7:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s slalom final
    • 8:45 a.m.: Bobsled — Two-man, second run
    • 2 p.m.: Figure skating — Pairs free skate
    • 3:10 p.m.: Women’s ice hockey — Canada vs. Switzerland, semifinal

    How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online

    NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference between Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.

    As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.

    NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.

    Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.

    On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

    Here is the full event schedule for the entire Olympics, and here are live scores and results.

  • Mikaela Shiffrin and Erin Jackson headline Sunday’s Olympic TV schedule

    Mikaela Shiffrin and Erin Jackson headline Sunday’s Olympic TV schedule

    We like to think that big-time athletes are superhuman, and in a lot of ways they are.

    They’re still humans, though, capable of feeling emotions and pressure just like the rest of us.

    It happened to Ilia Malinin in figure skating on Friday. He said point-blank after his falls on the ice that “the pressure of the Olympics really gets you.” And it happened to another American, skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin, in the team event last Tuesday.

    “I didn’t find a comfort level that allows me to produce full speed,” she said after an unusually slow slalom run that left her team off the medal stand.

    But both of those moments were just single points in each athlete’s career — and in these Olympics, too. Malinin helped the U.S. win gold in the team event, and on Sunday Shiffrin gets a second shot in the giant slalom.

    Unfortunately for TV viewers here, the event is early in the morning Philadelphia time. (Alpine skiing events are always held during the day wherever they are.) The first run is at 4 a.m. on USA Network, and the second is at 7:30 a.m. on NBC.

    But as with all the events at these Olympics, you can catch a replay on Peacock whenever you want afterward. There will also be highlights on NBC’s prime time show.

    Elsewhere on Sunday, American speedskater Erin Jackson goes for her second straight gold medal in the women’s 500 meters. You might remember that the Florida native was the U.S. flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

    There might also be a moment of Olympic history on Sunday. Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo can break the record for the most Winter Games golds won by an individual, in cross-country skiing’s 4×7.5km relay. It’s live at 6 a.m. on USA, and the last bit will be simulcast on NBC when the network comes on air at 7.

    Erin Jackson was a flag bearer for the U.S. at the opening ceremony in Milan.

    NBC will have coverage from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., then it will head to the NBA All-Star Game. The prime time show will start after that.

    How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online

    NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference between Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.

    As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.

    NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.

    Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo can set an Olympic record for the most gold medals won by an individual on Sunday.

    Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.

    On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

    Here is the full event schedule for the entire Olympics, and here are live scores and results.

    Sunday’s Olympic TV schedule

    NBC

    7 a.m.: Cross-country skiing – Men’s 4×7.5km relay

    7:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing – Women’s giant slalom final run (LIVE)

    8:30 a.m.: Snowboarding – Mixed team snowboard cross final

    8:45 a.m.: Biathlon – Women’s 10km pursuit

    9:30 a.m.: Bobsled – Women’s monobob first run (tape-delayed)

    10 a.m.: Speedskating – Men’s team pursuit qualifying

    10:30 a.m.: Bobsled – Women’s monobob second run (delayed)

    11 a.m.: Speedskating – Women’s 500m

    11:45 a.m.: Biathlon – Men’s 12.5km pursuit (delayed)

    12:30 p.m.: Freestyle skiing – Men’s dual moguls final (delayed)

    1:15 p.m.: Skeleton – Mixed team final

    1:40 p.m.: Freestyle skiing – Men’s big air qualifying

    3 p.m.: Figure skating – Pairs’ short program

    8 p.m.: Prime time highlights including speedskating, alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, and figure skating

    11:35 p.m: Late night highlights including snowboarding, skeleton, and freestyle skiing.

