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  • 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.

    Everything you need to know about the World Cup in Philly
  • Wednesday’s Olympic TV schedule: Speedskater Jordan Stolz, Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate second gold

    Wednesday’s Olympic TV schedule: Speedskater Jordan Stolz, Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate second gold

    Two United States Olympic stars will make their debut at the Milan Cortina Winter Games on Wednesday.

    Jordan Stolz, the American speedskating phenom whose dominance has been compared to Michael Phelps, is set to compete in the men’s 1,000-meter race at 12:30 p.m. Philadelphia time on NBC.

    Stolz, 21, enters the race as the gold medal favorite, and is expected to be among the top competitors in the 500, 1,500, and mass start, a long-track race in which everyone starts together and the top three finishers make the podium.

    The Wisconsin native holds the world record in the 1,000-meter race (1:05.37), which he set in 2024, and plans to wear the same pair of skates when he takes the ice at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.

    United States snowboarder Chloe Kim is trying for her third straight women’s halfpipe gold medal.

    More than 140 miles to the north, U.S. snowboarder and Princeton grad Chloe Kim continued her quest for a third straight Olympic gold medal by making it through the halfpipe qualifiers early Wednesday morning.

    The halfpipe finals begin Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

    Figure skating duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who already won a gold medal in the team event, will compete in the free dance event beginning at 1:15 p.m. on USA Network. They sit in second place behind the French team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.

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

    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 from 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.

    Wednesday’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 moguls final (tape-delayed)
    • 12:30 p.m.: Speedskating — Men’s 1,000 meters
    • 1:30 p.m.: Snowboarding — Men’s halfpipe qualification
    • 2:15 p.m.: Figure skating — Free dance (final groups)
    • 8 p.m.: Prime time in Milan, with replays including Alpine skiing, figure skating, and speedskating
    • 11:35 p.m.: Late show replays including freestyle skiing and snowboarding

    USA Network

    • 4:45 a.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s halfpipe qualification
    • 5:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s super-G
    • 6:45 a.m.: Snowboarding — women’s halfpipe
    • 7:30 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — women’s moguls
    • 8:15 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — women’s moguls final
    • 9:15 a.m.: Biathlon — Women’s 15 kilometer individual
    • 10:40 a.m.: Men’s ice hockey — Slovakia vs. Finland
    • 11 a.m.: Luge — Women’s and men’s doubles
    • 1:15 p.m.: Figure skating — Free dance
    • 3:25 p.m.: Men’s ice hockey — Sweden vs. U.S.
  • U.S. men’s World Cup hopeful Noahkai Banks is taking the slow and steady approach

    U.S. men’s World Cup hopeful Noahkai Banks is taking the slow and steady approach

    As the clock ticks toward the World Cup, the buzz continues to grow around 19-year-old U.S. national team centerback prospect Noahkai Banks.

    Though there’s no guarantee yet that he’ll make the tournament squad, the attention is warranted. He has played in 16 of the last 17 games for his club, FC Augsburg of Germany’s Bundesliga, and often has looked good on the field.

    That puts Banks squarely on the list of names you’d want to know before the World Cup — and certainly before the U.S. team’s last auditions in March.

    He knows it, as he said when he spoke with The Inquirer earlier in the season. This week brought another opportunity to get to know him, as the Bundesliga hosted a roundtable with Banks for U.S. media.

    Noahkai Banks (rear) in action against Eintracht Frankfurt in a German Bundesliga game in December.

    There was much to talk about, starting with his reflections on his one U.S. team camp so far last fall.

    “I was pretty nervous when I got into camp because I was 18 years old at the moment,” said Banks, who turned 19 on Dec. 1. “So I thought maybe the older guys will think, ‘Who’s that,’ or ‘What is he doing here?’”

    In fact, the opposite happened.

