Episode 662 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Bubbles Burst - Canada’s Nations League rollercoaster, Whitecaps no longer perfect, Max Anchor interview)

We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, Canadian Premier League, and CONCACAF Nations League chat and we're joined by AFTN writer Felipe Vallejo this week to talk about it all.

Canada went into the CONCACAF Nations League finals with real hope of lifting their first trophy in 25 years, but a semi-final loss to Mexico shattered those dreams, before a feelgood win over the US end the tournament on a high for Les Rouges. We pick over the bones of both matches, the lessons that can be learned from them, and what some of the performances of individual players may mean for the future. Is Alphonso Davies still trying to do too much? Are some of the old guard needing to step aside? Do we have a number one goalkeeper at the moment? We chat about all of that and more.

Turning our attention to the club game, Vancouver Whitecaps lost their first MLS match of the season, when a short-handed and disjointed side fell at home to Chicago. A mere blip to their good start, some real concerns about depth, or a mixture of both? We look back at the game, what can be taken from it, and look ahead to getting back on track in the Canadian derby against a poor Toronto side.

Our feature interview this episode is with a Whitecaps first-teamer that's gone out for loan to the CPL for the season, goalkeeper Max Anchor. We chat to Max about his move to Pacific FC, his footballing journey so far, some of the new goalkeeper rules, and more.

It's also Football Violence Awareness Month at AFTN Towers and we review the Netflix Polish football hooligan drama Kibic, while Antisocial feature in Wavelength. Plus Sleeper continue their residency as our Album of the Month, there's another Britpop song from Ash, and we talk World Cup qualification, the US Open Cup, and the new UK Ballers League.

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

01.27: Intro - World Cup qualifiers, US Open Cup
12.45: Canada's Nations League rollercoaster
51.50: Whitecaps depth tested in Chicago loss
79.06: Max Anchor interview
102.40: Pacific FC chat
110.45: TVOD - Kibic (Hooligan)
116.00: Wavelength - Antisocial - Official Hooligan