The Phillies are preparing to turn over the keys to center field in 2026 to prospect Justin Crawford. After working with Crawford last season, triple-A Lehigh Valley hitting coach Adam Lind sits down with “Phillies Extra” to discuss the touted 22-year-old’s readiness for the majors, as well as other prominent players in the Phillies organization. Watch here.
Category: Sports
Sports news, scores, and analysis
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Potential Eagles coaching changes, Jalen Hurts’ evolving style, and what else the national media is saying
If someone told you 18 weeks ago that the Eagles would be kicking off the playoffs at home with a healthy roster, you probably would have been quite excited.
On the other hand, if you read and listened to what the national media has said about the team’s rocky road, you might be less cheerful.
As the team prepares for its wild-card matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday (4:30 p.m., Fox29), here’s a look at some of the recent chatter surrounding the Birds, from their evolving run game to the current revolving door of NFL head coaches — and how that could impact Philly …
Hurts, by design
There has probably been a time while watching the Eagles this season when you’ve wondered where some of those great play calls from last season went.
A significant piece missing from the playbook, and one many fans have been clamoring to see deployed more, is designed runs for Jalen Hurts. The fifth-year quarterback posted career lows in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2025, with 45 fewer rushing attempts than last year.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Eagles have been working toward increasing Hurts’ rushing attempts just in time to face a 49ers defense dealing with a number of injuries to its linebacker unit. Veterans Eric Kendricks and Kyzir White (a former Eagle) could start Sunday.
“The Eagles have quietly expanded Hurts’ rushing volume in recent weeks,” Barnwell wrote. “With the offense seemingly picking up one third-and-long per game with a quarterback draw. Leaving sneaks, scrambles and kneels aside, Hurts had just 10 designed runs through Week 10. The Eagles then gave him 17 designed runs over the next six games, yielding 100 yards and seven first downs. After a week of rest and with the stakes raised, I would expect to see more Hurts in the QB run game, which adds another efficient play to the offense and helps make life easier for Barkley.”
Nick Sirianni has the best winning percentage and third most wins of any coach in Eagles franchise history. The NFL’s coaching carousel
This week, including Black Monday, saw several NFL head coaches fired. Mike McDaniel and Kevin Stefanski, excused from their duties with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, respectively, headline a lengthy list of talented play callers, but no name looms quite as large as John Harbaugh.
Let go on Tuesday after 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh, the former Super Bowl winner and AP Coach of the Year, will be a hot commodity.
Nick Wright, host of Fox Sports’ First Things First, believes that if the Eagles struggle Sunday, Howie Roseman could boot Sirianni for a chance at landing the newly single Harbaugh.
“If Philly loses in bad fashion, I think that is the exact type of perfect fit for Harbaugh,” Wright said. “Harbaugh, I don’t want to say he’s not a schematics guy, but he’s not an offensive coordinator or a defensive coordinator, he’s a culture CEO head coach. Howie Roseman wants to pick the coordinators anyway. He’s not going to be in the offensive game plan the way some of these young, brilliant head coaches would want to be as it is. We have seen them be very bold with championship-caliber and championship-winning head coaches.”
“I do think Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman are the type of people that will say, ‘Is he better?’” Wright finished. “If we can get the guy who’s better, shouldn’t we do that? I just think they are fearless in that.”
If firing Sirianni a year after winning the Super Bowl for a coach that last saw playoff success during the Barack Obama presidential administration sounds ludicrous, just remember that Wright is the same guy who picked the Chiefs to three-peat and said the Eagles had a “Jalen Hurts problem.”
Kevin Patullo is in his first season as the Eagles offensive coordinator. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also believes a coaching shakeup may be in Philadelphia’s future, with many around the league questioning Kevin Patullo’s job security after a difficult year as the Birds’ play caller.
“Some around the league are wondering about the future of Kevin Patullo because of the offense’s struggles,” Fowler wrote. “Patullo has clout in Philadelphia because of his strong relationships with key players and a long-standing position as a Nick Sirianni confidant. The offensive line’s quality of play has certainly not been the same as last year’s, which is bad timing for Patullo. The offense ranks 24th in yards per game, which is tough considering the overall talent of the group.”
Patullo might not be the only assistant coach on his way out, with Fowler also reporting that certain defensive coaches might have earned themselves a promotion elsewhere.
“Additionally, defensive backs coach Christian Parker should be in the mix on the coordinator carousel,” Fowler wrote. “Teams are intrigued by him. And defensive line coach Clint Hurtt has coordinator experience and has helped in developing DTs Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, which could lead to opportunities elsewhere.”
Resting was the right decision?