    Noahkai Banks knows he’s getting a lot of USMNT hype, but he isn’t thinking about the World Cup yet

    “For example, Tim Ream, the first day in training, he helped me a lot, because he plays in my position,” Banks said of the fellow centerback and frequent U.S. captain. “He has coached me a lot and helped me to get into the training and into the new tactics — because, obviously, it was a big jump. But also, the older guys also had dinner and they said, ‘Come sit at our table.’”

    Little things like that are a great sign of the strong spirit in the American program.

    “Players like [Christian] Pulisic, [Tim] Weah, they helped me a lot,” Banks said, naming two of the Americans’ biggest stars. Of others, he said, “How they welcomed me, how they made my life easy, was very cool, to be honest.”

    It was no surprise that he praised manager Mauricio Pochettino, but how he did so was news.

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

    “He has been a centerback back in the day [as a player], he knows the position very well, and he’s helped me with small details like positioning and stuff like this,” Banks said. “Just the small things, which make a difference at the highest level. He gave me some tips, and I hope I can do what he told me in the future.”

    ‘Happy with the U.S.’ and ‘grounded’ at home

    National team staff has remained in touch with Banks since then, further raising the odds of a March call-up. But because he hasn’t formally committed to the senior U.S. team yet, the Hawaii native still can switch allegiance to Germany, where he has lived since age 10.

    Noahkai Banks in action against German power Bayern Munich earlier this season.

    “I’ve been in touch with Germany before, to be honest,” Banks said, but he “was always very happy with the U.S. You can’t tell what happens in the future, but at the moment, there’s not a thought of switching, or something like this, because I’m happy with the U.S.”

    That happiness dates back to playing for various U.S. youth teams, including at the 2023 under-17 World Cup.

    USMNT stalwart Antonee Robinson is finally healthy again, and hopes to get back to the national team soon

    “One of the best experiences in my life,” he said. “And then also at [the] U-19 and U-20 level, I was always just very happy to get into camp to see my friends again, because we were a big class of friends. It was not like I [would] go to the national team and play football, it was like I meet my friends and play football with them.”

    Banks does not lack for confidence, but he carries it well.

    “To be honest, I was always very confident — I think I have that from my mom,” he said. “So I always believed in myself, and I always believed I can play in the Bundesliga. But I think, also, confidence grows and builds itself up with time and with games.”

    Those games have earned the trust of Augsburg’s coaching staff, a feat made harder by two managerial changes since last summer. The club has been fighting all season to avoid relegation. It’s currently 13th in the 18-team league, but just three standings points into safety.

    “It has been a great year so far, because I didn’t expect to play that much, to be absolutely honest with you,” Banks said. “But yeah, the coaches have given me a lot of trust, a lot of minutes. So [over] time, as I said before, I got more confident with the team, with my teammates, with the players, with the tactics.”

    The Inquirer’s complete guide to the World Cup in Philadelphia

    Family matters a lot to him, too. He is close with his mother, Nadine, whose own athletic genes earned her a shot at college basketball before repeated tears to her ACL derailed it. She moved Banks to Germany after separating from his father, settling in a Bavarian mountain town just over an hour from Augsburg.

    “I think it’s easy to stay grounded because I have a great family behind me,” the son said. “And also the club doesn’t allow [otherwise] because my teammates are all very grounded and very humble. It’s like a big family here.”

    Then he added a flourish that far-away Philadelphia would appreciate: “Also, my mom would kick my [butt] if I’m not grounded anymore, so there’s no chance of that.”

    Nor is there a chance of Banks looking too far ahead — as in, to the World Cup — before Augsburg’s season is settled.

    “As I said a lot of times before, I think it’s not the right moment to think about the World Cup for me, because we have a lot of games left here,” he said. “So, really, just focus. A lot of players say it, but I really mean it: I really just focus on the games we have here. And, yeah, then let’s see what happens in summer.”

  • Tuesday’s Olympic TV schedule: U.S. vs. Canada women’s hockey and more

    Tuesday’s Olympic TV schedule: U.S. vs. Canada women’s hockey and more

    The undefeated U.S. women’s hockey team, led by Hilary Knight, will take on rival Canada on Tuesday in its final preliminary game of the Milan Cortina Olympics. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:10 p.m. Philadelphia time on USA Network.

