Soccer at the Linc ⚽ | Sports Daily Newsletter

Club World Cup soccer will officially descend to Philadelphia tonight when Brazil’s Flamengo takes on Tunisia’s Espérance at Lincoln Financial Field (9 p.m., DAZN). It will be the first of eight tournament games hosted in Philly, which will feature clubs like Manchester City, Juventus, Real Madrid, and Chelsea.

The Club World Cup began in earnest on Saturday night, when MLS’s Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly finished in a draw at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Inquirer writer Jonathan Tannenwald takes us inside Monday night’s matchup and sets the scene for the world’s best kicking off here.

Before the Club World Cup kicks off in Philly tonight, the Union provided some fireworks of their own on Saturday night, capturing a thrilling 2-1 win over Charlotte FC to extend their unbeaten streak to 12. A small group of Chelsea’s staff got to take in the exciting win, sparked by Markus Anderson’s stoppage time goal, set up by Cavan Sullivan, who had an influential late-game cameo.

You can check out all of our pre-Club World Cup coverage in our soccer section.

— Devin Jackson, @phillysport, [email protected].

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A week after punctuating a miserable 10-game stretch by getting swept by one of the worst teams in baseball, the Phillies broomed the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, behind another dominant starting pitching performance.

Zack Wheeler struck out nine in six innings, including five in a row and seven in a span of eight batters to help the Phillies take five of six games during their homestand to trim the Mets lead in the NL East to 2½ games.

In Lehigh Valley, Phillies prospect Andrew Painter put forth an excellent performance of his own on Sunday, pitching five scoreless innings against Worcester after allowing a career-high six runs in his previous start. His latest outing checked off two of the remaining boxes before his inevitable major-league debut this summer.

As the 76ers continue to garner headlines ahead of next week’s NBA draft as they explore every option whole holding the No. 3 overall pick, none of those scenarios will matter unless Joel Embiid is healthy and playing close to his dominant self, The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey writes.

The Eastern Conference is expected to be wide-open next season with the Boston Celtics expected to make roster shakeups and star Jayson Tatum sidelined. But without a healthy Embiid the Sixers can’t contend for a championship.

During the New York 2023 Class AA state championship game, NBA draft prospect VJ Edgecombe, who starred at Long Island Lutheran, received an up-the-court pass after a defensive stop, then elevated off two feet to throw down a dunk. His high school and college coach both agree he’s a highlight waiting to happen.

That flash of athleticism is one of the reasons Edgecombe, the Baylor standout, is a highly sought after prospect. Our Gina Mizell has more on what makes him an enticing Sixers target with the No. 3 pick.

Ahead of the NHL combine in Buffalo earlier this month, Caleb Desnoyers was kept busy competing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs and the Memorial Cup for Moncton. Though the center prospect was a late arrival for the combine, he nearly completed 20 interviews with NHL team, one of them being the Flyers by June 6.

Jackie Spiegel, who spoke with Desnoyers at the combine, breaks down the potential top-10 pick in the NHL draft who could reunite with his older brother, Elliot, on the Flyers.

Minnesota bound: Sloane Hartmetz, who grew up in Phoenixville, is following in her sisters’ footsteps on the ice.

Thumbs up or down?: Our Eagles writers weigh in on Kyle McCord, the Birds’ sixth-round pick who starred at St. Joseph’s Prep.

Nutrition for kids: This Eagle star partnered with ACME and Connectedly for a program centered around nutrition education and giving access to fresh produce for kids out of school for the summer.

Pioneer inducted: Lucille Kyvallos, who coached at West Chester, was part of a seven-member 2025 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

Real Madrid is the leader in FIFA Club World Cup titles and one of this year’s 32 participants. How many times have they hoisted the trophy?

A) Three

B) Four

C) Five

D) Seven

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, EJ Smith, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Mia Messina, Owen Hewitt, and Mel Greenburg.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for getting your week started with Sports Daily. Jim will be back in your inboxes tomorrow. — Devin