The showpiece match and most important game in European club football is finally here. After seventy-eight total teams participated, only two remain, with the crown for the King of Europe on the line. Manchester City from England and Inter Milan from Italy both have a shot at that title, but these teams historically, culturally and stylistically represent vastly different footballing mindsets. Manchester City is no doubt the best team in the world currently, effortlessly smashing all opposition that stands in their way, but their success is relatively new. Inter Milan, on the other hand, is nothing to scoff at. They are one of the most successful and trophy-laden teams in Italian and European history, recently crawling their way back up the football hierarchy. Who will prevail in the 2023 Champions League Final?

Before we look at how the teams line up against each other, let’s go back and see how they got to this point. Manchester City was drawn into Group G alongside Sevilla (Spain), Borussia Dortmund (Germany) and Copenhagen (Denmark). With their new signing, Erling Haaland, adding to their already world-class squad, Man City cleaned up shop in the first round without breaking a sweat. Despite two 0-0 draws late on, the Citizens won every single game, including a 4-0 destruction of Sevilla (who would go on to win the Europa League this season) and a 5-0 demolition of Copenhagen.

Into the Round of 16, Manchester City were set to play RB Leipzig and after a comparatively subpar spell in terms of results during the beginning of the year, the Citizens stumbled a bit in the opening 1-1 draw. All doubts were immediately tossed out the window after they surged back with a 7-0 drubbing in the second leg, where Haaland scored five goals.

Bayern Munich, the tournament favorites at the time, were Man City’s next opponent. While there was some managerial drama behind the scenes in Bavaria, they were still a serious opponent. You wouldn’t have guessed that by watching the game, however, as Man City crushed them 3-0 with a fantastic performance before solidifying their victory with a comfortable 1-1 draw in the second leg.

Up next was Real Madrid, the reigning champions, the most successful team in this tournament and the same club who eliminated Man City at this very stage last season. History looked to repeat itself as Real Madrid looked very strong in the opening 1-1 draw in the first leg, but in the return fixture, Manchester City achieved revenge after they dismantled Los Blancos 4-0 in one of the greatest team performances ever in football history.

Man City was able to engage in yet another late-season grind, winning game after game, snatching the Premier League title from Arsenal before also beating their cross-town rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup Final. If they were to win the Champions League, they would complete a historical treble.

On the flip side, Inter Milan have had a very different path to the final. They were drawn into Group C, the group of death, with Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain) and Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic). As the name suggests, this group was very tough and while Bayern outplayed Inter on both occasions, Inter earned an impressive victory over Barcelona at home while also grabbing a 3-3 draw at the Camp Nou. Because Inter took care of business against Viktoria Plzen, that meant they qualified for the knockout rounds at the expense of Barcelona.

In the Round of 16, Inter was tasked with taking down Porto, the Portuguese giants. While Porto might not have the illustrious squads of Europe’s top-elite, they still have one of the strongest defenses in the world, and Inter only edged through due to a deflected goal from Romelu Lukaku late in the first half. That being said, Porto was unlucky not to equalize in the next leg.

Another Portuguese juggernaut awaited Inter in the quarterfinals, this time Benfica, who were one of the most exciting teams in Europe this season. Despite going through poor domestic form, Inter pulled off an impressive 2-0 win before holding on for a 3-3 draw in the second leg to beat out their opponents.

The semifinals bore witness to the Milan derby as Inter Milan faced off against their eternal rival, AC Milan. With a performance that will be remembered in Italy for ages, Inter wiped the floor with their San Siro neighbors in the first leg, winning 2-0, a score which could’ve been much higher. A lone Lautaro Martinez goal in the second half killed any chance of an AC Milan comeback.

In Serie A, Inter have had an inconsistent season, going through poor streaks of results in the fall and spring. But since the beginning of May, Inter have actually been in great form, securing a top-four finish and winning the Coppa Italia against Fiorentina.

But how do Manchester City and Inter Milan shape up against each other? Who will win the tactical battle between managers – Pep Guardiola or Simone Inzaghi? Man City will likely look to choke Inter, as they do all their opponents, with intense pressure and dynamic interplay along the wings to the center employing players like Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne among others. It is hard to imagine any team surviving under this, but that being said, Inter have one of the most resolute backlines in Europe, possessing ball-playing center-backs like Alessandro Bastoni who are experts at playing-out-the-back. Inter will be content with absorbing pressure, too, given they often score many goals through counter-attacks. But can Inter do what teams like Bayern, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United could not?

All logic points to Manchester City finally winning their first Champions League but football doesn’t often allow silly things like logic. As long as Inter Milan are in the match, they have a chance.

After barely falling short of their goal of being Super Bowl champions in 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles have returned to the practice field for the start of organized team activities (OTAs).

The team had a very eventful offseason. Fans knew there would be some roster turnover, as a lot of the team’s key players were free agents heading into last season. Many crucial players from the previous year’s team headed in a different direction this offseason. Leading rusher Miles Sanders signed with the Carolina Panthers, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave signed with the San Francisco 49ers, offensive guard Isaac Seumalo signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions and linebacker T.J. Edwards signed with the Chicago Bears, to name a few. 

Not all free agents left Philadelphia, however. Cornerback James Bradberry re-signed with the team for three more seasons and franchise legends Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox both re-signed for one year. 

