Jill Biden, who grew up in Willow Grove, is a fervent Eagles fan and has never been shy about her passion for Philly sports. She’s talked about watching the Phillies with her dad, and in 2020, wore an Eagles shirt to a fundraiser with former Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith — as any “good Philly girl” would do.
Husband Joe, a Delawarean, hasn’t been so forthcoming about his allegiance; ahead of the ill-fated Super Bowl LVII, then-POTUS tweeted, “As your president, I’m not picking favorites. But as Jill Biden’s husband, fly Eagles, fly.”
Villanova took its lumps earlier this week when it traveled to Ann Arbor to face what is probably the best team in the country in second-ranked Michigan.
Duke Brennan’s night had to have been discouraging. The Wildcats’ senior center, who leads the nation in rebounding, scored five points on four shots and grabbed a season-low six rebounds. He had four fouls and two turnovers in 22 minutes. Michigan is big and athletic. Its center, Aday Mara, is 7-foot-3, five inches taller than Brennan. Villanova lost by 28, and was really never in the game.
But the Wildcats flew home from Michigan, landed around midnight on Tuesday night, took Wednesday off, and returned to the practice floor Thursday.
“You’ve got to bounce back, especially after bad losses,” Brennan said Saturday. “We had two great days of practice. That prepared us for the game.”
Villanova coach Kevin Willard concurred. He said the practices were strong, and he felt his team showed Saturday that it had let a tough loss go in the way it performed.
Brennan set a new career high with 24 points, and Bryce Lindsay also scored 24 as Villanova controlled the game and pulled away from Pittsburgh in the second half in a 79-61 victory.
From left, Villanova guard Acaden Lewis, forward Matt Hodge, and forward Duke Brennan celebrate as guard Bryce Lindsay is interviewed after the team’s 79-61 win against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
The Wildcats, who are in the top 50 in college basketball in three-pointers attempted, showed a balanced inside-outside attack in the process. Brennan wasn’t up against Mara, but Cameron Corhen was no slouch at 6-10, 235 pounds, averaging 14 points and nine rebounds heading into Saturday. Brennan had his way inside. He made all eight of his attempts from the floor and was 8-for-10 from the free-throw line, a positive development for the transfer from Grand Canyon, who entered Saturday having made just 52% of his free throws.
Brennan, who played a season-high 34 minutes, was active. The Wildcats used him as a screener and fed him when he rolled. Their guards executed dribble handoffs with Brennan and, because Brennan had it going, it freed up shooters like Lindsay, who was 4-for-11 from deep, and Matt Hodge, who made two of his four attempts from three-point range.
“I think Duke’s biggest strength is his energy, how hard he plays, his rebounding,” Willard said. “But when we can get him some points down low, I think it rewards him for how hard he plays throughout the game. It also keeps him involved and keeps him happy a little bit, to be honest with you
“I think the more we can get Duke involved in pick-and-rolls and get him on rolls, it just puts pressure on the weakside defense. When you have young guards and you have a team that hasn’t been together overly long, sometimes it just takes a little time to kind of know what works and what doesn’t work.”
Kevin Willard coaching Villanova during the second half against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
It is all clicking right now for Villanova, save for the 40-minute hell that is playing Michigan right now.
Freshman point guard Acaden Lewis kept his positive play going with 11 points and seven assists. He had just one turnover, and the Wildcats had just three on the day. They had 20 assists on 26 makes.
The performance needs to be put in the proper context, though. While Pitt may be a power-conference opponent, the Panthers have struggled so far in 2025. They dropped to 5-6 with Saturday’s loss, and they entered Saturday ranked 163rd in the NCAA’s NET rankings. That made Saturday’s victory of the Quad 4 variety for Villanova, which at least for now makes it as valuable come March as Villanova’s Nov. 11 victory over Sacred Heart.
Villanova is 8-2, and its best win, at least according to KenPom metrics, is Saturday’s victory over Pitt, which was ranked 118th after the game.
There’s something to be said for winning the games you’re supposed to. Villanova’s three-year NCAA Tournament drought is dotted with slip-ups. But it’s never too early to start looking ahead to March, especially with the Wildcats through 10 of their 11 nonconference games.
ESPN bracket master Joe Lunardi had Villanova as his first team out of the NCAA Tournament field as of Saturday morning before the Wildcats played a game that couldn’t help them by winning and could only hurt them by losing.
Villanova guard Acaden Lewis passes the ball against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Up next is Wisconsin, though. A victory over the Badgers in Milwaukee on Friday night would be Villanova’s only win outside of Quad 4 before Big East play starts. It would be a good feather in the cap of the Wildcats, who entered Saturday 37th in NET and were at No. 34 in KenPom after the win.
Big East play will be here soon enough — Dec. 23 to be exact, a road game at Willard’s old school, Seton Hall, which improved to 10-1 with a win over Rutgers on Saturday.