The Eagles’ offense has been the team’s biggest question mark throughout the season. So when Sirianni announced that the team’s offensive starters would sit out the Eagles’ Week 18 matchup vs. the Commanders, it drew plenty of criticism — especially with the No. 2 seed still on the line.
Following the team’s 24-17 loss to the Josh Johnson-led Commanders, criticism intensified even further, but not in the mind of Hall of Fame quarterback and two-time MVP Kurt Warner. Speaking on ESPN’s The Rich Eisen Show, Warner explained his belief that, despite the offense’s inadequacies, fewer reps and more rest was the right way to go.
“Sometimes it pays such huge dividends early in the playoffs when you get a chance to rest and recover,” Warner said. “When other teams are beat up and going through physical games, I just think that lends itself to the advantage for the Philadelphia Eagles, even though I’m with you, I don’t know what we’re going to get from the offense. I don’t know what they’re going to try to do offensively, but San Francisco’s defense hasn’t been great. They haven’t been able to get pressure, giving up some yards in the run game.
“So I just feel like, from a matchup standpoint, as struggling as this Philly offense has been I feel like it’s a good matchup for Philly against that defense to start the playoffs.
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Noah Juulsen is the next man up for the banged-up Flyers; Scott Laughton returns ‘home’ to Philly
The Flyers’ defense will be missing a key piece on Thursday.
Jamie Drysdale left in the second period on Tuesday after a cheap hit well away from the puck by Anaheim Ducks forward Ross Johnston. He did not practice on Wednesday or participate in Thursday’s morning skate.
“You hate to see a teammate go down like that. And even when the stretcher comes out,” said Emil Andrae, Drysdale’s defensive partner. Drysdale was able to skate off with help and ultimately did not need the stretcher.
“Usually what happens, I think it pumps up the team a little bit, because you get mad when a guy does that to you, and all you want to do is — hopefully Jamie is fine — but you want to win that game.”
The Flyers did, beating the Ducks and former prospect Cutter Gauthier, whom Drysdale was acquired for. They carry a two-game winning streak and a five-game home point streak into Thursday’s matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Drysdale has been a key piece to the defense, building up his defensive chops after being heralded for his offensive game in his draft year and early NHL days. Andrae will now partner with Noah Juulsen, who has played in 28 of the Flyers’ 41 games but only once since Rasmus Ristolainen returned.
“Obviously, I’m here for a reason,” said Juulsen, who is seventh on the depth chart and plays a steady defensive-defenseman style. “The coaches know what I bring. The team knows what I bring. So I think that’s the biggest thing. You don’t have to do anything special. Just go out there and play my game.”
Emil Andrae says playing with Noah Juulsen may give him a little more freddom to jump into the play offensively. Andrae and Juulsen played 99 minutes, 29 seconds together this season, before the former was paired up with Drysdale. Juulsen sees more confidence in the Swede as he grows in NHL experience.
“I want to join the rush,” said Andrae, who is a puck-moving buleliner like Drysdale. “But in this pairing, I can probably do it more, so hopefully I can start doing that a little bit more, since I know his strength is in the defensive zone.
“My strength is the offensive zone, maybe we can balance together there, but I think just read off each other and just play the way we played before.”
Laughton returns
Scott Laughton was back in Philly with the Maple Leafs in November. At the time, he was inching his way closer to a return from a lower-body injury and watched the game, a 5-2 loss for the Flyers, from the press box.
Now he’ll get a true return as he suits up on Thursday for his first game back in Philly, a place he says “feels like a second home” after being traded alongside two middle-round picks last March for Nikita Grebenkin and a future first-rounder. A 2012 first-round pick by the Flyers, Laughton had 106 goals and 159 assists in 661 regular-season games with another 10 points in 24 playoff games across his tenure.
Scott Laughton played parts of 12 seasons with the Flyers. On Thursday, he will face them in Philly for the first time. “You never want to be hurt and anything like that. We had a couple of days here [in November], so it was nice to catch up with some people and kind of see all the people away from the game,” he said in the visitors’ locker room at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“So yeah, it just gave me a little bit of, I guess, closure, if that’s the word for it, here. It’ll be nice. Try to get in a nap here and go from there. But, yeah, this one was circled on the calendar after I was hurt in the other one, and it’s a special place, and it means a lot to me. So it’ll mean a lot going out there and trying to beat them.”
Laughton will try not to blow at high dough or get too excited for his return. But it won’t be easy. Heavily active in the community when he was here in Philly, there will be several familiar faces in the crowd.
And there will be several across the ice for the guy sporting No. 24, like Nick Seeler, who was one of the reasons he picked that number — and a guy he said he may try to avoid during the game— and his buddy Travis Konecny.
