KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With fireworks pop, pop, popping in the distance in all directions around Kaufman Stadium, the Phillies burst a few bombs in the air, too, Saturday night.
Just not from the usual sources.
Never mind that five players — nearly 20% of the roster — found out before the game that they will come home to play in Philly’s All-Star Game on July 14. It was the supporting cast — notably J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Jesús Luzardo — that lit up the Royals, 6-1, on the Fourth of July.
In winning for the 10th time in 14 games, the Phillies got homers from Realmuto, rookie Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Bohm. Luzardo rode his devastating sweeper to strike out nine batters in six solid innings.
It was a no-muss, no-fuss win for the Phillies, now 41-20 under interim manager Don Mattingly and 50-39 overall, still breathing down the neck of the Braves, who lead the division by three games.
“I feel like, if we’re going to be any good, we need to get contributions up and down,” Mattingly said. “It can’t always be Harp and Schwarb hitting homers and driving in a bunch of runs. It’s got to be the whole roster.”
Yes, and before Realmuto and Rincones — the seventh- and eighth-place hitters — launched back-to-back homers against Royals starter Michael Wacha in the fourth inning, Luzardo set the tone for the night.
In his second-to-last start before the All-Star break, Luzardo retired the first eight batters — five by strikeout — before yielding an infield single. He mixed four pitches but could’ve easily gotten by with only the sweeper, a pitch that he started throwing only before last season.
Luzardo threw a total of 95 pitches; 42 were sweepers, 15 of which generated swings and misses. And while he preyed on one of the worst offenses in baseball, it also continued a trend in which the sweeper has been more effective.
“I almost felt like I threw it so much that I forgot how to throw it,” Luzardo said. “But lately, I feel like the last five or six starts, it’s felt back to what it was and maybe even get better.”
Mattingly said it can be tough to differentiate Luzardo’s sweeper from his other pitches, including his changeup. If it’s difficult to tell from the dugout, imagine what it looks like in the batter’s box.
“It’s the angle with him,” Mattingly said. “It kind of gets into where you get pitches feeding off each other. The fastball sinks, and then the changeup, and then the sweeper, and it all starts feeding out of the window. It’s really effective.”
Said Royals manager Matt Quatraro: “It’s an elite pitch. You hope that he makes a mistake.”
The Royals finally scratched across a run in the fourth inning on Lane Thomas’ double and a two-out infield single from Nick Loftin.
By then, though, the Phillies already had a lead.
The Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto celebrates with Justin Crawford after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning.
The Phillies put pressure on Wacha by loading the bases with two out in the first inning but didn’t break through until Realmuto cracked a two-run homer in the fourth.
Rincones followed by hitting a cutter into the right-field bullpen to open a 3-0 lead.
Bohm teed off in the sixth inning with a leadoff homer. The Phillies kept tacking on. Trea Turner scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning before Bohm doubled and scored on Rincones’ single in the eighth.
Not mentioned: Schwarber, Harper, and Marsh, none of whom scored a run or drove one in. (Schwarber did, however, get three hits and reached base four times.)
The All-Stars brought the Phillies back from the sewer of a 9-19 start. And while the roster is top-heavy, the supporting actors have played a vital role in the surge under Mattingly.
“Obviously we wouldn’t be where we are today without all the guys that got nominated and picked to be All-Stars,” Luzardo said. “And I think we could have had a lot more, too. Selfishly, I think [Bryson] Stott, Bohm, [Zack Wheeler], obviously.
“But it is what it is. The guys that got picked, kudos to them. I’m really happy for them. It’s awesome to see.”
To recap: Wheeler disagreed with being taken out before completing the fifth inning Wednesday night in Citizens Bank Park, even though he gave up back-to-back-to-back two-out hits and matched his season-high with 104 pitches.
Mattingly said he spoke with Wheeler and offered the same explanation that he gave reporters, notably that he had the long-term interests of Wheeler and the overall rotation in mind.
“I don’t know,” Mattingly said. “I’m not sure. I mean, I’ve been through it. It’s not my first time I’m going through it with a guy that’s really good. They never want to come out. It’s the way it goes with those guys, right?”
Besides, Wheeler may have a new gripe. He wasn’t selected to the National League All-Star team Saturday night despite posting a 2.36 ERA in 13 starts, a remarkable recovery after having a rib removed last September to treat a compressed vein near his collarbone.
Wheeler is lined up to start the last game before the break, which makes him ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game. Mattingly wasn’t sure if that was the reason that Wheeler was omitted.
Phillies pitcher Brad Keller throws the baseball against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in Philadelphia.
Keller gets closer
Brad Keller gave up a two-run homer Friday night in a triple-A game in Rochester, N.Y., the reliever’s first game action since going on the injured list June 16 with right forearm tendinitis.
Despite the results, Mattingly said pitching coach Caleb Cotham was pleased when he watched video of Keller’s inning.
“He’s looking more at the process, what his delivery looks like, how it was coming out, how the ball’s spinning, all that kind of stuff,” Mattingly said. “And he was happy with it.”
Keller will pitch again Sunday in Rochester, according to Mattingly, after which the Phillies could decide to bring him back from the injured list.
The Phillies are relying on Keller as part of their late-inning bridge to closer Jhoan Duran. Keller overcame a rocky start and allowed three earned runs over 12⅔ innings in a span of 13 appearances before giving up three runs in the eighth inning June 13 in Milwaukee, his last appearance before being sidelined.
Overall, the 30-year-old righty has a 4.15 ERA in 31 appearances.
The Phillies optioned righty Alan Rangel to triple A after his start Thursday.
Rangel out, Banks in
With the fifth-starter spot coming up once more before the All-Star break — and not again until July 21 — the Phillies optioned righty Alan Rangel to triple A and recalled lefty Tanner Banks to get an extra arm in the bullpen.
Rangel replaced demoted Andrew Painter for three turns in the rotation. He appeared twice behind an opener and started once, posting a 3.46 ERA in 13 innings.