The Wildcats have essentially two bubble games next before the holiday break. They at least avoided a major blunder Saturday by handling Pitt, and their balanced attack, with Brennan’s scoring inside, should prove valuable moving forward.
ATLANTA — Paul George has been a bigger asset for the 76ers than folks envisioned at the beginning of the season.
His defense and ability to assert himself when needed have made up for subpar shooting. He’s also been a great leader. At the same time, the 6-foot-8 forward is fully aware that the Sixers are Tyrese Maxey’s team, and he’s OK with it.
The 35-year-old, who’s in his 16th NBA season, is determined to do whatever he can to support Maxey, who’s 10 years his junior, along with all of his teammates.
George’s No. 1 priority is helping his fourth-place squad ascend the Eastern Conference standings.
He’s sure to play a significant role in Sunday’s 6 p.m. game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. A victory would give the Sixers (14-10) five wins in six games since suffering a 142-134 double-overtime loss to the Hawks (14-12) on Nov. 30 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Yet, George comes with a lofty price tag, making $51.6 million this season. He’s scheduled to make $54.1 million next season. And at the age of 37, he’ll have a player option for $56.5 million for the 2027-28 campaign.
This type of contract is often reserved for foundational franchise players who are expected to dominate the league. It’s typically viewed as a bad investment for an aging and often-injured player who’s no longer the focal point.
That’s why the Sixers may have a decision to make ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Do they try to part ways with the nine-time All-Star as a way to free up cap space?
Or do they keep the older star, hoping that his leadership and ability to adapt will help them contend for a title?
Sixers forward Paul George dribbles the basketball against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 12.
Here’s the dilemma: Even though George’s contract is a cap-space killer, the Sixers need his adaptability, selflessness, and leadership more than people want to admit.
“He’s showing he’s a guy who can score and create his own shot — both from two and three,” coach Nick Nurse said. “Again, if he’s going to sneak in a few drives, which he had late [vs. the Indiana Pacers on Friday], it’s just going to make it all the tougher, if he can score on all three levels.”
With Maxey sidelined by illness, George assumed the role of point forward in the 115-105 home victory. He finished with season highs of 23 points and five assists, while logging a season-long 33 minutes, 7 seconds. This was just his ninth game after missing 14 with left knee injury management and another with a sprained right ankle.
“I thought he did a good job of just, again, settling things down,” Nurse said. “You know, he’s an experienced player. He’s got the ball in his hands, and, again, it comes down to making the right read. If there’s nothing there, you’ve got to go to work and score a big bucket.
George has looked pretty good more often than not when available this season.
But critics will point out that his field-goal percentage (41.8%) and three-point percentage (34.9%) were the second lowest of his career before Friday’s game. They’ll also mention that George’s updated scoring average of 15.1 is the fourth-lowest of his career.
But his performance against the Pacers (6-19) marked the third time he’s scored at least 20 points this season. He shot 8 of 17, including 4 of 7 three-pointers, which could be something to build on.
And if we’re sincere, George doesn’t need to carry that scoring load with Maxey being third in the league in scoring at 31.5 points per game.
George’s job is to make things easier for the explosive point guard, who’s an early-season MVP candidate. He knows that assignment changes game to game depending on what the team needs.
But he’s been most impactful running the Sixers’ offense in the half-court and providing solid defense.
Sixers forward Paul George drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson on Dec. 12.
Yet, George has proved that, when needed, he’s capable of providing a scoring spark.
Against the Bucks, he scored the Sixers’ first 11 points while making his first four shots. George scored the game’s first basket by driving through the lane and muscling his way to score. Then he added three-pointers on the Sixers’ next three possessions.
“That was kind of the mindset,” George said following that game. “I know these guys played last night. So I’m fresh. I tried to come in, get the boost, just morale on both ends. I tried to impose my will on the defense, and then come out with a burst offensively.”
Maxey took over from there, finishing with a career-high 54 points and nine assists.
But the point guard had a quiet game in the Sixers’ second meeting against Milwaukee.
Maxey had a season-low 12 points on 5-for-14 shooting in his team’s 116-101 road victory over the Bucks on Dec. 5.
Stepping up, George hit several clutch shots en route to finishing with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
With Milwaukee mounting a comeback, he hit two straight jumpers to give the Sixers a 101-87 cushion with 5:51 remaining. Then he grabbed a huge defensive rebound to ward off another comeback attempt with 2:52 left.
The California native took a lot of the pressure off Maxey by bringing the ball up the court and initiating the offense.
Sixers forward Paul George passes the basketball against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, December 12, 2025 in Philadelphia.
On Friday, George did one better while making sure things ran smoothly amid Maxey’s absence. That involved much more than his season-best individual performance. He was in constant communication with rookie guard VJ Edgecombe throughout the game.