    The U.S. women’s team has faced Canada in the gold medal game in six of the seven Olympics that featured women’s hockey, with Team USA winning twice — 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and 1998 in Nagano, Japan. So there’s a good chance this will be a preview of things to come at Milan Cortina.

    Team USA is a perfect 3-0 in Group A play after defeating Switzerland on Monday, which followed wins against Czechia and Finland. Tuesday’s game against Canada will decide the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals, which take place Friday.

    And if you’re wondering, the U.S. men’s hockey team will play its first game Thursday against Latvia, followed by Denmark on Saturday and Germany on Sunday.

    In other Tuesday action:

    • The U.S. will be competing for a gold medal in curling, with mixed doubles duo Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse taking on siblings Isabella and Rasmus Wranå of Sweden. The final is scheduled to begin at noon on USA Network, and win or lose, it will be the Americans’ first medal in mixed doubles curling since its debut in 2018.
    • Mikaela Shiffrin, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and the winningest Alpine skier of all time, is expected to make her Milan Cortina debut in the team combined slalom. The event begins at 8 a.m. on USA Network.
    • Team USA freestyle skier Alex Hall will be going for his second straight gold medal in the men’s slopestyle final at 6:30 a.m. on USA Network, with a rebroadcast on NBC at noon. Konnor Ralph and Mac Forehand will also represent the U.S. in the event.
    • U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin will make his individual debut in the Games in the men’s short program, which will start at 12:30 p.m. on USA Network before moving to NBC.

    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 from 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.

    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

    • 11 a.m.: Luge — women’s singles
    • noon: Freestyle skiing — men’s slopestyle final (tape-delayed)
    • 1:15 p.m.: Cross-country skiing — women’s and men’s spring classic final (taped delayed)
    • 1:45 p.m.: Figure skating — men’s short program
    • 8 p.m.: Prime time in Milan, with replays including Alpine skiing and figure skating
    • 11:35 p.m.: Late show replays including freestyle skiing and luge

    USA Network

    • 3:15 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — women’s and men’s spring classic qualification
    • 4:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — women’s team combined downhill
    • 5:15 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — men’s moguls qualification
    • 6:10 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — women’s and men’s sprint classic finals
    • 6:30 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — men’s slopestyle final
    • 8 a.m.: Alpine skiing — women’s team combined slalom
    • 9 a.m.: Curling — Great Britain vs. Italy, mixed doubles bronze medal match
    • noon: Curling — United States vs. Sweden, mixed doubles gold medal match
    • 12:30 p.m.: Figure skating — men’s short program
    • 2:10 p.m.: Ice hockey — Canada vs. United States, women
  • Haiti and the Union will make World Cup history in Philadelphia. Here’s how.

    Haiti and the Union will make World Cup history in Philadelphia. Here’s how.

    Every World Cup is full of great stories, and Haiti will bring a lot to town this summer.

    Les Grenadiers have qualified for their first men’s tournament since 1974, after not being able to play any of their home games in their own country because of political unrest. Their matchup against five-time champion Brazil in Philadelphia is one the nation really wanted because there are historic cultural and soccer ties between the countries.

    But for as big as that game will be, there will be an even bigger story on the field for local soccer fans.

    If Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques makes Haiti’s squad, and he will as long as he’s healthy, he’ll have the rare privilege of getting to play a World Cup game in his club’s home city. Not his home stadium, since the game will be played at the Eagles’ home in South Philly, but it’s still an amazing thing.

    “I’m very happy to be playing here in Philly because I know the atmosphere,” Jean Jacques told The Inquirer earlier this year. “I think all the fans in Philly will come to support me, and it will be a pleasure to play here.”

    The last time anyone from the Concacaf region, which covers North and Central America, played a men’s World Cup game in their home city was in 1986 in Mexico. There will be many opportunities for it to happen this summer, but Jean Jacques will be the only one with a chance to achieve the feat in Philadelphia.