In his most recent start, Rangel sidestepped four walks in four scoreless innings in oppressive heat at home Thursday against the Pirates. As a “bulk” pitcher, he gave up one run in five innings June 22 in Washington and four runs in four innings June 27 in New York.
“It’s nothing that he’s done,” Mattingly said. “I mean, he threw the ball well, so we’re happy with the way he’s going. But it did give us a chance to get an extra [reliever].”
Mattingly said the Phillies will likely run a “true bullpen game” when the fifth-starter spot comes around Wednesday in Cincinnati, although it will be subject to how much the relievers are taxed over the next four games.
Banks began the season in the majors but was sent to triple A with a 5.86 ERA on June 18. In four games for Lehigh Valley, he allowed six runs (three earned) in 4⅓ innings for a 6.23 ERA.
Welcome to the Phillies family!
We've officially signed RHP Ho Hua as part of our 2026 International Signing Class pic.twitter.com/z945bQJehw
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) July 4, 2026
Extra bases
The Phillies traded low-A right-hander Ryan Degges to Cleveland for international bonus pool space, money that was allocated to signing 17-year-old Taiwanese right-hander Ho Hua for $500,000, according to a league source. In May, the Phillies made a similar move for bonus pool money to sign Chan-min Park, a 17-year-old right-hander from South Korea, for $1.205 million. … The Phillies signed veteran catcher Payton Henry to a minor-league contract and sent him to triple A. … Aaron Nola (3-5, 6.04 ERA) is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Sunday against Royals righty Luinder Avila (3-3, 5.40).
Soccer fans wearing red, white, and blue of all kinds braved triple-digit temperatures across Philadelphia on Saturday as the city hosted its sixth and final match of the FIFA World Cup at Philadelphia Stadium, better known as Lincoln Financial Field.
The round of 16 match between France and Paraguay added an international flair to the city’s semiquincentennial celebrations. Before the city launched its fireworks on Ben Franklin Parkway, fans stopped to watch Les Bleus beat Paraguay, 1-0, and advance to the quarterfinals.
The FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill Park closed after the first match of the day between Morocco and Canada, but people across the city found ways to take in the game with other soccer fans.
Fans take in pregame festivities before the start of Saturday’s FIFA World Cup finale in Philly between France and Paraguay.
Live from Independence Hall
FOX hosted its studio show from Independence National Historical Park, using Independence Hall as its backdrop.
Broadcaster Rob Stone sat alongside former U.S. men’s national team players Landon Donovan, Alexi Lalas, and Clint Dempsey for the show, which began at 11 a.m. and ended at 3:30 p.m.
Soccer fans and historical sightseers stood on the lawn across the street from Independence Hall as the show taped, chanting “U-S-A” and an occasional “E-A-G-L-E-S.”
Lots of folks out in front of Independence Hall taking in Fox’s World Cup desk show (and seeking autographs afterward)
Max Goldfarb, 27, stood in the crowd in front of the show’s cameras just before it ended in the afternoon. Once the show was over, Goldfarb got Clint Dempsey to sign a pack of FIFA World Cup stickers he purchased from a nearby convenience store.
Max Goldfarb poses in front of Independence Hall with a pack of FIFA World Cup stickers signed by former U.S. men’s national team striker Clint Dempsey.
Goldfarb wore a France T-shirt he bought when he saw Les Bleus take on Senegal at MetLife Stadium on June 16, but said he was planning on watching the team’s round of 16 matchup from his Center City apartment to escape the heat.
“It’s been cool seeing all the fans around, and the energy of the fourth in the city,” Goldfarb said.
A few hundred people watched France’s victory from the 700 block of South Street, which was closed to vehicle traffic for a watch party in front of Brauhaus Schmitz.
The German pub and restaurant set up a large LED screen at the end of the block with long, wooden tables in front of it.
A mix of people dressed in festive American colors and French kits attempted to beat the heat with umbrellas, cooling towels and personal fans, crowding into shady spots on the street. Brauhaus Schmitz set up a misting system in front of its storefront on South Street to try and keep its customers cool.
A few hundred folks are braving the heat on the 700 block of South Street to watch France-Paraguay in front of Brauhaus Schmitz
While most of the crowd watching the match were locals, two fans had traveled quite a distance to watch France’s win.
Alex Mar and Axel Pfeffer, natives of Essen, Germany, booked their plane tickets to Philadelphia, where Germany would have played its round of 16 match, before the Germans were upset by Paraguay in the round of 32 on Monday.
Mar and Pfeffer made the trip anyway, arriving to Philadelphia on Saturday. They made Brauhaus Schmitz their first stop after they learned they wouldn’t be able to see Rocky Statue due to the city’s planned Independence Day celebrations.
While they were disappointed to miss a chance to see their country play in the World Cup, the Germans plan on making the most of their trip. They intend to fly to Las Vegas after some more sightseeing in Philadelphia.
Axel Pfeffer (left) and Alex Mar (right) stand on South Street at Brauhaus Schmitz’s FIFA World Cup watch party.
Heat like Philadelphia experienced on Saturday is unusual for their home nation, but Mar and Pfeffer seemed unbothered by the temperatures.
“It’s hot, but [we] stay hydrated,” Mar said. “Get in some rooms with air-conditioning, and drink some beer.”
Fête for French Fans
A couple blocks down from Brauhaus Schmitz, French fans packed The Good King Tavern to watch their team advance past Paraguay. As it did for France’s win over Iraq last month, the restaurant opened its upstairs wine bar, Le Caveau, to help accommodate some of the crowd.
Jeff Minors was one France fan waiting to go upstairs before the game started. The Fairmount resident said he started cheering on the French after their run to the World Cup title in 1998, led by Thierry Henry.
Despite there being closer bars to watch the match at, Minors traveled to The Good King Tavern to watch alongside other French fans.
“We just really wanted to experience the French vibe and cheer on France at a French restaurant,” Minors said.
Jeff Minors (left) and Melissa Davis (right) wait to enter The Good King Tavern ahead of France’s match against Paraguay.
While the FIFA Fan Festival has brought more traffic and parking restrictions into his neighborhood, Minors said he was not bothered by the festivals’ presence.