“P helps me a lot,” Edgecombe said on Thursday. “That’s someone I have a good relationship with. So, he helps me a lot. Just telling me the little things. Just telling me the things he experienced as a rookie, but overall, we have a personal relationship outside of basketball. So, yeah, it’s good.”
When it comes to basketball, George wants Edgecombe to be himself regardless of the situation.
“That’s the main thing he’s been telling me,” Edgecombe said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s on the floor or [Joel Embiid’s] on the floor, Tyrese is on the floor, whoever’s on the floor, just be myself. He helps me with defensive tips. Just little things like that, anyway, I can get better.”
Critics have viewed George’s acquisition negatively because he has missed 56 games since the start of last season due to injuries. But he’s starting to make positive contributions.
And it is becoming evident that what he provides has been an asset to his mentees and to the team as a whole.
Will the Sixers be eager to replace that at the trade deadline if they’re still competitive?
The Sixers have moved up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings after the Orlando Magic’s loss to the New York Knicks. pic.twitter.com/xPWDQrQqdP
Bobby Brink was blunt about the Flyers’ 4-3 shootout loss to Carolina.
“We were pretty bad,” Brink said of the second period that saw the Flyers’ 2-0 lead evaporate Saturday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. “We just lost battles, didn’t support each other. Stopped taking it to them. Let them take it to us.”
The Flyers jumped out to an early lead in the first period. Brink scored the first goal of the game with a snipe off a Trevor Zegras zone entry, and Zegras capped off his excellent first period with a goal of his own, burying a feed from Konecny behind the net.
The Canes’ man-on-man coverage system is notoriously suffocating defensively, and the Flyers felt it in the second period, struggling to break the puck up the ice and generate any consistent offensive zone time.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak leaps over teammate right wing Bobby Brink’s first period goal past Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on Saturday.
Ty Murchison, playing his third game in place of the injured Cam York, turned the puck over on a breakout to former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere. He fired one quick pass to Nikolaj Ehlers, who sniped the puck over Samuel Ersson’s shoulder to put Carolina on the board. With just over five minutes to go in the period, Canes defenseman Alexander Nikishin tied it with a huge slap shot from the blue line.
“Carolina is a pressure team,” said Flyers coach Rick Tocchet. “You’ve got to go at them with pressure. I think we backed off. We started to stop skating. We need some wall play. If we made a couple wall plays, we would have had two or three three-on-ones, but Carolina puts a lot of pressure. I think they’re the worst team when it comes to odd-man rushes. So that’s when you really need to dig in.”
The Flyers improved a bit in the third period, but still struggled to get on the board.
“It was better than the second, but I don’t know, we’ve got to have a better effort than that,” Brink said.
Late in the third, Seth Jarvis snuck past the Flyers’ defense and easily tucked the puck in one-on-one against Ersson. That might’ve been just the kick the Flyers needed, because just 23 seconds later, Carl Grundströmtook advantage of a two-on-one opportunity and beat Pyotr Kochetkov to tie the game at three on just the Flyers’ second shot of the period.
Grundström was called up on Dec. 2 in place of the injured Tyson Foerster, and is on a three-game point streak, including the game-winner in San Jose and the game-tying goal against Carolina.
“He can skate, and he’s not afraid to get inside,” Tocchet said. “When you’re a player in the NHL and you can skate and you’re an inside player, you can pay the mortgage, that’s how you do it. I think that he wants to stay here. You can tell. What a couple of big goals for us so far.”
Forcing overtime on Saturday wasn’t enough for the Flyers, who fell in the shootout for the first time this season after five wins.
The Flyers’ three-on-three struggles continued, with their best chance coming off a two-on-one opportunity from Zegras and Konecny, but Zegras flubbed the pass, allowing Kochetkov to make an easy save, and Ersson made a strong save on Jordan Staal with just seconds to play.
Zegras had his first shootout miss of the year. Brink, Konecny, and Michkov also missed, and Jackson Blake won it for Carolina in the fourth round.
The Flyers won’t have much time to marinate in what went wrong, with another matchup against Carolina in Raleigh on the docket for Sunday night. They hope they can get another period like the first, and to avoid a repeat of the second.
“They were doing a good job of coming down on our wingers on the wall,” Zegras said. I thought in the D-zone, some faceoff stuff we’ve probably got to clean up. I think just build off that first period, because I thought we were doing some good stuff.”
Up next
The Flyers will play Carolina at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. The game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the fourth line’s struggles and lack of contributions in the goal column on the scoresheet.
Enter Carl Grundström.
Recalled on Dec. 2, after Tyson Foerster went down with an upper-body injury the night before against the Pittsburgh Penguins — he will be out for 2-3 months — the Swede sat patiently waiting for his turn to enter the lineup. It came on Dec. 9, and he made his case known with a sweet deflection goal — the game-winner — against the team the Flyers acquired him from, the San Jose Sharks.