    Haiti’s World Cup schedule

    (all times Eastern)

    Saturday, June 13: vs. Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., (9 p.m., FS1)

    Friday, June 19: vs. Brazil at Lincoln Financial Field (9 p.m., Fox29, tickets)

    Wednesday, June 24: vs. Morocco in Atlanta, (6 p.m., FS1)

    The World Cup puts the Union’s Danley Jean Jacques in an even bigger spotlight

    Fast facts

    Haiti’s manager, Sébastien Migné, has never set foot in the country since taking the job in 2024. … Haiti is one of the countries currently under a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration. The team’s official delegation will be able to travel here, but fans who live in the country might not be able to. … Asked about the ban at the World Cup draw in December, Migné told reporters: “It depends on Mr. Trump.” … The largest populations of Haitian expatriates in North America are believed to be in New York, northern New Jersey, Miami, and Montreal. … Haiti’s best Concacaf Gold Cup run in the modern era was in 2019, when it made the semifinals. It won the title in 1973 and was runner-up in 1971 and ’77. … Though the nation’s men’s team hadn’t made a World Cup since 1974, its women’s team got there in 2023. Attacking midfielder Melchie Dumornay of French club OL Lyonnes is one of the world’s top young players.

    Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques is expected to be a big piece of Haiti’s World Cup squad.

    Three players to watch

    Duke Lacroix: Here’s another Haiti story with a Philly angle, and this one might be even more surprising. Lacroix played at Penn from 2011 to 2014. Now 32, he has carved out a solid career in the second-tier USL Championship. A North Jersey native with Haitian ancestry, he earned his first national team cap in 2023.

    Danley Jean Jacques: We’re mentioning him again here because it’s that big of a deal. He also could become the first active Union player to play in a World Cup game. Olivier Mbaizo was the first active Union player to make a World Cup roster, with Cameroon in 2022, but he didn’t get on the field.

    Derrick Etienne Jr.: One of a few Haiti players with ties to MLS, Union fans have seen him plenty over his years with the New York Red Bulls, Atlanta, Columbus, and currently Toronto.

    Haiti’s Philly connection

    Along with the players, Haiti has a significant immigrant population in the Philadelphia region. Local estimates say around 30,000 people here are either from Haiti or have family histories there, with communities in North Philadelphia, Olney, and East Mount Airy. As of last December, some 12,000 had Temporary Protected Status from the U.S. government.

    Historic ties between Philadelphia and Haiti date back centuries, to when slaves and slaveholders fled the Haitian revolution in 1793.

    Ale Ayiti: Philly’s Haitian Americans celebrate a rare World Cup bid | Sabrina Vourvoulias

    Make sure you check out …

    For a taste of Haiti:

    For a Haitian feast in Philly, get to Gou, says food writer Hira Qureshi: You’ll find fritay platters, flaky pâté pastries, griot, Rasta pasta, and hearty stews at this Olney BYOB. Crowd favorites include the zel poul (fried chicken wings glazed with mango-flavored Rhum Barbancourt, jerk seasoning, and Faye’s hot honey) and Gou’s signature plantain cups — crispy plantain shells with spicy pikliz slaw and generous heaps of shrimp, lambi (conch), oxtail, or griot.

    Check out the Inquirer’s curated list of the 76 best restaurants in the Philly area

    Owned by husband-wife duo Imma and Emmanuel Laguerre and partner Yves Atoulon, Gou is one of the most exciting Caribbean restaurants in Philly’s dining scene, which is why you’ll find it on The 76, The Inquirer’s annual list of essential area restaurants. 📍5734 Old Second St., ☎️ 267-335-4176, instagram.com/gouphilly

    SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.

    Navigating Philly

    The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.

    Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.

    Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of all things soccer right here!
  • A ‘Blue Wave’ will carry Curaçao’s all-time World Cup underdog story to Philly

    A ‘Blue Wave’ will carry Curaçao’s all-time World Cup underdog story to Philly

    Every World Cup has its underdogs, and this year’s edition will have more than most because it’s the first with 48 teams. But none will be quite like Curaçao.

    It’s the smallest country ever to qualify for a men’s World Cup, by both population (just over 150,000 people) and land mass (171 square miles).

    Long ago, as a Dutch territory and then part of the former Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao became its own nation in late 2010. In March 2011, it became an independent member of FIFA.

    Since then, the country has grown in soccer by leveraging its connections to the Dutch diaspora to recruit dual-national players. That started to pay off in 2017, when Curaçao qualified for the Concacaf Gold Cup for the first time. Two years later, the Blue Wave reached the quarterfinals, falling to the United States in Philadelphia.

    This summer, it’ll be back at the same stadium, this time to play on soccer’s biggest stage of all.

    Curaçao’s World Cup schedule

    (all times Eastern)

    June 14: vs. Germany in Houston (1 p.m., Fox29)

    June 20: vs. Ecuador in Kansas City, Mo. (8 p.m., FS1)

    June 25: vs. Ivory Coast at Lincoln Financial Field (4 p.m., FS1, tickets)

    Former Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius was born in the Netherlands and grew up in Curaçao from age 5.

    Fast facts

    If you’ve never seen Curaçao on a map, you might have heard of some of its neighbors. Aruba is 75 miles west over the Caribbean Sea, and Venezuela is around 40 miles south. … The squad’s veterans include brothers Juninho and Leandro Bacuna, both of whom have played in England and now play in the Netherlands and Turkey, respectively. … Curaçao’s most famous athletes traditionally have been baseball players. Notable major leaguers include Andruw Jones, Kenley Jansen, and former Phillie Didi Gregorius.

    Coaching switch

    Manager Dick Advocaat is a legend of the sport who previously coached his native Netherlands, Russia, and a slew of club teams, including the Netherlands’ PSV Eindhoven and Scotland’s Rangers. But on Feb. 23, it was reported Advocaat would step down effective immediately due to personal reasons, which was reported to involve the deteriorating health of his daughter.

    Advocaat will be replaced by fellow Dutchman in Fred Rutten, former manager of Dutch first teams Feyenoord, Anderlecht, and PSV Eindhoven.

    Three players to watch

    Eloy Room: One of a few Curaçao stalwarts with experience in MLS, he played for the Columbus Crew from 2019 to 2023 and backstopped the team’s MLS Cup title win in 2020. Forward Jürgen Locadia played down the road in Cincinnati from 2020 to 2021.

    Ruben Kluivert: He hasn’t played for the Blue Wave yet, but the possibility that he might is big enough. His father is former Dutch superstar striker Patrick Kluivert, and one of his brothers is Justin Kluivert of English Premier League club Bournemouth. Ruben plays for French club Lyon and has considered committing to Curaçao. If he does, he’ll go right into the spotlight.

    Tahith Chong: He grew up on the books of mighty Manchester United but never made it there. In 2023, he made it to the big time when he signed for Luton Town after the Hatters’ promotion to the Premier League. Now, he plays for Sheffield United in the second-tier Championship.

    Curacao’s Roshon Van Eijma (center) guided the nation past Jamaica last year to qualify for its first-ever World Cup.

    Curaçao’s Philly connection … sort of

    It’s not direct, but if you’re a Union fan, it will matter to you. Curaçao topped Andre Blake’s Jamaica to win its World Cup qualifying group in the final game, a scoreless tie on Jamaica’s turf. If the Reggae Boyz had won that game, Blake may have gotten a World Cup homecoming after waiting so long to play in the tournament.

    Check out the Inquirer’s curated list of the 76 best restaurants in the Philly area
    SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.

    Navigating Philly

    The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.

    Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.

    Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of all things soccer right here!
  • Monday’s Olympics TV schedule: Snowboarding, figure skating, speedskating, and more

    Monday’s Olympics TV schedule: Snowboarding, figure skating, speedskating, and more

    At any Olympics, there’s a chance you might tune in to something you rarely see and get hooked.