Through the six matches Philadelphia has hosted, Minors said he appreciated the energy the tournament has brought into the city.
“I think it’s been great for the city,” Minors said. “It’s been, I think, really eye-opening for a lot of people who are visiting, how fun Philadelphia is.”
Marsh, the leading vote-getter among National League outfielders in the final phase of fan voting, will be joined on July 14 in Philadelphia by Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Cristopher Sánchez, and Duran. All but Harper were selected by their peers; Harper was named by commissioner Rob Manfred.
“It’s a dream come true,” Duran said after the Phillies’ 6-1 victory over the Royals. “I always wanted to be there, and it happened this year.”
Zack Wheeler, who has made a remarkable return from thoracic outlet syndrome, was notably not selected. Wheeler missed the season’s first four weeks. He’s also lined up to start the last game before the break, which would leave him unable to pitch in the All-Star Game.
Mattingly said he wasn’t sure if Wheeler’s unavailability led to the snub. But other pitchers who are scheduled to start the last game before the break were selected, including flamethrowing Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, and will likely be replaced.
Even without Wheeler, the five All-Stars will tie for the second-largest contingent in Phillies history. They had eight selections to the 2024 All-Star Game in Texas, though Wheeler chose not to attend and Ranger Suárez was injured.
Mattingly was looking forward to breaking the news to all five players, but especially Marsh and Duran, who are All-Stars for the first time.
“I think that first one is always special because it kind of like validates, ‘Hey, I’ve made it. I’ve been an All-Star,’” said Mattingly, selected to six All-Star games as a player and slated to be a coach on Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ National League staff this year. “It’s just huge.”
Brandon Marsh was selected to his first All-Star Game.
Of all the Phillies’ big names, the fans turned out in droves to vote for Marsh, who will become the first Phillies outfielder to start an All-Star Game since Raúl Ibañez in 2009.
Marsh, 28, entered Sunday fifth in the NL — and third among all major-league outfielders — with a .310 average. He had 15 doubles, 15 homers, and an .856 OPS, the continuation of a promising final four months last season. Since the beginning of May 2025, he was batting .309 with 25 homers and an .852 OPS in 702 plate appearances over 199 games.
In the first phase of fan voting, Marsh pulled in the second-most votes among NL outfielders and advanced to the final stage with the Dodgers’ Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández, the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II, and the Mets’ Juan Soto. Pages and Soto were also named starters.
Schwarber, 33, was runner-up to Shohei Ohtani in the fan voting but was a lock to be named on the players’ ballot. Aside from being immensely popular with his peers, Schwarber leads the majors in homers (30, entering play Sunday) and ranked fourth in the majors with a .943 OPS. It will be his fourth All-Star appearance, all but one coming with the Phillies.
Harper, 33, didn’t advance to the final round of fan voting after finishing behind the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman and Braves’ Matt Olson in the initial stage. But it wouldn’t have been an All-Star Game in Philadelphia without Harper, and his selection by Manfred was based as much on merit as reputation. Entering the weekend, the nine-time All-Star ranked 10th in the majors in OPS (.906) and was among only 15 players to reach the 20-homer mark.
“The longevity side of it with Harp — I think this is nine for him — I mean, it’s building to where you start getting those kind of guys that get 12-15,“ Mattingly said. ”Just the fact that he’s still continuing to play at that level is huge for me.”
Cristopher Sanchez was a lock for the NL pitching staff after going 50⅔ innings without allowing a run.
Sánchez, 29, was a lock for the NL pitching staff after going 50⅔ innings without allowing a run, the longest streak ever by a lefty and fifth-longest all-time.
The only question is whether Roberts will choose him to start the game.
Sánchez is lined up to start the second-to-last game before the break, on Saturday in Detroit, which Mattingly said could put him on track to pitch one inning on July 14.
Whether or not Sánchez starts the All-Star Game, Duran could close it, in which case, warm up the tarantulas on the right-field scoreboard.
“That would be crazy,” Duran said. “We never know. I always say I never say never because you never know.”
Jhoan Duran is having one of the best seasons ever by a Phillies reliever.
Duran, 28, is having one of the best seasons ever by a Phillies reliever with 45 strikeouts, six walks, a 1.52 ERA, and a league-leading 21 saves (in 22 chances) entering the weekend.
Surely, he knew the All-Star Game was a possibility.
“I wasn’t thinking too much about that,” Duran said. “My wife, yes. She was on top of that. I never put too much time on it mentally.”
Now that the All-Star rosters have been announced, the Home Run Derby field will begin to form. Schwarber and Harper said they would consider competing in the Derby if they were on the All-Star team.
When he was with the Nationals, Harper raised his hand for the Derby — and won it — in Washington in 2018. He said earlier this week that he’s undecided about doing it again.
“The last time I did it, I won. I said I’d never do it again,” Harper said. “So, we’ll see how I’m feeling. … Obviously, I know the fans want me to do it, so I’ll take that into account, but we’ll see how much pump, I guess, I have behind me going out there and doing it.”
Said Mattingly: “It doesn’t bother me. It’s set up a lot better now than it was before where it’s not a zillion swings.”
Three-quarters of the seats inside Lincoln Financial Field — er, Philadelphia Stadium — felt the blast of a late-afternoon sun before France and Paraguay kicked off their round of 16 showdown Saturday, the sixth and final World Cup game in the city.
Those weren’t rally towels swinging; they were the giveaway fans, and even those seated on the shaded west side of the stadium used them to try to cool off. Some in the sun left them unraveled and used them as a shade.
Philadelphia set a record Saturday, reaching 101 degrees or higher for the third consecutive day, according to the National Weather Service. The real-feel temperature on the field at kickoff was hotter than the 98 degrees FOX displayed on its television broadcast.
France celebrates after its defeat of Paraguay on a sweltering final day of FIFA World Cup action at Philadelphia Stadium.
The city shone during its three weeks in the world spotlight. Fans have packed the fan festival. The stadium has been full. But the games didn’t come and go without the weather being part of the story.