General Manager Howie Roseman wasn’t content with simply re-signing players from the 2022-23 roster. He went out and signed safety Terrell Edmonds and running back Rashaad Penny and traded for running back D’Andre Swift. Those players will join both of the Eagles first round draft picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, whose selections earned the Eagles and Roseman high praise in NFL draft circles. 

The core of the team remains, with quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, offensive linemen Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, tight end Dallas Goedert, cornerbacks Darius Slay and the aforementioned Bradberry, all returning for the upcoming season.

The team will have to answer some questions as it heads into OTAs, however, to prove it can return to the Super Bowl in 2024. 

The team lives and dies by the success of Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni. Both had phenomenal sophomore seasons, but we have seen examples of coach and quarterback duos doing just that and then having a turbulent third season. Look no further than former Eagles head coach/quarterback duo Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz. Will Hurts and Sirianni be able to break the trend? 

The team will be counting on its rookies for major production. Smith and Carter will be expected to contribute right away, and mid-round picks such as safety Sydney Brown and cornerback Kelee Ringo should see significant time on the field, as well. Will they be able to live up to expectations?

Will any players from last season’s team take a leap this season? We saw it with Hurts, going from a borderline starter to an MVP candidate in one season. Do DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, or Quez Watkins have that type of a jump in store next season?

While the Eagles are undoubtedly one of the best rosters in the NFL, there is a lot of work to be done if they want to repeat last season’s success. As OTAs commence and the season inches closer, fans and spectators will get a better idea of if this group can replicate the success of last season.

After barely falling short of their goal of being Super Bowl champions in 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles have returned to the practice field for the start of organized team activities (OTAs).

The team had a very eventful offseason. Fans knew there would be some roster turnover, as a lot of the team’s key players were free agents heading into last season. Many crucial players from the previous year’s team headed in a different direction this offseason. Leading rusher Miles Sanders signed with the Carolina Panthers, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave signed with the San Francisco 49ers, offensive guard Isaac Seumalo signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions and linebacker T.J. Edwards signed with the Chicago Bears, to name a few. 

Not all free agents left Philadelphia, however. Cornerback James Bradberry re-signed with the team for three more seasons and franchise legends Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox both re-signed for one year. 

General Manager Howie Roseman wasn’t content with simply re-signing players from the 2022-23 roster. He went out and signed safety Terrell Edmonds and running back Rashaad Penny and traded for running back D’Andre Swift. Those players will join both of the Eagles first round draft picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, whose selections earned the Eagles and Roseman high praise in NFL draft circles. 

The core of the team remains, with quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, offensive linemen Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, tight end Dallas Goedert, cornerbacks Darius Slay and the aforementioned Bradberry, all returning for the upcoming season.

The team will have to answer some questions as it heads into OTAs, however, to prove it can return to the Super Bowl in 2024. 

The team lives and dies by the success of Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni. Both had phenomenal sophomore seasons, but we have seen examples of coach and quarterback duos doing just that and then having a turbulent third season. Look no further than former Eagles head coach/quarterback duo Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz. Will Hurts and Sirianni be able to break the trend? 

The team will be counting on its rookies for major production. Smith and Carter will be expected to contribute right away, and mid-round picks such as safety Sydney Brown and cornerback Kelee Ringo should see significant time on the field, as well. Will they be able to live up to expectations?

Will any players from last season’s team take a leap this season? We saw it with Hurts, going from a borderline starter to an MVP candidate in one season. Do DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, or Quez Watkins have that type of a jump in store next season?

While the Eagles are undoubtedly one of the best rosters in the NFL, there is a lot of work to be done if they want to repeat last season’s success. As OTAs commence and the season inches closer, fans and spectators will get a better idea of if this group can replicate the success of last season.

When looking at both sides of the bracket in the Champions League Semifinals,

many expected the two matchups to be extremely tight affairs decided only by hairline

margins. While at times it may have appeared that way, at the end of the day, both

Manchester City and Inter Milan march on the 2023 Champions League Final after

thoroughly outplaying their opponents in matches with lopsided score lines. In this article,

we will look specifically at the second leg of the semifinal between Manchester City and

Real Madrid.

When we left off after the first leg, Man City had traveled to the Santiago Bernabéu

in a game that rocked back and forth between the two emerging rivals. While the Citizens

were able to largely dominate the first half, Real Madrid still took the lead through a

wonder-strike from Vinicius Junior and then the momentum swung in their favor, with only

a comparably great long-shot from Kevin De Bruyne salvaging a draw. With the removal

of the away goals rule, everything was perfectly poised for the second leg with all still

square. Manchester City have been simply unstoppable to a scary degree since the end of

February, effortlessly crushing all opposition in their path. However, Real Madrid

seemingly have an unbreakable addiction to success, no matter who the opponent is and no matter how they play. While not as consistent, they choose their moments to shine

brighter than anyone else.

It is also worth mentioning the blossoming rivalry between these two clubs which

largely stems back to this very stage of the competition only one year ago. Both teams

entered the 2022 semifinals in very similar situations. Man City presumably did

everything they could to win, they even won the first leg and took a commanding lead in

the second leg only for Rodrygo’s two supernatural goals in the 90th and 91st minute

alongside Karim Benzema’s penalty in extra time to snatch victory at the death as Real

Madrid went on to beat Liverpool in the final, getting crowned king of Europe yet again.

