The Third Sub

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast!In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, to dive into all things Vancouver Whitecaps, Vancouver FC, Vancouver Rise and more. To begin, they start with the latest out of the Whitecaps, who have had a big stretch of performances lately, starting with a win vs. Vancouver FC in the Canadian Championship final, before leading into a pair of big wins in MLS play vs. the San Jose Earthquakes and Orlando City. In particular, the play of Thomas Müller has stood out across that period, as well as the continued improvement of several under-the-radar players, which is good news for the Whitecaps as a pivotal stretch of play awaits them here. Now, they'll turn their focus to their last match of the regular season, a clash vs. FC Dallas at BC Place, before starting the MLS Cup playoffs shortly after. Otherwise, they take a look at the news out of Vancouver FC, who have qualified for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup thanks to the Whitecaps, who themselves locked up a berth through MLS play to transfer their Canadian Championship berth to the CPL side. As a result, Alex and Sam look at what that could do for VFC, who stand to benefit in a big way from being in Concacaf's premier club competition. Lastly, they finish by looking at the Vancouver Rise, who have officially completed their first regular season campaign in the Northern Super League, and will now turn their attention to the playoffs at the start of next month. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_. The Third Sub can be found on Spotify, Google Play, Apple Podcasts and Anchor. It can also now be found on Breaker, Overcast, Pocket Casts and Radio Public, so if you have any of those platforms installed, you can now find it on them.

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, Vancouver Rise, Vancouver FC, Pacific FC and more. To begin, they dive into the latest out of the Whitecaps, who are back in action after a quiet end to August and start to September. Now, with a strange portion of their schedule behind them, they'll get set for a busy end to the 2025 regular season, while also tackling a massive Canadian Championship game in there for good measure. After some good rest, can they return to their best in that stretch? They'll hope that can be the case as they continue to welcome back some key reinforcements, further integrate new ones, and return to what worked well for them earlier in the year. They haven't been given an easy schedule to start this stretch, as they'll face the MLS-leading Philadelphia Union before taking on Forge FC in the second leg of the Canadian Championship semi-finals a few days later, but they've got a chance to make a bit of a statement in both matches. Meanwhile, elsewhere in B.C., Vancouver FC is getting set to take on Atlético Ottawa in leg two of the other semi-final - a tie they currently lead 3-1 after a shock home victory in leg one. Having had a tough regular season campaign to date, they'd love to continue a remarkable run in the cup, so look for them to pull some magic out of their hat in this tie. Before then, though, a cool match awaits them in Canadian Premier League action against rivals Pacific FC, who themselves are also looking to get out of a bit of a rut of their own in league play. A match played at a new site, Victoria's Royal Athletic Park, both teams will hope that playing in front of a sold-out crowd provides them with a bit of a boost. Lastly, the Vancouver Rise are on fire, as they're now undefeated in eight matches, allowing them to push right up the Northern Super League table. All of a sudden, first place is in reach, and it's hard to see them slowing down with how good they're playing - and they continue to add to the roster, as seen with moves such as the surprise signing of Montréal Roses forward Latifah Abdu. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_.

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, Vancouver Rise, Vancouver FC, Pacific FC and more. To begin, they dive into the latest on the Whitecaps, who have had a strange month of July so far. At the surface, things look calm, as they've treaded water in terms of results, but it's otherwise been a crazy month off the pitch with the sale of Pedro Vite to Pumas UNAM, the arrival of Peruvian youngster Kenji Cabrera, and the long-term knee injury suffered by key defender Ranko Veselinovic. As a result, Alex and Sam look into the aftermath of all of those bits of news for the Whitecaps, which have had a significant impact on those 'Caps for very different reasons. In particular, things are pointing towards the Whitecaps having a busy transfer window, as they look to maximize their contention window and keep it open as long as possible. Afterwards, they take a look at the latest out of the Vancouver Rise, who are catching form in NSL play at just the right time, showing signs of a newfound tactical identity on both sides of the ball. Lastly, they chat about the big movement coming out of the CPL teams in BC, as Vancouver FC have made the big decision to part ways with Afshin Ghotbi and replaced him with Martin Nash on an interim basis, while Pacific have brought home former striker Alejandro Díaz in a big coup for a team struggling to score. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_.

