A Kick in the Grass

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.

Dan Riccio, Jeff Blair, and Devang Desai react to Canada's 1-0 loss to Belgium in group play at the World Cup in Qatar. What were the emotions of seeing them play for the first time in over 30 years? They also get into the Alphonso Davies penalty kick, other missed penalties earlier in the game, and the long connection from Belgium to score the game's only goal. Plus, what can we expect from an aggressive Canadian team vs. Croatia on Sunday?

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.

With the World Cup getting underway tomorrow, A Kick In The Grass returns! Hosted by Jeff Blair, Dan Riccio, and Devang Desai, they start the show by breaking down the injury updates of Alphonso Davies and Stephen Eustáquio, John Herdman’s goals for the team ahead of their first match against Belgium, and more. Next, James Sharman joins the show to discuss which underrated Canadian player can make an impact on the world stage, how important Steven Vitória is for Canada, and the new five-sub rule (18:50). Next, the guys discuss how good Belgium really is and what we can expect from them, who the best player in Group F is, and which notable players were left out of Canada’s 26-man roster. What has the response been regarding the banning of beer at World Cup stadiums? Who are the favorites to come out on top of each group? Who will score Canada’s first goal? The guys answer all of the biggest questions surrounding Team Canada and the World Cup!  

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 and Jeff Blair are back with producer Devang Desai to discuss the Canada men's national soccer team and their journey to Qatar. Every Saturday, the guys will breakdown the biggest stories from the largest sporting event in the world with guests from around the globe. Plus, after each Canada game they'll have instant reaction as the Canucks take on Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco in the group stage.

A new documentary, ‘Pelé’, will debut on Netflix February 23rd. Dan & Jeff speak with the directors David Tryhorn and Ben Nicholas to discuss their film on the legendary footballer (34:33). Also, Canadian international and President of the PFA Canada, Marcel de Jong, joins the show as well to discuss the initiatives they will be pushing for in discussions with the CPL (48:55).

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.