These two teams also represent two different mindsets of football. Manchester

City were once a mid to lower-table team in England until Sheikh Mansour of the Abu

Dhabi United Group bought the team and poured billions into this new project during the

late 2000s. 

Since then, Man City have been able to acquire the best players and managers

which has seen them rise to the top of English football, even overshadowing their cross-

town rivals Manchester United in the past decade. While the Citizens have won

everything under the sun in England, the Champions League is the only missing trophy in

their cabinet, but not for lack of trying as they have come extremely close on numerous

occasions, only to fall short. It must be said though, it is far more complex than deducing

Man City’s success to Emirati oil money as the funds have been spent in an incredibly

intelligent manner with an intricate plan underneath. Throwing money at a team doesn’t

always equal success as Manchester United, Everton and Paris Saint-Germain have come

to find out. Man City has since hired Pep Guardiola as manager, bringing his football revolution to England, playing an exciting, dynamic and expansive possession-based style headlined by technically gifted players in every position.

On the flip side, you have Real Madrid, no doubt the most successful football club

of all time. The historic Spanish club has a past going back over a century which is laden

with triumph and accomplishment. Winning trophies is part of Real Madrid’s culture and

traditions, which is then carried down through the decades into every player, coach, board

member and fan. The statistics speak for themselves. Los Blancos have won 35 La Liga

titles, 20 Copa del Reyes and most prestigiously, 14 Champions Leagues among

countless others. They were even congratulated by FIFA as the best club of the 20th

Century by FIFA in 2000. While they are, of course, financially well-off, they would point

to their wealth as a result of their long history and the subsequent marketing benefits of

that, as opposed to a big buyout from a corporation like many teams today. Real Madrid’s legacy has been built off of a core of tradition and culture which remains untouched, but everything beyond that is mere pragmatism towards the most effective path to success. This team is not tied to a specific playing style or profile of player, they just do whatever they need to do to win.

All things considered; the vastly differing attitudes of football clashing, the

developing rivalry and equal scoreline meant this second leg was all the more looked forward to. In between the two legs, Man City easily dispatched Everton 3-0 as they

inched closer to the Premier League title in the face of Arsenal’s late-season collapse. As for Real Madrid, they beat Getafe 1-0, though it must be said there was not much to play

for given Barcelona had all but clinched the title.

Then on May 17, Manchester City welcomed Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium

with a place in the 2023 Champions League Final on the line. Pep decided to revert back

to his new 3-2-4-1 formation he constructed this season while Real Madrid’s team

remained unchanged, with the exception of Antonio Rudiger, who was dropped to the

bench after Eder Militao returned from injury.

Much like the first leg, Manchester City started off on the front foot as expected.

Unlike the first leg though, Real Madrid did not appear to be able to handle the pressure

and they already appeared to be cracking under the vise grip. Within only the first 10

minutes, the home team had peppered their opponent’s goal with several shots but the

first clear chance would come in the 13th minute as Jack Grealish found himself in a good

position on the left flank. The English winger sent in an early cross which found the head

of Erling Haaland but a heroic save from the hip of Thibaut Courtois and a goal-line

clearance from David Alaba denied Man City the opening goal. Haaland and Courtois

would come face to face only a few minutes later when Kevin De Bruyne’s cross was

floated back into the box from Manuel Akanji in the direction of Haaland. With one of

the best saves of the season, Courtois had to jump backwards and claw the ball out of the

air with one hand. Real Madrid had no answer for Man City’s attacks and their Belgian

goalkeeper was giving them a lifeline.

In the 23rd minute though, it all became too much to handle as Man City rapidly shifted the ball around in their opponent’s box. The movement of Kyle Walker, John Stones, De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva pulled Real Madrid’s defense apart, opening gaps. On the night, Toni Kroos was playing the pivotal role as the sole anchor in Real’s midfield and while he was never a fast player overall, his pace has declined even more so since he is 33 years old. Losing his marker, Bernardo Silva slipped past Kroos and found himself open right in front of the goal. With a fake shot to the left, Silva then shot to the right leaving Courtois no chance and sending Man City up 1-0, exposing the absence left by Casemiro who left in the last summer transfer window. Despite being at fault for the opening goal, Kroos almost pulled his team back into the match with Real Madrid’s first chance of the night. Following a corner, Kroos collected the ball at the edge of the box and sent an absolute missile towards the goal. If not for Ederson’s fingertip save, which tipped the ball onto the crossbar, it would’ve been 1-1. Instead, Man City relentlessly went in the opposite direction with Grealish starting another attack. This time he played in his captain, Ilkay Gundogan, who was able to dribble right through the middle of Real Madrid’s defense, only for his shot to be blocked by Eder Militao. Unfortunately for the Spanish club, the ball fell right to Bernardo Silva who comfortably headed the ball right into the open net, doubling the lead.