Welcome back to another episode!In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to dive into all things Vancouver Whitecaps, the CanMNT and more. To begin, they dive into the latest with the Whitecaps, who, since the last episode, surprisingly beat the Seattle Sounders 3-0 despite missing several regulars, before falling 2-1 to the Columbus Crew. They look back at those games, seeing what the Whitecaps showed despite being short multiple key players in both games due to injuries and international commitments. Having had a break since the Crew game, the Whitecaps are now back in action this week, as they take on the newest MLS side, San Diego FC, in a crucial Western Conference battle at BC Place. As usual, Alex and Sam preview what to expect from that one, as the Whitecaps take on a San Diego side that has been one of the biggest surprises in their first season in MLS. Afterwards, they take a look at the latest out of the CanMNT, who have continued their Gold Cup journey over the past week, having kicked it off at BC Place on June 17th. They look back at what that game meant for the team, as they made a rare jaunt to a place they're about to get very familiar with over the next 12 months, before looking at the next portion of their tournament, which has come down in the United States. Lastly, they take a look at some of the other soccer news from around BC, as the Vancouver Rise navigate an up-and-down season, while the BC CPL teams, Pacific and Vancouver, continue to struggle in league play. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast!In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, to chat all things Vancouver Whitecaps ahead of their massive matchup against Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup final on Sunday, June 1st at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City.To begin, they dive into what to expect from the Whitecaps in this final, as they look to continue this magical CCC run, finishing it off on a high note after finding some big results in the previous rounds. Yet, despite that, they aren't dealing with as much pressure as one would expect—a credit to both their mentality and what they're up against.Speaking of, they dive into what to expect from Cruz Azul, who are arguably the most balanced team the Whitecaps have faced this year. Despite that, this is a desperate Cruz Azul side, who need to deliver a trophy to their fans after dealing with multiple heartbreaking losses to their rivals in the Liga MX playoffs in 2024-2025.That desperation could help them, but it can also be a disadvantage - it might be up to the Whitecaps to ensure it's more of the latter than the former.Lastly, they wrap up the final preview by looking at what to expect from both teams in terms of lineups, before finishing with a prediction.Otherwise, they wrap up the show by diving into some other key Whitecaps topics, as well as with a quick look with what's on tap for the other professional BC teams this weekend, one that will be quite busy for Canadian soccer.Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_.

Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast!In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat Vancouver Whitecaps, Vancouver Rise, Vancouver FC and Pacific FC. To begin, they dive into the latest out of the Whitecaps, who have continued their red-hot start to the 2025 season over the past few weeks. First, in the Concacaf Champions Cup, they managed to defeat Inter Miami 5-1 on aggregate across two legs in the semi-finals of that tournament, allowing them to reach the final for the first time. Now, they'll play a Cruz Azul team that has been in excellent form in this competition, of which they're one of the winningest teams historically, in what should be a fantastic final between two fun teams to watch. Meanwhile, in MLS play, the Whitecaps are also continuing to cruise, as they still sit atop MLS's Supporters Shield standings, having continued to pick up big results in league play despite juggling their CCC responsibilities. Now, things don't get any easier for the Whitecaps, who have three MLS matches and one Canadian Championship clash to deal with before the CCC final, but based on how they've been playing, they'll just try to keep the good times rolling as they get set to tackle a crucial three-week period. Elsewhere, the BC Canadian Premier League teams have been off to mixed starts to their campaigns, with Vancouver FC now finding their feet in league play after a slow start, while Pacific is looking to recover after a strong start turned into a mini-slump. So far, Vancouver has the edge between these two teams, especially after defeating Pacific in the preliminary round of the Canadian Championship, something they hope gives them momentum going forward, but Pacific will be pleased they bounced back from that VFC loss with a big home win vs. York United days later. Lastly, the Vancouver Rise have continued their start to their inaugural campaign, sitting second in the NSL standings through four matches. Despite that, they've got plenty to work on, especially offensively, although they'll be pleased with how organized they've been defensively, giving them a good base to build on as they look to find more goals going forward. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_.

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 continue to navigate a busy stretch of action. To begin, they dive into the latest out of the Whitecaps, who got past Pumas UNAM on away goals in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Champions Cup this week, setting up a date with Inter Miami in the semi-finals later this month. A historic result for the club, who found it despite missing several key regulars, it has set up what is sure to be a memorable matchup with Miami, for a multitude of reasons. Meanwhile, they'll turn their focus back to MLS, where they've done pretty well for themselves - they sit first in MLS after a win vs. the Colorado Rapids this past weekend, one where they confidently defeated the Rapids 2-0 at BC Place. Now, they'll look to further fortify their place atop the league standings this weekend, where they'll host Austin FC at BC Place, in what will be a fascinating clash of styles. Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_.