    USA Network

    4 a.m.: Alpine skiing – Women’s giant slalom first run

    4:40 a.m.: Freestyle skiing – Men’s dual moguls final

    6 a.m.: Cross-country skiing – Men’s 4×7.5km relay

    10:40 a.m.-1 p.m.: Ice hockey – Canada vs. France men

    1:45 p.m.: Figure skating – Pairs’ short program

    3:10 p.m.: Ice hockey – United States vs. Germany men

    CNBC

    6:10 a.m.: Ice hockey – Switzerland vs. Czechia men

    8:30 a.m.: Curling – United States vs. China women

    1:10 p.m.: Ice hockey – Denmark vs. Latvia

  • Hockey, speedskating, and skiing are among many big events on Saturday’s Olympic TV schedule

    Hockey, speedskating, and skiing are among many big events on Saturday’s Olympic TV schedule

    While American viewers recover from the shock of Ilia Malinin’s falls on the skating rink, the Olympics charge on with a Valentine’s Day full of interesting events.

    From hockey to speedskating, Alpine skiing and moguls, there will be lots to watch. And since it’s a weekend, NBC will have coverage from 7 a.m. through the night on its big broadcast network.

    Speedskater Jordan Stolz is the top individual American to watch, who is set to compete in the 500 meters after winning gold in the 1,000m with an Olympic record on Wednesday. NBC will show it live starting at 11 a.m.

    At 3:10 p.m., the U.S. men’s hockey team plays Denmark in its second group game. The Danes only have four players currently on NHL teams, though there are familiar names including Ottawa’s Lars Eller and veteran Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen.

    The U.S. men’s hockey team routed Latvia, 5-1, in its Olympic opener.

    Early in the morning — as in 4:30 a.m. — the women’s dual moguls skiing final has two marquee Americans, Elizabeth Lemley and Jaelin Kauf. They won the gold and silver, respectively, in the individual freestyle event. It will air live on USA Network, replayed on NBC at 9:45 a.m., and available to stream whenever you want on Peacock.

    How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online

    NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference between Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.

    The Flyers’ Travis Sanheim learned hard work growing up on a grain farm in small-town Canada. It helped make him an Olympian.

    As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.

    NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.

    Liz Lemley going airborne on the way to her gold medal in the women’s freestyle moguls event.

    Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.

    On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

    Here is the full event schedule for the entire Olympics, and here are live scores and results.

    Philly connections to the Winter Olympics, from a young figure skater to Donovan McNabb’s niece

    Saturday’s Olympic TV schedule

    NBC

    7 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — Women’s 4×7.5km relay

    7:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s giant slalom final run

    8:45 a.m.: Biathlon — Women’s 7.5km sprint

    9:45 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — Women’s dual moguls final (re-air)

    11 a.m.: Speed skating — Men’s 500m

    Noon: Skeleton — Women’s third run

    12:30 p.m. Cross-country skiing — Women’s 4×7.5km relay (re-air)

    2 p.m.: Skeleton — Women’s final run

    2:35 p.m.: Freestyle skiing — Women’s big air qualifying

    3:45 p.m.: Freestyle skiing — Women’s dual moguls final (re-air)

    4:30 p.m.: Speed Skating — Men’s 500m (re-air)

    5 p.m.: Ice hockey — United States vs. Denmark (for a few minutes, joined in progress)

    8 p.m.: Prime time highlights including skeleton, Alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing, and speedskating

    11:30 p.m.: Late night highlights including freestyle skiing and biathlon

    USA Network

    4 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s giant slalom first run

    4:40 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — Women’s dual moguls final

    6 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — Women’s 4×7.5km relay

    10 a.m.: Speedskating — Women’s team pursuit qualifying

    10:40 a.m.: Ice hockey — Italy vs. Finland men

    1 p.m.: Ski jumping — Men’s individual large hill

    2:35 p.m.: Short-track speedskating — Men’s 1500m quarterfinals

    3:10 p.m.: Ice hockey — United States vs. Denmark men

    CNBC

    6:10 a.m. Ice hockey — Sweden vs. Slovakia men

    10:40 a.m.: Ice hockey — Canada vs. Germany women’s quarterfinal

    3:10 p.m.: Ice hockey — Finland vs. Slovakia women’s quarterfinal

  • Ilia Malinin’s biggest moment of all headlines Friday’s Olympic TV schedule

    Ilia Malinin’s biggest moment of all headlines Friday’s Olympic TV schedule

    If you’ve watched any of the Winter Olympics so far, even just a little, you’ve likely heard about Ilia Malinin.

