Episode 663 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Mascara Bleeds The Blackened Tear - Whitecaps draw in Toronto, Phonzie’s injury, Sacha Kljestan, James Merriman, Nelson Pierre)

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

The Whitecaps didn't get back to winning ways in Toronto but they took a point on the road and that's rarely a bad thing. We delve into the goalless draw against TFC and the main takeaways from the match, that sadly saw injuries to Andres Cubas and Mathias Laborda. Can we read much into the recent blips? Will the team be hampered now against Pumas in the Champions Cup? And how does the weekend's results leave the 'Caps in the lie of the land in the MLS West? We talk about all of that and more and chat with WFC2 standout Nelson Pierre, who made it three goals in three games on Saturday.

We've two feature interviews for you this episode. First up is a chat with MLS Apple TV analyst, and former scourge of MLS defences everywhere, Sacha Kljestan. We get Sacha's thoughts about the Whitecaps start to the season, their key players, and the MLS West, plus we talk about his continuing US Open Cup run with Des Moines Menace, switching to punditry, and the US national team woes and whether Brian White can save them.

Turning our attention to the CPL, we chat with Pacific FC head coach James Merriman ahead of the new season that gets underway next weekend. We look back at last season, the offseason rebuild, the season ahead, plans for youth players and L1BC, and more. Plus we find out if new Pacific addition, Whitecaps loanee goalkeeper Max Anchor, fancies a chocolate digestive!

And after another eventful week for Canada Soccer we talk about the blame game and fingerpointing around Alphonso Davies' injury by Bayern Munich and his agent against the CSA, plus Zach regales us will tales of his trip to the CONCACAF Nations League finals and we look at the admonishment handed out to former men's national team coach John Herdman.

Music-wise Athena feature in Wavelength, Sleeper wrap up their residency as our Album of the Month, there's a Britpop song from Joyrider, and special song from Franz Ferdinand that we're dedicating to Lorenzo Insigne.

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

01.25: Intro - football galore and spring break
15.06: Whitecaps goalless and with more injury concerns after Toronto stalemate
33.40: The lie of the land in the MLS West
42.55: Nelson Pierre interview and WFC2 chat
56.10: Sacha Kljestan interview
83.43: James Merriman interview
110.05: Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive? - Max Anchor
117.10: Zach's trip to the Nations League finals
133.53: Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich, and the Canada Soccer blame game
155.30: Herdman admonished by disciplinary hearing
162.15: Wavelength - Athena - Holigan