Two nights later, against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights, he put pressure on defenseman Brayden McNabb, creating a turnover along the boards in the offensive zone. Seconds later, the puck was in the back of the net off a one-timer by defenseman Noah Juulsen to tie the game, 2-2, in the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime loss.
“I bring a lot of energy,” Grundström said on Saturday morning after the Flyers’ morning skate. “Feel like, try to play hard. Be direct.
“I think I’m bringing the game I want to bring. Obviously, I can probably do better, but it’s getting better and better, I feel like.”
In Voorhees, Grundström was back on the fourth line with Garnet Hathaway and Rodrigo Ābols. He’s started every game that way, but on Thursday, he was moved up to the third line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.
And his minutes have been inching up. He played 10 minutes, 17 seconds in his Flyers debut against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 8. That climbed to 12:41 on Thursday.
“Well, I think he’s an NHL player, so, honestly, a lot of credit to Danny getting him here, because he’s a guy that’s a depth guy,” coach Rick Tocchet said of the forward who was acquired in the deal that sent the Ryan Ellis contract west. “I think there’s some stuff he does that I really like, and you can tell he wants more. I like that. So, how we use him, there’s a lot of options for me.”
And how will Tocchet use the forward he saw play a bunch when the former was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks and the latter was a member of the Los Angeles Kings across six seasons and the Sharks?
“He’s a smart guy. He’s reliable. He can penalty kill,” said Tocchet of Grundström, who played on the penalty kill for 39 seconds against the Sharks and has 56 total seconds this season.
“When you have a guy, whether he plays fourth line or third line, whatever he plays, it’s good to have that guy who can penalty kill. You can get some minutes out of him. It’s not just top-heavy penalty killers and stuff. So I think we’re giving him a little bit more and more PK.”
Flyers right wing Carl Grundström (center) reaches after the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 11.
At even strength, Grundström brings a similar element to the fourth line as Nikita Grebenkin, 22, who was elevated to the third line when Foerster went down, but flip-flopped with him on Thursday. They both play tough on the wall and like to put pressure on the defense, although the 28-year-old Grundström has more NHL experience.
While it’s only been 9:24 of ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick, when the fourth line is on the ice with him, the Flyers have 54.55% of the Corsi For — with either Nic Deslauriers or Grebenkin it is below 50%. They also have 50% of the shots, 100% of the scoring chances (1-0) and, of course, the goal.
“Intangibles, a little confidence, too. Scoring, getting a goal, and then bringing the other attributes,” Hathaway said when asked about adding Grundström to the left wing.
“He’s relentless. I think you’ve seen on every shift. He helped create Jules’ goal the other night, with just battling inside the blue line, making a 50-50 puck ours, and staying on and holding on to pucks longer. I think that’s attributed to more [offensive]-zone time for us and getting chances after that.”
Breakaways
Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York will be on the four-game road trip that begins Sunday against the Hurricanes in Carolina (5 p.m., NBCSP). According to Tocchet, Ristolainen “is close to playing” and York is ready, adding, “whether he plays tomorrow or the next game, he’s close.” … Goalie Sam Ersson will start on Saturday in the first game of a home-and-home with the Hurricanes. Therefore, it is expected that Dan Vladař will play on Sunday. … The Flyers will have the same lineup, which means defenseman Ty Murchison will play his third NHL game.
Villanova advanced to the FCS semifinals for the first time since 2010 with a 26-21 comeback victory over Tarleton State on Saturday in Stephenville, Texas.
The visiting Wildcats played from behind throughout the first three quarters before taking down the fourth-seeded Texans, who entered Saturday’s contest boasting the No. 1 scoring offense in the FCS, averaging 44.1 points per game.
Villanova graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide passed for 180 yards and one touchdown, while freshman wide receiver Braden Reed was integral to the victory in multiple ways, including throwing a touchdown pass on a second-quarter trick play and catching the game-winning score on an 11-yard pass early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Ja’briel Mace led the ground attack, rushing for 151 yards and one touchdown on a team-high 18 carries.
Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide throws the ball on Saturday.
With the win, 12th-seeded Villanova (12-2) claimed its second straight upset and extended its playoff run, which already saw defeats of Harvard and No. 5 seed Lehigh in previous rounds. The Wildcats now ride an 11-game win streak into the semifinals in their most successful season since winning the 2009 national championship. They’ll host Illinois State (11-1) next Saturday night (7:30 p.m.).
“They’ve been doing it all year, so [I’m] really proud of this team,” coach Mark Ferrante said during a postgame interview on ESPN. “We probably had some teams in past years with a little more talent across the board, but these guys have been as together as I’ve ever seen. The locker room is tight, they break down [huddles] on ‘Family’ all the time, and they believe it. So, I’m real excited about these guys.”
Tarleton takes over early
Villanova found itself down early after a pair of costly turnovers. Tarleton (12-2) took full advantage and raced to a 14-0 lead on back-to-back drives.