France’s first trip to Philadelphia, a June 22 group stage game vs. Iraq, featured a lengthy delay at halftime due to lightning from a storm that produced heavy downpours. The scheduled 15-minute break lasted more than two hours. Saturday’s game was played during a record-setting heat wave and kicked off with the threat of severe thunderstorms looming later Saturday night.
The World Cup won’t return to the U.S. until at least 2038. If Philadelphia is among the host cities, will the next version of Philadelphia Stadium have a roof?
France forward Kylian Mbappé walks off the field at the start of a two-plus hour rain delay at Philadelphia Stadium on June 22 for their game against Iraq.
‘I was a purist, but…’
Mount Laurel’sGraig Weidinger, who was tailgating with a group of friends outside the stadium Saturday, knows it’s probably inevitable that the home of the Eagles one day will have the ability to shield the playing field from weather. The team’s lease expires in 2032, and Jeffrey Lurie said earlier this year that the organization is going through “exploratory research” on the idea of a new or renovated stadium.
Many new stadiums and renovation projects in the NFL have included retractable roofs or domes. There are currently 10 NFL stadiums with roofs, and four more are on the way. The Eagles still are at least a year away from coming close to finalizing plans for their future, but data points like the weather during this World Cup could factor into decisions.
Weidinger said he previously was against the idea of the Eagles playing under a roof. He lamented a future where LeSean McCoy doesn’t dash through the snow for 217 yards in a snowy game vs. Detroit in 2013. Or a future where Saquon Barkley isn’t running through a snow globe-like scene pushing the Eagles to the NFC championship game two seasons ago.
“It gives you the memories,” Weidinger said. “You’re not going to have that.”
It is not just the cold that has recently impacted Eagles games. The 2025 season opener was delayed for more than an hour in the third quarter due to a thunderstorm.
“At first I was a purist, but now I’m giving in to the idea,” Weidinger said. “Now that the weather is so extreme each season.”
Eagles fans have long had to resist extreme elements; the question now is whether the rise of extreme heat and cold places more pressure to consider a roofed stadium in Philly.
There will be a faction of fans who strongly resist a roof. Football, they will say, is meant to be played outside. But the current stadium isn’t just a football stadium, and Lurie may have aspirations to make the future one capable of hosting more marquee events.
“For the city, with what they can do, you see the college playoffs going places, the Super Bowl,” Weidinger said. “If you’ve got a roof you can do it all.”
‘The best of both worlds’
By halftime, most of the field and more than half the seats inside the stadium were protected from the sun with shade. The real feel in the city was still 100 degrees when Kylian Mbappé scored his seventh goal of the tournament — and third in Philadelphia — on a 70th-minute penalty kick that gave France its eventual 1-0 win and a ticket to the quarterfinals.
This is the World Cup, and the announced sellout crowd of 68,324 paid a lot of money for tickets, so most of the seats in the sunny east side of the stadium were full. But there were empty seats visible on that side of the field, their owners likely watching from a shadier, cooler spot.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) scored the gamewinner on a sweltering afternoon at Philadelphia Stadium, where temperatures approached 100 degrees.
The fan experience, Lurie said in March at the annual league meeting, will be a priority for any future stadium or renovation.
“We’re so focused on fan amenities,” Lurie said. “To me, that’s the No. 1 thing. Just as a boy growing up, you want to have as best a fan experience. The rest is architecture, design, and where it ends up.”
The fan experience was on the minds of Kurt and Trish Neff as they drove to the stadium Saturday from Boothwyn.
Did they find themselves wishing they were driving to a stadium that was air-conditioned?
“Today, right now? Absolutely, yes,” Kurt said.
In that vein, Kurt said he “would be more likely to come to a game sitting in some warmth during the winter for a football game. Sometimes you’re thinking about selling your tickets in January or the end of December.”
Trish, a soccer coach, wanted to play devil’s advocate.
“The weather is part of a coach’s strategy for the game,” she said. “Whether it’s cold or hot, you might change your game plan depending on it. But for the fans, temperature control would be better.”
Perhaps stadium discussions can be like a healthy marriage. There’s always a chance for compromise.
SEATTLE — The players of the U.S. men’s World Cup squad came together from 13 states and homes in four nations abroad. The club teams they represent span 10 leagues around the world’s game.
They are not the same, in many ways. But they are American, and that never feels more true than on the Fourth of July.
This time, it isn’t just the nation’s Independence Day. It’s the first one since 1994 in which the U.S. men are active in a World Cup. And like that one, it happens to be on their own soil.
“It is special,” centerback and team captain Tim Ream said. “It’s double-special because it’s during the World Cup, and triple-special because it’s here in the U.S.”
It was a working holiday for Tim Ream (center) and the U.S. men’s soccer team.
The St. Louis native then made a point of highlighting his belief that the team’s diversity is a strength.
“We’ve said this: With all our different backgrounds, where we all have grown up, it’s a true representation of what America is,” he said. “It’s a melting pot of personalities, of characters, and, like I said, it’s a perfect representation of what the U.S. is and what it’s about.”
Ream has even seen manager Mauricio Pochettino, a fiercely proud Argentina native, embrace the national spirit.
“He’s obviously taken to the culture, and at the same time, has added his bit of culture to us as well,” Ream said, which makes Pochettino the latest of many Argentines to do that in this country. From players and coaches to broadcasters like Telemundo’s famed Andrés Cantor, the country has a long history of sharing its passion — and immigrants — with the U.S.
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino got to sample a classic piece of American culture by throwing out the first pitch at the Seattle Mariners baseball game on Friday.
“As he said after the first here in Seattle [the U.S.’s group stage win over Australia], he felt something with ‘Country Roads’ being played and blasted through the stadium [postgame],” Ream said. “The group is such a melting pot [with] staff, players, and, again, it’s just an incredible representation of who we are as people. But, yeah, he definitely won’t let us forget that he’s still Argentine at the end of the day.”
The 38-year-old Ream has experienced the holiday in multiple ways, too. When he played in England from 2012 to 2024, he spent some Fourths over there instead of over here. Then he returned to MLS to join Charlotte FC, where he’s now in his third season.
