Episode 691 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Wie spät ist es? - Whitecaps destroy Union, Forge preview, Thomas Muller, Rayan Elloumi, Belal Halbouni, Tristan Borges, BC derby day)

We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, Canadian Championship, and Canadian Premier League football chat and interviews.

The Whitecaps sent a message to the rest of MLS with a 7-0 thumping of the Supporters Shield leading Philadelphia Union on Saturday. We delve into the many highs from that one and look at how it leaves the MLS run-in with just weeks of the regular season remaining. There were a lot of great moments from that big win, but one of the best was the first MLS goal for Whitecaps Homegrown Rayan Elloumi on his home debut. We talk with Rayan about signing his MLS deal, that goal, his family's reaction, and what he needs to work on now that he's moved up a level.

Turning our attention to the Canadian Championship, we look ahead to the Whitecaps-Forge semi-final second leg and hear from both head coaches, while Thomas Müller talks about what cup football means to him. We also chat with Whitecaps centreback Belal Halbouni about the club's and his own season so far and the semi-final, and we have an in-depth interview with Forge's talismanic midfielder Tristan Borges about the game, Forge's season, the club's success in the CPL, and his own footballing journey.

Plus we talk about the weak sanctions imposed on Inter Miami by MLS after their Leagues Cup disgrace and we talk about the latest BC derby in the CPL after the first game played in downtown Victoria. And music-wise, Hazel O'Connor continues her residency as our Album of the Month, we've Britpop songs from Smaller and Cast, and a German band features in Wavelength.

Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode:

01.30: Intro - what a week as the goals fly in!
06.15: Whitecaps pick Philadelphia apart
48.30: The lie of the land in the MLS West
61.40: MLS punish Miami, but only barely
73.55: Rayan Elloumi interview
80.40: Thomas Müller talks Canadian Championship and cup football
87.26: Whitecaps v Forge coach preview Canadian Championship semi
93.10: Belal Halbouni interview
103.00: Tristan Borges interview and Forge FC chat
131.20: BC derby day in the CPL
155.30: Wavelength - The Voice - Give Us A Goal
161.00: The good and the bad of fly on the wall football documentaries