Welcome back to another episode of the Third Sub Podcast!

In this episode, Alex and Sam are back, as usual, this time to chat about all things Vancouver Whitecaps as they continue their impressive run through the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs. 

To begin, they dive into the big news of the week for the Whitecaps - they will play in their first-ever MLS Cup final this weekend, as they take on Inter Miami in a tasty matchup.  

Before diving into that final, though, they look at how the Whitecaps got here, as they cruised past San Diego FC in the Western Conference final, becoming Western Conference champions for the first time thanks to a 3-1 victory in California. 

They look at what worked for the Whitecaps in that game, as a cohesive team performance, and some standout individual showings proved to be vital on the day. 

Now, they'll look to build off that in what promises to be a fascinating final against Miami, a side they know very well after their earlier encounter in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals back in April. 

Can the Whitecaps repeat the magic they had in that tie, which they won 5-1 on aggregate? They'd love nothing more than that, but they face a much different Miami side this time around - although they've also improved since then, too. 

Yet, that's the big thing that stands out when previewing this matchup - this is a battle of two top teams, which could set the table for one of the best finals in recent memory, given that these are two teams in the midst of two of the best seasons in MLS history. 

To be fair, that sort of fanfare is to be expected in a matchup between Thomas Müller and Lionel Messi, given their history, but as Alex and Sam explore, there's a LOT more to this battle than the meeting of stars - and they share why they feel that is the case to close out the show. 

Make sure to check out The Third Sub Podcast on Twitter, @thirdsubpod, as well as on Instagram, @the3rdsub_.