USMNT roster revealed | Sports Daily Newsletter

Can the backup goalkeeper make or break a World Cup squad? What effect would a disgruntled one have? Did Zack Steffen deserve to lose his long-held spot as the U.S. men’s national team’s starting goalkeeper? Those questions come to the forefront with the surprising news that Downingtown’s own didn’t make the U.S. roster for the world’s biggest sports tournament.

Nerves are high for many fans ahead of the event, especially because the U.S. shockingly didn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Only three players who took the field in the fateful final failed qualifying match of that cycle made this roster: Christian Pulisic, DeAndre Yedlin, and Kellyn Acosta.

But even if Steffen was the most startling omission to those in the scene locally, other inclusions and names missing might have been even bigger shocks. Inquirer soccer writer Jonathan Tannenwald reports on the biggest soccer news of the day.

— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓ Which USMNT World Cup roster inclusion or omission surprised you most, and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

With just about half the regular season wrapped up, the Eagles are 8-0. This is a team that had numerous question marks going into the season. Beat writer EJ Smith revisits questions he had about the team heading in, and looks at how things have gone. Marcus Epps as a starting safety, for example, has done well. And of course Jalen Hurts has shown that he is very much improved to the point where he’s an MVP candidate.

The addition of Jordan Davis and how that would affect the defensive line was among the questions. And now that Davis is missing multiple weeks with an ankle injury, the run defense’s struggles last week show how much of a factor he has been. And it hasn’t helped the Eagles that an already suspect run defense missed tackles against the Houston Texans. Now, what will the Eagles do to bounce back with Davis out?

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 10 game against the Washington Commanders. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday

By now, you all know the John Tortorella from behind the bench, the fiery and passionate coach who doesn’t back down and freely says what he feels. But beneath that intimidating exterior is a much different person off the ice.

Giana Han and Olivia Reiner recently talked to several people from Columbus, Ohio, where Tortorella coached for six years, who know the coach’s other side — the one that has a passion for helping people and animals —best.

On the ice, the Flyers are off to a surprising 7-3-2 start. But is it sustainable long-term?

Next: The Flyers are in Columbus on Thursday looking to make it three wins in a row, as Tortorella faces his former team for the first time since leaving in 2021 (7 p.m., NBCSP).

Tobias Harris has been asked to be more nimble, versatile, and giving than any other member of the 76ers roster, having gone through several roles and responsibilities in his Philly tenure.

This year alone, which has included only 11 games, Harris has seen his role shift twice. With James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, Harris was asked to play fourth fiddle and serve as a floor-spacer entering the season. That shifted once more when Harden suffered a strained right foot tendon, thrusting Harris into a bigger offensive role. He has accepted the change and performed well.

The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey spoke to Harris about his ever-changing place on the team.

Next: The Sixers play the Hawks in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the first game of a home-and-home series.

Rhys Hoskins went 0-for-13 with five strikeouts in the final three losses to the Astros in the World Series. A number of Phillies fans would like to run him out of time based on that incredibly small sample size. Marcus Hayes explains why that would be a really bad idea.

Whether you’re a newly minted soccer fan who just found out that the Union’s Paxten Aaronson is the younger bother of Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson or a longtime supporter who has World Cup jerseys going back for decades, you probably have some thoughts about the United States roster.

As it turns out, so do we on staff at The Inquirer. Read all about what we thought in our roster reaction roundtable.

Finally, since it is the World Cup, after all, it’s not all about the USA. The Union’s stalwart defender, Olivier Mbaizo, made Cameroon’s roster for the tournament, becoming the first active player in the MLS team’s history to be named to a World Cup roster.

We asked you: What is the Phillies’ greatest area of need and how would you like to see it filled? Among your responses:

My opinion is that the Phillies greatest need is starting pitching. The Astros’ three young, hard-throwing Dominican pitchers are what teams need to go the distance. The Phillies proved they can pull off a miracle in short series, but no way this team can win 111 games like the Dodgers or even come close. Of course we would like to have a super shortstop such as Trea Turner or Dansby Swanson, etc., but the real need is pitching. I seem to remember Gene Mauch saying that good pitching always beats good hitting, and for sure we saw that in the World Series. — Everett S.

Pitching, pitching and more pitching! Trade Rhys Hoskins for a decent, innings-eating arm. Install one or more of the young guns in the rotation; most likely Andrew Painter, but don’t sleep on Abel & others. Why not consider a 6-man rotation, giving Wheeler and Nola a bit more rest? Along with this, give more time off to Realmuto. — Larry W.

Most needed: a first baseman who can hit and catch the ball. Hoskins has to go! The worst Phillie on the team! — Dave H.

Relief pitching, the most volatile area on any roster — one season he’s a star, the next a bust. I think relievers always need to be found in bulk. But just as important this year, acquiring the medical professionals to fix Harper’s elbow. — Wes R.

If we employ the old baseball principle of strength up the middle, I see a team that improved last year by adding a very solid defender in center field, with good upside on offense. Now, there’s an opportunity to add one of the game’s best players at shortstop (talking about Trea Turner) and moving Bryson Stott to second base, where he might even have a chance to evoke memories of Chase Utley. The Phillies are already strong at catcher, of course. That’s up-the-middle strength, offensively and defensively. — Mark P.

1. Pitching 2. Defense 3. Contact batters like Bohm 5. Speed 6. New TV contract. Very tired of endlessly babbling on air guys. Kruk is OKAY. 7. Mandate to yank any starter who loses his stuff. Decision by Realmuto. — Stuart B.

Center fielder who can hit. Shortstop who can hit. — Karl R.

The Phillies’ two biggest challenges moving forward are getting better defensively and striking out less. Financially, it would be a bitter pill to swallow, but if we could package Hoskins and Castellanos, it would help accomplish both reducing K’s and getting better defensively. We would certainly have to contribute financially (paying for part of their salaries) to any team(s) who would make a deal with us. — Larry D.

With the Phillies’ home run hitters, it’s usually feast or famine. They need players who can hit for average consistently. Trea Turner is the Man; he can set the table & his defense would improve the whole infield. — Karl Z.

Without a doubt first base and right field is the area of most need, trade them both and go after pitching. Hoskins and Castellano. — Dick F.

Pitching. Pitching always wins. Look at the World Series and you can see that despite the very potent lineup, the Phillies were stymied by outstanding pitching.

Position players can influence three or four innings a game based on their at-bats. A good pitcher can give you seven innings. And if you have a few good relievers, it’s gold. — Joe J.

In my opinion the Phillies need better contact hitters. There are far too many strikeouts in the current lineup. You just cannot mash the ball and expect to win. Case in point, look no farther than the Yankees, who led Major League Baseball in home runs this past year. Sign Trea Turner, a great contact hitter, or Carlos Correa. That would be a fantastic start. — John B.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Giana Han, Olivia Reiner, Gustav Elvin, Keith Pompey, Marcus Hayes, Andrea Canales, Ciara Richards, Javon Edmonds, Cayden Steele, Bridget Reilly, Aaron Carter, and Sam Cohn.