“He’s a rat. He’s a big-time rat,” Laughton said of Konecny. “So I’m sure he’ll be chirping, but he can back it up for sure. He’s a good player and a really good friend. We grew very close with my time here, and he’s a great human being. So he’s about as big of a rat as they come.”
Breakaways
Matvei Michkov will return to the lineup after missing one game with a lower-body injury. He will be reunited with Noah Cates and will have Carl Grundström in place of Bobby Brink on the wing. Brink remains out. Tocchet said he will be fluid with Grundström and Grebenkin on that wing. … Dan Vladař (16-6-3, .910 save percentage) gets the start in net.
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Source: Phillies to meet with Bo Bichette; agree to deals with seven players
Facing a deadline Thursday to agree on 2026 salaries or file for arbitration with seven players, the Phillies went 7-for-7, including a one-year deal with Alec Bohm.
But will Bohm still be on the roster by opening day?
The Phillies remain focused on bringing back J.T. Realmuto, according to multiple major league sources. But with the cornerstone catcher still unsigned, the team plans to have a video meeting next week with free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, a source said, confirming a report from The Athletic.
Several hurdles exist in a potential pursuit of Bichette, not the least of which is his positional fit with the Phillies. Save for 32 innings at second base in last year’s World Series, he played only shortstop in seven seasons with the Blue Jays.
The Phillies aren’t moving shortstop Trea Turner and value Bryson Stott’s defense at second base. Bichette hasn’t played third, but the Phillies have transitioned other players to new positions under highly regarded infield coach Bobby Dickerson (Bryce Harper in 2023, for instance.) And other teams are considering Bichette at third base, too.
There’s also a financial component. The Phillies have roughly $302 million in 2026 payroll commitments, encroaching on the highest luxury-tax threshold. They will pay a 110% tax on expenditures above $304 million. (Their 2025 payroll was $314.3 million, fourth-highest in baseball and not including a $56.1 million luxury-tax bill due this month.)
Alec Bohm agreed Thursday on a $10.2 million salary for 2026, avoiding arbitration with the Phillies. He’s eligible for free agency after the season. It’s unlikely, then, that the Phillies could sign Bichette and Realmuto. Fitting Bichette into the budget probably would require not only finding a less-expensive catcher, but also trading Bohm at a time when third base-needy teams can still choose from free agents Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez. Bohm agreed Thursday on a $10.2 million salary for 2026, his last season before free agency.
Bichette, who will be 28 this season, reportedly is drawing interest from other big-market teams, including the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs, according to the New York Post.
He also is a .294 career hitter, including .311 last season, with a high contact rate and right-handed power. He hit 18 homers last season, averaged 24 from 2021 to 2023, and could provide protection in the middle of the order for Harper or Kyle Schwarber. And Bichette has a close relationship with new Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly, for whom he played in Toronto.
If the Phillies pivoted from Realmuto, they would have to find a catcher to at least split time with Rafael Marchán or Garrett Stubbs. They also would risk disrupting a starting rotation that reveres Realmuto. Zack Wheeler rarely shakes off any pitch he calls; Cristopher Sánchez described his impact this way: “We’re basically nothing without him.”
The Phillies made at least one offer to Realmuto last month, according to an MLB.com report. But Realmuto is holding out for a higher salary over a two- or three-year term after making a catcher-record $23.1 million per year since 2021. At age 35 this season, he’s unlikely to come close to that salary.
In addition to Bohm, the Phillies reached agreements on 2026 contracts with the following players (salary figures are according to major league sources): pitchers Jesús Luzardo ($11 million), Jhoan Duran ($7.5 million), and Tanner Banks ($1.2 million); Stott ($5.9 million); infielder Edmundo Sosa ($4.4 million); and outfielder Brandon Marsh ($5.2 million).
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Eagles’ odds vs. 49ers improve for Sunday; plus updated player props for wild-card weekend
Despite a loss in the regular season finale, the Eagles are heading into the playoffs healthy and rested — and trending in the right direction. Philadelphia (11-6) ended its season winning three of its last four games, earning the NFC East crown.
Now, all that stands in the way of a rematch against the Chicago Bears in the divisional round are the San Francisco 49ers (12-5), fresh off a Week 18 loss of their own. With wild-card weekend rapidly approaching, here is an updated look at the game odds and player props from the two biggest sportsbooks …
Eagles vs. 49ers wild-card odds
The last time these teams played in the playoffs was in the 2023 NFC championship game. The Eagles trounced the 49ers 31-7 in a game that was over quickly and saw both Niners quarterbacks injured. Now, three years later, both FanDuel and DraftKings have the defending Super Bowl champions as slight favorites, up a point from where they were Monday.