Nothing was working for Real Madrid, and it was clear something was wrong

when Vinicius Junior was released with a through-ball on a quick counterattack like we

have seen numerous times this season. The Brazilian winger was surprisingly unable to get the shot off with Kyle Walker outpacing him and winning the ball back. In the first leg, Real Madrid were able to fend off Man City’s early pressure with resolute defending and then respond with deadly counterattacks. But this time it was simply too much to contain and they couldn’t even string together simple passes. Their frontline was essentially nonexistent and their midfield was uncharacteristically being overrun. That being said, Los Blancos did regroup at the start of the second half and they were able to get on the ball more. But when they approached the home team’s goal, they could barely create any clear chances in the face of Man City’s defense which was impenetrable. The only shot which troubled Ederson was a David Alaba freekick that was expertly saved by the Brazilian goalkeeper.

As good as Man City were playing, there was still a fear that Real Madrid could

pull off a comeback. After all, at this very same stage last year, Man City was up by two

goals only for divine intervention to save Los Blancos. As a result, the Citizens started to

push heavily for a third goal, especially as Real Madrid started showing signs of fatigue.

The third goal would then come deep in the second half after a quick one-two between

Gundogan and Haalandsaw the German midfielder backheel the ball out to the striker who was now one-on-one with Courtois. Yet again though, Haaland was thwarted by his

opponent in goal, making it a hat-trick of world-class saves from Courtois.

The breakthrough would come shortly after though, when a looping freekick from

De Bruyne was headed towards goal by Manuel Akanji. With a stroke of luck, Militao

accidentally got in the way of the shot and deflected it into his own net. With the score

now 3-0 on the night and less than 15 minutes remaining, Pep Guardiola and all the Man

City players and fans could let out a sigh of relief. No comeback was possible now. This

was reinforced after Ederson was forced into a double save against Karim Benzema and

Dani Ceballos to deny a consolation goal. Furthermore, Pep subbed on both Phil Foden

and Julian Alvarez late on and the two combined in the buildup play leading to Alvarez

scoring a fourth with an easy finish. Once the referee blew the whistle, it ended 4-0 to the

home side and 5-1 on aggregate. 

Not since their defeat to Ajax in 2019 during their transitional season was Real Madrid thoroughly dismantled and torn to shreds by an opponent. It was truly shocking to see. What makes it even more remarkable was the fact that while Real Madrid was certainly not perfect on the night, they did not play badly at all over the two legs. This says a lot more about their opponents than anything else who were able to both enact revenge for last year and prevent yet another remontada. Simply put, this performance over the 90 minutes in the second leg was one of the best individual performances from any team in Champions League history. Every single player on the pitch put in a good shift and they mercilessly outclassed their opponents. In the quarterfinals, Man City pulled off a similarly crushing victory against Bayern Munich, but this match was even more impressive. It was so perfect that pundits started comparing this team to Pep Guardiola’s famous Barcelona teams from 2009 and 2011. As was said before, Man City desperately want to finally win the Champions League. They could even win a treble if they beat Manchester United in the FA Cup Final in a few weeks. And though they have famously fumbled before late on in the Champions League, surely they are too unstoppable to fail this time around, right?

A lot went wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the second NBA playoff round. The devastating 112-88 loss against the Boston Celtics cost the Sixers the chances of making it to the conference finals and coach Doc Rivers his job.

For the fourth time in five years, the Philadelphia 76ers said goodbye after the second NBA playoff round. Even though they came closer than ever to making it through, the Sixers disappointed once again in their final moments.

 Thanks to a great overall performance in the first round, Philadelphia swept the Brooklyn Nets and was ready to face the Boston Celtics who went to the games as the clear favorite.

The second round went well for the Sixers who led the series 3-2 after five games. With another win, they finally had the chance to make it to the conference finals but Boston outperformed the Sixers in Game 6 (95-86) and forced a final matchup which ended in a nightmare for Philly.

Even though the Sixers started decently and kept a close score in the first two quarters, they showed a completely different face in the second half.

Neither MVP Joel Embiid nor star player James Harden delivered. Both combined only scored 26 points and were not able to lift their team to the conference finals.

Instead, it was Jayson Tatum who shined with an impressive performance. The 25-year-old dropped 51 points and made NBA history. He broke Stephen Curry’s record and is now the player who has scored the most points ever in an NBA Game 7 playoff match. 

The loss brings many uncertainties for Philadelphia’s future. Head coach Doc Rivers has already been relieved of his duties and the team is actively searching for a replacement. Harden, who was consistently the team’s second-best player since he arrived, has a player option he is expected to decline so he can test free agency.

There have been rumors dating back to Christmas in 2022 of Harden’s desire to return to the Houston Rockets, the team that originally allowed him to flourish into the MVP player he became. Some believe that the rumors are all a leverage play from Harden’s agent to attract more money from the Sixers, while others say he truly wants to return to the franchise that helped him become a superstar.

If Harden doesn’t return, Philadelphia will have to “get creative” to remain a contender, in the words of President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey. The team would still have Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris under contract, but Harden’s departure would make it much more difficult to view the team as a true finals contender.

The question many have presented since the loss is, “should the Sixers even want Harden to return?”. That is up for debate, with the guard having spectacular performances in Games 1 and 4, but being borderline unplayable in Games 3, 6, and 7. Morey stated in his end-of-season press conference that the team’s preference is to have Harden return, but acknowledged the uncertainty there. This situation is fluid and we will likely not have a clear answer until at least mid-June.

