Should Canada be ‘disappointed’ in 2nd place finish?
Should Canada be ‘disappointed’ in 2nd place finish?Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans break Canada's difficult path through the knockout rounds. Check out the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.1:36Now PlayingPaused
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Should Canada be ‘disappointed’ in 2nd place finish?
Christian Polanco·Alexis GuerrerosThu, June 25, 2026 at 6:04 PM UTCChristian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans break Canada's difficult path through the knockout rounds. Check out the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.
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The thing for Canada though is that them finishing in second obviously is still exciting for them to go onto the next round, but they, if they would've won the group, they would've, hosted the round of 32 game- They would've stayed in Canada in Canada.
Mexico gets to stay in Mexico.
Mm-hmm.
US gets to stay in the US.
Canada's now gotta go to, where's the game?
LA.
LA.
LA.
So, and they, I think are, are most likely going to be playing South Africa.
They're likely, so- A team they can beat.
A team they can- So truthfully, but- But- It would've been great to have that home crowd, which they never get, and they've been getting it in this tournament.
AdvertisementAdvertisementYeah.
And the vibes have been so good.
I would've loved for Canada to have home advantage.
So I, I saw, Alistair Johnston, talk about this.
He was like, you know, in the mix zone after the game.
He was just like, "Oh, I, I'm getting all these questions and everybody's asking like, like, you know, like, as if it's, this is kind of a negative situation."
He's like, "We did what we planned to do.
We wanted to get to the knockout rounds."
He, he, "We wanted to lose to Switzerland."
No.
Well, they, they got to the next round and, and, you know, baby steps.
They did advance, yes.
He's like, he's talking about it sort of from a, a bigger picture perspective and being like, for the Canadian, program and the federation- Mm-hmm this is a huge success to get to the next round.
AdvertisementAdvertisementbut, e- even a draw against Switzerland would've, I think would've been enough 'cause they had the goal differential, from the game against Qatar.
So it, it's a, it, it's just, it's, it, I mean, look, it's, it's slightly disappointing but you could see, you saw what South Africa- Yeah did to South Korea.
That's what I'm saying.
The, the, the question is, like, did they get lucky?
It's tough to say lucky 'cause South Africa can beat you.
They've also grown into the tournament.
And they haven't g- given up a whole bunch of goals or anything.
Yeah.
Like, it's not gonna be an easy game.
They've gotten better game by game.
- Should Canada be ‘disappointed’ in 2nd place finish?Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans break Canada's difficult path through the knockout rounds. Check out the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.1:36Now PlayingPaused
- Is Canada in position to make a World Cup run?1:16Now PlayingPaused
- Will Canada get its first World Cup win against Qatar?2:53Now PlayingPaused
- Canada-Switzerland Preview: Why it could get tough for the Canadians2:34Now PlayingPaused
- Canada earns first-ever point in World Cup draw1:21Now PlayingPaused
- Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina Preview: Will home field help Canada in opener?3:00Now PlayingPaused
- Mexico enters 'defining' World Cup for 'El Tri'3:31Now PlayingPaused
- Can Ecuador play spoiler in knockout round after Germany upset?1:47Now PlayingPaused
- Are the World Cup knockout stages setting up perfectly for the USMNT?3:16Now PlayingPaused
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