A promising opening drive took a turn for the worst when McQuaide threw an interception in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 7-yard line. On the first play of Tarleton’s possession, Texans senior quarterback Victor Gabalis hit Peyton Kramer with a deep pass that went for an 80-yard touchdown.
On the ensuing possession, the Wildcats went three-and-out, before Tarleton blocked their punt, took over at the Villanova 12-yard line, and found itself back in the end zone six plays later.
BLOCK PARTY! 🎉
Omar Emmons’ blocked punt puts the Texans’ offense in prime position!
In the second quarter, Villanova began to respond to Tarleton’s early burst.
Graduate kicker Jack Barnum hit a 31-yard field goal, putting Villanova on the board to open the quarter.
On the first play of Tarleton’s next drive, Wildcats redshirt defensive back Anthony Hawkins picked off Gabalis and returned the ball to the Texans’ 45-yard line, setting up another scoring opportunity for Villanova, which wasted little time.
Two plays later, McQuaide handed the ball off to Reed, who launched it to graduate wide receiver Lucas Kopecky in the end zone for a 27-yard TD. The trick play was Reed’s first-ever pass in a game.
After the touchdown, Villanova trailed, 14-9 — thanks to a blocked extra-point attempt — with 11:20 left until halftime.
Villanova’s defense kept Tarleton out of the end zone throughout the second quarter and limited the Texans to 125 yards of total offense across the half. And before the break, the Wildcats were able to tack on a 41-yard field goal from Barnum to cut further into Tarleton’s lead.
Reed for the lead
The Texans opened the second half extending their advantage to 21-12 on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Gabalis to Trevon West.
After the Wildcats were limited to just 65 rushing yards in the first half, their ground game picked up in the third quarter. Mace started Villanova’s first drive of the half with a 21-yard run. On the next play, McQuaide again handed it off again to Mace, who sprinted 47 yards to the end zone.
The Wildcats took their first lead early in the fourth quarter on a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Mace again helped Villanova advance downfield with six carries on the drive, including a 26-yard run. McQuaide then found Reed in the end zone from 11 yards out to set the final score, 26-21.
It was Reed’s second game-winner of the playoffs, after he also caught the final touchdown against Lehigh last Saturday.
The Wildcats made key stops down the stretch, surviving several late-game scares. On Tarleton’s final drive, Villanova was charged with holding and unsportsmanlike conduct on the same play, advancing the Texans 25 yards downfield to Villanova’s 27-yard line. Tarleton got inside the red zone, with a first-and 10 from the 15, but Ferrante’s defense held strong.
On fourth-and-6 from the 11, following the two-minute warning, Gabalis appeared to have a running lane to pick up a first down, but instead found West in the left side of the end zone for what initially appeared to be the go-ahead score. But after review, officials concluded that West’s right foot landed just out of bounds, while his trailing left foot never touched down in bounds.
Wow! This go ahead TD for Tarleton State inside 2 minutes in 4th & 6 was originally ruled a catch, but overturned as incomplete. pic.twitter.com/bbGzx4YCSM
“Well, you know, because you asked me earlier, the whole ‘Tap The Rock’ mentality,” Ferrante said on the field after the game, before getting emotional. “You know, be resilient, persevere no matter what’s happening, and our guys do that. I’m really proud of this group.”
Off to the semis
Villanova faces Illinois State, who beat No. 8 seed University of California Davis, 42-31, on Saturday night.
The Wildcats will have another home game at Villanova Stadium in the semifinal round next weekend.
Villanova celebrates with its fans after defeating Tarleton State, 26-21, on Saturday.
The Galaxy will send the Union up to $2.2 million in general allocation money for Jakob Glesnes, the Union announced Monday. Los Angeles will also acquire the homegrown rights to Union academy forward Jamir Johnson in the trade, which was first reported by The Athletic on Saturday.
Half of the general allocation money is guaranteed, while the other half is depends on how Glesnes performs with his new club. The Union are guaranteed $500,000 in 2026 and $600,000 in 2027. The Union did not disclose what metrics Glesnes needs to meet with the Galaxy to send up to $1.1 million in additional money to the Union. The Union will also receive a sell-on percentage for any future transactions the Galaxy make involving Johnson.
🚨🇳🇴 BREAKING: The LA Galaxy are closing in on a blockbuster deal to acquire former MLS Defender of the Year Jakob Glesnes from the Philadelphia Union, per sources.
Glesnes was the cornerstone of the Union’s back line this season, pairing with breakout star Olwethu Makhanya to lead the league’s stingiest defense. The Union conceded 35 goals, fewest in MLS, on their way to winning the 2025 Supporters’ Shield. Glesnes signed a contract extension in August, guaranteeing his deal through 2027, with an option for 2028.
The Norwegian center back joined the Union from Norway’s Strømsgodset in 2020. Glesnes, 31, made 209 starts across all competitions in six seasons with the Union. He has been an MLS All-Star in each of the last three seasons and finished second in the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year vote behind Vancouver’s Tristan Blackmon.