“It’s a little bit different celebrating here than over there,” he said. “A lot of people [in England] don’t actually know why we celebrate the Fourth, which is crazy to me because they were a big part of why we celebrate.”
That line drew a round of hearty laughs, even from the English media who have been following the U.S. team during the World Cup.
At the U.S.-Australia group game in Seattle, some fans brought a banner that read “IT’S CALLED SOCCER” to poke fun at England.
“The memories for me are just the typical standard: barbecue, enjoy time with family all day, fireworks in the evening, and just celebrating, obviously, what it means to have freedom, to have independence,” Ream said. “It doesn’t have to be this big, extravagant thing, but just acknowledging why we are a country, and how we became a country, and how we became independent is enough for any of us.”
There wasn’t going to be much extravagance for the team as it worked through the holiday. But there would be time in the evening to gather with friends and family and watch Seattle’s big fireworks show from a rooftop downtown.
Then they’ll be back at it, trying to give the nation one more festival in Monday’s round of 16 game against Belgium (8 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo).
“We are, as we all continue to say, very aware of the impact that we’re having around the country, the impact we’re having on generations of people and fans and supporters,” Ream said. “Aware, but it’s not something that is at the forefront of our thinking at the minute. It’s more the game, and what we have to do to continue to move on.”
They, along with a throng of fans, were entertained by a competitive three-on-three tournament. The squad led by Denver Barkey, who notched two goals in quick succession late in the game to snag the win from Jack Nesbitt and his crew, celebrated by lifting the trophy and banging the glass as they skated by the faithful.
Maksim Sokolovskii showed off some good hands during development camp, including his goal in the three-on-three tournament.
The tournament came less than 24 hours after a five-on-five scrimmage in which players also worked on power play for 10 minutes. Defenseman Luke Vlooswyk, who has five goals in 139 regular-season games in the Western Hockey League, scored the only power-play tally.
Team Brière defeated Team Jones, 4-3, in the scrimmage, after a 16-round shootout in which the very last skater, camp invitee Matthew Desiderio, scored and his team poured onto the ice.
Here’s what else we saw at Flyers development camp:
Orange, white, and boom
There were a lot of confused faces and comments after the Flyers drafted 6-foot-7, 238-pound defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii with the 27th pick in June’s draft. But when he stepped onto the ice in Voorhees, it was easy to see why assistant general manager Brent Flahr called him “a unicorn.”
Although he still is raw and needs to pump up the offense, the big man can skate. And the size is intimidating.
“Yeah, it’s terrible. He mauled me in practice,” defenseman Oliver Bonk, who is 6-2, said with a big grin.
“We were doing little keep-away drills, and I wasn’t ready for it. The first one, I just came up and, like, ‘OK, whatever, this is like a warm-up drill.’ And I go, and he just mauls me. He takes the puck away and … for like 1:30, I’m trying to chase this guy around, arms out.
“I got ready, and the next one, I kind of — I got back at him a little bit — protected the puck a little bit better. But, yeah, he’s going to be a really good player.”
The first 2½ days of on-ice activity at camp focused on power skating and skills. Director of player development Riley Armstrong and Flyers skating instructor Lindsay Tilley noticed Sokolovskii was turning his upper body too much during the skating-only drills.
“When your hips and your shoulders don’t stay in a square, it throws you all off balance,” Armstrong said.
But when they were working with pucks, the Kazakhstan-born, Russia-raised defenseman executed puck retrievals with some deception while keeping his feet moving. Although he had been off the ice for two weeks, there was a smoothness to his skating.
As the games went on in the scrimmage and tournament, he got more confident, especially offensively and with his skating. He used his footwork to get out of trouble and was so vocal on the ice that he could be heard on the perches for media. English is not his first language, but as his junior coach, Rick Steadman, told The Inquirer, as he got more comfortable with the language, his on-ice game ramped up.
Sokolovskii cut off 6-5 center Nesbitt along the end boards and crushed 2025 second-rounder Jack Murtagh, too. The blueliner cut off zone entries at five-on-five and showed craftiness with the puck across the ice. He scored in the three-on-three tournament — and chirped the opposition bench on the way past — and when he had a chance in the shootout on Thursday, there was a big “Awww” when he was stopped.
And the kid who turns 18 on July 12 was doing it all using someone else’s stick with a different blade pattern. It makes his camp even more impressive.
“He’s actually confident,” Flahr said Friday. “We tell him, ‘Just play your game, just go,’ and I think you watch him in drills, and some of the things he can do for a player that size, at his age, are impressive. … His physical tools are immense, and, for us, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Sometimes an afterthought when names like Barkey, Alex Bump, Porter Martone, and Nesbitt are mentioned, Cole Knuble, 22, put himself at the forefront this past week. The forward whom Flahr has called “one of my favorites” in the pipeline stood out for his aggressiveness, high hockey IQ, and vision, notably when he set up Bump for the game-tying goal for Team Jones.
“I can remember three years ago, right away, [he] had excellent hockey sense and has certainly rounded out his game over the years, and looks like he’s improved every time we get eyes on him,” said Patrick Sharp, a special adviser in hockey operations who works in development.
Knuble, who signed his entry-level contract and joined Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League after his junior season at Notre Dame, skated in seven games with the Phantoms, which included time at center.
He played down the middle during the five-on-five scrimmage and showed off his ability to be a gnat on the ice. He was everywhere, showing the improvement in his skating, and was a player the Flyers have said has a good motor.
“Growing up, I kind of realized, like, that’s the way I’m going to be able to make it, a guy that’s going to go [in] every battle,” Knuble said Monday. “I think, growing up, the emphasis was not goals or assists; it was always, ‘Did you win your 50-50s, and did you stick your nose in there?’”
That emphasis came from his dad, ex-NHLer Mike Knuble, who played five seasons with the Flyers: “He used to say, ‘If you have 12 eggs in your pockets, they should all be broken.’”
Forward Cole Knuble is the son of former Flyer Mike Knuble.
Let freedom ring
Carter Amico, 19, was held off the ice at last year’s development camp as he continued his recovery from a fractured patella that required two surgeries.