- Spread: Eagles -4.5 (-108); 49ers +4.5 (-112)
- Moneyline: Eagles (-238); 49ers (+195)
- Total: Over 44.5 (-110); Under 44.5 (-110)
- Spread: Eagles -4.5 (-110); 49ers +4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Eagles (-225); 49ers (+188)
- Total: Over 44.5 (-105); Under 44.5 (-115)
Passing yard props
Jalen Hurts never touched the field in the Eagles’ Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders, as head coach Nick Sirianni opted for player health with no chance at a first-round bye. Hurts threw for a mere 110 yards in his last outing against the Bills, with under 50% of his passes finding the target.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy managed just 127 yards on 19 of 27 passing against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. For this week’s game, oddsmakers set Hurts’ total around 208 yards, while Purdy’s is near 228.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts got the day off against the Commanders Sunday. Passing touchdown props
After five touchdown passes in a two-game span, Hurts had a down week against the Bills. He had just one touchdown throw, as the Eagles were shut out in the second half. Purdy did not throw a touchdown pass against the Seahawks.
Rushing yard props
Like Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley also had the week off against the Commanders. He ran for 68 yards a week earlier against the Bills, following a 132-yard performance in Washington in Week 16. Christian McCaffrey had 23 yards on 8 carries against the Seahawks last Saturday.
Will George Kittle lead all receivers in yards on Sunday? Receiving yard props
Wide receiver A.J. Brown joined Hurts and Barkley as an inactive last week, while DeVonta Smith played briefly in the final game of the regular season. Smith finished the game with three catches for 52 yards, pushing himself over 1,000 yards for the third straight season. McCaffrey had 6 catches for 34 yards and Jauan Jennings totaled 35 yards on 4 catches vs. Seattle.
Touchdown scorers
In Week 18, Tank Bigsby and Grant Calcaterra were the Eagles only touchdown scorers, but that was without most of the Birds starters playing. The 49ers were held without a touchdown against Seattle.
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World Juniors: Grading Jack Berglund, Porter Martone, and the rest of the Flyers prospects
Every December and January, the World Junior Championship delivers exhilarating hockey, unrivaled drama, and a lot of debate surrounding the sport’s top under-20 prospects, some of whom have been drafted and others who are about to be.
While the 10-day tournament in isolation is far from a perfect way to evaluate prospects, it does provide a snapshot to gauge players’ development and a chance to see how they perform in a best-on-best environment.
“It’s not a be-all, end-all. Especially in Canada, it gets so blown up on the stage, people get crazed if guys don’t make it or make it,” Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr recently told The Inquirer of the tournament.
“But the thing that fans don’t understand is that the coaches of those teams and management have different goals than what we have. … There’s been lots of great players who have been cut [or have lesser roles] that go on to have great careers,” Flahr said.
That brings us to the Flyers, who were well represented in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Amid the team’s ongoing rebuild and the high-end nature and sheer volume of the team’s draft picks in recent years, the Flyers sent six prospects — tied for third-most among NHL teams — to this year’s edition of the tournament.
Here’s a look at how each of the six performed relative to expectations. (These grades are purely based on performance at the World Juniors and are not reflective of prospect rankings or the players’ seasons overall.)
Jack Berglund, C, Sweden
Jack Berglund’s skating has come on over the past year but the rest of his game is well-rounded. Captain Jack led Sweden to its first World Junior gold in 14 years and only its second in the past 45, and was dominant along the way. Berglund plays well-rounded and winning hockey and is almost impossible to get the puck off of.
While Anton Frondell scored more goals, and 2026 draft eligibles Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Björck earned most of the headlines, Berglund was the unquestioned heartbeat of Team Sweden and led by example like a captain should from the opening puck drop.
The 2024 second-round pick tallied three goals and a joint team-high 10 points in the tournament and delivered several clutch moments in the knockout rounds, including scoring a do-or-die penalty shot to keep Sweden in the tournament in the semis and delivering assists on Sweden’s first two goals in the gold medal game.
Berglund’s skating and lack of speed will always come under scrutiny, but he plays at his own pace, and his strength and reach at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds allowed him to get where he needed to go at this level.
Berglund’s a horse when it comes to puck protection and wall work, and after some early skepticism, he has now aced his last three major test: Flyers development camp, the World Junior Summer Showcase, and the World Juniors.
Grade: A
Heikki Ruohonen, C, Finland
Finland center Heikki Ruohonen always seems to save his best for international competition. Ruohonen, a player the Flyers’ brass has gone out of its way to namecheck the past few years when asked for under-the-radar prospects, backed up that praise in Minnesota with a strong tournament.
For my money Finland’s top player at the event, the 2024 fourth-rounder led Suomi with nine points (three goals, six assists) across seven games and was a plus-six.