Union’s Jakob Glesnes defends Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi during a game earlier this season.
Johnson, 17, logged two goals and an assist in 12 games this season with MLS Next Pro’s Union II. He also played alongside Union teammate Cavan Sullivan for the U.S. under-17 men’s national team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.
The Union have been active in the transfer market since they were knocked out of the playoffs by New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals. With sporting director Ernst Tanner still on administrative leave while he’s investigated for alleged misconduct by the league, the Union have signed forward Ezekiel Alladoh for a club-record $4.5 million fee. They also are in the process of sending last season’s leading goal scorer, Baribo, to D.C. for $4 million, as reported by The Athletic on Friday.
The Galaxy finished second-to-last in the Western Conference last season, but are only a season removed from winning the MLS Cup. Glesnes would be a key piece for a team looking to bounce back from a down year. The Union are not scheduled to face the Galaxy in the 2026 regular season.
The Union will begin their 2026 campaign with a match against Defense Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago in Concacaf Champions Cup play on Feb. 18 in Trinidad, with a return leg set for Feb. 26 in Chester. The club’s MLS season begins on Feb. 21 with a match at D.C. United. It will open its home schedule on March 1 against New York City FC.
Former New Hampshire head coach and standout quarterback Rick Santos will serve as the next head coach of Penn football, the university’s athletic department said Saturday in a release.
Santos will be introduced to the Penn community during a news conference at Franklin field on Tuesday — marking the start of a new era for Quakers football.
“I am incredibly excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead the football program at the University of Pennsylvania,” Santos said in a statement. “Penn represents excellence at the highest level — academically, athletically, and institutionally — and I am grateful for the trust placed in me to steward such a proud and prestigious program. … I cannot wait to begin this next chapter and fully embrace the Penn football community.”
Santos takes over for Ray Priore, who announced last month that he would be stepping down after 39 years with the program. Priore led the Quakers for over a decade as head coach, and was an associate head coach for a decade prior. He originally joined the staff in 1987 as the team’s assistant linebacker coach and was a part of 12 Ivy League championships, including two as head coach (2015, 2016).
In five seasons as head coach at New Hampshire, Santos led the team to a 37-24 overall record, going 28-12 in the Coastal Athletic Association en route to three FCS playoff bids.
In his first year as a full-time head coach in 2022, the Norwood, Mass., native earned the program a share of the CAA conference title while taking the team to the second round of the FCS playoffs — and earning the CAA Coach of the Year award after finishing the season ranked No. 15 in the nation.
“We are thrilled to welcome a high-energy, dynamic leader in Rick Santos as the next head coach of Penn Football,” said Alanna Wren, Penn’s Director of Athletics and Recreation. “He is a proven winner, taking New Hampshire to multiple NCAA FCS playoff appearances, and is considered one of the best players in FCS history as a former Walter Payton Award winner. I am confident Rick will have Penn competing for Ivy League championships and postseason appearances in the near future.”
Penn has hired former New Hampshire coach Rick Santos as the next leader of the Quakers.
Santos spent the majority of his coaching career at UNH, with the team rising to No. 1 in national rankings when Santos was the wide receivers coach from 2013-2015. From 2016-2018, he had a brief stint with Columbia under former Penn head coach Al Bagnoli before returning to UNH as an associate head coach in 2019.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the University of New Hampshire, a place that has truly been home to me in every sense of the word,” Santos said. “From my time as a student-athlete, to serving as an assistant coach, and ultimately having the honor of leading the program as head coach, UNH has shaped me both professionally and personally.”
As a player, Santos is “widely regarded as one of the greatest players in FCS history,” according to Penn’s announcement. A four-year starter from 2004-2007, Santos became a three-time all-American, two-time Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year, a CAA co-offensive player of the year, as well as a Walter Payton Award winner in 2006.
Former New Hampshire quarterback Rick Santos is the new head coach at Penn.
The former Wildcat led his team to four straight FCS playoff appearances with a 37-14 career record, winning an Atlantic 10 championship and finishing ranked No. 1 nationally in 2005. In 2007, Santos became the fourth ever Wildcat to see his jersey retired, finishing his career leading the program in passing yards (12,189), completions (1,024), and passing attempts (1,498).
He went undrafted in 2008 and had a short stint with the Kansas City Chiefs before playing in the Canadian Football League.
“I will forever be grateful to the Wildcat family — our players, staff, alumni, and supporters — for the unwavering support, trust, and belief they showed in me and my family,” Santos added. “The relationships built and the memories created in Durham will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Joel Embiid grabbed the offensive rebound and, before tumbling to the floor, muscled the put-back through contact and into the basket.
And as the 76ers’ center stepped to the line to shoot the and-1 free throw, faint “M-V-P!” chants resurfaced inside Xfinity Mobile Arena.