He said he still feels some of the aftereffects at times, but nothing concerning, and after splitting this past season between Boston University and Muskegon of the United States Hockey League — he’ll be returning to BU in the fall alongside Murtagh — he came to camp healthy and showed why the 2025 second-rounder is a top prospect for the Flyers.
“From a year ago to now, he’s just come a million miles. I thought it was a great decision, going back to [the USHL and to] Muskegon, with all the time lost, and they were great with him,” Flahr said of Amico, who also previously played for the U.S. National Team Development Program. “They played him a ton. He played in a lot of offensive situations, and they really freed him up. You can see the confidence, the size, the skating is all coming. To me, he’s got a tremendous upside.”
Carter Amico (58) skates during the Flyers Development Camp at the Flyers Training Center on Friday, July 3, 2026, in Philadelphia.
Watching his smooth skating this week, you wouldn’t know that he missed almost the entire 2024-25 season.
He used his body and size to attack offenses and get away from defenders, noting he worked last week with Sam Morin, an ex-Flyers defenseman who now is working in player development. Morin, who stands 6-6, an inch taller than Amico, dealt with severe knee injuries that ended his career. They focused on “accepting the contact instead of going away, talking about driving your legs into the guy, and separating and creating space,” Amico said.
Bonk, 21, to push for a job come September. The blueliner looked like a seasoned pro in the games against the prospects, which is why Flahr said, “I think he’ll challenge at camp.”
Brek Liske, 18, taken in the second round by the Flyers, showed why he is a versatile, all-around defenseman who needs to continue to work on his game. He can skate well — he made a nice spin move in the offensive zone — and play with confidence and smarts in his own end, with a nice poke check on Murtagh. But he did get fooled pretty well by Bonk as he put on the breaks at the half-wall in the full-ice scrimmage. “I think his strengths are his puck game, obviously the way he sees it. He’s mobile, he’s very confident, has swagger,” Flahr said. “… In order to handle box-outs and things down low and around the net, he’s going to have to get stronger, which he’s well aware of. He’s a hockey player, though, loves to play the game. He’s got some swagger.”
Flyers have liked Brek Liske’s poise and skating ability. He showed some of it here with a spin and shot.
Last year, Noah Powell, 21, was all about the boom. After getting some time with the Phantoms following the end of his season with Arizona State, he brought a well-rounded game to development camp. Powell, played confidently, showing off spin moves and smart passing, and was quick on the puck and with his release. “I think I want to really show more of my offensive side,” said Powell, mentioning he worked with assistant coach Terrence Wallin and Sharp on his shot. “I feel like I kind of got a good bearing in the physicality, the hitting, and the gritty side. … Something the coaches and I have talked about is being a little more calm. Sometimes, it’s hard to turn that switch off; you go from trying to hit guys to then try to make skill plays.”
The two Czech goalies — and childhood friends — selected in the 2026 draft, Marek Sklenička, 17, and Martin Psohlavec, 18, played well, with Psohlavec putting on a show in the five-on-five scrimmage. He had a rare shutout, showing off his ability to square up to shooters, read plays, and flash the leather. He was injured during the three-on-three tourney but mentioned that he was excited to be drafted by Philly because of the culture and, as someone who loves basketball, the 76ers.
The Flyers announced they have reached the end of their rebuild on Friday, when they tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson for five years and $90 million. The average annual value would be an NHL-record $18 million, at least for a while. Carlsson is a restricted free agent, so Anaheim has a week to match the offer. If they do not, the Flyers would send them their next four first-round draft picks as compensation.
Carlsson would fill the massive hole in the Flyers’ lineup at the first-line center spot that has existed since they traded Claude Giroux in March 2022 and announced the first real rebuild in franchise history. Coincidentally, Giroux, now a 38-year-old free agent, apparently is the consolation prize if the Ducks match the Carlsson offer.
This is a marked departure from the Flyers’ behavior since Danny Brière became general manager in March 2023. His moves have been conservative. His strategy has been patience. Brière, president Keith Jones, and governor Dan Hilferty have resisted adding pricey veterans and have moved on from aging players to allow younger players the ice time to blossom.
However, with every move, Brière has said:
“If something makes too much sense for the future of this organization, we’re going to take it.”
They took it.
They had to after this past season.
They discovered a franchise goalie, they saw their young core overachieve under first-year coach Rick Tocchet, they saw defenseman Travis Sanheim, 30, round into one of the best blueliners in the game, and they realized that their window was opening a year or two earlier than they expected.
They dabbled in discussions to add other completion pieces, but in the end, going all-in for a 21-year-old budding star in Carlsson just made too much sense.
They made the playoffs on the backs of some of those younger players, such as 21-year-old winger Matvei Michkov, in his second season, and 19-year-old winger Porter Martone, who joined the team straight from the NCAA Tournament, as well as the emergence of late-bloomer goalie Dan Vladař.
Then they beat the Pittsburgh Penguins on the backs of some of those same players and, again, Vladař. He just agreed to a five-year extension and will be under contract for the next six seasons. Tyson Foerster, a 24-year-old winger, also had a year left on his contract when, on Wednesday, he signed an eight-year, $56.8 million extension.
Leo Carlsson, 21, is one of the NHL’s top rising stars. Last year, he averaged just under a point per game for the Anaheim Ducks.
Now, the Flyers have offered Carlsson the moon.
Rebuild over.
This comes on the back of the Sixers’ surprise trade with the Celtics, in which Boston sent star swingman Jaylen Brown, 29, to Philly in exchange for broken-down Paul George, 36, and the crippling contract he carries, as well as two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
And don’t forget that the Eagles traded disgruntled franchise receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots last month.
Oh, yeah: LeBron James is considering signing with the Sixers, too.
Perplexingly, the news about Carlsson might have a larger impact than any of the others — and it could have the least impact as well.
Four firsts and $90 million is a massive overpayment for a player who, after three seasons, sits firmly in the second tier of NHL stars. But prying a restricted free agent from his team always requires overpayment, and that’s why it happens so seldom.