Not the flashiest guy, Ruohonen has great hockey sense and always seems to make the right play. He’s also very calm with the puck under pressure and empties the tank shift to shift from a competitiveness perspective.
The Harvard freshman impressed me here with his ability to transport the puck, and I think he has a little more skill and cleverness with the puck than he gets credit for. Though still a few years away, he’s definitely one to monitor.
Grade: B+
Porter Martone, RW, Canada
Canada’s Porter Martone was good but not great at the recent World Junior Championship. Martone was good: He led the tournament with six goals and had nine points in seven games. But he wasn’t nearly as impressive or impactful as those numbers might suggest while captaining a Canada team that fell short of the expectation of winning gold.
Three of Martone’s goals and five of his points came in 7-1 and 9-1 blowouts of overmatched Slovakia and Denmark, and another one of his goals was an empty-netter against Czechia.
Speaking of that empty-netter, his controversial butt tap of a Czech player afterward earned him a silly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ultimately came back to bite him and Canada when Czechia got the last laugh and knocked them out in the semifinals.
Martone did score a clutch tying goal late in that semifinal, which was a huge moment and should not be discounted, but big-time plays in the biggest games were few and far between across the tournament for a player whom many expected to dominate.
This grade might seem a tad harsh, but I thought Martone, who has the potential to be a truly special player given his combination of size, skill, and snarl, disappeared at times and wasn’t the consistent driver Canada needed atop its lineup.
Grade: B
Max Westergård, LW, Finland
Max Westergård has some intriguing offensive skills and already has a fan in former Flyers star and current team adviser John LeClair. It’s early, but the Flyers might have found something in Westergård, a 2025 fifth-round pick. One of the youngest players in his draft class, Westergård was noticeable on almost every shift and consistently made things happen offensively with his speed, vision, and skill.
Westergård looked threatening in transition throughout and also worked hard below the goal line to retrieve and keep the puck. He had a goal and four points in six-plus games — he probably deserved a few more — before being knocked out of the bronze medal game early after taking a big hit from Canada’s Kashawn Aitcheson.
Relative to expectations, Westergård improved his stock the most in my eyes and should be a leading contributor for Finland at next year’s tournament.
Grade: B
Jett Luchanko, RW, Canada
Canada’s Jett Luchanko (17) underwhelmed for the second consecutive World Juniors. Flyers general manager Danny Brière was vocal about his disappointment in Luchanko’s use at last year’s tournament, but this year more of the blame has to fall on the 19-year-old’s shoulders. Playing out of position on the wing, Luchanko had an unspectacular tournament while filling a depth role.
In seven games, Luchanko had just one assist — battling in front to dig out a puck in the lead up to Tij Iginla’s opener in the semis — and was a minus-four, including being tagged with a minus-three in that semifinal loss to the Czechs.
Luchanko’s details and speed are real positives, but his play with the puck left a lot to be desired here, as he was largely a non-factor offensively despite being on one of star-studded Canada’s power-play units.
It’s far too early to give up on Luchanko as a prospect, but more was expected in Minnesota. His second half with new OHL team, Brantford, will be intriguing to follow.
Grade: C-
Shane Vansaghi, RW, United States
Flyers prospect Shane Vansaghi wasn’t the physical presence many expected him to be for the United States. It would be hard to say anything other than Vansaghi had a disappointing tournament. Deployed in a bottom-six role, the Michigan State sophomore averaged a team-low 5 minutes and 11 seconds of ice time and was a healthy scratch in two of Team USA’s five games.
Vansaghi’s hallmarks of grit, physicality, and net-front activity were curiously absent in this tournament, as he was a minus-four despite his limited ice time. He was particularly exposed in a 6-3 loss to Sweden.
Grade: D
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Villanova rides three-point shooting to dominant win over Xavier
Villanova maintained second place in the Big East women’s basketball standings with a 67-50 victory over Xavier on Thursday afternoon at the Finneran Pavilion.
On Sunday, Villanova (13-3, 6-1 Big East) was handed its first conference loss by Marquette, which snapped a 10-game winning streak. The loss also dropped Villanova from No. 28 to No. 34 in the NCAA’s NET rankings.
But the Wildcats bounced back against the Musketeers, thanks to junior guard Kelsey Joens. The Iowa State transfer scored a career-high 18 points on six three-pointers with four rebounds.
Villanova’s Kelsey Joens finished with a career-high 18 points against Xavier on Thursday. The Wildcats’ three-point shooting propelled their win. Villanova made 15 of 32 three-pointers, while Xavier shot 4 of 13.
Sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe added 15 points along with four rebounds and seven assists. Bascoe is the conference’s third-leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points.