    The 21-year-old figure skater from Fairfax, Va., is no doubt among the biggest superstars of these Games. Each time he has gotten on the ice, he has commanded the spotlight — and delivered.

    First, it was clinching gold for the United States in the team event with the next-to-last free skate of the competition. Then, when the men’s individual event started, he easily topped the field in the short program on Tuesday.

    Now comes the free skate on Friday, and the expectations will be as big as the roars the “Quad God” gets for his breathtaking moves. If he delivers as expected, Malinin will officially arrive as a superstar.

    Coverage of the free skate event starts at 1 p.m. on USA Network, then shifts to NBC at 3:05 p.m. Malinin will go last, so expect plenty of hype and buildup.

    Elsewhere around the Games on Friday, the U.S. women’s ice hockey team plays Italy at 3:10 p.m. on USA Network. If you’re up early, the Sweden-Finland men’s hockey game is a classic and star-studded rivalry. The puck drops at 6:10 a.m. on Peacock.

    A beginner’s guide to watching figure skating at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics

    If you want to check something different from the usual, there’s speedskating’s men’s 10,000-meter race at 10:30 a.m. on USA. It’s the longest race of any speedskating competition. American Casey Dawson is in the 12-competitor field, and Norway’s Sander Eitrem will be going for a gold medal double after winning the 5,000.

    How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online

    NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference between Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.

    The Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen (left) playing for Finland against Slovakia in the teams’ Olympic opener in Milan.

    As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.

    NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.

    Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen embraces his chance with Finland at the Olympics

    Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.

    On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

    Here is the full event schedule for the entire Olympics, and here are live scores and results.

    The U.S. women’s hockey team plays Italy in the quarterfinals on Friday.

    Friday’s Olympics TV schedule

    NBC

    • Noon: Cross-country skiing — Men’s 10km (tape-delayed)
    • 1 p.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s snowboardcross final (delayed)
    • 1:30 p.m.: Snowboarding — Men’s halfpipe final
    • 3:05 p.m.: Figure skating — Men’s free skate
    • 8 p.m.: Prime time replays including snowboarding, figure skating, and skeleton
    • 11:35 p.m.: Late night replays including biathlon and skeleton
    Curling is back at the Olympics. What are the rules? Why do people love it? And how can I watch it?

    USA Network

    • 3:05 a.m.: Curling — United States vs. Canada men
    • 5:45 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — Men’s 10km
    • 8 a.m.: Biathlon — Men’s 10km sprint
    • 10 a.m.: Skeleton — Women’s first run
    • 10:30 a.m.: Speedskating — Men’s 10,000 meters
    • 11:55 a.m.: Skeleton — Women’s second run
    • 1 p.m.: Figure skating — Men’s free skate
    • 3:10 p.m.: Ice hockey — United States vs. Italy women’s quarterfinal
  • Thursday’s Olympic TV schedule: U.S. men’s hockey, Chloe Kim bids for a three-peat, and more

    Thursday’s Olympic TV schedule: U.S. men’s hockey, Chloe Kim bids for a three-peat, and more

    NHL players are playing in the Winter Olympics for the first time in 12 years, going back to the 2014 Sochi Games. The United States will open Group C play at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday against Latvia. Live coverage is scheduled to begin at 3:10 p.m. Philadelphia time (USA Network).

    Because of that 12-year gap, forced by scheduling issues and the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of NHL All-Stars will be making their Olympic debuts for Team USA. Among them are Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils), and Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights).

    After Latvia, the U.S. will face Denmark and Germany in Group C games. Out of 12 teams, the top four (three group winners and the best second-place team) will advance to the quarterfinals. Then eight teams will face off in qualification games to fill the remaining four quarterfinal spots.