That said, Carlsson’s goals and points totals have steadily increased, though his 67 points last season were tied with three other players, including potential new teammate Trevor Zegras, for 57th in the league. The Flyers are banking on the ever-improving Carlsson, who possesses a tantalizing combination of size (6-foot-3, 208 pounds), speed, skill, and goal-scoring ability, growing into one of the league’s top players.
This (pending) move is sort of a bookend to the trade of Giroux to the Florida Panthers. Part of the return from that deal was cornerstone winger Owen Tippett and a third-round pick that became promising forward Denver Barkey.
More than anything, though, this move is a recognition that the Flyers believe they are much closer to winning their first title in five decades than they’d previously advertised.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere’s offer sheet sends a clear signal that he believes the Flyers can win now.
Between Vladař, Sanheim, 29-year-old All-Star wing Travis Konecny, and 33-year-old captain Sean Couturier, a former first-line center now serving as a fourth-line defensive specialist, the Flyers have a productive veteran core. Couturier has four years left on his deal. Konecny has seven years left.
What that means is there is a five- or six-year window in which the Flyers, scanning the landscape of the NHL, believe they can win it all. And, apparently, it just made too much sense to add Carlsson to this roster, regardless of the absurd price.
Less than 24 hours before Philadelphia Stadium (aka Lincoln Financial Field) celebrates America’s 250th birthday with the city’s final FIFA World Cup match, fighting fans made their way across the street to Xfinity Mobile Arena to celebrate a day early with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s Liberty Brawl.
Liberty Brawl, a fight card dedicated to the celebration of America, gave the fans in attendance early fireworks with seven knockouts, which resulted in a big night for Philly fighters.
Here’s everything you missed:
Local Philly fighters star
Eight local fighters decorated the BKFC Liberty Brawl card: Philly natives Maxiono Griffin, Johnny Garbarino, Cody Russell, Zedekiah Montanez, Matthew Turnbull, and Pat Sullivan, Levittown native Lex Ludlow, and Chester native Anthony Pagan.
“I’m a big Lex Ludlow guy,” said 37-year-old New Jersey native Michael Barbour. “He’s a good dude. He’s got a good story. We came to support Lex.
“I’m from Jersey, but I appreciate the energy at any event. So when the local guys come out, like Lex, [Johnny] Garbarino, seeing the crowd go wild, it’s awesome. Say what you want about Philly, they love their sports. They love their local guys, and they really support them. So, as a fight fan, I really appreciate that.”
All eight of the local fighters walked out victorious, including fan favorites Garbarino and Ludlow. Garbarino remained undefeated after defeating Mike Richman by unanimous decision, which led to some boos from the crowd.
Afterward, Garbarino revealed he couldn’t get the knockout after injuring his right hand.
Johnny Garbarino defeats Mike Richman by unanimous decision. Reveals he couldn’t get the knockout after injuring his right hand pic.twitter.com/IDhBWQ2nQy
Meanwhile, Ludlow stole the show — finishing his opponent in nine seconds before cutting a wrestling-inspired promo calling out Mike Perry and Darren Till.
The fight was over so quickly my phone didn’t even focus in time. 😬 Lex Ludlow ends things in nine seconds pic.twitter.com/mpD6foxMLt
On the precipice of Independence Day, Livi Pack, 16, and Maddox Hoefler, 16, wandered through the concourse in American flag overalls with their faces painted in stars and stripes.
“We wanted to do something that shows our pride in our country,” Hoefler said. “So, we decided to … paint our faces. Obviously, we’re not artists but we had a fun time doing it. We just love our country.”
Pack added: “It’s America’s 250th birthday. So we got to do our big one. I’m very American. I love to show my pride, even if politics are a mess right now. I’m still true to who I am. So I just wanted to do the most.”
For the country’s 250th birthday, it was only fitting that the card’s main event featured a USA vs. the United Kingdom matchup. Austin Trout, a Texas native and former World Boxing Association light middleweight champion, faced the U.K.’s Ben Bonner.
To get the crowd going, Trout made quite the entrance with a walkout inspired by Apollo’s entrance in Rocky IV. But he had some help from the Sixers Stixers and the tune of James Brown’s “Living in America,” before ultimately suffering a similar fate — getting knocked out in the second round.
Liberty Brawl was the promotion’s third event at Xfinity Mobile Arena — it made its debut at the stadium in January 2025 with KnuckleMania V, where it set a local modern day combat sports record with 17,762 people in attendance. Since then, it’s continued to bring Philly fight fans more action.
“I’ve been a fan of BKFC for a couple years now,” Pack said. “I went to Knucklemania last year, so I had to come back to Philly because everybody’s here. We got to support Cannoli. We got to support Brit. … I think the BKFC is absolutely amazing. I think it can be bigger than the UFC, no doubt. Dave Feldman, keep doing what you do. Thank you for putting on these amazing shows for us.”
The action in Philly continues next month when the UFC makes its highly anticipated return to the city for its first major championship event in the city in 15 years.
“The [UFC and BKFC] crowds are a little different. UFC fans are very hardcore,” Barbour said. “Bare knuckle people, people of Philly streets, will come here, and they’ll just fight people in the stands while they’re watching these fights. So that’s a big difference. UFC has some good fans, but there’s different types of caliber fans for Bare knuckle.”
Two title fights already have been announced — Islam Makhachev will defend his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry, and Mackenzie Dern will defend her women’s strawweight title for the first time against Gillian Robertson.
The last time the UFC was in town, there wasn’t a local fighter on the card, despite the city’s deep roster of talent, although Philly fighter-turned-broadcaster Paul Felder was in the booth. This time around, Eddie Alvarez, a former UFC champion and Kensington native, hopes it will be different.
“We need our hometown guys,” Alvarez said. “We need Sean Brady. We need Joe Pyfer. We need Pat Sabatini. We need Philadelphia’s best, Philadelphia’s own on those UFC cards. And, sadly they’re not. I don’t know why they do it that way, but they’re not. I don’t know if anybody Philadelphia homegrown is on that Aug. 15 card.”
