The Third Sub Episode 236: Whitecaps hit highs and lows in first week of 2025 competitive action

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.

To begin, they dive into the latest out of the Whitecaps, who kicked off their 2025 slate of competitive matches with a pair of games over the past week.

First, they started with the Whitecaps' first match, which was the first leg of their first-round Concacaf Champions Cup tie against CD Saprissa, coming down in San José, Costa Rica. Unfortunately, Jesper Sørensen's first match as Whitecaps head coach didn't go as planned - his side fell 2-1 after a dramatic late winner from the hosts, putting them at a disadvantage heading into the second leg.

Despite that late heartbreak, however, the Whitecaps did well to pick themselves up in time for their MLS season opener just a few days later up in Oregon against their rivals, the Portland Timbers. There, they were able to capitalize on an early red card and picked up a dominant 4-1 win, headlined by Jayden Nelson's magical one-goal, three-assist effort, to give them their first opening day win since 2021.

Now, they get set for another big pair of games, this time at home - the second leg clash of their tie against Saprissa in Champions Cup action, and their home opener against the defending MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy.

It won't be easy, as playing this many games early in a season can always prove to bring its challenges, but they look at how the Whitecaps can navigate these two matches and emerge on the other side in a good position to continue their Champions Cup journey while pushing themselves up MLS's Western Conference standings.

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