The 1st Half

This week on The 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Nick Farkas who is Senior Vice-President of booking and events at Evenko to talk about how he got in the industry, where his love of sports came from, why he loves Liverpool, the health of concerts/events in Montreal, working with the community and much more. Paul breaks down this week’s hot topics including, 14 year-old Cavan Sullivan making his MLS debut with the Philadelphia Union and becoming the youngest ever athlete to play in American sports, Canada’s women’s soccer team at the upcoming Olympics, and CF Montreal vs Toronto FC tomorrow night. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.

This week on The 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Evan Bush goalkeeper for the Columbus Crew and former Montreal Impact keeper, to talk about his journey into the game of football, how difficult it can be to be a keeper, dealing with injuries, Canada’s run at the Copa America, his disdain for Jordan Pickford and more. Paul breaks down this week’s hot topics including, the Euro Final between England and Spain, Gareth Southgate’s managerial record, the Copa America Final between Argentina and Colombia and the 3rd place game that will feature Canada and Uruguay. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.

This week on 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with CF Montreal, MLS and team Canada Legend Patrice Bernier to talk about France and Spain in the semi-final, England’s game against Switzerland, the quarterfinals of the Copa America including Canada’s big game against Venezuela and more. Paul breaks down this week’s hot topics including, the Euro’s, Copa America, the biggest differences between both tournaments, some of the problems with the actual pitches themselves, CF Montreal game against the Vancouver White Caps and JJJJound’s collaboration with Jose Mourinho. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.

This week on The 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Vanessa Mueggler who is an author and community activist to talk about Vanessa playing NCAA at Middle Tennessee State University, getting degrees in business administration and finance, using football as a tool to connect with others and much more. Paul breaks down this week’s hot topics including, Euro 2024, France vs Netherlands in the group stage, Canada’s 2-0 loss to Argentina in the opening game of the Copa America, Shaqiri scoring in the last 3 Euro’s and the last 3 World Cups and the 2025 Club World Cup. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.

This week on The 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Nick Witherill of Binho Board to talk about what inspired him to make Binho Boards, working with different brands, the Binho tournament happening at the Burgundy Lion Pub and more. Paul breaks down this week’s hot topics including Germany beating Scotland in the opening game of the Euro’s, EPL fixtures potentially coming overseas, Jude Bellingham joining up with Skims, Ten Hague staying with Manchester United and Lionel Messi saying Inter Miami will be the last club he plays for. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.

This week on The 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Stikki Peaches, street artist known for his unique style that blends pop culture, street art, and social commentary. They talk about some of Stikki’s influences, what pushed him into pursuing art, the Montreal art scene compared to other cities, his love for soccer expectations for Copa America the Euro and more. Paul breaks down this week’s hot topics including, Soccer Aid’s Celebrity football match, England losing to Iceland 1-0, Man City suing the Premier League, the Prem deciding to keep VAR, Kylian Mbappe heading to Real Madrid and the new Adidas Jude Bellingham logo. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.

This week on The 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Chef Paul Tussaint who was chosen as Chef of the Year in 2021 by Eater Montreal and was included in Canada’s 100 best in 2020. To talk about his upbringing in Haiti, how he started his path of becoming a chef, owning restaurants across Montreal, Copa America, the summer ahead for the soccer world and more. Paul breaks down this week’s hot topics including Celtic winning the Scottish League title, Southampton coming back to the Premier League, the Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, and Jude Bellingham at age 20 winning player of the season in La Liga in his first season in the Spanish league. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.

This week on The 1st Half, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Senator Tony Loffreda, Loffreda was appointed to the Senate of Canada by the Governor General of Canada in 2019. They talk about Tony’s experience in the world of politics, how he developed his love of soccer, disappointment that Montreal won’t host games for the World Cup and more. Paul also sits down with Emilio Zaga Mendez who is the Project Manager and Branding of Fuego Fuego as they talk about the importance of the festival, as well as the new kit that they released for the event. Lastly, Rocco Placentino Sporting Director of CS St Laurent, joins to talk about the team’s journey throughout the Canadian Championship before losing to Toronto FC in quarterfinals. Tune into The 1st Half Culture Show every Friday at 6pm where you can expect the unexpected with weekly guests, deep dives into soccer's heart, its influence on pop culture, and the kind of banter only Paul can deliver.