Northern Fútbol Podcast

Toronto FC were not shy to spend money this year and had a massive midseason turnover, but still TFC fell short and missed the MLS Cup playoffs for the sixth year in a row. What now for Canada's only MLS Cup winner? Can Robin Fraser and Jason Hernandez survive this?Ben Steiner, Brendan Dunlop and Alex Gangue-Ruzic get into it and talk about Canada's only MLS playoff team, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Canada take on Guatemala in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals this month and Jesse Marsch revealed his latest CanMNT roster, which includes the long-awaited return of a fully healthy Alphonso Davies. Some intriguing new youngsters, such as Kevin Khan, joins a few names worth following -- even if CanMNT’s injury list remains as long as ever. Ben Steiner, Brendan Dunlop and Alex Gangué-Ruzic dive into everything you need to know.

It’s been a rough week for CF Montréal, who missed a glorious chance to win their first trophy since 2021, falling to Forge FC in the final of the Canadian Championship, marking the third straight season in which they were eliminated by Forge in that competition. Then, a few days later, they were eliminated from MLS Cup playoff contention, further compounding a rough week on and off the field. What’s next for Montréal? Is it time to worry about the club heading into a crucial few years? Ben, Brendan and Alex dive into a conversation about the Canadian MLS teams, the CPL and the NSL in a more domestic-focused episode of the Northern Futból podcast.

Canadians continue to find success in the UEFA Champions League, and the only CanMNT player to win the UCL made quite a statement. Canada's Alphonso Davies scored a beautiful goal for Bayern Munich against Arsenal, in a game where he surprisingly featured as a winger. Is that a sign that Phonzie should now be used in a similar spot for Canada? Ben, Brendan and Alex chat about Davies’s attacking exploits, the fantastic MLS play of Luc De Fougerolles, and Forge FC’s historic Canadian Championship triumph over CF Montreal in a jam-packed show.

It was a mixed return to action for the CanWNT, who drew and lost a pair of matches against Denmark in the October window, with a 1-1 comeback draw in Montréal before dropping a 4-3 rollercoaster in Toronto.We saw some big improvements from the Casey Stoney's Canada, especially in attack, but some familiar defensive woes cropped up once again, leaving Canada unable to pick up a win against a top 15 side.Ben, Brendan and Alex dive into the latest out of the CanWNT, before looking at the current state of the Canadian MLS teams, and having a quick chat about the Canadian Women’s U17 team at the U17 World Cup.

After coming under fire for his poor goalscoring form with Canada, Tani Oluwaseyi has taken that scrutiny to heart since returning to Villarreal, scoring a pair of huge Champions League goals in back-to-back UCL ties against Napoli and Liverpool. For a player who already had all sorts of questions swirling around him, it’s safe to say that those goals have opened up some questions about how Jesse Marsch might use Tani going forward. Some other CanMNT regulars, like Liam Millar, have been in great form lately, while some other prospective call-ups, including Marcus Caldeira and Simon Colyn, have also caught our eye.Ben Steiner, Brendan Dunlop and Alex Gangue-Ruzic dive into all things CanMNT players abroad.

After opening the September/October window with a 1-0 win over Chile in Toronto, it was a mixed bag for the CanMNT as they beat Peru 2-0 in Montréal before falling 1-0 to their neighbours and rivals, the USA, in Minnesota. Canada struggled offensively against the USMNT in a way they haven’t really struggled under Jesse Marsch, leading to some frustrations. Alex Gangué-Ruzic and Ben Steiner dive into their takeaways from this window, seeing what we learned about this Canadian team, and what this means for them as they now get set for some crucial Concacaf matches.

Canada kicked off the September/October window on a high note, defeating Chile 1-0 in Toronto thanks to a goal from the in-form Jonathan David. Despite the win, some were left wanting more out of the CanMNT, who were unable to capitalize being up a player, and the last 40 minutes up two. For a team struggling to score goals, that felt like a missed opportunity to build confidence in front of goal. Ben Steiner, Brendan Dunlop and Alex Gangué-Ruzic break down everything that stood out from the Chile match, before looking ahead to what’s next for this Canadian team as they get set for Peru in Montréal.

The road towards the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup continues for the CanWNT, who are getting set for a crucial camp next month. Canada will take on Denmark in a pair of friendlies, in their first matches on home soil in over a year. Alex and Ben dive into their takeaways from Casey Stoney's squad, before taking a look at how Canada’s U20 team fared in their U20 Women’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to North Korea.