The Third Sub

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat all things Vancouver Whitecaps (and a bit of CPL), after the Whitecaps won the Canadian Championship for a second straight year and third time total this past week.  With that in mind, they began this show by diving right into that game, and what stood out from a Whitecaps perspective.  To begin, they look at some of the individual performances, as everyone shone, from the main pieces such as Ryan Gauld, Julian Gressel and Yohei Takaoka, to the likes of Javain Brown and Ranko Veselinovic, and the always underrated Andrés Cubas, all playing big roles in the Whitecaps victory.  Then, they take a look at how Vanni Sartini coached in this game, as he further cemented himself in Whitecaps lore with not only his decisions on the touchline, but those off it, such as his quotes and celebrations.  After, they take a look at some roster decisions this tournament could lead to, such as the signing of Whitecaps 2 forward Levonte Johnson to a permanent MLS first-team deal following a strong performance in the final, among others.  Continuing that theme, they then speculate on what the Whitecaps also qualifying for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup (former league) could mean for the rest of the season, and more specifically the Leagues Cup that is coming up this summer.  Lastly, they then take a look at some CPL action, as they revisit the dramatic all-BC CPL derby between Vancouver FC and Pacific FC that finished 6-3 for the Tridents last week, in a game to remember for many reasons.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to dive into all things Vancouver Whitecaps, Canadian Premier League and League 1 BC.  To begin, they start with the Whitecaps, where they look back on a busy stretch of games, in which the 'Caps played four times in two weeks across league and cup play.  From the good, such as their qualification to the Canadian Championship final and an outburst of goals, to the bad, such as their continued struggles on the road in MLS play, they look at what stood out from the past few weeks.  Then, they assess the play of those across the roster, both the good and the bad, seeing who has stepped up as of late for the team.  From there, they cap off the Whitecaps chatter with a look ahead to their next couple of matches, including a home date with Sporting KC and the CanChamp final against CF Montréal.  After, they shift their attention to the CPL, where they look at where each team is at through the one-quarter mark of the 2023 campaign, with a focus on Pacific FC and Vancouver FC (who on the day of recording, were getting set for a derby).  Lastly, they update the League 1 BC standings, where parity reigns on the men's side, while the women's side has seen some usual suspects and new faces climb up the table, marking a fun start to the season so far.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to dive into all things Vancouver Whitecaps, Canadian Premier League, League 1 BC and more.  To begin, they dive into the latest out of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who are in the midst of a busy stretch of games in MLS and Canadian Championship action.  First, they look at what's stood out from their recent run of games, where after beating Minnesota United in MLS play and York United in the Canadian Championship, they suffered back-to-back defeats to the Portland Timbers and FC Dallas in league play.  There, they look at the good and the bad from those performances, as the 'Caps showed some rare cracks, with the busy schedule playing a big role in that.  Lastly, to round off the Whitecaps chatter, they look at the big news from this week, as MLSPA revealed the 2023 MLS salaries, giving Alex and Sam the chance to dive into who on the 'Caps are earning their money, who is due for a raise, and much more. After that, they shift over to some Canadian Premier League chatter, as they look at a busy last two matchdays of CPL action for Vancouver FC and Pacific FC, for differing reasons. On one side, Vancouver's facing some adversity for the first time this season, after their big home opener on May 7th, while Pacific is cruising in great form in CPL play.  Then, to cap things off they finish with some League 1 BC chatter, before diving into a quick preview of the upcoming Canadian Championship semi-final matchups next week to finish the show.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