As for the head coaching search, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported the team has focused on six candidates: former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, former Suns head coach Monty Williams, former Pacers and Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, former Knicks and Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, former Hawks and Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and current Sixers assistant coach Sam Cassell. 

Whoever gets the job will have the challenge of figuring out how to sustain Joel Embiid’s MVP production from the regular season into the playoffs, developing Tyrese Maxey into the All-Star many believe he can be, and finding out how to keep Harden afloat when his shots aren’t falling in the playoffs (assuming he re-signs with the Sixers in some capacity).

After another year of disappointment, there is going to be a massive change for the Sixers this offseason. Firing Rivers was a start, but prepare for an influx of new signings and trades once the team has a clear vision in mind. 

In a sign of the growing strength and commitment to Drexel as an athletic institution, Drexel University announced on Monday, May 8th, that Janet Burkholder had committed to endow the head women’s basketball coach position at Drexel. Moving forward, the position will be officially titled the Janet E. and Barry C. Burkholder Women’s Basketball Head Coach position. 

Janet Burkholder, along with her late husband Barry, has a history of demonstrated support for Drexel athletics. Not only is the Drexel Athletics Hall of Fame named in honor of  the Burkholders, but they have gone so far as to host the Dragons in their home when the team is in their area.

Barry graduated from Drexel University in 1962 with his Bachelor’s Degree, and then returned in 1970 to graduate with his MBA. His involvement at the school continued as he served as a member of Drexel’s Board of Trustees from 1998-2013. He received many awards for his commitment to the school, including Drexel’s Distinguished Alumni Award, being named to the Drexel 100, the A.J. Drexel Paul Award, the Golden Dragon Society Award in 2012 and induction to the Drexel ROTC Hall of Fame. 

Janet Burkholder, who graduated from Thomas Jefferson Nursing School, was married to Barry for 58 years. She has decided to endow this gift to the Drexel athletic program in honor of Barry, who passed away in 2020. 

“I am proud to be associated with Drexel and Drexel Women’s Basketball. Since I have been a part of this vibrant community, I have always been impressed with the positive and state-of-the-art improvements,” said Janet upon Drexel’s announcement of the award. “We are honored that Barry’s legacy continues at Drexel. We look forward to celebrating Drexel Women’s Basketball and to supporting student-athletes,”  

In essence, here is how the endowment functions: The endowed gift will be managed by Drexel’s Investment Office, and every year, a percentage of the gift will be paid out to support the compensation for the head coach. The rest of the gift remains in Drexel’s larger investment fund. This allows for the endowment gift to grow each year, ideally gaining returns that either match or out-pace the amount of money being released each year. 

It should not be glossed over just how seismic of a commitment this endowment is towards the stellar Drexel Women’s Basketball program. With this endowment, Drexel becomes the first school in the CAA to have their women’s head coach position endowed. While the Dragons have consistently been outdoing their CAA competition on the court, where they have not finished worse than fourth in the conference for almost two decades, it is important that Drexel continues growing as an athletic department to maintain an advantage off the court as well. Perhaps more impressively, Drexel now becomes the only school in The Big 5 to endow the women’s head basketball coach position. Again, this goes to show that Drexel comes into the reimagined Big 5 as one of the strongest programs on the court, behind the bench and in the bank.

Amy Mallon, the current head coach for the Women’s Basketball team, stated that she is “honored and humbled to be the first coach to benefit from this new endowment.”

Mallon, who took on the role in 2020, has led the Dragons to two consecutive regular season CAA Championships. She has her work cut out for her in the upcoming season as Keishana Washington, one of the best college basketball players in the nation last year, has graduated, and promising freshman Kylie Lavelle decided to transfer to Penn State. This means that the players with the highest average points per game will be Grace O’Neill, with just seven.

Only four teams remain in the Champions League this season as we get closer and closer to crowning the kings of Europe for 2023. The two sides of the bracket could not be more different than each other with the usual suspects Real Madrid and Manchester City rehashing their developing rivalry on one side with one of the oldest rivalries in world football, the Derby della Madonnina being played out on the other between Inter Milan and AC Milan. Fortunately for us fans, this means that we are guaranteed to see one titan team against an underdog in the final. Although it does feel somewhat silly referring to AC Milan or Inter as “underdogs,” considering AC Milan have the second most amount of Champions League trophies with seven and Inter isn’t too far behind with three, it goes without saying that no one seriously expected them to make it this far.

Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City

The first leg of the series kicked off on Tuesday night between Real Madrid and Manchester City, two of the absolute best teams in the world and heavy favorites to win this competition dating back to the beginning of the season. Funnily enough, these two teams actually met at this very stage last year where Man City looked to have ensured the victory only for Real Madrid to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history and snatch victory at the death, before defeating Liverpool in the Final.

Manchester City are one of the scariest teams to face right now as they can seemingly take down anyone at the drop of a hat. While it took a bit for Pep Guardiola to correctly adjust his possession-based style to the directness needed to accommodate new signing, Erling Haaland, once it clicked, they never looked back. Despite trailing behind Arsenal for most of the Premier League season, Man City fought back like always with a late-season surge and they now find themselves top of the table after a streak of wins including a 3-1 beat-down of Arsenal. This has translated to the Champions League as well with the Citizens smashing RB Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate before dispatching Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate with a statement victory in the quarterfinals. The first leg of their series against Bayern was a particularly outstanding performance.