BKFC made history on Friday night, hosting the promotion’s first one-round war, in which two fighters battle it out in one two-minute round. Chester’s Pagan walked out victorious over Zach Pannell.
Jaylen Brown loves attention, which is why he went on Twitch to talk about his feelings just hours after releasing a statement on social media expressing his feelings about being traded from the Celtics to the Sixers for a PED cheat and four speculative draft picks.
While Twitch-ing, or whatever it’s called, Brown got a phone call from the coworker who probably is happiest to have him aboard: VJ Edgecombe.
It was just 30 seconds of Gen Z acknowledgment and ego stroking, but there was a real vibe of Thank God you’re on my team so now I don’t have to play every minute of every game.
V.J. Edgecombe calls into Jaylen Brown’s stream. 🤣🤣🤣
"You on stream gang, it's JB…I know it's JB bruh. I got your number."
Call it Process 2.0, and understand that Edgecombe, properly nurtured, will be as important to its success as anyone.
That nurturing process got a lot smoother when the Celtics gave Brown away on Wednesday.
It could get even smoother if King James arrives.
On Thursday, LeBron James’ camp let it be known that he would consider playing next season in Philadelphia now that Brown has joined Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Edgecombe. The King, now 41, is hunting a fifth NBA title, and Philly has become a viable contender within the last few days, even though the Sixers currently can pay him only the veteran minimum, just under $4 million. This would be a $48 million pay cut from last season with the Lakers.
Don’t hold your breath.
As insane as landing LeBron would be, shedding a bad contract and landing a superstar is even nuttier. And fishier.
Something is amiss when the smartest organization in basketball gives away a top-10 player and asks in return for a broken-down PED cheater and two first-round picks that probably aren’t going to be that good anyway.
At any rate, the Celtics on Wednesday traded Brown, a five-time All-Star, who is 29, to the Sixers for Paul George, who is 36, and who has had just one good season since he was 29. The Sixers also sent first-round picks in 2028 and 2031 and two second-round picks to Boston. The most significant aspect of the deal is that it erased the worst contract in the history of the franchise; George has two more seasons left on a four-year, $211 million deal, and he hasn’t been worth one-tenth of it.
The move also made the Sixers an immediate NBA title contender, since Brown is everything the Sixers wanted George to be: a shot-creating athlete at all three levels who can play and defend multiple positions.
The deal also delivers an invaluable byproduct.
It gives Edgecombe time.
Time to develop.
Time to learn.
Time to rest.
Edgecombe not only led rookies at 35 minutes per game, he ranked 11th in the entire league and averaged the eighth-most minutes for a rookie guard in the last 17 seasons. As the Sixers dealt with injury absences of Joel Embiid as well as the early load-management strategies and the late PED suspension of George, Edgecombe proved himself too good to not protect.
“VJ is going to be a lot better in the long run with J.B. around,” said an NBA source who is intimately familiar with the 76ers. “At the end of last season, he was pretty worn out.”
Outside of a diminished three-point shooting percentage, the wear and tear didn’t really show up in his other raw stats. They dipped in the playoffs, but then, Embiid and George were back on the court for much of the late season and postseason. But his decision-making became errant, his shot selection more questionable, and he tended to disappear. He needed help that his big-money vets were not there to provide.
The absence of Paul George (8) had a trickle-down effect at times on VJ Edgecombe.
Combined, they missed 89 of 164 games, more than half. This has been the norm for both of them for the past few seasons.
Brown plays about 20 more games a season than Embiid and George.
That means that when Embiid misses his 30 or 35 games this season, Brown will be there to carry the load, whereas George was not.
That also means that when Embiid plays, Edgecombe will not have to serve as the second or third offensive option, using moves he shouldn’t be making and taking shots he shouldn’t be taking for at least another season or two. When the Sixers drafted him third overall, most projections cast him as a superior athlete with unlimited defensive potential but with limited plug-and-play offensive ability. He learned fast, averaged 16 points per game, and made the All-Rookie team, but, man, there were some ugly nights and some ugly shots.
Brown will also help Maxey get off his feet a little more. Maxey led the NBA at 38.0 minutes per game in an MVP-caliber season, but he wore down, too. Both were affected by the early injury absence of Jared McCain, and then by McCain’s exit at the trade deadline, as well as the lack of consistent contributions from guard Quentin Grimes.
Edgecombe and Brown don’t play the same position, exactly, but they will combine with Maxey, and possibly rookie Labaron Philon Jr., to manage the primary backcourt duties.
Brown will arrive motivated to make the best impression possible.
He’s in line for a two-year, $140 million extension that will put him under contract for the next five seasons. He will be a more focused defender and rebounder, play-make with more alacrity, and, inevitably, he will assume the role of mentor to Edgecombe that George served last year.
He said in Thursday‘s social media post that he was “Excited and disappointed at the same time” to be leaving Boston, where he won a title, and coming to the Sixers, who bounced him from the playoffs this spring.
It was delivered with Brown’s typical class and polish.
The Twitch stuff? Less classy, less polished, but just as real.
The Celtics, meanwhile, immediately started planting narratives about how zero-time All-Star guard Derrick White is a more valuable player than Brown. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst also reported that the Celtics, after consulting their analytics, considered it imperative to get backup center Mitchell Robinson off the court when they played the Knicks. Then, on Wednesday, they signed Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million deal.
No wonder the Sixers knocked them out in the first round.
There is always the possibility that this trade is not as lopsided as it seems. The Celtics certainly didn’t see the value in retaining a guy who can make more than $320 million if he’s offered an extension.
The pocket protector crowd loves to cite and manipulate undependable metrics that diminish Brown’s obvious talent, skill, value, and performance. They insist that his playmaking fluctuates, his defense is overrated, and his shot diet doesn’t regularly generate the most efficient looks for him or his teammates.
Remember, analytics is an industry, and it has to feed itself and convince its consumers of its necessity.
Therein lies an irony. As much as analytics have torpedoed the Sixers’ plans, execution, and hopes over the past 14 years of “The Process,” it appears that analytics now have delivered an unexpected reward — in the form of Jaylen Brown.
