Episode 623 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Fighting Spirit - CMNT on the rise, Copa Chaos, Whitecaps’ road success in league and cup)

We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Canadian national team, Copa America, and Euro 2024 chat, and we're joined once again this week by Felipe Vallejo to talk about it all.

Canada exceeded all expectations at Copa America, finishing fourth overall after a string of good performances against top opposition that brings a lot of excitement and optimism for the future under new head coach Jesse Marsch. We look at their rise in this tournament and the matches against Argentina and Uruguay. Plus we chat about the absolute chaos at the tournament after Colombia's semi-final and before the final. Amazingly a disaster was averted but lessons need to be learned ahead of the World Cup in 2026.

Turning our attention to the Whitecaps, it's been a good week for them with two road wins, one in the cup and one in the league. We delve into the victories over both Pacific and St Louis, hear from 'Caps coach Vanni Sartini on the Canadian Championship and his suggestion for a possible future format, and Pacific coach James Merriman muses on the second leg at BC Place next month and how the venue may aid his team, who are still very much in the tie.

All of this plus Cork band The Frank and Walters continue as Album of the Month, and we've a Spanish song in Wavelength to commemorate their Euros win and their young wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

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

02.10: Intro - another busy week of football
06.15: Canada's successful Copa America and what's been learned
16.19: Uruguay players fighting fans - how was that allowed to happen?
31.30: Canada finish 4th after penalty loss to Uruguay
46.42: Jesse Marsch's impact on the CMNT and his post tournament comments
56.55: Argentina win back-to-back Copas
64.45: Copa chaos outside stadium ahead of final - insanity
77.50: Whitecaps lead Pacific in Canadian Championship semi-final
86.00: James Merriman on Pacific's chances in second leg
94.09: Is gap between CPL and MLS closing?
100.45: Vanni Sartini on Canadian Championship and potential future format
113.32: Can we play you every week? - Another Whitecaps win vs St Louis
141.00: Wavelength - Semir - Lamine Yamal