    For this writer, long track speedskating is one such sport. Back in the 1990s, Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen were among the most famous Americans at the Winter Games: Blair for her many gold medals, and Jansen for coming up painfully short many times before finally triumphing in 1994.

    This year, the top U.S. speedskaters are Erin Jackson on the women’s side and Casey Dawson on the men’s side. There’s also an interesting story in Brittany Bowe, and not just because of her impressive career.

    Bowe is going for her third career Olympic medal at age 37, having won bronze in the team pursuit in 2018 and another bronze in the 1,000 meters in 2022. She has held the 1,000-meter world record three times in her career, including the current mark since 2019, and is the American record holder in the 1,500.

    But that’s only part of Bowe’s story. She’s originally from Ocala, Fla., about an hour and a half north of Tampa — not what you’d think of as fertile ground for an ice sport. She trains at the Olympic facility in Salt Lake City, where the 2002 Games were held and the 2034 Games will be. It’s one of just six long track speedskating ovals in the United States.

    On top of that, Bowe played college basketball from 2006-10 at Florida Atlantic. She didn’t play against any Big 5 teams back then, so not many people around here would be able to say they saw her before she was famous. But plenty of people have seen her in recent times, and more will at these Olympics.

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

    The women’s 1,000 meters will be live on USA Network from 11:30 a.m. to noon Philadelphia time, then on NBC until 12:45 p.m. Other big events Monday include two that NBC will carry live: snowboarding’s women’s big air final at 1:30 p.m. and figure skating’s ice dance at 2:40 p.m. The ice dance competition will start on USA at 1:20 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.

    The U.S. women’s hockey team plays its next-to-last group game on Monday, against Switzerland at 2:40 p.m.

    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.

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

    Cory Thiesse (right) and Korey Dropkin are the first United States team to reach the curling mixed doubles semifinals. They’ll play in that round on Monday, just after noon Philadelphia time.

    Monday’s Olympics TV schedule

    NBC

    • Noon: Speedskating — Women’s 1,000 m
    • 12:45 p.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s team combined, downhill and slalom (tape-delayed)
    • 1:30 p.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s big air final
    • 2:40 p.m.: Figure skating — Ice dance, rhythm dance
    • 8 p.m.: Prime time show replays including Alpine skiing, figure skating, and freestyle skiing
    • 11:35 p.m.: Late show replays including snowboarding and speedskating
    Curling is back at the Olympics. What are the rules? Why do people love it? And how can I watch it?

    USA Network

    • 4:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s team combined, downhill portion
    • 6:30 a.m.: Freestyle skiing — Women’s slopestyle final
    • 8 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Men’s team combined, slalom portion
    • 11 a.m.: Luge — Women’s singles first run
    • 11:30 a.m.: Speedskating — Women’s 1,000 meters
    • 12:05 p.m.: Curling – Mixed doubles semifinals
    • 12:35 p.m.: Luge — Women’s singles second run
    • 1:20 p.m.: Figure Skating — Ice dance, rhythm dance
    • 2:40 p.m.: Ice hockey — United States vs. Switzerland women
    • 5 p.m.: Ice hockey — Canada vs. Czechia women (joined in progress)
    Rick Tocchet’s late parents emigrated from Italy. Now, he’ll go back there to coach Canada in the Olympics
  • Ooh la la: France’s unparalleled team of superstars will light up Philly in the World Cup

    Ooh la la: France’s unparalleled team of superstars will light up Philly in the World Cup

    There will be a lot of great teams and fun vibes in Philadelphia’s World Cup games this summer. But none will be able to match France’s array of superstar talent.

    In fact, almost no other team in the world can run with the team’s depth, except maybe Spain and England. Brazil, which also will play in Philadelphia, probably is fourth.

    It’s not just that France has all-everything forwards Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, the latter the current holder of the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player. The team has astonishing depth at every position on the field and players at elite clubs around Europe.

