A Kick in the Grass Sportsnet

It was a truly epic World Cup Final. Argentina, off the back of an Angel Di Maria masterclass, was coasting to a 2-0 win but with 10 minutes left everything changed. France scored twice but we got a final dose of some Lionel Messi brilliance and then the script flipped again. What a final, what a tournament.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Soccer fans around the world were still buzzing after two exhilarating quarterfinals at the World Cup when the news began to filter in. Grant Wahl, a pioneering soccer journalist from the United States, died while covering the Argentina vs. the Netherlands match. Dan Riccio, Jeff Blair, and Devang Desai pay tribute to Grant and his contributions to this sport before discussing the latest from Qatar, including Lionel Messi’s path to the World Cup title.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

On today’s show, Dan Riccio, Jeff Blair and Devang Desai are joined by The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke (9:44) from Qatar to discuss the road forward for the Canadian men’s program after three consecutive losses in Qatar. After that, the guys list their superlatives (35:14) for the tournament so far, including the biggest disappointments and best storylines.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Well, that’s that. Canada’s journey at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar came to an end with a 2-1 loss to Morocco to conclude play in Group F. On this edition of A Kick in the Grass, Dan Riccio, Jeff Blair, and Devang Desai react to the conclusion of Canada’s first World Cup in 36 years and welcome former Canadian National Team member Craig Forrest (18:38) to comb through the aftermath of three consecutive losses. Who stood out, who underperformed and where does Canada go from here? The guys talk about all that and plenty more.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

It started off so well. Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first World Cup goal 68 seconds into the match, but it wasn’t enough. On the latest A Kick in the Grass, Dan Riccio, Jeff Blair, and Devang Desai react to Croatia’s 4-1 win at Khalifa International Stadium. How did it go wrong for John Herdman’s side, and where do they go from here with one group stage match remaining against Morocco? The guys discuss those topics and much more.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Dan Riccio, Jeff Blair, and Devang Desai kick off the show by discussing John Herdman getting under the skin of Croatia, his mental tactics, and more. Next, the guy's welcome CBS Sports soccer analyst, Grant Wahl, to discuss how Canada and the U.S. are looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, his experience covering the World Cup in Qatar, the pressure Brazil faces to win the tournament, and more (13:00). Then, the guys turn to Canada’s upcoming game against Croatia and discuss which players are expected to start for Canada, how they should approach the match offensively, and how important Johnathan David’s play will be. After that, Henry Standage of Painting the Pitch Red, joins the show to discuss the unknown history of Canadian Soccer, Junior Hoilett’s decision to play for Canada and what it meant for the future of the national team, what happened after the 1986 World Cup, and more (45:00).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.