    Here’s the full U.S. men’s hockey schedule:

    • Thursday: Latvia vs. U.S., 3:10 p.m.
    • Saturday: U.S. vs. Denmark, 3:10 p.m.
    • Sunday: U.S. vs. Germany, 3:10 p.m.
    • Tuesday: Qualification playoff (if necessary)
    • Wednesday: Quarterfinals
    • Friday, Feb. 20: Semifinals
    • Saturday, Feb. 21: Bronze medal game
    • Sunday, Feb. 22: Gold medal game

    Three Flyers players are competing in the Olympics for other countries — Travis Sanheim (Canada), Rasmus Ristolainen (Finland), and Dan Vladar (Czechia).

    USA vs. Canada and three other reasons to be excited for the men’s Olympic hockey tournament

    Princeton grad Chloe Kim goes for Olympic three-peat

    Chloe Kim of the United States during women’s snowboarding halfpipe qualifications on Wednesday.

    U.S. snowboarder and Princeton grad Chloe Kim is hoping to join elite Olympic company Thursday, going for her third straight gold medal in the halfpipe competition.

    The halfpipe finals begin at 1:30 p.m. and will air live on NBC.

    Kim is looking to become the first snowboarder to win three straight Olympic gold medals, a feat she would accomplish while still recovering from a torn labrum in her shoulder she suffered last month.

    It didn’t slow her down during the qualifiers, when she was the only snowboarder out of two dozen to post a score higher than 90 (out of 100).

    “Honestly, I’m just happy to be here because for a little bit a couple months ago, it wasn’t looking too certain,” Kim said after Wednesday’s qualifier.

    She will be joined in the halfpipe final by American teammates Maddie Mastro and Bea Kim.

    Other Olympics events to catch Thursday

    • Speedskating: Julie Letai and Kristen Santos-Griswold will attempt to become the first Americans to win gold in the 500-meter short track since 2010. The event will air live on NBC beginning at 2:15 p.m.
    • Cross-country skiing: Three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins, who bruised her ribs during a crash in the biathlon on Saturday, will compete in the 10-kilometer race live at 7 a.m. on USA Network.
    • Other gold medal events: Women’s super-G (5:30 a.m.), men’s moguls (6:15 a.m.), women’s speedskating, 5,000 meters (10:30 a.m.), luge team relay (12:30 p.m.), men’s short-track speedskating (3:43 p.m.)

    How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online

    NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference between Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.

    As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.

    NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.

    Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.

    On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

    Here is the full event schedule for the entire Olympics, and here are live scores and results.

    Thursday’s Olympic TV schedule

    As a general rule, our schedules include all live broadcasts on TV, but not tape-delayed broadcasts on cable channels. We’ll let you know what’s on NBC’s broadcasts, whether they’re live or not.

    NBC

    • Noon: Freestyle skiing — Men’s moguls final (tape-delayed)
    • 12:30 p.m.: Luge — Team relay
    • 1:30 p.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s halfpipe final
    • 2:15 p.m.: Speedskating — Men’s 1,000 meter short track, women’s 500 meter short track
    • 4 p.m.: Cross-country skiing — Women’s 10-kilometer freestyle, interval start (tape-delayed)
    • 8 p.m.: Prime time in Milan, with replays including luge, Alpine skiing, and snowboarding
    • 11:35 p.m.: Late show replays including freestyle skiing and snowboarding

    USA Network

    • 5:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Women’s super-G
    • 6:15 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — Men’s moguls final
    • 7 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — Women’s 10 kilometer freestyle, interval start
    • 7:45 a.m.: Snowboarding — Men’s snowboardcross
    • 10:40 a.m.: Men’s ice hockey — Czechia vs. Canada
    • 3:10 p.m.: Men’s ice hockey — Latvia vs. United States
  • Bradley Carnell sees progress from the Union’s newcomers as they settle in at the end of preseason

    Bradley Carnell sees progress from the Union’s newcomers as they settle in at the end of preseason

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Head out the third base stands of the Phillies’ spring training stadium, go south a block, and you’ll start to hear another ball being knocked around.

    The Union have once again made their preseason home here, too, as they prepare to kick off their campaign next week in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

    They wrapped up a five-game slate Tuesday night with a 4-2 loss to CF Montréal, an unusually fractious game that included several yellow cards and two reds — one to Montréal’s manager after watching a robust challenge in front of him.