Dropping threes
The Wildcats shot 5-for-9 from deep in the first quarter, which set the tone.
Villanova started to break away at the end of the first quarter, scoring eight consecutive points to take a 17-11 lead. To open the second, Villanova’s scoring run stretched to 11-0.
From there, the Wildcats maintained a double-digit lead and entered halftime with a 33-20 advantage.
Villanova held Xavier (9-7, 2-5) to 35% shooting from the field, including 2-for-9 from deep, and exploited its errors, as the Wildcats scored 18 points off turnovers in the first half.
Bascoe controls the court
The Musketeers picked up their shooting in the second half. Xavier went on an 8-0 run across 2 minutes, 35 seconds, shrinking Villanova’s lead to seven.
Bascoe took care of Villanova’s response. With two minutes left in the third quarter, she notched a steal and drove to the basket for an uncontested layup. Bascoe then assisted a Joens three-pointer to end the quarter.
Joens knocked down two more three-pointers in the fourth. Villanova outscored Xavier, 10-3, in the final 3:31 to seal the win.
Road challenges ahead
The Wildcats will head on the road for two crucial matchups.
Villanova faces Providence on Sunday (noon, TruTV), then will visit the nation’s top team, undefeated UConn, on Thursday (7 p.m., FS1).
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Trinity Rodman returns to USWNT for January camp even though she isn’t with a club right now
Though the U.S. men’s soccer team will command the lion’s share of the spotlight this year, the women’s team isn’t scaling anything back.
That starts Jan. 17, when Emma Hayes gathers 26 players for the program’s annual winter training camp in suburban Los Angeles. It will kick off the 41st year of the women’s team’s existence, and will include games against Paraguay on Jan. 24 in Carson, Calif., and Jan. 27 against Chile in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Because the camp takes place outside of official national team windows, all 26 players will come from the NWSL. And because Gotham FC is playing in FIFA’s inaugural Women’s Champions Cup in London at the end of the month, the club’s many national team stars — such as Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and Jaedyn Shaw — were not called up.
They’re in Europe already, training for a few weeks in Marbella, Spain, before heading north to England. (In fact, they’re at the same complex where the Union will be for part of their preseason camp later this month.)
Rose Lavelle (left) and Gotham’s other U.S. national team stars are preparing for FIFA’s Women’s Champions Cup tournament. That said, Hayes’ squad has a few veterans and many newcomers, which is no surprise. January camps outside of World Cup years often are that way.
But one name stands out: Trinity Rodman. It’s her first national team call-up since April because of injuries, and she will arrive as a free agent — officially “unattached” on the U.S. roster — since her Washington Spirit contract expired at the end of December.
Rodman’s future is by far the biggest story in the women’s soccer world right now. All signs are she’d like to stay in Washington, but she’d also like to be paid what she’s worth — and she’s worth a lot.
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said at the league’s championship game in November, when Washington lost to Gotham, that “we want Trinity in our league, and we will fight for her.”
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman Spirit owner Michele Kang also has shown she wants to keep Rodman in town. Kang put together a back-loaded contract offer that would fit within NWSL salary rules by cashing in on the next cycle of broadcast rights. But Berman vetoed it, with Bloomberg reporting in early December that she said it “violated the spirit of the rules.”
This sparked an enormous outcry from fans, media, and the players’ union. The union filed a grievance claiming the decision violated “at least five different sections” of the collective bargaining agreement, according to The Athletic.
The league soon retreated some — but only some. It proposed a new “High Impact Player” status that would allow teams to pay stars up to $1 million beyond the salary cap, and in early December, the league’s board of governors approved the change.
It quickly emerged that the new rule was not so simple, and that blew up in the NWSL’s face. Unlike Major League Soccer’s Designated Player rule, the NWSL’s version put restrictions on what kinds of players can earn the status.
Michele Kang seems to be trying to keep Trinity Rodman in Washington, and Rodman seems to want to stay there. They included being ranked in voting for honors bestowed by the media, including France Football’s Ballon d’Or top 30, the Guardian’s top 100, and ESPN’s top 40.
Many women’s soccer journalists have no interest in having influence over players’ salaries like that. It also matters that those rankings’ voting pools skew heavily toward Europe, including journalists, coaches, and former players.
This promptly was called out by one American soccer industry veteran for having “outsourced the valuation of players for an American soccer league to European media.”
The league also counts SportsPro Media’s “Top 150 Most Marketable Athletes.” That promptly was bashed by fans as being even more subjective than journalists’ opinions. (It also drew attention that in the league’s press release, this item was first on the list of criteria.)