Standing in the way of Manchester City’s total domination is none other than Real Madrid who virtually need no introduction. The reigning champions of this competition, they have also won this trophy more than anyone else in history with 14 titles. In fact, they have double the amount of Champions League than the next highest winners, the aforementioned AC Milan with seven. This season in La Liga for Real Madrid started off well but they slowly fell away allowing Barcelona to take a commanding lead. In the cup competitions though, Real Madrid maintained their form, winning the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and crucially, the Copa del Rey last weekend. Carlo Ancelotti and his men look to add another Champions League to that list and after relatively easy wins against other English teams; Liverpool and Chelsea, Manchester City definitely have their work cut out.

Despite the match being held in Madrid, it was Man City who started off on the front foot, dominating possession and hitting their opponents with relentless attack after attack.             In just the first 20 minutes, Thibaut Courtois in goal was forced into making multiple saves against Haaland, Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne. Though it must be said, most of these shots were from far out and the home team did well to protect their eighteen-yard box. Amid all this stress, Real Madrid looked just as calm as ever and were simply waiting for their moment to pounce. That moment would come towards the end of the first half when Eduardo Camavinga, who is a midfielder playing out of position at left-back, dribbled the entire length of the field before laying off the ball to Real’s hero this season, Vinicius Junior, at the top of the box. It looked like Vinicius would pass the ball off or at least attempt to dribble farther in, but instead, he unleashed a cannonball of a shot which flew past Ederson and into the net. For all their pressure going forward, Man City found themselves a goal down meanwhile Real Madrid’s patience paid off heavily.

Going into the second half, that goal seemed to deflate the Citizens while doing the opposite to Los Blancos, who were now on the front foot. Vinicius and his fellow countryman, Rodrygo, caused terror to Man City’s backline with their linkup play and they almost scored a second after the two Brazilians set up Karim Benzema’s whose shot was heroically blocked by John Stones. In the first half, Real Madrid took the lead through individual brilliance despite playing with their backs against the wall for majority of the 45. Ironically, the opposite would occur here in the second half with Man City being dragged level through Kevin De Bruyne against the run of play. After Rodri was able to decisively able to win the ball back in the middle of the pitch, the ball found its way to De Bruyne who was at the top of the half-circle. The Belgian midfielder swung and struck a low-grass-cutting shot with so much power, Courtois had no chance as it flew past him and into the lower bottom corner, equaling the score 1-1.

Despite scoring this vital goal, Man City could never regain the high energy from the first half and Real Madrid looked to find a winner. After Toni Kroos sent in a curling cross on a freekick, Benzema was able to make contact with a close header only for it to be saved wonderfully by Ederson with quick reflexes. Their best chance would come in the last minute of regulation time though as Aurelien Tchouameni hit a powerful longshot aimed for the top corner which also required a world-class save from Ederson. However, Man City held on, and the match finished 1-1.

Given the seemingly unstoppable form Man City were in, some expected them to blow away Real Madrid but that couldn’t be farther from the truth as Real Madrid not only held on, but were the better team for large parts of the match. While the Citizens could still very well make it to the final, this opponent is likely the toughest they will face all season. Unfortunately for us fans, the star strikers of either team, Benzema and Haaland, were unusually quiet on the night. Though one might point to the defensive masterclasses the center-backs of both teams pulled off.

As the teams travel to Manchester for the return leg, there is still all to play for, especially when you consider that there are no more away goals. And while Man City were able to prevent Real Madrid from winning at home, the Eithad Stadium is not particularly known to be a hostile atmosphere and Los Blancos have shown to have no issues winning on English soil either. But don’t expect Erling Haaland to remain dormant for long either.

AC Milan 0-2 Inter Milan

 On Wednesday night we were treated to a momentous matchup that will likely be remembered for a long time in Italian football history. As was mentioned before, while Inter Milan and AC Milan have been rising back up the football hierarchy, very few would have expected either team to have made it this far.

The last time these two teams faced each other in the Champions League was the famously controversial semifinal in the 2004/05 season, nearly two decades ago. Since then, both teams peaked in the late 2000s, winning serious silverware before financial struggles and internal mismanagement saw them fall into disrepair in the 2010s. But thankfully for the Italian game as whole, the direction has shifted upwards over the past few years.

AC Milan won Serie A for the first time in over a decade last year and headed into this season looking to defend their title. However, it has overall been a very inconsistent season for them especially as Napoli ran away with the Scudetto this year. Milan went through a run of very poor form after Christmas break but it was actually in the Champions League knockout rounds where they rebounded with a narrow win over Tottenham. Since April, the red side of Milan has been in red-hot form, thrashing Napoli 4-0 in Naples in Serie A before also impressively eliminating them from the Champions League Quarterfinals leading Milan to where they stand now.

Their cross-town rivals, Inter Milan, have had a similarly inconsistent season as well interestingly enough. Looking to bounce back after winning the Scudetto in 2021, Inter was unable to string together good performances against the tougher opposition seeing them cede the title to the aforementioned Napoli. Stereotypical of a Simone Inzaghi team however, they have been extremely resolute in cup competitions, beating AC Milan, of all teams, 3-0 in the Super Coppa Italiana, making the Coppa Italiana Final for this season and then pulling off a series of great collective team performances to see off the Portuguese giants, Porto and Benfica, to make it to the Champions League semifinals.