    They span all ages, too, from 34-year-old midfield anchor N’Golo Kanté to 19-year-old playmaker Warren Zaïre-Emery. Manager Didier Deschamps, in his third and final World Cup at the helm, will have the task of trying to pick 26 players for his squad from a sea of talent.

    France’s Kylian Mbappe is hoping to pick up where he left off on what was a breakthrough performance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    Not that there’s any pressure, either, after France won the 2018 World Cup — Mbappé’s breakout on the big stage — and made the 2022 final. Just three teams in soccer history have made three straight World Cup finals: West Germany’s men in 1982, ’86, and ’90; Brazil’s men in 1994, ’98, and 2002; and the U.S. women in 2011, ’15, and ’19.

    It won’t be surprising if France joins that club this summer, but it will be quite impressive. Les Bleus have tough group games against Senegal, the newly crowned African champion, and Norway, with its own stars in Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard.

    In the knockout rounds, Germany could await in a round of 16 game set for July 4 in Philadelphia. Getting to see France here twice would be quite a treat for local fans, especially that matchup.

    France’s World Cup schedule

    (all times Eastern)

    Tuesday, June 16: vs. Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J. (3 p.m., Fox29)

    Monday, June 22: vs. Bolivia, Suriname, or Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field (5 p.m., Fox29, tickets)

    Friday, June 26: vs. Norway in Foxborough, Mass. (3 p.m., Fox29)

    Fast facts

    France’s opponent in Philadelphia will be determined by a UEFA playoff in March. Bolivia will play Suriname on March 28, and the winner will play Iraq on March 31, with both games in Monterrey, Mexico. … France is one of only eight nations to have won a men’s World Cup. It became that club’s seventh member in 1998, with a team led by the legendary Zinedine Zidane. … The Paris region has been renowned for nearly a decade as having the biggest pool of young soccer prospects anywhere in the world. … Six candidates to make France’s team played in Philadelphia during the Club World Cup, though Mbappé did not because he was ill when Real Madrid visited. … Local estimates say just over 71,000 people in the region claim French ancestry.

    Three players to watch

    Kylian Mbappé: The star of stars, with a personality to match his prolific scoring and creativity. One of the biggest in this tournament too, with Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), and Lamine Yamal (Spain). Thousands of fans will flock to South Philly just to see him, no matter what jersey they’re wearing.

    Ousmane Dembélé: Before he led Paris Saint-Germain to last year’s Champions League title and the Club World Cup title, he was one of the most frustrating players in the sport. For all his skill, he had a track record of messing up some of the biggest scoring chances you could imagine. Something finally clicked last season, and now he’s almost unstoppable.

    William Saliba: France isn’t just stacked in its attack. Its defense also is terrific, and Deschamps cares about that a lot — he was the midfield anchor of France’s ’98 champions that won the European championship two years later. Saliba is a stalwart centerback for Les Bleus and English club Arsenal, and at 24 years old is only just starting to hit his peak.

    William Saliba (center) is a formidable force on the back line of France’s defense.

    France’s Philly connection

    There isn’t much, soccer-wise, but there have been connections outside sports for centuries. France was the first ally of the British colonies that declared independence in 1776. Benjamin Franklin led the diplomatic effort, and, in 1778, France signed the Treaty of Alliance to give its official backing.

    In the early 20th century, French architect Paul Philippe Cret designed the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, modeled on Paris’ famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Cret also designed the bridge named in Franklin’s honor and helped renovate Rittenhouse Square into what’s now Philly’s best-known city park.

    If you’re an art fan, Philly has two of the world’s largest collections of works by famed French artists: painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir at the Barnes Foundation, and the Rodin museum for sculptor Auguste Rodin. Fans walking from Center City to the World Cup fan fest on Lemon Hill will pass by both on the Parkway.