Trinity Rodman has become one of the NWSL’s biggest stars. Another metric on the list is being in the “top 11 minutes played for the USWNT” over the last two years for field players, or No. 1 in minutes for goalkeepers. This puts players’ eligibility for a big paycheck in Hayes’ hands, with her starting lineup and substitution choices.
Hayes was asked Thursday what she thinks of having that power.
“Nothing will change with me and the way that I’m doing things, regardless of any ruling that’s put in place,” she said. “To be honest with you, it’s probably going to be a little bit longer until they resolve what that criteria is — whether it ends up being that or something else, you’d have to ask them. But from my perspective, nothing changes with regards to how I will operate.”
Hayes also said she “didn’t know” the rule was coming before it was announced, and that she found out about it from the national team’s longtime PR chief, Aaron Heifetz.
U.S. women’s soccer team manager Emma Hayes The NWSL Players Association has continued to oppose the rule, and said Wednesday that it is preparing to take the league to arbitration. The league claimed it has the right to impose the rule without collective bargaining and said it consulted the union on the rule. The union disagrees on both counts.
“A league that truly believes in the value of its players would not be afraid to bargain over it,” the NWSLPA said in a statement when the rule was announced.
It would prefer that the league just raise the cap by $1 million for this year. ESPN reported that the league’s base salary cap for this year is $3.5 million “before additions for revenue sharing.”
How many of the league’s 16 teams would favor that isn’t known, nor is it known what the vote of clubs would have to be to make that happen.
Trinity Rodman at last year’s NWSL championship game, which the Washington Spirit lost to Gotham FC. What is known is that Rodman will report to national team camp without a club affiliation, and it isn’t clear where she’ll end up. Many European clubs reportedly have expressed interest, although the list with the roster room and the quality Rodman deserves is pretty short.
The other big absence from this squad is midfielder Sam Coffey. The reason for that was revealed a few hours after the roster was announced: The Guardian reported that she is in “advanced talks” to join England’s Manchester City, and that the deal is “close to completion.”
Manchester City leads the Women’s Super League standings and is seeking its first title since 2016 after many runner-up finishes. Second-place Chelsea has Catarina Macario, Naomi Girma, and Alyssa Thompson, and third-place Arsenal has Emily Fox.
Former Penn State star Sam Coffey reportedly is close to a move to English club Manchester City. USWNT January camp roster
Goalkeepers (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC)
Defenders (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current), Tara Rudd* (Washington Spirit), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Gisele Thompson (Angel City), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit)
Midfielders (8): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current), Sally Menti (Seattle Reign), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns)
Forwards (7): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Trinity Rodman (unattached), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns)
* — The former Tara McKeown got married a few weeks ago.
USWNT schedule
Jan. 24: Vs. Paraguay in Carson, Calif., 5:30 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
Jan. 27: Vs. Chile in Santa Barbara, Calif., 10 p.m. (TBS, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
March 1: Vs. Argentina in Nashville, 5 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
March 4: Vs. Canada in Columbus, Ohio, 6:45 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
March 7: Vs. Colombia in Harrison, N.J., 12:30 p.m. (TBS, truTV, Telemundo 62, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
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Union re-sign Alejandro Bedoya for another year
Kai Wagner, Jakob Glesnes, Tai Baribo, and Mikael Uhre are gone from the Union in as big of an offseason overhaul as the team has ever had.
But the club has re-signed another veteran, Alejandro Bedoya, to the latest in a series of one-year deals. The midfielder and longtime captain will turn 39 in April, and this will be his 11th season in Chester.
As in the last two seasons, Bedoya’s contract will have special status, with a role in the team’s front office.
Alejandro Bedoya (right) celebrates scoring a goal for the Union in Houston in July. “Alejandro’s impact on our organization continues to be invaluable, both on and off the field,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said in a statement. “While he remains an important contributor as a player, his leadership and insights in his player development and front office roles are especially beneficial. His experience and deep understanding of our system make him a steady presence and trusted mentor for our younger players, while his work behind the scenes continues to strengthen our culture.”
Mikael Uhre’s departure official
Uhre’s departure as a free agent also became official Wednesday, a few hours after the Union announced Bedoya’s return. The striker signed with FC Midtjylland in his native Denmark, an opportunity that will allow him to play in the UEFA Europa League later this month.
Coincidentally, the next team Midtjylland will face in Europe’s second-tier continental tournament is Norway’s SK Brann, from which the Union reportedly will soon sign centerback Sery Larsen.
Uhre departs the Union as their joint No. 3 all-time scorer, with 43 goals (and 28 assists) in 155 games. His last tally was the one that clinched the Supporters’ Shield in a 1-0 win over New York City FC on Oct. 5.