That conversion highlighted Embiid’s best game of the season — 39 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in Friday’s 115-105 win over the Indiana Pacers — when his team needed the boost while playing without ill star guard Tyrese Maxey. The big man’s first 30-point outing in nearly a calendar year also served as a flashback to the player he used to be, before multiple knee surgeries curtailed his dominance on both ends of the floor.
And a reminder of the player he can still be, at least every now and then?
“I feel like I can do it,” Embiid said from his locker after the game. “I think the dynamics [are] obviously different, at times. I want to play more as a team, so making sure everybody’s involved. If someone has to sacrifice, I will. But in some occasions, when I’ve got it going or nights like tonight, it’s going to happen.
“I don’t expect having to do this when everybody’s healthy. But I will if I have to.”
Embiid reacts after scoring three of his 39 points against the Pacers.
Embiid’s outburst came in his 10th appearance of an early season that already has been interrupted by scheduled missed games and a three-week absence due to a right (not left) knee issue. It also occurred after one of the worst shooting performances of his fabulous career, going 4 of 21 during Sunday’s loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Embiid shrugged that dud off in the immediate aftermath. Then, he utilized a rare four days between games to generate rhythm through team practices and individual workouts. The break also allowed a previously undisclosed finger issue that may have affected his shooting to heal, Embiid said during Friday’s postgame media session.
“Obviously, it’s easier to be consistent when everything is going well physically,” said Embiid.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse, meanwhile, added a “couple little wrinkles” to foster a variety of Embiid scoring avenues that the coach is “always trying to continue to seek,” he said.
Friday night, that manifested in post-ups from both blocks. And in pick-and-roll actions in the middle and on the side of the floor. And in Embiid directing teammates such as Dominick Barlow to cuts for easy dunks. And in Embiid driving to draw fouls — and 13 free-throw makes — with an aggressiveness that signals the center is at his best, Nurse said.
“It came in a lot of different schemes [that the Pacers] threw at him,” Nurse said of Embiid’s performance Friday. “And I thought he read the different stuff pretty good most of the night.”
VJ Edgcombe started at point guard Friday with Tyrese Maxey out.
Embiid’s presence also helped unleash rookie VJ Edgecombe, who scored 14 of his 20 points in the first quarter while filling in for Maxey as the starting point guard. Embiid then amassed 15 points of his own in the second frame, including a step-back three-pointer that snapped a streak of 17 consecutive long-range misses.
During the third quarter, Embiid spun and scored early in the frame and later finished an off-balance and-1. And he complemented the Sixers’ stout down-the-stretch defense by sinking a baseline fadeaway jumper with less than a minute remaining, putting his team up by 10 points and earning a slap on the backside from Nurse.
Perhaps nobody was happier to see this version of Embiid resurface than Maxey, who entered Friday ranked third in the NBA in scoring (31.5 points per game) and first in minutes played (39.9 per game). During the game, Maxey posted “GOOD PROCESS!!” on X, then fielded a postgame phone call from his teammate and close friend.
Embiid also was spotted chopping it up with Edgecombe and Jared McCain in the postgame locker room, evidence of the connections forming during the Sixers’ 14-10 start.
“I won’t lie,” Embiid said. “Last year, I wasn’t happy all the time coming to work because of everything that was going on, whether it was on and off the court. This year, it’s a little different. I’ve got a great group of guys. I’m happier coming in here.”
Following a lengthy postgame treatment session, Embiid said his body feels “great” after playing a season-high 32 minutes. The real test, as always, will be how both knees respond Saturday morning. He reiterated the plan remains for him to take two days off between games, which means it would require at least a conversation in order for Embiid to be cleared to play Sunday at the Atlanta Hawks.
“It’s up to them,” said Embiid, adding he was “consistently pushing” his body during the four days leading up to Friday’s game. “If I can, I’ll fight for it. If I can, I’ll play. But if I’m not allowed or if I can’t, then it is what it is.”
But when the Sixers needed a boost from their former MVP while playing without Maxey for the first time this season, Embiid dropped a reminder of who he used to be.
And can still be, at least occasionally?
“People don’t understand how much work he does,” teammate Paul George said of Embiid, “ … when it comes to taking care of his body and trying to do whatever it takes to get on the floor and be available for us.
“Just happy that it showed out, [that he] got back to his usual self.”