    But the result mattered less than getting to see new forward Agustín Anello’s first minutes, starting next to Ezekiel Alladoh and assisting Milan Iloski for a sharp goal. New centerback Geiner Martínez also got some run as a substitute next to Olwethu Makhanya.

    How will all that translate to next Wednesday’s curtain-raiser, at Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force FC (6 p.m., FS2 and TUDN)?

    “I think it starts off the field,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said Wednesday in a news conference. “When we all speak about recruitment, we speak about people first. And I think all of those guys you’ve just mentioned have come in and exceeded our expectations.”

    The Union add another attacking option with signing of forward Agustín Anello

    Martínez and Anello are still settling in, having just arrived to the club in recent days, but have gained familiarity when possible: the former with fellow Spanish-speakers in the locker room, the latter from having already known Nathan Harriel and Bruno Damiani.

    Alladoh has been around for longer, so there’s more evidence. He is going to be a handful physically for opponents, but the ultimate verdict will come from how often he scores.

    “He’s just a bunch of energy,” Carnell said. “He’s a big dude who just wants to run and compete every single day, and we’re just trying to work little angles and details to get him on the score sheet. He had a couple of chances last night, and does really well for us in the [preseason] games in Spain, and we can see the threat he can be.”

    The most important thing now is avoiding the injury bug, and unfortunately it has bitten the Union. Nothing too severe, but Indiana Vassilev and Eddy Davis were in street clothes Tuesday night, and Milan Iloski took a pretty good whack on the foul that produced the other red card. Carnell said he believes it’s a contusion, but there wasn’t a full diagnosis yet when he spoke.

    The Union weave Philly history into the design of their latest jersey ahead of the World Cup and America 250

    Tuesday’s game was a reminder of the physicality in MLS, even in a preseason game. That has also been an adjustment for the newcomers.

    “You don’t know until you know, right?” Carnell said. “I think a lot of people don’t know about MLS and the rigors and the physicality of it. Even [for] a player like ‘Jeff’ Larsen, who’s played at really high levels in the Europa League and everything, playing in this league is a different animal. … Last night was a real, I would say, testament to that statement.”

    Geiner Martínez on the ball during Saturday’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the second-tier USL Championship.

    Bruno Damiani has also been absent for the last few days: He’s back in his native Uruguay getting a U.S. green card. Carnell said the striker’s return to camp is “imminent.”

    The biggest open question mark remains at left back. The Union are still shopping and don’t have a deal done yet.

    The Union continue to bolster their defense with the signing of Colombian centerback Geiner Martínez

    A source confirmed a report by Sweden’s Expressen that talks are ongoing for 20-year-old Philippe Ndinga of Swedish top flight club Degerfors. Various reports have said Los Angeles FC and the Houston Dynamo previously had interest.

    Union’s franchise value

    Sports business publication Sportico unveiled its latest judgment of MLS franchise values on Tuesday, and pegged the Union at $740 million. That’s a 6% increase from 2025, and 14th out of the league’s 30 teams — a ranking unchanged from last year.

    The Union’s franchise value ranks in the middle of the pack in MLS.

    It’s no surprise that Inter Miami is ranked No. 1, and not just because of Lionel Messi. The Herons will open a big-time new stadium this year in the shadow of Miami’s airport. But the valuation of $1.45 billion is still a headline, as it’s bigger than some baseball and hockey teams — including the Marlins across town.

    Los Angeles FC, the Los Angeles Galaxy, Atlanta, and New York City FC also have franchise values above $1 billion. The top 10 is rounded out by Seattle, Austin, Columbus, Cincinnati, and San Diego, the last of which is valued at $765 million.

    The highest the Union have ranked since Sportico began its estimates in 2021 is 11th in 2024.

    Sportico’s metrics include not just revenue projections, but “the value of team-related businesses and real estate holdings.” That works in the Union’s favor, given how much land they own around Subaru Park and the training and academy complex they’ve built there.

    MLS hasn’t always embraced outsiders’ valuations of its teams. But it does these days, and even promotes Sportico’s figures on some of its platforms.

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