In Episode 165 of the Third Sub Podcast, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat all things soccer in British Columbia.  To begin, they dive into the latest Vancouver Whitecaps performance, as the 'Caps hosted the Colorado Rapids at BC Place in MLS play this past weekend. There, a mixed run of form continued for the 'Caps, as while they kept their 4th straight clean sheet in MLS play, they were shut out for a second straight game, as the match eventually finished 0-0.  They look at what the 'Caps need to fix up front, as they continue to drop valuable points due to their offensive struggles, which could come back to haunt them later on.  Then, they look at week 3 of CPL action, seeing what stood out from a BC perspective, as Vancouver FC drew the Halifax Wanderers away, while Pacific lost to Forge FC at home. From a dream start for Vancouver, who is set for their first-ever home match this weekend, to more scoring woes at Pacific, they look at what to make of each team's start to the season. Afterwards, they take a look back at a busy first weekend of League 1 BC action, as that league kicked off its second season with a bang. From business as usual on the women's side, to some fun results on the men's side, they look at what they took away from that one.  Lastly, they look ahead to what's next for the 'Caps, as well as in the CPL, League 1 BC and the Canadian Championship, as a busy month of May really gets going for soccer across BC and all of Canada.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat all things soccer in BC.  To begin, they start with the Whitecaps, who despite not playing a game this past weekend, still made news as they traded winger Cristian Dájome to DC United for some GAM ahead of the closing of MLS's primary transfer window.  They start by breaking down what this move means for Dájome, for the 'Caps and for DC, before looking at what this could mean for future transactions for the team based on the precedent it sets.  After, they look ahead to the next 'Caps game, a home clash with the Colorado Rapids, where Vancouver will be looking to stay hot in MLS play with another victory. It won't be easy, as Colorado are always tough to break down, but as the numbers show, they do have some weaknesses that can be exploited.  Then, they shift their attention to the MLS Next Pro level, as VWFC II is continuing to shine at that level, and they look at how they've been able to do that. With a couple of potential contributors who could step up to play in MLS, it's a good time to follow the team, and they explain why.  Continuing on, they then chat some Canadian Premier League, as the CPL was back for its second matchday this past weekend.  There, it was a huge weekend for a BC-based team, as new kids on the block Vancouver FC picked up their first-ever club goal and victory in a 2-1 win over York United. Along with some other crucial storylines, including some unfortunate news out of York, they look at what else stood out from the CPL over the past week.  Lastly, they shift their attention to League 1 BC, which finally returns this weekend. After a successful opening season, the league is eager to hit the ground running in year two, so they take a look at who and what to watch out for as that kicks off on April 29th.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat all things Vancouver Whitecaps, Canadian Premier League and Canadian Championship after a loaded week of local soccer action. To begin, they dive into the latest out from the 'Caps, who drew Austin 0-0 on the road. They look at what stood out from that game, as Vancouver continued to pick up points in MLS play, setting themselves up nicely for a bye week this upcoming weekend. After that, they look at the other BC-based professional soccer teams that also played that same day, as the CPL kicked off this past weekend, with a first-ever CPL BC darby between Pacific FC and Vancouver FC on Saturday sitting as one of the league's big opening matches, one that Pacific eventually won 1-0. From a confident result for Pacific, to encouraging signs for Vancouver, they reflect on that opening match, and what it means for the rest of the pair's CPL seasons. Then, to wrap things up, they dive into the Canadian Championship, and more specifically, one game in the preliminary round - the matchup between the TSS Rovers and Valour FC. There, an upset for the ages was on the cards, as the Rovers became the first-ever semi-professional team to beat a professional side in a Canadian Championship tie, beating Valour 3-1 at Swangard Stadium. They look back at what this result means for the Rovers, soccer in BC and the Canadian Championship at large, before diving into how the win happened, as well as what stood out from the night. Lastly, they take a quick look ahead at what's next in the Canadian Championship for those who remained, previewing what should be a fun rest of the tournament. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat all things Vancouver Whitecaps after a busy week for the club.  To begin, they dive into the main games that the team has played over the last eight days, that being the Concacaf Champions League, where they took on LAFC across a two-legged series in the quarter-finals.  And there, things didn't go great for the Whitecaps, as they first fell 3-0 at home in the first leg, before losing by the exact same scoreline in leg 2 in LA, leaving them to bow out by a score of 6-0 on aggregate.  From a timid first-leg approach to some let-offs from some otherwise consistent players, they look at how the 'Caps were beaten as soundly as they did by LAFC, who showed why they're the tournament favourites heading into the semi-finals.  