The Eagles host the Las Vegas Raiders in a Week 15 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. Here’s what you need to know about the game:
When the Eagles have the ball: No defense in the NFL stacks the box as much as the Raiders, and it’s not close. Their 50.5% stacked box rate is 13% higher than the next team. What’s that mean for the Eagles? It’s pretty obvious, considering the success other defenses have had concentrating their efforts on stopping Saquon Barkley and the run game, and how Jalen Hurts has performed as a passer — especially over the last five games. If Las Vegas is going to stay in base personnel a lot, it’s imperative that Hurts and Co. use light numbers in the secondary to their advantage. And stop running into heavy fronts on first down! That said, I think Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo will have ample amount of short passing concepts to rebuild Hurts’ confidence after his five-turnover performance vs. the Chargers.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history, but his scheme hasn’t evolved as much as it should to counter modern offenses. He doesn’t have his safeties disguise pre-snap or rotate post-snap as much as they should, and his zone coverages lack matchup principles. Hurts should have chances to throw downfield vs. single-high looks, particularly Carroll’s preferred Cover 3. Post safety Isaiah Pola-Mao is no Earl Thomas — Carroll’s linchpin when he was with the Seahawks. Pola-Mao has a 20.3 missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus, and has allowed five touchdowns through the air. Carroll has a capable box safety in the Kam Chancellor role: Jeremy Chinn. He’s played more often on the line as the season has progressed. He also has another former safety in quasi-linebacker Jamal Adams to compensate for playing more base.
I like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against most cornerbacks, but Carroll doesn’t have Eric Stokes and Darien Porter on islands much. Hurts is likely to see a lot of zone again. Can the Eagles build off the middle-of-the-field concepts that produced chunk yards in Los Angeles? The disparate numbers between shotgun and under-center runs suggest Sirianni and Patullo should lean more into the latter, especially considering how it’s set up play-action passes. Hurts completed both play-action throws for 48 yards vs. the Chargers. Let’s see more of that. The Raiders’ Devin White, who was briefly with the Eagles last season, would be the second-level linebacker I’d target in the pass game.
Maxx Crosby (98) is banged up coming into the Eagles game, but the Birds will likely have to account for him.
If there’s one guy who can wreck the Eagles’ game plan, it’s Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Maybe I buried the lede with Fred Johnson starting in place of right tackle Lane Johnson for a fourth straight game. Crosby will line up over Fred Johnson most of the time. He has nine sacks and 18 quarterback hits this season. But with no one else of comparable talent up front, the Eagles should help Johnson enough to keep Crosby at bay. Crosby’s also banged up with knee and shoulder injuries, and no D-lineman has played more snaps (759) in the NFL this season. He was a full participant in practice on Friday.
When the Raiders have the ball: This will likely be the worst offense the Eagles have faced this season. The only variable that could hinder their chances is the new guy under center: Kenny Pickett. You may laugh, but injured starter Geno Smith is ahead of only Titans rookie Cam Ward in total expected points added (EPA) among quarterbacks. Pickett’s become a backup for good reason, but he also has 16 career wins as a starter, including the division clincher for the Eagles last season. In Smith’s defense, he’s played behind a bad offensive line and has few receivers who can get consistent separation. Tre Tucker (46 catches for 574 yards and five touchdowns) is his best downfield threat.
Old friend Kenny Pickett will try to extend the Eagles’ misery on Sunday.
Brock Bowers is easily the Raiders’ best skill position player. The tight end will fall short of his record-setting rookie season when he caught 112 passes for 1,194 yards, but he has 53 grabs for 619 yards despite missing three games and is on target for another solid campaign. He also has six touchdowns and will be Pickett’s best red-zone option. The Eagles have held tight ends to a league-low 428 receiving yards this season. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will use a combination of Cooper DeJean, Zack Baun, and Reed Blankenship — plus some bracketing — to contain Bowers.
As long as the Eagles are consistently out of third-and-short, I fail to see Las Vegas having much chance to put up points. The Raiders have been unable to do much on the ground for most of the season. Running back Ashton Jeanty averages just 3.5 yards a carry. It’s hardly the rookie’s fault his offense is last in the league in EPA/rush. The Raiders’ offensive line has been lacking at least one above-average blocker since left tackle Kolton Miller suffered an injury in Week 4. His possible return could offset an Eagles pass rush that has gotten better since the arrival of outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, but I see a repeat of what happened against a patchwork Chargers O-line.
Could Sunday bring a shutout opportunity for Vic Fangio’s defense?
Extra point: The Eagles are double-digit favorites (12½ points) for the first time this season — a telling number considering how poor their offense has been since the Week 9 bye. Of course, the spread has as much to do with the Raiders incompetency as it does the Birds’ recent struggles. This is as close to an ideal get-back opportunity as Hurts and the offense could have at this stage of the season. Las Vegas has a decent defense and I suspect all the problems on that side of the ball won’t be solved. But you can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score points, and an Eagles’ shutout is in play. Really.
Weather will be a factor. There might be some snow showers, but 15-25 mph winds will be more the concern. Hurts and kicker Jake Elliott have struggled at times in bad weather games, but also in pristine conditions. I anticipate an outcome that will end up a nothingburger — the Eagles win behind their defense with the offense not performing well enough to satisfy most. Chip Kelly’s expected return to Philly would have brought some drama to the proceedings, but he was fired as Raiders offensive coordinator last month. We now just have “Pickett’s Charge” to write about. I foresee an end similar to that of the Confederate army.