Speaking of previous results between these two teams, Milan edged out a 3-2 victory back in September in league play only for Inter to respond with a close 1-0 win in February with that 3-0 Cup Final win sandwiched in between. Therefore, this first leg here in the Champions League was perfectly poised to be a classic.

When the match kicked off, both teams tried to put their opponents under intense pressure, contrary to the stereotypes of Italian teams being defensive and slow. However, it would be Milan who cracked first with their players unable to handle the aggressive attacks of Inter. Winning an early corner, Hakan Calhanoglu sent in a looping cross that was so pinpoint accurate, all Edin Dzeko had to do was brush off his marker and side-foot it into the top corner. Milan were shellshocked and only a few minutes later, Nicoo Barella flicked a soft pass to Federico Dimarco who sent a low cross to Henrikh Mkhitaryan who was making a deep run through the middle. With a quick dribble, Mkhitaryan was now 1v1 with Mike Maignan in net, and sent the ball sailing past him. Merely 11 minutes into the game, Inter Milan were 2-0 up and the score could’ve been even worse when Calhanoglu sent a missile of a shot which painstakingly crashed off the post. Inter had another chance to increase their lead after Lautaro Martinez embarrassed Fikayo Tomori with a silky dribble only to be taken down by Simon Kjaer in the box. Although the referee judged the contact was minimal and he called the penalty back.

The first-half performance was possibly the best 45 minutes Inter played this whole season but heading into the second half, they couldn’t keep up the momentum meanwhile Milan were able to compose themselves after their ongoing defensive calamity. That being said, Inter almost made it 3-0 again when Alessandro Bastoni, of all people, ran straight at Milan’s defense before laying off the ball to Dzeko whose shot was only stopped following a brilliant save from Maignan. Aside from that mishap though, the Rossoneri carved out some chances for themselves as Sandro Tonali got on the ball more. Early in the second half, an excellent through ball from Tonali found Junior Messias wide open on the right flank but he unfortunately dragged his shot wide. Shortly after, Tonali himself had a wonderful shot which just struck the post. After that flurry of Milan chances though, the Nerazzurri did regain control over the match, choosing to batten down the hatches and close out the match with a 2-0 victory, and eventually, the game ended with that same scoreline.

While Inter did falter slightly in the second-half, their first-half performance was immaculate and they come away with a commanding 2-0 win which could’ve, and probably should’ve, been higher. As for Milan, they were severely missing their most dangerous player, Rafael Leao, through injury and it showed as Olivier Giroud was completely isolated up top and Theo Hernandez had no one to linkup with. That being said, Leao’s absence doesn’t excuse Milan’s defensive collapse. Still though, it is only 2-0 and if Leao is able to make it for the return leg, Milan have all the chance in the world to stage a historic comeback.

In a small-sided possession drill, eight players quickly executed one or two-touch combinations against four pressing players. Philadelphia Union’s U17 squad requires a fast tempo, high intensity and quality. The atmosphere on the field is noticeably coherent amongst the team too. When one of the players defends the ball with a sliding tackle, four of his team members are immediately there to cheer him up for the big block. The positive mood among players and coaches isn’t a surprise.

Philadelphia’s U17 soccer team is the best of their kind. Last year they topped off their successful season by winning the U17 MLS Next Cup, the biggest and most important youth soccer tournament in the United States. 

In an intense final, the Union defeated Columbus Crew 3-2. This year, the successful journey of Philadelphia Union’s U17 continued as the ‘06 and ‘07 born players were able to pull off their next huge achievement. In April, Philadelphia’s U17 celebrated the win of the prestigious Generation Adidas Cup after eliminating LA Galaxy in the semifinal 2-1 and defeating FC Dallas in the final 1-0. The Generation Adidas Cup in Florida is one of the biggest international tournaments and is well known for its high-quality competition. 

This year the tournament hosted the best American academy teams as well as big international names like Real Madrid, FC Arsenal and Manchester United. In nine days, Philly’s soccer team achieved wins in all seven of their matches, making the triumph even sweeter.

The man behind Philadelphia Union’s success is Tobias Nubbemeyer. The 30-year-old German took over as head coach in 2019 and progressively guided Philadelphia Union’s U17 team to the top of America’s academy soccer. Nubbemeyer’s commitment had a lot to do with the involvement of Union sports director Ernst Tanner, who is also from Germany. Being aware of Nubbemeyer’s coaching potential, he tried his best to convince the 30-year-old to come to the city of brotherly love. It is clear that for Nubbemeyer, Philadelphia was a great fit. 

“Four years ago, Ernst Tanner needed someone in the youth to build up a fast, intense, and direct playing style,” said Nubbemeyer, who immediately showed interest in the plan Tanner had for him. 

From 2017 to 2019 Nubbemeyer worked in the U19 and U17 teams of Bundesliga academy club RB Leipzig. In Leipzig, Nubbemeyer coached a similar high-intensity playing style that Tanner wanted to see in Philadelphia. The 30-year-old, therefore, was the man Tanner was looking for. Compared to what Nubbemeyer experienced in Leipzig, the major difference in Philadelphia is that the Union Academy currently doesn’t have its own facilities. 