    Ale Ayiti: Philly’s Haitian Americans celebrate a rare World Cup bid | Sabrina Vourvoulias

    Make sure you check out …

    Philly and the surrounding area claims a cherished legacy of great French restaurants — Le Bec-Fin being chief among them — but food writer Beatrice Forman recommends Supérette, a new-school but extremely legit entry to the city’s Gallic scene.

    The interior of Supérette, a market and restaurant that will be all things France in Philly during the World Cup.

    This all-day French wine bar has perfected the art of the “sip-and-nibble” with a menu of compulsively snackable light bites that range from a sheet of tiny raviolis stuffed with comté to a sandwich on pinsa bread (focaccia’s thinner sister) layered with potato chips and customizable charcuterie boards.

    The space is divided down the middle into a casual yet effortlessly trendy bar and an épicerie that sells a curated mix of meat, cheeses, prepared goods, and imported French snacks. Who’s to say you can’t enjoy a baguette straight from the bread bag at a soccer game? 📍1538 E. Passyunk Ave., superettephl.com

    Check out the Inquirer’s curated list of the 76 best restaurants in the Philly area
    SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.

    Navigating Philly

    The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.

    Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.

    Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.

  • Sunday Olympics TV schedule: Lindsey Vonn’s return, curling, and speed skating

    Sunday Olympics TV schedule: Lindsey Vonn’s return, curling, and speed skating

    Update: Lindsey Vonn crashed during the women’s downhill skiing event Sunday and had to be airlifted out.

    Lindsey Vonn’s comeback story continues Sunday, where the 2010 gold medalist will hit the slopes in the women’s downhill skiing event, her first competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

    Women’s alpine skiing is scheduled to begin at 5:30 a.m. Philly time on USA Network, but will re-air on NBC around 9:20 a.m.

    Vonn, 41, underwent a partial knee replacement in April 2024, which rekindled hope of an Olympic return after retiring in 2019. She suffered another setback last month, when she ruptured her ACL skiing at the Alpine Ski World Cup in Switzerland.

    Skiing on one good knee didn’t seem to slow her down much Friday, where she successfully completed a 100-second training run without any issues … and posting the third-best time.

    In other Olympic action, U.S. mixed doubles curlers Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin will take on Estonia at 8:35 p.m. on USA Network. They’ll also face Sweden at 1:05 p.m., which will stream exclusively on Peacock (CNBC will re-air the match at 9 p.m.)

    There’s also speed skating, with American Casey Dawson expected to compete in the men’s 5,000 meter beginning at 10 a.m. on NBC. Dawson is coming off a World Cup win in Calgary, but he’ll face stiff competition in Norway’s Sander Eitrem, who set a new world record at the Speed Skating World Cup in Inzell, Germany, becoming the first skater to finish the 5,000 meter in under six minutes (5:58.52).

    Other competitions to watch Sunday include the men’s skiathlon at 6:45 a.m. on USA Network and NBC, the biathlon mixed relay at 8:45 a.m. on NBC, and the final run of the men’s luge at noon on USA Network.

    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 from 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.

    Sunday’s Olympic TV schedule

    U.S. speedskater Casey Dawson will hit the ice Sunday in the men’s 5,000 meter event.

    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
    • 7 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — men’s 10 kilometer skiathlon
    • 7:30 a.m.: Snowboarding — men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, finals
    • 8:45 a.m.: Biathlon — mixed 4×6 relay
    • 9:20 a.m.: Alpine skiing — women’s downhill
    • 10:15 a.m.: Speed skating — men’s 5,000 meter
    • 10:45 p.m.: Primetime Olympics coverage
    USA Network
    • 5:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — Women’s downhill
    • 8:30 a.m.: Curling — United States vs. Estonia, mixed doubles
    • 11 a.m.: Luge — men’s singles, run 3
    • 12:30 p.m.: Luge — men’s singles, final run
    • 1:30 p.m.: Figure skating — team pairs free skate
    • 2:45 p.m.: Figure skating — women’s free skate
    • 3:55 p.m.: Figure skating — men’s free skate
    • 5 p.m.: Hockey — Czechia vs Finland, women