Mikael Uhre’s celebration of the goal that clinched the Supporters’ Shield for the Union, which ended up being his last goal for the club. The player with whom Uhre is tied, his former strike partner Julián Carranza, recently signed with Mexico’s Necaxa. Carranza’s move from Chester to Dutch club Feyenoord in mid-2024 ended up being a flop, and Necaxa reportedly paid around $4 million to sign him.
Some portion of that will go to the Union as a sell-on fee, but the exact amount is unknown.
The Union will open their preseason next week in Chester, then head to Marbella, Spain, for a couple of weeks. They’ll return here for some time off, then go to Clearwater, Fla., for their annual stay down the road from the Phillies’ spring training complex.
They then will fly from Clearwater to Trinidad for their first game of the year, at Defence Force FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Feb. 18.
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Villanova suffers first Big East loss to Creighton, snaps five-game win streak
Villanova succumbed to Creighton, 76-72, marking its first home and conference loss of the season on Wednesday night.
Villanova (12-3, 3-1 Big East) had its five-game winning streak snapped and picked up its first defeat since Dec. 9. The Wildcats could not find defensive stops in the second half, which was coupled with poor three-point shooting. Creighton (10-6, 4-1) pulled away after shooting 18-for-27 (67%) from the field in the second.
Acaden Lewis finished with a team-high 20 points for Villanova. He dished out five assists within the first few minutes of the game and ended with seven and only one turnover. The freshman guard also collected a game-high three steals. Lewis is averaging 13.4 points and 4.3 assists in conference play.
In the paint, ’Nova’s Duke Brennan continued to be a force, picking up his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds (seven offensive).
Villanova guard Acaden Lewis led the team with 20 points against Creighton on Wednesday. Villanova shot 44% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, compared to Creighton’s 50% on field goals and 30.4% on three-pointers.
Next, Villanova will visit Marquette (6-10, 1-4) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (TNT/truTV). The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 28-20.
Decisive second half
For just the second time this season, Villanova was outscored in the second half, 46-38. The only other time was in the 76-66 overtime win against Wisconsin on Dec. 19.
Villanova had no answer defensively for a surging Creighton offense. The Bluejays spun off a 13-2 run, while Villanova went on a three-minute scoring drought.
Kevin Willard coaching Villanova during the second half against Creighton on Wednesday. “I thought [the Bluejays] did a really good job of using their size to their advantage,” Villanova coach Kevin Willard said. “I thought [Josh] Dix and [Blake] Harper made some really big plays just using their size against us, and every time we tried to get a stop. You’ve got to give those two credit. They played really well.”
Creighton made Villanova’s best shooter, redshirt sophomore Bryce Lindsay, a nonfactor. Lindsay, who averaged 45.8% from deep in the last three games, went 0-for-3 on three-pointers against Creighton. Villanova made only 2 of 12 three-pointers in the second half.
“We had our opportunities at the rim,” Willard said. “I thought [Jasen] Green had two really good wall-ups towards the end, but we had our opportunities. It had nothing to do with [our] offense. It was totally just abysmal defense.”
Beaten on the boards
Villanova kept Creighton at bay in the first half, and at one point led by25-15. However, it all slipped away after halftime. Villanova gave up 13 offensive rebounds, which Creighton turned into 11 second-chance points.
“Just defense,” Willard said when asked about what he took away from the loss. “I thought we took some bad shots in the first half, when we had a good run going. And I thought we were playing good defensively early. So I thought our offense in the first half was the issue. But defensively, you just can’t give up 13 offensive rebounds to a Greg McDermott team. You’ve got no chance.”
Villanova forward Duke Brennan (center) reaches for the ball against Creighton guard Ty Davis (9). Brennan was quick to take accountability for Villanova’s defensive performance.
“Being a senior, I need to adjust my ball-screen coverages on different teams as we play,” Brennan said. “I don’t think I did a great job at it tonight, but I do look at the film and help out our defense. I’m that line for us.”
Creighton’s 76 points were the most a conference opponent has scored against the Wildcats this season.
Watching rotations
At the beginning of the season, Willard consistently rotated nine to 10 players each game. Injuries limited the rotations with Devin Askew and Zion Stanford missing time to start the season. Villanova had multiple games with eight or more scorers.
Now, it looks like Willard has found his rotations that work efficiently. The coach has leaned on his starting five of Lewis, Lindsay, Tyler Perkins, Matt Hodge, and Brennan for a bulk of the minutes, with most of them playing an average of 30 minutes or more.
As of recently, only Askew and Malachi Palmer have had meaningful minutes off the bench. Freshman guard Chris Jeffrey has missed the last five games due to a knee injury that required surgery, sidelining him indefinitely.