The U17 practices at the YSC sports complex where the players also go to a private school. In Chester, the Union is currently working on expanding its facilities. The project that promises to benefit the Union’s academy immensely is estimated to cost the club approximately $55 million. 

Another big difference is the homegrown player rule that doesn’t allow the Union to transfer youth players from different cities. “We have to rely on local talents in and around Philadelphia and that’s an advantage for us because the pool of players here is really good,” explained Nubbemeyer.

This weekend, the team will compete in the MLS Next Flex tournament in Maryland. To qualify for the MLS Next playoffs in Dallas they have to win within their group, which includes Solar FC, Sacramento Republic and FC Golden State. 

The goal for the rest of the season is simple. “We won the playoffs last year. Our ambition is to defend our title,” said Nubbemeyer. The U17 of the Philadelphia Union is clearly hungry to bring another title back to Philly.

Drexel will welcome the semifinal and final qualifiers to Philly as we are this year’s host school for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship. The games are scheduled to take place over Memorial Day weekend at Philadelphia’s very own Lincoln Financial Field.

The opening round game of the tournament took place on May 10 where Delaware crushed Marist 25-10 and will advance to play Duke. The eight first-round games will take place over this coming weekend. Take a look at the schedule:

May 13

12 PM EDT: Virginia v. Richmond

2:30 PM EDT: Notre Dame v. Utah

5 PM EDT: Georgetown v. Yale

7:30 PM EDT: Maryland v. Army West Point

May 14

12 PM EDT: Johns Hopkins v. Bryant

2:30 PM EDT: Cornell v. Michigan

5 PM EDT: Duke v. Delaware

7:30 PM EDT: Penn State v. Princeton

The champions of the first round will move on to the second, scheduled to happen May 20 & 21. Here’s how the brackets will play out (all times are TBD):

May 20

Duke-Delaware winner v. Cornell-Michigan winner

Virginia-Richmond winner v. Georgetown-Yale winner

May 21

Penn State-Princeton winner v. Maryland-Army winner

Johns Hopkins-Bryant winner v. Notre Dame-Utah winner

The semifinals are scheduled for May 27 (time TBD) and the championship game is scheduled for May 29 at 1PM, all three games at the Link.

According to the NCAA’s website, “The Division I semifinals will be televised live on ESPN2 starting at Noon Eastern., May 27. The championship game will be televised live on ESPN starting at 1:00 p.m. Eastern., May 29.”

To watch the games live, visit ncaatickets.com to purchase tickets or tune in to ESPN on May 27 and May 29.

After a grueling four game series against the Brooklyn Nets, the Philadelphia 76ers have advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in convincing fashion.

The Sixers, the third seed in the East, were heavy favorites against the Nets, the sixth seed; many expected close matchups throughout the series. With Brooklyn’s solid defensive core featuring Mikal Bridges and Nicholas Claxton, there was some thought that they could make this a difficult series for Sixers’ stars James Harden and Joel Embiid.

In Game 1, Philadelphia had no troubles, winning by 20 points with a score of 121-101. Harden and Embiid both scored over 20 points and the Sixers looked like the championship team many hoped they could be.

In Game 2, things were not as smooth for the Sixers, who went into halftime down by 5, having only scored 44 points. They responded in the second half, however, outscoring Brooklyn by 17 points and taking a 2-0 series lead. 

Now the series moved to Brooklyn with fans expecting the Nets to win at least one game on their home floor. At first, it appeared Game 3 might have been that moment. Very early in the first quarter, Joel Embiid got into an altercation with Nic Claxton which commentators believed warranted an ejection for the Sixers star. However, he was only penalized with a flagrant one foul, meaning he was allowed to stay in the game. That wasn’t the only foul trouble for the Sixers, though. In the third quarter, James Harden was ejected after receiving a flagrant two foul for a hit to Nets forward Royce O’Neale. The Sixers would now have to comeback without Harden and with Embiid limited by foul trouble. To complicate matters even more, Embiid began limping and struggling up and down the court, seemingly injured. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey stepped up to the task, hitting two threes in the final two minutes of the game, giving the Sixers a two point lead with 10 seconds to go. On the Nets’ penultimate possession, Embiid rose up for a clutch block on Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, awarding the Sixers another victory and a 3-0 series lead. The big question, now, was Embiid’s health.

Embiid went for an MRI after Game 3 and it was revealed he had a sprained knee and would miss Game 4 in Brooklyn. The sprain was considered a lucky scenario, and Embiid was reportedly thrilled it wasn’t a tear. If the Sixers were able to win Game 4 and sweep the Nets, Embiid would get over a week of rest before the next series.

Thanks to a big performance from forward Tobias Harris, they did just that. Going into halftime down by 8 points, Harris and the Sixers came together and played much better basketball in the second half, out-rebounding Brooklyn and hitting clutch shots to secure the win. This series marks the first sweep for the Sixers since 1991, and makes them the only team this season to sweep their first round opponent.

In all likelihood, the Sixers will take on second seed Boston Celtics in what will be a fantastic matchup between two great teams. If Embiid is ready for Game 1 of that series—and all current signs point to him being ready—the Sixers have a fighting chance to make their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2001.