Then, after that, they look at the 'Caps most recent MLS game, a 1-0 home win over the Portland Timbers in a Cascadia Cup clash, one where Vancouver once again looked very good, continuing their quiet improvement in league play.  All of a sudden, with some strong underlying numbers, as well as some improved performances from underrated sources, the Whitecaps are clicking in MLS, trending in the right direction right now.  Therefore, with a crucial clash looming this weekend on the road against Austin, they look at what this game represents for the 'Caps, who have a chance to get closer to a long-stated goal with a victory.  Lastly, they take a look at some other local soccer news, as WFC II continued to shine in MLS Next Pro, and the CPL gets set to return for its fifth season, with a BC Darby headlining the league's opening weekend.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat all things Vancouver Whitecaps after a big weekend for the team.  To begin, they start with the biggest highlight from the weekend - a 5-0 win over rivals CF Montréal, one where they were able to take advantage of an early Montréal red card to put up their first win of the season.  Led by a pair of former WFC II standouts, Simon Becher and Ali Ahmed, it was a much-needed confidence booster for Vancouver, who had been playing well in MLS play, but just didn't have the results to show for it.  After, they look at what's next for the 'Caps, as they get set to host LAFC in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals. A familiar foe, they look at what to expect from this LA side, who are arguably the favourites among the last eight in this competition, and for good reason.  At the same time, they're not invincible, so Alex and Sam look at how Vancouver could beat them, and what they'll need to do in order to make that happen.  Lastly, they finish off with a bit of CPL news, as they react to the signing of Kekuta Manneh by Pacific FC, a move that certainly caught many Canadian soccer fans by surprise when it dropped on Monday morning.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat about some news at the Third Sub, as well as all things Vancouver Whitecaps. To begin, they look at the big news at the Third Sub, which is no longer just a podcast, thanks to the launch of thethirdsub.ca, a new venture between 86Forever and Between The Sticks. Here, Alex and Sam share some key details on this change, before looking forward to what it means for local soccer coverage in BC.  After that, they shift to some key news out of the Whitecaps, who recently lost their head of recruitment, Nikos Overheul, as he and the team parted ways last week. They dive into what that means given Overheul's track record with the 'Caps, as well as what it reflects on the team's future.  Then, they take a look back at the most recent 'Caps game, a clash with Minnesota United on the road, where the 'Caps snatched a late 1-1 draw, their third such consecutive result in MLS play. There, some key issues remained, much to the frustration of many, continuing a tough start to their 2023 season.  Lastly, they take a look ahead to the next 'Caps game, a home battle with CF Montréal, one that looms large as the 'Caps both chase their first win of the MLS season, as well as get set for their crucial CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final versus LAFC.  Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast! In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat all things Vancouver Whitecaps, as they reached their first international break of the 2023 MLS season. To begin, they look back at the 'Caps most recent games, as they first fell 3-2 on the road to Real CD España in the second leg of their Round of 16 CONCACAF Champions League tie, a score that was still enough to get them through to the next round 7-3 on aggregate, before they then split the spoils in a 1-1 draw vs the LA Galaxy in MLS play. They look at what stood out in those games, from the 'Caps persistent issue with marking wide balls, as well as their ongoing woes in the attack, seeing what needs to be tweaked. After that, they take a look at the team's recent starting lineups, having a debate on whether or not some players might need a look at where they fit in the team's best XI, and if head coach Vanni Sartini is trotting out his best unit each week. Then, because breaks can sometimes be a myth in MLS, they look ahead to this weekend, where the 'Caps (and 27 other MLS teams) are playing through the international break, as they travel to Minnesota to take on Minnesota United. A severely depleted Minnesota side, as they feel the effects of playing through this break, it's a huge opportunity for the 'Caps to grab their first win of the season, and they dive into why. Lastly, they take a look at some big-picture questions from the first few games, including Sartini's future, Julian Gressel's strong play and their CCL run, seeing what all of that means as they get set for a crucial stretch of play, one that could very well decide the fate of their still-young season. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @thethirdsub.