The Third Sub is a collaborative project joining three brands which all had the same goal, to provide thoughtful and insightful coverage of Canadian Soccer with a distinct focus on West Coast stories, teams, and voices.

The Third Sub Network now comprises what was formerly Between the Sticks, SB Nation’s Eighty Six Forever, as well as The Third Sub Podcast. By bringing these together, we hope to provide an improved user experience for those who have enjoyed these brands in the past, as well as those who are just getting familiar with the West Coast soccer scene, or looking for a new source of news, opinions, and analysis.

Our Team

Samuel Rowan – Co-Creator, Managing Editor

Sam has been covering the Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian Soccer since 2018. He’s a member of the North American Soccer Reporters and sits on their Membership Committee. Previously, Sam worked for both Queen’s University and Simon Fraser University in Athletics. You can find him @samuel_rowboat on Twitter.

Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic – Co-Creator

Alex is a soccer journalist who covers all things Canadian Soccer for OneSoccer, CanPL.ca, Northern Futból and the Third Sub. You can find him on Twitter @AlexGangueRuzic, and on IG/Threads @agronthecase.

Caleb Wilkins – Writer

Caleb is, as he describes it, an aspiring football man but realistic about how likely those aspirations are to be realized. @wilkins_caleb24 on Twitter.

Andrew Bahl – Writer

A supporter of the Caps since they joined the league in 2009, Andrew holds down the fort for the American contingent. When not covering the Whitecaps, something he has done since 2017, Andrew is a political journalist (pray for him).

Ian Jones – Writer

Ian has been covering the Whitecaps since 2016 and usually runs our twitter account (and produces the memes) on match days. @ijonesisalive on Twitter.

Mike Rice – Writer

Mike has been covering the Canadian Premier League and MLS since 2020, reporting as well as providing tactical analysis. He is a member of the North American Soccer Reporters and you can follow him on Twitter @MikeRice1983.

Ben Steiner – Writer

Ben covers Canadian Soccer, University Sports and Canadian Olympic Sport for a variety of outlets. He has worked for CBC Sports, MLS.com, The Toronto Star, and Alpine Canada. You can find him @BenSteiner00 on Twitter.

Luis Diaz – Writer

Luis has been covering the Whitecaps for the last three seasons and is currently attending Simon Fraser University.